DESIGNS 4

By Succubus

The sun pressed down, its heat seemed to drain the life out of the day. People milled about, children ran playing. The smells of fish and cheese and baked goods all displayed for the shopper's delight hung in the air and mingled with the scent of so many sweaty bodies, forming a sickly sweet odor which filled the street.

The man walked easily through the crowd, his tall strong body and handsome features drawing more than one set of eyes to him. He walked with confidence.

Jenny watched him weave his way through the crowd, her mouth slightly open. A sharp elbow to her side brought her out of her reverie. "Drool much?" Samantha said to her.

Jenny blushed and scowled at Sam. She loved her sister, but she could be so immature. At 19, Jenny had awoken to the world of carnal pleasures. At 16, Samantha had not. At least, not as far as Jenny knew. Jenny eyed her sister closely. Watching her bounce through the market, her "n'sync" tee shirt hanging over a pair of old cut offs, Jenny couldn't see a single sign her sister even had any interest in sex yet, at least not with anyone who wasn't a member of the Backstreet Boys. Jenny tried to imagine her silly little sister being seductive, then shook her head with a grin.

"Hush, Sam," she said, moving slowly through the crowd, trying to keep the man in her sights. Blonde hair, big strong arms--everything Jenny wanted in a man. If only her sister wasn't with her. Jenny's mind whirred.

"Listen," she said to her sister, "I'm going to go try on some clothes. Want to meet me at the poster shop?" Jenny knew Sam would fall for this, and to cinch the deal, she pulled $10 from her purse and passed it to her sister. "I'll meet you at the poster place in half an hour, 'k?" Sam's eyes lit up at the sight of money, in her head already planning where in her room to hang whatever she might buy, and she nodded, repeating, "Half an hour, 'k".

Jenny watched her sister walk off until she was sure that she was out of sight, then turned her attention back to the man. He was at the other end of the market, and moving away from her. Quickly, Jenny began to follow him.

She worked her way through the crowd, always keeping the tousled blonde head foremost in her vision. What was she going to say to him? Jenny froze for a moment. What indeed. How was she going to meet him? Would he laugh at her? Give her the time of day?

Jenny saw him heading away from the market, and then abruptly he turned a corner. She jogged, panicked that she might lose him. Lose him, she didn't even know him yet, Jenny thought and laughed at herself. She was chasing a man. The thought made her giggle more, but nothing was going to stop her from following him.

Turning the corner she had seen him disappear around, disappointment filled her. Gone. Jenny frowned and chewed on her bottom lip, wondering if she should keep looking. She glanced behind her at the market and the crowds, then in front of her, at the dilapidated old street with its rows of brick buildings. Not so many people walked here, but still, perhaps there was a store or something he had ducked into. Jenny took one last look behind her then started forward.

She walked slowly down the street, her eyes flying from side to side, looking into the buildings, watching the cars that passed her. "Come on, come on!" Jenny muttered to herself, "where are you?"

Something bright caught the sun at the other end of the street. Was it? --Yes, there he was. The sun glinted off his blonde hair. Jenny sped up, half jogging, half walking towards him. As she gained on him, she yelled out to him, "Excuse me!" He turned to face her.

Jenny’s face crumpled as she realized this was not him at all. "I'm sorry," she stammered, her face burning in her embarrassment, "I thought you were someone else." The man smiled at her then walked away. Jenny took one last defeated look around the street then sighed, turning to head back to the market, when she once more thought she saw him. Why, she'd have had to walk right past him.

He had gone down an alley. She couldn't be positive, her recent humiliation had shown that, but she did see a flash of blonde hair and a black shirt. Maybe, just maybe. Jenny headed towards the alley, her mind already trying to form what words she'd say when finally confronted by this Adonis on earth.

She was almost to the alley when an old woman stepped in front of her. "Change, please lady, could you give me some change, I haven't eaten." Jenny could have killed the old lady. She reached into her pocket, pulling out the two dollar bills and the assorted change and lint which had gathered there, and pressed it into the old woman's hand, practically shoving her out of the way. She ran the last couple feet to the alley.

Turning the corner, she thought she caught a glimpse of him heading out into the sunlight at the end of the alley. Jenny hurried after him.

About a quarter of the way down the alley, Jenny heard something, or at least thought she did. She couldn't be sure. Stopping for a moment, she perked her ears, keeping herself still so she could hear better. Nothing.

Jenny looked back towards the light, thinking of her sister. How long had she been gone? 15 minutes at the most--couldn't have been any longer than that, if it was even that long. Jenny looked up: up the slimy, mold-smelling crumbled old walls, up at the thin sliver of sunshine that ineffectually tried to pierce the dark gloom of the alley. A shiver ran down her body and the hairs stood up on the nape of Jenny's neck. She hugged her arms tightly around her chest. It was not hot back here either; the early morning heat had not yet worked its way into these shadowy recesses.

Jenny froze. There. Right there. It was that sound again. Something soft, barely heard--a murmur.

"Hello?" Jenny called out. "Hello," the walls echoed her own voice back at her. Then, softly, underneath it, she heard that sound again, slightly louder now, more urgent. It sounded...it sounded almost wet. Another shiver ran down her spine.

Step by step, Jenny walked down the alley, her ears perked for the slightest noise, her eyes darting back to the sunlight she had come from every few steps. Something caught her eye, a movement, near the end of the alley. "Hello," Jenny called again, "is there someone there?" Jenny's voice cracked, and she swallowed hard, trying to bring moisture into her mouth.

Again that sound, and a little movement. As she drew closer, she could see that trash cans and bags were heaped up against the walls, and on the other side, something was there. Her eyes riveted on the spot, she saw the thing move again and realized it was a foot. Someone was in the alley, sitting or laying there, and they were moving their foot, just barely. As Jenny watched, the foot went still.

Everything inside of Jenny screamed at her to turn around and walk back to where she'd come from, to go back to her sister and the silly concerns of a lazy Saturday, of a young 19 yr old girl. Relentlessly, her feet kept moving forward. She had to know.

Three more steps and Jenny could see a leg, a girls leg, covered with blood. Confused and in shock, her eyes traveled up the leg and stared at the pictures which were drawn there. She gazed open mouthed for a few moments before it sunk in that they weren't drawn on--these designs had been cut into the leg.

A scream rose up in Jenny, but all that really came out was a mewing type sound, her panic, her horror, having stolen her voice. She took another step forward, so the trash would hide nothing from her view.

Jenny's scream came through then. It echoed and bounced off the walls, slapping back into her ears. She screamed, yelling, "No, oh God, no," and gathered her sister into her arms.

Samantha's head rolled back, and back. Her neck had been sliced almost entirely through, the last feeble spurts splashed onto Jenny. The "n'sync" shirt had been sliced down the middle, and all over her body were markings, drawings, carvings made into her sister's flesh.

It was an hour before someone answered her screams.