Gina

Gina’s life was about to change. She arrived at her bakery shop as usual. She opened the backdoor and carried the trashcan to the dumpster in the alley. It fell from her hands hitting the concrete with a bang.

She screamed as she covered her mouth.

Officer Jackson, who was passing by, came running into the alley.

“Gina, are you alright?”

Terror washed across her face as she slowly backed away pointing. Officer Jackson looked in the direction she pointed. A bloody arm hung out of the dumpster.

“Gina, please go back inside,” he said as he pointed toward the back door. He brought his radio close to his mouth, “I need an ambulance and car to 142 Hampshire way, in the alley behind Gina’s Bakery. STAT.”

Gina staggered to her door and inside. She sat down on a nearby stool. She heard the scream of the ambulance sirens. The scream of the ambulance sirens soon died away as the ambulance, and police car stopped in front of her store. A crowd began to gather.

She jumped. A soft cry escaped from her lips when she heard a banging on the glass door of her shop. She managed to stand and walk through the swinging door to the front part of the store. Jennifer her neighbor knocked on the door.

Gina turned the lock and opened the door slightly. Jennifer quickly stepped through the small opening. The door was shut and locked behind her. Jennifer noticed that the normal smell of sweet bread and cinnamon rolls did not greet her.

“Do you know what’s going on Gina?” Jennifer asked as they walked to the back of the shop. She also noticed that Gina hadn’t started baking.

Gina sat down on the stool before she spoke. “You know how I wait till the morning to take out the previous day’s trash.”

Jennifer nodded.

“Well, when I took the trash out to dumpster I saw a bloody arm hanging out of it.”

“AH!” Jennifer gasped.

“Oh!” Gina whispered. “I dropped my trash can and left it outside. I need to get it. It’s probably in the way out there.”

Gina opened the back door, Jennifer close behind.

An officer was standing by the door. “Gina, you need stay inside until we are finished.

“I was only going to get my trash can. I don’t want it to be in the way.”

“I’ll get it for you. Just stay here.” In a few moments he returned with the trash can. “Here you go Ms. Gina. Now please stay inside.”

“Thank you. I will.” Gina took the trash can and closed the door.

“Could you see anything?” Jennifer asked.

“No, nothing.”

Later on in the day Detective Rinehart came to the store. He walked up to the counter and smiled. “Hello, Gina.”

“Hey there Detective. What can I do for you?”

“I need you to tell me everything about your morning.”

Gina explained everything from the moment she walked into her shop until the time she was asked to stay inside her shop. While she talked she offered a cinnamon roll and cup of coffee to the detective.

After the visit, Gina locked up shop. She had had a long dramatic day. The reporters had been in her shop non-stop. She wanted to go home and lay down.

* * * *

The next day Gina stopped at the corner newspaper stand. A picture of her shop was on the front page along with the story. The body had been identified as Rich Jones, a homeless man that stayed at the local shelter.

The story went on to say that his mutilated body had been found in a dumpster behind Gina’s Bakery. Motive had not been established, nor had any suspects been arrested. The police department has several leads and was following up on them.

“Will 6:00 ever get here?” Gina wondered. “It’s been a long day and these reporters are driving me crazy.”

When closing time arrived Gina locked the door. She finished cleaning up and worked on some paperwork. It was dark by the time she left the store.

“I’m so exhausted. I just want to be at home and soaking in a hot tub. I think I will take a shortcut through the park,” Gina said to herself.

As she pasted a grove of trees and bushes she heard rustling coming from behind her. She quickened her pace, as her heart quickened its pace. A shadow moved closer to her. She looked over her shoulder and saw nothing. She looked down and watched the shadow keeping pace with her.



She quickened her pace to a sprint. The shadow kept up with her. It seemed to be closing in on her. Her heart pounded so hard that she thought it might bust through her chest. Now she was struggling for air; it was becoming harder to breathe. Twinges of pain shot through her side. Her body was running out of energy. She fell to the ground.

The shadow engulfed her body. She screamed as icy hands touched her. The prickly bushes scratched her skin as she was pulled through them.
On the ground, the assailant was ripping at her jeans; panic and fear over took her. Tears filled her eyes, stinging her face as they rolled down. She tried to scream, but nothing came out.

His cold fingers caressed her inner thigh. As his face closed in on her inner thigh, she brought her knee up and smacked him in the face. He fell to the ground, but only briefly.

In that slit second Gina grabbed at the grass and tried to pull herself away.

The creature grabbed her leg and yanked her back to him, he was now pissed. He hissed at her. She could see white, protruding, pointed teeth. The creature held her hands above her head as he straddled her. His long black hair was pulled back in a ponytail revealing pointed ears.

She felt his warm breath on her neck, it smelled of copper and blood. Tears continued to sting her face. She tried once again to scream. “Help me!” But it was only a whisper.

The creature stared at her. “There is no help for you now,” he hissed.

“Oh please, God, help me.” She whispered over and over.

Then she felt something sharp rip into the flesh at her neck. The pain became so intense like a knife ripping and tearing at her organs. She felt hot all over, like if her blood was boiling.

Suddenly, the pain disappeared. She became light-headed and she closed her eyes. A bright light appeared, it descended from the sky. The creature was gone. She felt free. She stood up and walked toward the light. Her mother stood surrounded, by the light, with her arms stretched out.

“Mother,” she whispered

“Yes, my dear it is I.”

Gina looked back and saw her body lying bloody and mangled on the grass.

“Gina it’s time to go,” her mother whispered.

Gina turned back toward her mother, and walked into the light.


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