Persona - A Disturbing Psychological Thriller Read Online Free PDF Page B

tried to arrest me. You going to humiliate yourself again?’
    John-Paul eased his shoulders back and squared up to Zen. ‘I don’t fear you,’ he said. ‘I have Jen’s interests at heart.’
    In an instant, Zen spun around. John-Paul instinctively lifted his arms towards his face, but Zen grabbed hold of his wrists at chest height and squeezed them together. John-Paul tried to pull away, but his adversary’s grip was too strong. Zen’s knuckles turned white and John-Paul felt his own hands go numb. Zen’s face was set like stone as he steadily curled the fingers of his right hand around John-Paul’s right wrist so that he held both wrists in one hand. Then he rested his free hand on his own thigh. Still John-Paul could not break away. Zen spoke with venom: ‘You fear me. Your stomach churns at the thought of visiting me. You force yourself to do so out of self-disgust at your own cowardice. You feel helpless and each night pray to God that I’ll leave you alone, not Jenny, because you fear confrontation with me more than her death.’
    John-Paul spoke weakly: ‘Everyone’s wary of madmen.’
    ‘You’re afraid of threat. You know nothing about justice .’ Zen spat in his face. ‘Spineless...’
    John-Paul struggled, again to no avail.
    Zen flicked out his free wrist and cupped John-Paul’s neck in his hand. ‘Sit still or I’ll break your fucking windpipe,’ Zen ordered, but his victim bent away. He clamped the neck like a vice, securing John-Paul’s feet on the ground with his own. John-Paul began to choke, his eyes frozen in fear. Zen spoke calmly: ‘Imagine you’re an onlooker - we’re close, but neither of us is struggling. Everything appears normal. In fact you are slowly dying. It’s easy.’
    John-Paul wanted to beg for his life, but could only croak. His head grew heavy and his body limp, in defeat. Overwhelmed by a ferocious power, it was pointless to resist. He knew he had seconds to live, if he did not breathe now he’d die.
    ‘You’re terrified of me,’ Zen proclaimed. ‘Blink if I’m right, you fucking waste of spunk.’
    Barely able to open his eyes, John-Paul blinked as best he could.
    Minutes later, he looked up. Zen was nowhere to be seen, but the echoes of his laughter reverberated in John-Paul’s head.
    * * * * *
     
    Wrapped in her king-size duvet, Jen replayed the past.
    Ben’s tones reverberated as he sang in the shower.
    The sun kissed the balcony as the curtains swayed gently in the breeze. The house was beautifully decorated. Birds were scattered against a backdrop of evergreens. She heard Ben turn the shower off and step onto the mat, still singing Forever in Blue Jeans.
    ‘Jenny, come here,’ he called.
    ‘No,’ she said. ‘You come here, I’m comfortable.’
    ‘Yeah? Well I’m drying myself, you come in here!’
    She pushed herself up and joined him. He put his arms around her and pulled her toward him.
    ‘Kiss me,’ he said.
    ‘No,’ she said coyly, trying to break away.
    ‘Hey,’ he whispered softly, ‘you do what I tell you!’ He laughed playfully as he tensed his muscles and kept a hold on her. She knew there was no point in resisting.
    ‘I haven’t brushed my teeth yet!’ she protested.
    ‘Don’t worry about that.’ He pressed his body against hers. ‘You’re shaking.’
    She locked onto his deep blue eyes. ‘I don’t know why.’
    His smile was so sincere. With his lips closed, he kissed her softly seven times. Then he opened his mouth and massaged her tongue with his. Seconds later he broke contact, looked into her eyes, stroked her hair, then moved to the sink and began to brush his teeth...
    ‘What’s wrong, Ben?’ she asked timidly.
    ‘What d’you mean?’
    She started to cry. ‘Don’t do this to me! Why would you hurt me like this? I waited so long for you!’
    He ignored her.
    Tears streamed down her cheeks. ‘All this pain. So much pain…Why, Ben, why?’
    He stopped brushing, dropped the toothbrush in the sink, and