"Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep"
By: Kasey
(c) 1999/2000
You steal this, I just may have to pull my unhappy
face... >:-{

Chapter 2

	He looked at her as she tried to back up against the
wall of the building. Now that he was getting a proper
look at her, he knew she'd be perfect. No wimping out
this one. Oh no. This one would be the most perfect
woman of them all. He could see that she was
frightened and that excited him, but he could also see
she wasn't letting the fear over ride her senses. She
was ready to flee and if he didn't catch her in time,
she would. So he started moving towards her, slowly,
deliberately, watching her eyes, seeing them widen and
then she licked her lips, looking from one side to the
other as she contemplated her escape avenues. He could
see she was ready to run, so he had to hurry this.
Damn. He hated rushing these things. He liked taking
his time, introducing his target to fear and terror at
its greatest. He flicked the knife out, just barely
catching her clothes but it was enough. She gasped out
loud and bolted, back the way she had come. For
someone with no shoes - a fact he had taken close note
of - she was surprisingly agile. Nothing seemed to
stop her, not the broken glass he knew she must have
been standing on nor the fear she must be feeling at
being pursued like this. She was breathing heavy, half
from the exhaustion of running so fast and from being
scared. But he knew that in time she would tire. And
then...he licked his lips as he lumbered after her,
she would be his. He would take her and hold her away
from the public, away from the civilisation that
frowned on his kind. He was classified as mentally
insane in some cases, a monster in others. All he was
was a man who happened to enjoy hurting and dominating
women. Was that so bad? 
	Kasey couldn't breathe, couldn't think. The only
thing that was propelling her along these filthy
alleys, amongst the broken glass and god knows what
else she was stepping on, was fear. Pure,
unadulterated fear. She had been scared before, but
never, not in her entire life, had she ever been so
terrified, so afraid of what would happen to her if
that man got his hands on her. She had heard and seen
what he could do, what he would do. And he didn't look
like a man who would listen to begging or pleading or
any kind of talking. She had seen a blackness in his
eyes, a void where a human might have had something.
There had been nothing but pleasure in creating pain
in those eyes of him and she had to admit that it had
scared her. She had read about men like him, the men
who took their pleasure from a womans scream, from a
womans terror. She knew enough about them to know what
they were after. An easy victim. Someone who trusted
and who let themselves be taken into dangerous
situations. And she knew, that if she let him catch
her, let him touch her in anyway, she would never get
a quick, painless death. No, this man would be turned
on by hurting her. So she had to get away, had to run
until she found another person, a policeman, anyone
that she could run to and talk to, to be with. She
needed to...
	She screamed when she felt a hand brush against her
blouse and then she heard the tearing sound. Not
slowing down, not even bothering to look at the
damage, she ran faster and harder, hearing the drone
of traffic nearby. She was nearly there. She needed to
get away and find someone who could help her. Her foot
connected with something sharp, something intensly
painful and she couldn't help but stumble a little. It
hurt, more pain than she was used to but still she
kept running, tears falling down her face, her vision
blurring as she focused on the next alley, hoping that
someone would be there. The pain in her foot
intensified with each step, but her determination, her
will to live was stronger, so strong in fact that when
she felt the hand grab onto her skirt, she burst
forward and managed to twist her way out of his grasp.
And then, suddenly, one minute she was in the alley,
next minute she had burst out onto the street. Running
out onto the road, in front of cars, she cried out and
waved her hands, tyring to get someone to stop. It was
then that she risked a look at her pursuer, it was
then that she saw his face, his glare at her as he
slunk back into the shadows. And it was then that she
saw the flashing lights of the police. Never before
had she been so grateful to see those lights. 
	Gasping and breathing heavily, her hand to her chest,
she collapsed onto the road in front of the police
car, causing its driver to slam on the brakes and turn
away from her, so he wouldn't hit her. She rested her
head on her knees, breathing in deep gasping breaths
as she tried to catch her breath, never hearing the
slam of the doors, never hearing the approaching
footsteps, never realising someone was behind her
until a hand was placed on her shoulder. It was then
that she let out the scream she had been holding in
since the first moment she had seen him. It was high
and full of panic, causing one police officer to
glance at the other, a worried expression on his
handsome face. 
	This woman looked like she had been through hell. Her
hair was a mess, her face tearstreaked, her clothes
torn and dirty...the officer felt a cold chill run
through his blood. Another rape. Or attempted rape.
That was the obvious thing. This woman had become
another victim to a rapist. He crouched down in front
of her, placing his gentle hands on her face and
lifting it so their eyes met...her green ones full of
terror and pain, his brown eyes full of concern and
care. And the minute their eyes connected, he realised
that this was not a rape case. This was something
completely different...and would probably change his
life forever.
	
*****

	Kasey was scared. But this man, the one who was
touching her with such gentle hands and such concern
in his eyes wasn't going to hurt her. Her terror
filled mind finally registered that he was a police
officer, someone who could help her, someone she could
talk to about what she had seen...oh god. Where was
he? Was he watching this? Taking in every minute
detail? Making his plans for her? She jerked her head
out of this mans hands and looked around frantically,
trying to see him, trying to find where he was. But
she couldn't, there were too many people milling
around, obscuring her vision. The police officer
gently took hold of her face again but she jerked out
of his grip, struggling to stand up. But the shock had
finally taken hold of her body now that the adrenaline
rush was over and she found that she wasn't able to
stand. She only got a little way up when her legs gave
way on her and she fell to the ground again with a
soft cry. But the officer was there, his arms around
her, his touch warm and comforting, his scent oddly
familiar and yet still strange. 
	" Ma'am, let me help you up," he said softly, slowly,
so as not to upset her. She allowed his help, slowly
getting to her feet and leaning against the cool metal
of the car behind her. She looked down at herself and
realised that her blouse was half torn away, showing
her bra and what was left of her skirt barely covered
all the necessities. She blushed a bright red and
immediately the officer shrugged out of his jacket and
wrapped it around his shoulders. It fell down to
mid-thigh and she instantly buried herself into it,
breathing in his scent, feeling warm and secure almost
as once.
	" Lets take her in Howie," she vaguely heard the
other officer speak, barely registered the other mans
nod before she was being helped into the back of the
patrol car. She sat on the seat and leaned back into
it, sighing deeply as she finally felt the last
lingering sense of immediate danger fall away. She
closed her eyes...she was so tired, so sleepy. She
needed to rest, just for a minute...