GWEN, BABY

Chapter 1 - Intruder

Gwen arrives back to her apartment late at night, her heeled boots clicking loudly as she exits the elevator. It's an old cold building, the lights that illuminate each floor give off a dim sallow light like being in a bunker.

She rummages around for a moment in her handbag until her fingers graze the fluffy pom-pom attached to her key. She slides the key into the lock, but it's an old stubborn thing, so she has to lean her shoulder into the door, so the key will turn two times.

Once she's got the door open, she steps into the dark, two-bedroom apartment, which is really quite large and spacious for the dirt-cheap price she pays for it. She shares it with one other girl, Tash, but she's been away in South America for a month, volunteering as teacher in some little mountain village in Peru. So for now, Gwen has the place all to herself, which has it's pros and cons. Pros being she can play whatever music she wants on the speakers, walk around in her underwear if she so chooses, and masturbate with the door open. Cons are that it's sometimes lonely, and she gets scared at night that someone might break in.

Gwen fumbles for a moment in the dark entrance as she closes the door and locks it behind her, then just as she's hanging her coat, she hears one of the wooden floorboard creak in front of her.

Her head whips up and there, hardly visible in the dark apartment is a figure – a man's figure.

She stumbles back against the door, gasping, about to scream but a hand flies out of the darkness, clamping firmly over her mouth.

"Please don't scream, Gwen." A low male voice says.

Shocked by the sudden assault, that there's a man inside her house that shouldn't be and that he knows her name, she freezes in fear, heart pounding so hard in her chest she's afraid it might stop from the exertion.

She hears the floor boards creak, as the intruder steps towards her, his hand shifting positions on her mouth but not easing for a second.

"I'm not here to hurt you." He whispers, his mouth close to her ear now, causing her to shrink back in terror. What does this man want? Money? Sex? She thinks, terrified. She's pictured herself being raped before – every girl must have – she's imagined how it would feel to have a man force his way inside her, she's wondered how her body would react to such a violent intrusion. Would it be raw and painful, her vagina clamping up like a shell? Or would her traitor body somehow get excited by the stimulation, getting wet? Would she give in and let it happen? Or would she fight till the very end?

She wonders if she is about to find all that out.

"Oh Gwen, how I've missed you." The man's nose in her hair suddenly, as he inhales sharply. Repulsed, Gwen jerks her head away. How could he miss me? I don't even know him. He must be sick in the head, she thinks, disturbed by his words.

Her senses are coming back to her now, the adrenaline is kicking in. She knows she must do something to get away from this disturbed man. Her first thought is to kick him in the balls. That bound to incapacitate him, she thinks. But just as she about to ram her knee up with all her force, the man slams his body against hers, as if anticipating her move.

"I don't think so, baby." He makes a sound, something close to a chuckle, that sends chills rushing through Gwen's body. Why is he laughing? She thinks, afraid he's insane, a new wave of fear coming over her. I must escape, she thinks, fear pushing her over the edge to frantic panic.

She bites down hard on his hand over her mouth, her teeth breaking the skin, tasting blood.

He gasps and removes his hand. "Fuck. Gwen!" He curses angrily, momentarily slackening his body weight off hers as he nurtures his wounded hand. Gwen takes this moment to make her escape, shoving his body away from hers. He stumbles a step back but immediately regains his footing. It doesn't matter; it's enough time for her to turn to the door, her shaky fingers on the lock. It's got to be turned twice to be opened. She manages to get the stiff lock to turn once but never a second time, as two hands on her shoulders rip her back from the door. She cries out as she loses her footing in her ridiculous heel boots, hitting her head hard on the floor as she lands awkwardly on her back. The air is knocked out of her, and for a moment she's delirious as her head rings with pain.