The Seducer: A Gone From Daylight Inspired Story - 13. William Harker’s Journal: Entry 13

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Tuesday, September 18, 1989

Oh my god, I’m so scared right now!

I was attacked!

I was coming back from Dr. V’s class tonight when I felt someone following me! I never saw them and didn’t hear them, I just had this weird feeling that I was being watched! I kept going, despite this, but when I got next to the library I heard shoes hit the ground behind me like someone had landed from an incredible jump!

He then spoke to me, “Hey there! I remember you! You’re that cute piece that’s been hanging around the Salon! I wanted to say ‘hi’, but you were so caught up with your crew you didn’t even have eyes for anyone else! Such a…shame!” The guy was in the shadows, but I could tell he was tall and dressed…alternatively. He looked to be wearing a long overcoat and his hair was one of those wild haircuts you see on rockstars. I could only tell because he was backlit by some streetlights because everything else was in shadow.

“My name is Alexander! It’s a pleasure to…meat you, ‘Billy’.” The way he greeted me was pretty short of welcoming. His voice was cold and sarcastic, like he was mocking me! No one ever calls me ‘Billy!’ I hate that version of William! I’ll be Will or even Willy, but never Bill or Billy! It was like this Alexander knew this!

I figured he was up to no good and was about to mug me. I’m not much of a fighter, but I readied to defend myself the best that I could.

I wasn’t prepared for what came next…

I ****

(The handwritten word after ‘I’ becomes a long line trailing off. The page is mysteriously crumpled up and put in the trashcan where its contents are promptly sent to the incinerator.)

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Wednesday, September 19, 1989

Very strange!

I could have sworn I made an entry last night! I see the leftovers of a torn out page, but I can’t, for the life of me, find where that page went!

I had another weird nightmare, though.

I dreamt that I was coming back from class last night. I suspect it is from Dr. V’s class, but the dream doesn’t make that certain. In any case, I’m walking back to the dorms by the library when I get the creepy feeling like I’m being watched! I walk a little ways further, at a much quickened pace, and then I hear a voice!

It says something about knowing me from somewhere and then something about ‘meat’ and something about the name ‘Alexander’. Suddenly, I feel hands instantly around my neck! The grasp is cold and like iron and I fear that whoever is attacking me is about to choke me out! I feel him turn the right side of my neck to his face where I feel his hot breath, but then ‘WHACK’!

He releases me and I’m suddenly being drenched in blood! I turn to see the body of the person attacking me slumping to the ground - headless! I notice his head bouncing off several feet away. I look around in terror wondering if another assailant is out there now…one with a sword or big knife or something!

There is no one there! Only the quiet of the night surrounding me!

That’s when I woke up covered in sweat!

There’s something disturbing about all this though…

…I have bruises on my throat! Bruises like…a hand might cause after squeezing my neck!

I don’t know how that happened, but I know this nightmare is sticking with me. I usually forget them soon after I wake up. All I’m left with is that eerie feeling like I’ve just been through something traumatic. Not this time! This time it’s like I remember it really happening! I can’t shake that feeling!

But, such a thing never happened! Did it?

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Thursday, September 20, 1989

“Dude, I don’t know what went on the other night, but no way those bruises were self inflicted! The angle’s all wrong!” Mike told me…disturbingly.

He’s taking human anatomy for his pre-med courses and, so, I guess he’d know a thing or two about a thing or two. I was half-convinced that in some kind of weird fit I’d managed to choke myself in my sleep!

But, Mike doesn’t think so.

“Nope! No way, at the angle of these bruises, did you do this to yourself. You’d have had to dislocate your shoulder and elbow to get this to work! Are your shoulders and elbows working right?” Mike asked as a joke.

I didn’t think it was that funny. Of course my joints were working fine! But…this attack was only a dream. Wasn’t it?

“Nope! I don’t know why you don’t remember anything, but somebody definitely handled you. If you can’t remember, um…I’d get an HIV test just in case! Roofies are pretty powerful sedatives! You won’t have remembered anything that went on, um…after.” Mike trailed off, looking at me askance.

What the hell was that supposed to imply? Had I actually been raped?

Oh, God! I hope not! Oh….

…that’s too terrible to contemplate!

HIV? That’s…a death’s sentence!

He must have seen the terror he just caused because Mike looked like he regretted saying anything about HIV almost instantly.

“Dude! I’m sorry. That was stupid of me. Are you like, um…sore down there or anything?” He asked.

The answer is no. I knew what he was implying with that question too. I may be young and inexperienced, but I’m also not totally ignorant. I know about anal! I’ve never done it and certainly I’ve never had it done to me (that I know of), but I do know it leaves behind an ache in your behind!

“No?” Was my answer.

“Well then, more than likely, you don’t have anything to worry about. I was just saying that getting a test might be an idea…not a good one, just an idea. Kay?” Mike tried to say reassuringly.

But, with such a thing, even the mere question that I may have contracted HIV is enough to cause anyone to freak out these days! I resolved that I’d get the test done. With any luck…I’d be positive.

~

A further note of a disturbing nature: I found some blood!

It was in the bathroom on the floor, just a few drops, but it was there! It was near the sink and not the toilet or shower so I don’t think it was from my, um, leaking or anything. They looked like solid drips to the ground from heavy blood drops. You know the kind? Those kind where the blood spots are, like, thick? I think I’d have noticed if I was bleeding that bad! The spots were, at least, quarter sized!

The weird dream came back to me - the part where my assailant’s head was lopped off! Could that have been…real? I wondered where my t-shirt was that I had been wearing Tuesday night. I looked around…didn’t find it!

It was gone!

So were the jeans I’d been wearing!

That wasn’t a dream was it?

Now, I’m really scared!

Understandably, I skipped my history class with Dr. V tonight! No way I’m going out at night again until I know what’s going on!

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Friday, September 21, 1989

Well, I did as Mike said and I went to the Campus Medical Center and they took my blood for the HIV test. I’m nervous as Hell and I’m liable to stay that way until this next week passes. That’s how long it will take to get the results back! Why so long? I still don’t think I was raped. I could have talked to the attending doctor about the possibility, but then the Campus Police would get involved and then that would start rumors and by the end of the week I’d be a laughing stock and a pariah! So, I have to figure this out by myself.

The doctor was concerned about the bruises around my neck. I think he was scared that I’d tried to hang myself or something. I guess that’s, unfortunately, a reasonable assumption with college kids. It is always a grim possibility with some of us. As a result, he gave me a referral to the Campus Counseling Services for ‘help’. I’m sure that if I talked about all the weirdness I’ve been experiencing since coming to this frigging school, the shrinks at the ‘Counseling Services’ would have me in a straight-jacket faster than light!

I don’t think so! I’m not about to leave myself to the tender mercies of the crazy doctors!

But, then, what am I going to do with myself this coming week and not go stark raving crazy waiting for my death sentence to be passed!

I guess I’ll have to find out. The deed is done and now I just have to wait.

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Well, I guess I can kiss the ‘Dorm Life’ goodbye!

Dr. V came by my dorm because he was concerned that I hadn’t shown up to class. That was kind of him. He was unhappy about the bruise around my neck and insisted I come stay with him up at the Big House, as I’ve come to call it:

“Why did you not come to me with this?” He asked while, kind of, manhandling my chin to look at the bruise. I thought that rather personal of him, really! Almost…possessive!

“I didn’t feel the need to concern you, Sir. I’m ok.” I said, trying to get him off my case.

“Hmm. This will not do. Come, you will be staying with me from now on. Take some toiletries. We can send for the rest of your things at a later time. That bruise is caused by a hand and not your own, not unless you can spin your hands upon their wrists at 90 degrees! The fact you have turned amnesiac about the affair is doubly concerning.” Dr. V insisted.

He would ‘brook no refusals’ on my part and, so, I went with him. What else could I do? I’d had enough for one day and, honestly, I don’t feel safe at the Dorm anymore.

I, guess, I still need some adult supervision after all…