What Lies Within

Taking in the crowd on the platform, Jeff thought he spotted a half hidden figure off to one side. As the crowd shuffled along Jeff lost sight and tried to push the man from his mind. Jeff took up position near the far end of the platform, his back leaning against a post.I should be able to see if someone comes near me from here. Jeff looked around and couldn't see his mystery figure. A slightly overweight man took up position just a few feet from Jeff, absently reading a Chicago Tribune.

Jeff turned as he heard the sounds of the train approaching.Just get me on the train and I can lose whoever is following me. Jeff thought as he watched the train pull nearer the platform. Jeff suddenly lurched forward and stumbled towards the tracks. His balance was thrown off and he started to fall off the platform into the path of the oncoming train. Without warning Jeff found himself laying on the platform looking up at the large man that was reading the paper.

"I don't know what your issues are boy but I need to catch this train and can't wait for them to clean you off the tracks." Jeff looked around and noticed the other people on the platform staring at him as they filed onto the train. "If you want to kill yourself, wait for the next train." The man said as he stepped into the train. Jeff picked himself up and darted through the doors just as they closed. The man wasn't paying him any attention but several other people were looking at him and murmuring to their companions.

Jeff looked out the window and saw the shadowy man standing next to the post Jeff was at earlier. Jeff couldn't see his face but thought for sure he was smiling. "Listen, hey buddy," Jeff said as he tapped his savior on the shoulder. "I appreciate the save but I wasn't trying to kill myself. Someone pushed me from behind when I turned to look at the train. If you hadn't grabbed me I'd dead." Jeff shivered as the reality of what happened struck him.

"Hey, like I said, I needed to catch the train. I'm happy to help but I was standing next to you and I didn't see anyone push you. It looked to me that you launched yourself at the train. Judging by the bandage around your wrist, I'd say it's not the first time you tried to kill yourself. You keep telling yourself that you were pushed if it will help you sleep at night, but if you want my opinion, get some help before you finally succeed. Or at the very least, do it in a manner that won't affect anyone else. There were little kids on the platform; they don't need to see some punk kid get torn apart by a train." The man stared at Jeff and then returned to his paper. Jeff wanted to respond but it was clear the conversation was over.

Jeff shuffled towards the other end of the train, all too aware of the stares of the other passengers. At the next stop Jeff got off the train and moved up a few cars. There was no recognition from any of the passengers that they saw the earlier events. After a few stops Jeff got a seat and leaned against the window and watched the city zip by. The rhythmic rocking of the train relaxed Jeff to the point that he fell asleep.

Jeff's sleeping mind filled with violent and disturbing images. Again the image of a bound woman filled his mind, this time she was tied spread-eagle on a small single bed. A man hovered over the prone woman, his hard cock slapping the woman's face. She was resisting his attempts to force his cock into her mouth, the man appeared amused. He bent down to whisper something in her ear; she shook her head but then turned towards him and opened her mouth. The man patted her cheek then shoved his huge cock into her mouth.

The man fucked her face relentlessly, treating her mouth as if it was her pussy or ass. His thrusting increased in speed until he pushed fully into her mouth and came deep down his victim's throat. He pulled his still hard cock from the woman's mouth and wiped his cock on her face, his excess seed seeped from her mouth onto the bed. She was crying, silently, as the man moved from the bed.

The man returned and loosened the straps on her legs to allow more movement in her legs. He plunged his cock into her red and raw pussy, pumping furiously into her cunt. The woman screamed in pain, her pussy was raw and bleeding from the man's abuse. Suddenly the woman's arm came free and she grabbed a bottle of massage oil from the nightstand, the man, lost in the throes of passion, reacted slowly as she shattered the bottle and slashed at him.

The jagged bottle caught the man across the wrist, drawing blood but barely slowing the man down. The man pushed into her fully then grabbed her freed wrist with the one she slashed. He pinned her free arm to the bed then resumed his vicious fucking. He pounded into her bleeding cunt for several more minutes before pulling out and cumming over her tits. He moved off the bed, still holding her hand, he grabbed the strap she released and refastened it to her arm.

The man walked away from the bed as the woman broke down crying. Her make shift weapon still in her hand but now it was useless. When the man returned his wrist was bandaged and he had several very interesting looking items in his hand. Jeff's mind filled with image after image of the terrible things the man did to the woman. After several hours of brutal torture the man stopped, his playtoy had passed out.

Eventually the woman regained consciousness but probably wished she hadn't. The man had repositioned her legs bent in half and pulled up and to the side, exposing her bloody cunt and tight ass to him. He smiled down at her and positioned his rock hard thick cock against her ass. She screamed as he shoved completely into her virgin hole. The man raped her ass and viscously drove the broken bottle she attacked him with into her already torn cunt.

The man allowed his hands to roam over her body, gently caressing her bruised and battered breasts before wrapping his hands around her throat. He continued to pound into her and squeezed tighter and tighter. Blood poured from her violated pussy as the man pounded her ass. Finally, thankfully, he pushed into her and released the last of his seed deep into her ass. He released her neck and leaned in to kiss her now lifeless lips. He withdrew from her ass and walked away, this time he didn't say thank-you.

The train stopped sharply and Jeff woke up, startled. Glancing at his watch he groaned when he saw that it was nearly noon. He had been riding the train for almost four hours. Violent images filled Jeff's mind as he tried to shake the dream he had from his mind. Glancing down he realized he had cum in his sleep, again. He was thankful that he was wearing dark pants and the wet spot wasn't really noticeable. Jeff looked to his wrist and something tickled the back of his mind, for a brief terrifying second he thought he remembered where it came from but the feeling passed just a quickly.

Looking around Jeff realized he was nearly back to his home stop. Jeff debated getting off the train to go home when the little voice in his head said no. Jeff settled back down in his seat and wondered what to do next. As the train pulled into the station Jeff spotted the shadowy figure leaning next to the post he was at earlier. The train stopped briefly to exchange passengers and as it pulled away Jeff could no longer see his stalker.

A sense of panic welled up inside Jeff, he knew the man tried to push him in front of the train, and now the man was coming for him again. Jeff fidgeted in his seat as the train sped toward the next stop.There's nowhere to go at the next stop, but after that there's lots of places a man can get lost. I should be able to lose him there. Jeff's mind raced with possibilities as the train pulled into the next stop. He was expecting the shadowy figure to move up to his car but was relieved when the doors closed and there was no sign. The train pulled away from the station and Jeff glanced around nervously. Through the door windows between cars he could see a man moving towards the doors, his face covered in shadow, but Jeff could feel the man's eyes focused on him.

Relief flooded Jeff as the Train slowed down, entering the next station. Jeff remained in his seat, despite the desire to bolt, until the last possible second. Jeff jumped up and darted through the doors just as they were closing. As the train pulled away Jeff saw a shadowy figure in a window of the car he was in. Smiling to himself, Jeff moved quickly but cautiously through the people on the platform and worked his way down to street level.It will take him at least twenty minutes to get back here and by then he'll have no way of finding me.

Jeff stopped at the intersection, waiting for the lights to change and exhaled a breath he did not realize he was holding. The shadowy figure had really done a number on Jeff. He had never felt in fear of his life before and he wasn't enjoying the experience. The very notion that something he was doing would make someone want to kill him was beyond comprehension, from his perspective, nothing he did impacted anyone other than himself.

Jeff was drawn from his reflections by the noise of a cement truck entering the intersection as the light turned yellow. Jeff felt the hand on his back but was powerless to prevent it from shoving him into traffic. The cement truck slammed on the brakes and swerved to avoid Jeff, missing him by less than a foot and only because Jeff was able to keep from falling.

"Watch where you're going you idiot! You're lucky I didn't take your fucking head off." The truck driver yelled through the open window of his cab. Jeff regained his wits after another close brush with death and gave the finger to the truck driver before moving across the street. The trucker muttered another curse before continuing on his way. Jeff looked back at the other corner and caught sight of the shadowy figure. His face was covered but Jeff was certain he was laughing. A few people gave Jeff a strange look before moving on.

Jeff looked around frantically. He had to get away from this madman. He started running down the street, ignoring the odd looks and muttered curses of those he rushed past. He turned at the next street and then the next, not really paying attention to where he was going. Stopping to gather his breath he realized the crowds on the street were thinning and realized he would rather face the questioning stares of others than find himself in a deserted alley with the shadowy man chasing him. Panic welled inside as he looked for a place to hide when he spotted a bar on the corner.

Dashing across the street, paying little attention to the honking horns, Jeff ducked into the bar. Jeff stood in the entrance way until his eyes adjusted to the dim interior of the bar. A handful of people were scattered inside, two men were talking at the bar, and another sat alone at the far end. A couple sat in a booth near the front, clearly more intent on each other than a new arrival. The bartender barely acknowledged his entry, and gave little sign of caring until Jeff approached the bar.

"What can I get you?" The bartender asked with little or no indication he actually cared.

"I'll take a double scotch on the rocks, make it two." The bartender shrugged and grabbed a couple of glasses, giving each a quick check to ensure they were clean, or at least passable. Jeff really didn't care at this point; now that he was in the bar he really wanted a drink.

"That'll be nine bucks." The bartender said as he pushed the two glasses towards Jeff. Jeff frowned and tossed the bartender a ten before turning and walking towards a booth in the back. Jeff sat facing the front so he could see anyone that came into the bar. Thirty seconds after he sat down Jeff was already starting his second scotch. He resisted the desire to down the second drink,I can't afford many at that price, he thought as he took a sip. Jeff stared into the glass and watched as the ice started to melt and shift.

Jeff heard the bell on the door chime and looked up; the man at the end of the bar had left. Jeff returned his attention to his drink and took another sip. He glanced at his watch and realized it was after two already.I can't spend the rest of the day in this bar, I only have twenty bucks left and the bartender doesn't look to be the charitable kind. Jeff ran through the options in his mind, what to do about the cops, who the shadowy figure was, where could he hide. The various scenarios, none of which seemed good, ran over and over in his mind until he became aware of the man sitting across from him.

"Hello Jeffrey, have you been enjoying your afternoon? That was a scary incident with the truck earlier; you really have to be careful in this city. You never know what could happen." Jeff stared at the man; unable to see through the deep shadows covering his face, he was certain the man was smiling at him, mocking him.

"What the fuck do you want?" Jeff said, louder than he should have but with more restraint than he thought he had. The bartender looked up from his want ads and threw Jeff a dirty look. Jeff glared back and the bartender shrugged and returned to the paper. "Why are you trying to kill me? I don't even know you. Go find some other person to torture." Jeff was barely able to contain his rage, yet he managed to keep his voice lowered.

"You know who I am Jeffrey, you just don't have the courage to admit it. I'm the one that is going to make sure you are held accountable for your actions Jeffrey." The man leaned forward and the shadows seemed to follow him. Jeff leaned back in the booth, unable to respond. Images from half forgotten dreams flashed through his mind. Jeff reached forward and downed the remainder of his last scotch. Reaching up he pushed the lamp hanging over the table towards the shadowy figure. Slowly the shadows retreated from the light, they seemed to fight back but eventually they relented.

Jeff stared at the man across from him, and in doing so stared into his own eyes. A minute passed before Jeff let go of the lamp. The shadows quickly returned as the light swung away, only to partially reveal a mirror of himself each time it swung back. Jeff stood slowly from the booth and backed away from himself.

"What the fuck are you?" The bartender gave Jeff a puzzled looked but Jeff never took his eyes off the shadowy figure getting to his feet in front of him.

"I'm a reflection of what lies within you Jeffrey, and you can never get away from me." The man laughed and a shiver ran up Jeff's spine. Turning quickly Jeff bolted from the bar, ignoring the curses of the bartender as he knocked over some chairs in his desire to get away from his tormentor. Jeff ran once on the street, noticing for the first time the lengthening shadows of late afternoon. Every shadow held a mocking image of himself, laughing and repeating the shadowy figure's last words, "you can never get away from me."

Jeff ran, never really thinking about where he was going. His only thought was finding a place that was bright with no shadows, somewhere the man could not follow. Jeff turned a corner and saw his salvation; a large and well lit department store appeared before him.Its bright and full of people, that maniac would never come after me in there, Jeff thought as he entered the main entrance of the store. He felt the stress that had been building leave him as he pushed through the revolving door into the store, pausing for a moment to take in the bright lights and bustling people.

Suddenly Jeff realized he was just standing at the entrance and attracting some odd looks from customers and staff. Blushing, he moved into the store and began to walk around from department to department, moving up the escalators to the other floors before working back down again. The third time he found himself back at the main entrance he noticed that the shadows from the setting sun had over taken the streets. By the fourth pass the street lights appeared to create islands of light in the midst of an ocean of shadows. Jeff shivered as he started back up the escalators to the second floor. As he stepped off the escalator he felt a tap on his shoulder and jumped.

"Excuse me sir, I'm going to have to ask you to come with me." Jeff turned to face someone from store security, a large gentlemen, and probably retired police. The man looked very much on edge, which pushed Jeff to the near panic.

"Is there a problem? I haven't done anything wrong." The man's eyes narrowed, his years of experience told him that when someone jumps right to"I haven't done anything wrong" it usually means they're hiding something.

"Please sir, come this way and we can discuss this in private." Jeff looked around realizing they were still at the top of the escalators and attracting a lot of attention. Jeff thought he saw a shadowy figure duck down a back corridor. Turning his attention back to the security guard Jeff motioned for him to lead the way. The guard pointed towards the back corridor Jeff just noticed and waited until Jeff started to move.

"What's this all about? I think I have a right to know." Jeff tried, but failed, to keep a hint of panic from entering his voice. The guard remained silent and directed Jeff to an office near the end of the corridor. The guard opened the door and motioned Jeff inside. The click of the door when it closed thundered in Jeff's ears. Jeff stared at the guard as he took his seat behind the desk and indicated to Jeff to sit down. The guard looked at Jeff as he sat down, Jeff felt as if he was being weighed and measured. The guard opened his top drawer and pulled out some papers, shuffling through them for a couple of minutes quietly until he sat "aha!" and stopped his shuffling to look at Jeff.

"I need to know what's going on son." The guard said, using a tone that made it quite clear he expected the whole truth and he expected it now.

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean? I haven't been doing anything wrong. I've just been browsing through the store." Jeff put on his best innocent look, knowing it wasn't likely to have any effect on the security guard.

"You've were browsing the store for almost four hours! The staff was starting to get concerned that you were up to something. I followed you for your last trip around the store and it didn't appear that you stole anything but it also isn't normal. So I'll ask you once again, what are you up to?" The guard stared at Jeff again with a look that said "I'll know if you're lying." Jeff sighed and decided he had only one course, lie through his teeth.

"Well, it's a little embarrassing sir. My girlfriend dumped me over the weekend and it hit me really hard. I even called in sick today because I couldn't face people at work, she use to work in the same office. I was just kind of wandering around when I saw the store. I know she liked to shop here and I was hoping I might get lucky and run into her in the store. I figured if she saw how much I missed her she would take me back." Jeff put everything he had into his little speech, trying to add a hint of desperation, which wasn't difficult as he truly felt desperate. Jeff stretch and he shifted in the chair and the bandage around his wrist became visible. He noticed the guard glance at the wrist and then the guard's expression changed.

"I really feel for you son, we've all been dumped at some point." The guard got up and came around to sit on the edge of the desk. He patted Jeff on the shoulder, in sympathy Jeff figured. "I can understand the desire to find your lady but I don't think you're going about it the right way. Just wandering around like that had all the floor staff freaked out, they thought you were up to no good. I'm afraid I can't let you wander around the store all day, you'll have to leave. It's not me you understand. If word got out I let you wander around waiting for your lady to show up it could get me in trouble. What if you turned out to be a stalker or something, not that I think that at all." The guard's tone went from accusatory to grandfatherly just like that. Jeff also got the impress the guard very much felt he was a stalker.