The Bloody Handprints

Chapter Two

The rest of the day went by fast and Katie was on the couch watching TV and listening to her favorite song Tuesday's Gone by Lynyrd Skynyrd waiting for her parents get home. The clock struck twelve o clock and her mom and dad walked through the door. Before Katie can say a word Katie's dad yelled in fury.

"You got suspended for two fucking days?!"

"It's a funny story actually."

"I don't want to hear it Katelyn." her mother said harshly. "We bend over backwards for you and that's what we get?"

"I don't want to hear this." Katie said walking towards the door.

She grabbed her pink sweatshirt and walked out the door into the gently snowy night. She put on her hood and looked up past the scattered clouds to gaze at the stars. The gentle snow flakes fell on her face. The night was chilly and still. She took a deep breath inhaling the cold air and smiled as it burned the inside of her nose. She closed her eyes as the snowflakes fell on her face until a voice broke the peaceful silence, startling her. She turns around and sees a figure sitting on the porch with the porch light caressing him.

"That was quite a performance you put on today." John smiled while patting a spot next to him signaling her to sit. Katie looked hesitant. "It's midnight I don't think anyone would see us sitting next to each other."

Katie gave a smug smile and sat next to him. "What brings you out here at this time of night?"

"Thinking, you?" he asked.

"This is my safehaven. I come out here when I feel stressed."

John's tone got serious. "I need to ask you something."

"What is it ?" Katie asked looking at the the gentle sky.

"Why do you hate me?''

Katie looked at him with a surprised look. John saw the confused expression on Katie's face and he looked away in frustration.

"Don't look at me like that, you heard me right. Now answer the question."

Katie blushed. "It's not that I hate you, it's just like...I don't know...I'm popular and your not."

John laughs. " That's the biggest load of shit i've heard in my whole life."

"It's the way things are John. Maybe if you would speak up a little-"

John interrupted, "Every time I try to speak you make fun of me so don't go there." Katie looked away. "You know something...you might get everything handed to you but one of these days something is going to happen that mommy, daddy or your good looks won't be able to buy you out. Just thought you should know."

"You don't know anything about me. i hate my parents they yell at me for no reason whatsoever." Katie said.

"Well at least you have parents to hate. My foster family are in Florida, leaving me behind to watch over the house. Think before you speak. It's been nice talking to you Katie."

John went inside and left Katie sitting there on the porch. She thought about what John said for a couple minutes before going back inside.

A couple of hours later John was in his TV room downstairs playing the video game Injustice: Gods Among Us when he heard a noise. John paused the game and looked out the two glass doors. He didn't hear the noise again and he unpauased the game when a loud thud scared him causing him to drop the controller. He looks around when something catches his eye.

Two bloody handprints on one of the glass doors. He goes to examine them when he sees Katie in nothing but her bra and underwear lying on the ground crying with a huge scratch on her back surrounded by a small pool of blood.

"Oh my god Katie are you ok!"

"I...I...I need help." She whimpered.

John picked up Katie in his arms and carried her inside. He places her on the couch and goes in the bathroom and turns on the warm water in the bath tub.

"Katie, we need to get you cleaned up." John said.

Katie unhooked her bra and struggled with her underwear and reached up for John to carry her. John carried her to the bathtub and gently placed her in. John took her hands and placed them over her privates.

"Cover yourself." John gave a gentle smile.

By then Katie stopped crying. She looked up at him and gave a slight smile. Her lips were quivering. John started off by washing the blood out of her blonde hair.

"Bite on this because this is going to hurt."

John pulled out shards of tiny pieces of broken glass out of her back and rubbed another rag soaked in rubbing alcohol on her wounds. Katie cried in pain but her screams were muffled by the towel.

"It shouldn't scar." John said handing her a towel. "You wash the rest of you and keep pressure on it and I'll be waiting outside."

John was watching TV for a good hour when Katie finally came out of the bathroom. She had a towel wrapped around herself and John got up immediately and sat her down beside him. He got bandages and wrapped them around her and handed her some of his mother's old clothes.

"You need to tell me what happened." John said.

She began to cry. "My parents left for work leaving me by myself...I...I heard a noise coming from outside. I go to look out my glass doors when the front door was kicked open."

She wrapped her arms around John and her cries became sobs...she continues. (sobbing) "He was wearing a mask. I ran for the phone but he threw a knife thing at me and I fell against a mirror. And he climbed on top of me and tore of my pants and my shirt. I grabbed a shard of glass and cut his face with it. Then I got up and slipped in his blood and came here."

"Well he's probably gone by now, stay here while I call the police."

"No!" Katie yelled.

"I have to."

John called the police and they investigated the scene but found no trace of anyone being there.

"Ok, looks like he cleaned up pretty good in there." Officer Jim said. "We did find some stuff and we'll be back in the morning. We couldn't get a hold of your parents so I would advise you to stay here."

"What if he returns?" John asked.

"We have a protective detail on you for the night. Goodnight."

The police officer left and the two kids watched three episodes of Game of Thrones when John noticed Katie asleep on his shoulder. He watched her sleep, watching her chest rise and fall as she was breathing heavily in her sleep. John picked her up and carried her to the guest room. He stood there in the doorway looking at her as he thought about what happens next before going to his room and falling asleep himself.