Mistakebound - YBXVON

Chapter 6: The evil

As I stepped into the elevator, my finger pressed Floor 5, and my mind became a whirlwind of thoughts about Von. The memory of his kind words and actions left me with butterflies, a feeling I hadn't experienced in a long time, and it was one I sorely missed.

The elevator dinged, and as I exited, making my way towards my apartment door, a blood-curdling scream echoed from the top floor, causing me to flinch. What on earth was happening?

The gut-wrenching scream, presumably from a man, reverberated through the entire apartment, sending shivers down my spine.

In a hurry, I inserted my keys, locked my door, and the scream abruptly ceased. Frightened, I rushed to the balcony, securing it and closing the door, disturbed by the unsettling echoes of the man's screams. Seeking refreshment, I entered the bathroom, washing my face, and removed all my makeup. As I inspected my tired reflection in the mirror, my droopy eyes revealed the toll of the long day.

Though the man's screams lingered in my mind, I attempted to dismiss them as a minor inconvenience—perhaps an accident or self-inflicted injury. Yet, the seriousness of the scream lingered. Living alone, such thoughts threatened to overwhelm me, but I couldn't let them take hold.

In the kitchen, I poured a glass of water, downing it, and proceeded with my skincare routine. I released my big jumbo braids, allowing my hair to puff up.Not a fan of maintaining my natural hair, I decided to browse through wigs on the Shein app. As I laid on my stomach, ordering clothes, wigs, lashes, and makeup, a loud knock on the door startled me.

Peering through the peephole, I saw a man in his early 30s, blood covering half of his face, appearing on the verge of collapsing.

Fear gripped me, and my hands trembled as the knocks grew louder. Lacking any self-defense weapons or a gun, I regretted not considering them after leaving prison.I attempted to call 911, my eyes widened when I realized my phone battery had died.Frustrated, I gritted my teeth, and as the man seemed on the verge of breaking the door, I rushed to my room, closed the door, and knelt down behind it, trying to calm my nerves with deep breaths.

Moments later, a loud bang resounded, and I heard heavy footsteps entering my apartment.

My heartbeat resonated louder and louder as the man seemed to be frantically moving around my house for reasons unknown.

Suddenly, additional footsteps entered my apartment, accompanied by violent punches and screams that echoed through the walls.

Fear gripped me, and tears welled up in my eyes. Despite my familiarity with conflicts and altercations in prison, they were among women. This was different, and I felt a profound sense of impending doom.

Rubbing my hands together, I attempted to take deep breaths. The gut-wrenching screams of the man abruptly ceased, replaced by the sounds of forceful punches being thrown by another person.

The footsteps neared my door, and as I lifted my head, I observed someone attempting to open it from the outside.

"Who's there?" The voice behind the door was both familiar and chilling, though I struggled to place where I had heard it before.

As the person fidgeted with the door, signaling an imminent opening, I hastily dashed to my closet and concealed myself.

Moments later, the door slammed against the wall, and heavy footsteps traversed my room. Kneeling in the confined space of my closet, I covered my mouth with my hands, eyes widened, feeling my heart pound faster and louder.The footsteps drew near, and a hand seemed to grasp the hook of the closet.

Swiftly, I covered my face with my hands, attempting to bury myself within the pile of clothes. Suddenly, the once dark and tight space brightened. Peeking through the gaps between my fingers, I recognized the tall man from yesterday—the one with whom I had a brief conversation and shared a smoke.