Phobia

Chapter 1

Leaving the bar after her shift Gemma Lowes walked to her car further down the street. She always parked just out of the way of the bar just in case some of the patrons got a bit rowdy and the fight was taken outside, she didn't want her car to be a victim too. She had her brown hair tied back in a pony tail and her bag slung over her shoulder as she rummaged around for the keys in the bottom of it. Reaching the car, the street was quiet as usual at this time in the morning. Finding her keys she pulled them out and stuck them in the drivers door but just as she turned them she heard a noise behind her. Turning around she saw the large figure of a man wearing black and he had his face covered with a balaclava. He grabbed her and she screamed but her cry for help was cut off by a rag covering her lips and nose. Her breathing was ragged as she breathed in the sweet smell and then she felt dizzy the world started to spin then everything went black.

Her body fell limp in his arms and he looked around to make sure that no one had seen anything but all was quiet, so he lifted her up into his arms and carried her back into the ally. His brown van was waiting for him with its back doors open. He put Gemma into the van then locked the doors and got into the drivers seat and drove away. Making sure he drove the speed limits and didn't draw any unwanted attention he took his time on his way out of town.

The warehouse had been abandoned for the past few years and it was perfect for him, out of the way and isolated, giving him privacy. No one could hear him working through the day and night in preparation for his visitors. Carrying Gemma through the building to the main room he worked in the masked man's breathing was heavy as he hauled her weight with him. In the middle of the room stood an eight foot glass tank with a hose attached to the lid. He opened a glass door and dropped Gemma into the tank then he closed the door and it sealed shut. Walking over to a video camera he waited for her to wake.

Gemma woke with a pounding head, the ground beneath her was cold and smooth. Opening her eyes it took her a moment to focus but then she saw the glass surrounding her. Getting up she managed to get to her knees then felt dizzy again. The panic began to build in the pit of her stomach as she struggled to her feet. Her heart racing and pounding in her ears. Pushing against the glass Gemma could find noway out and that's when she saw him. Standing next to a video camera the man who took her was watching her now. He spoke and asked her "What's your fear" his voice was deep but it was calm. Gemma began to cry but didn't answer him. "Let me out of here" she shouted but he didn't show any sign of a reaction to her plea. "What's your fear" his voice grew impatient. "I'm afraid of the water" Gemma sniffled as realisation dawned on her. He turned a handle on a large tank behind him and water began to pour into the tank above her head. Screaming out in fear Gemma started banging on the glass trying to break it but it would not yield to her. The water rose fast and was up to her knees in no time. "Help, please don't do this" she called out as the panic took hold of her entire body causing her to shake. The man just watched as the water rose to her waist. Trying to find a way out Gemma splashed around in the water adding her own tears to quickly rising water. Gemma took her last breath of air as the water filled the tank, floating in the cold water she struggled to hold her breath. The pain from holding her breath got too much and she had to gasp but all she got was a mouth full of water, the more she struggled to breath the more water she took into her lungs which were burning. Her body started to jerk as she tried to fight the inevitable end to her life. Her heart was pounding and all she could hear was her pulse in her ears. The panic gave way to a strange calm within her then everything went dark.

He watched as her body jerked then went still, floating in the water. He kept the camera switched on recording every thing till he was sure she was dead. Once he was sure he turned the camera off then he opened the glass door and stood back out of the way of the rush of water. Her lifeless body slumped out of the tank with the water and lay waiting for him. His boots splashed through the water now pooled on the ground. Picking her up he carried her back to the van and set off back into town before the sun rose. The local park was a great location to leave her to be found, driving along the side of the park he parked the van and looked around to make sure no one was around but the town would not come alive again for another few hours when the day began. Carrying Gemma to the river, he threw her body into the water so that half of her lay on the river bank. Pleased with a job well done he turned and walked back to the van to go and clean up at the warehouse. A sense of pride and fulfilment filled him with a warm fuzzy sensation as he thought about what he had just done. He knew he had it in him but completing his task made him feel better than he had thought he would. The first time he had taken a life it was in a rage filled attack that he hadn't thought through at the time. It didn't matter though as they never found his adoptive fathers body, and they never would.