Thread: [Houdini & Tainted] Stockholm Syndrome.

The night fell swiftly, filled with cold wind and heavy rain. The streets were empty, nothing but an occasional silhouette with a dog running down the lane or a car's lights flashing in the distance. In a quiet neighbourhood such as that one nothing out of ordinary was to be expected. Lights went out early, certain due to a lightning striking the generator, others due to the stereotypical perfection of the families residing in the fairly large, dollhouse like houses in the area. One person, however, was far from sleeping. The taxi pulled up to one of the matching houses, a female stepping out of it to run into one of the empty buildings. Home felt foreign at that point to the young woman, after having spent twenty four hours at the police station. Desiree D'Aether was a witness and it shook her up thoroughly. The city's crime rates were rather low, and she was not aware of the gang activity that took place lately. Thus, she felt no danger in walking home on a bright evening. She was a hooker, and danger was not a foreign concept to her. Of course, she evolved beyond the streets, growing into a qualified call girl - there to please rich men not only in bed but also as a psychologist, a person who could play out their wildest dreams and fantasies which oftentimes involved bruises for her. She couldn't complain though - after all, the house was bought to her by a client and ten grant a night was not something to be taken for granted. Her youth and beauty brought her everything, yet they couldn't shield her from that night's events. She was walking down one of the mentioned streets when she heard a groan. Turning her head, she found herself facing a number of people injuring a male. She wanted to intrude, desperately so, yet she did not want to end up just like him. By the time the police has gotten there, the male let out his last breath and she was trembling against a metal fence. The following hours were a blur to her. Policemen tried to get her to build portraits of the gang members, pressured her to give them details she did not know or remember and completely dismissed the fact that they picked her up at midnight, and she was absolutely dead after her shift. When they finally set her free, after a medical examination and a good cup of coffee, she was barely able to walk. Exhaustion, both physical and emotional caught up to her. Meanwhile, she knew that she would not be able to sleep peacefully. Slowly, she entered the house, shutting the door behind, locking every lock. The silence was dreadful, it made her want to scream. She was afraid, afraid that they would come for her, afraid that they would kill her. They have killed so many that she would be nothing but a minor nuisance, annoying as a fly. ''Fuck,'' she whispered softly, her deep melodious voice rather hoarse. Kicking off her shoes, she walked up to the kitchen, setting a glass of milk into the microwave, too lazy to wait for it to finish. She then went upstairs, where her room and the shower were. It felt horrible to be in a large house, every shadow a potential threat. For once, she wished she could be in a tiny apartment like the ones she used to live in as a child. Now, she had nobody. At twenty five years old, she was a complete orphan and other than having a few friends, she had no boyfriend or family to speak of. Horror flashed through her face as she thought of her situation. She thought back to the state of her account. Her client list was worth quite a lot, she could quit anytime and keep a very considerable fortune. She nodded to herself, resolute to start college, to find herself a boyfriend and do something about the life she was leading, no matter how much she enjoyed it. At least get a dog. A guard one, would be best. Pulling her clothes off, she walked into the bathroom, studying herself in the mirror. Even though she was tired, the woman was beautiful. Her body was small, standing at five feet and five, her frame slender. However, her breasts were a natural D, her rear round and firm. Her waistline was very small and stomach flat, holding a light curve from the exercises at the level of the abs. Her side was tattooed with a series of Thai writings and odd designs intertwining to ride up her shoulder and circle it. It was the only tattoo she bore - it was sexy against her tanned smooth skin, all men she met thought so. Her hair, long shaggy waves of chestnut, fell down to her waistline, rich and thick, occasionally landing into the pair of large emerald tinted eyes that conserved a certain puerile innocence while holding a predatory glow of a seductress. Her features were delicate, her lips plump and light pink, her teeth a blinding white - something that cost her a fortune yet was worth every cent of it. Sighing, she stepped into the shower, trying to get the imaginary dirt to disappear. Soon enough, she was clean, her hair dry and her body wrapped in a light silk robe. Walking downstairs, she emptied a glass of milk before returning to her bedroom. She slept in a simple white tank top with thick straps and a pair of matching panties clinging tightly to her curves. Taking a seat on her bed, she looked around, afraid that she would never wake up. Nodding to herself, she slid under the covers, enjoying their warmth. The milk spread through her body, relaxing every tired muscle and soon enough Desiree was deeply asleep, unaware of the night's following events.