Renting Ginny

“Get down!” Barbara screamed. I rolled over the edge of the bed and hit the carpeted floor below, hoping the bed would be enough to protect me from any more shots the lunatic may fire through the window. “Don’t move!” she told me. “You’ve got what’s mine, bitch, and now she owes me two weeks’ worth of service after all the shit she’s put me through!” I heard Anina shout from outside the house. More popping sounds were followed by the shattering of glass in other parts of the house. Barbara! I was terrified at the thought of anything happening to Barbara. Should I stay or should I go? I just didn’t know what to do! Relief flooded through me when I heard Barbara’s voice as she called the police. I crawled alongside the bed and reached for my clothes. The sound of running feet down the hallway. “Are you okay, sweetie?” “I’m fine,” I said, pulling on my jeans. “Stay down and out of view.” “Where are you going?” I asked as she turned and left the bedroom once again. “Just stay put!” But that was easier said than done. I knew I should stay where I was and that I was probably safer there, but I was scared for Barbara. I started to call out to her, but didn’t want to give my whereabouts away either. Keeping low to the ground, I slowly crawled toward the bedroom door and strained to hear any sounds coming from within the house. Why was it so quiet? Having reached the door, I then slowly peered out and down the hall. I didn’t see any signs of any movement. Should I call out to Barbara? I decided to silently crawl down the hall, though I knew I was taking a risk and that I was much more exposed this way. I peered into the second bedroom and bathroom as I worked my way down the hall. My nerves really began to twang when I approached the kitchen to my right and the living room straight ahead. There was a low wall that ran between the strip of space in front of the front door and the living room itself and because I was crouched down, I was unable to see beyond it and into the living room. My legs felt like rubber but I somehow managed to push myself into an upright position so I could see over the wall. Nothing was out of the ordinary other than the shattered front window. Bits and pieces of glass were splayed over the couch and part of the floor. The front door was closed, though I could not see the back door from where I stood. Where the hell was Barbara?! The kitchen was empty, though it was a mess. I started to enter it but stopped short when I saw the broken glass. I was barefoot and I didn’t want to get cut. I could, however, reach for one of the carving knives at the end of the counter. I extended an arm and was reaching for its handle when I was suddenly and roughly grabbed from behind. I knew who it was. I didn’t have to see the light golden-brown locks that grazed my cheek as she held me tightly against the front of her to know the identity of the madwoman who had seized me. I lost hold of the knife and it slipped to the floor. I began to kick and scream worse than any temper tantrum any two-year-old could ever hope to throw. “Let me go, you crazy witch!” “Shut up! Just shut up!” Anina screamed in my ear. “This time I’m going to get what’s owed to me and you will not leave until I tell you to!” “I don’t owe you shit! You hated me. Don’t you remember?” Anina dragged me back into the bedroom. “You told me to leave because you thought I was dumb and too fat.” “It won’t work, Ginny.” I coughed and choked as she dragged me down the hallway by the neck. “You’re going to learn that when I pay good money, I expect to get what I paid for!” “Where’s Barbara?” She wouldn’t answer me. “I said, where the hell is Barbara?” “In hell.” “You fucker!” I screamed as she threw me on the bed. “If you hurt her, I’ll—” Her hand snaked out and slapped me across the face so hard it was dizzying. My cheek stung with heat and I had no sense of up and down for a moment. “Shut up!” “The cops are on their way,” I cried. She slapped me again. Only I was ready for it this time and rolled to the side, kicking at her with my legs as hard as I could. “I will take care of the cops, Ginny. You just shut up!” “How? How will you take care of the cops?” “You’ll see.” “Why did you kick me out if you want me so bad? You told me I was fat, ugly and a bore in bed.” “I told you it won’t work, Ginny, now shut the hell up before I really slam one into you!” She shook a fist in my face, gray eyes blazing with hatred and rage. Who the hell had pissed in this bitch’s cereal as a kid? Or had it been her coffee as an adult? My mind snapped back to Barbara once again. The thought that she might very well be dead sickened me, even though I still didn’t know much about her. What had her childhood been like? What were her favorite colors, foods and music? What were her hopes and dreams for the future? Would I ever find out? I gazed hotly at Anina and felt my own hatred and rage begin to grow. If Barbara were still alive by any chance, I’d be damned if I’d let this psycho steal my chances of finding out the answers to my questions! I grabbed for the gun in Anina’s waistband as quickly as I could. But she was faster. I thought she would shoot me to death right then and there, but that’s when I realized that Anina didn’t want me dead. She had never wanted me dead. She just wanted me. The gun was only a scare tactic. But would that stop her from shooting Barbara? And where the hell was the police?! The gun slipped from Anina’s hand. Right as it hit the floor, a loud pop sounded. I thought that somehow the gun had gone off, but when Anina joined it on the floor a second later, I realized the shot had been fired by Barbara, who now stood in the doorway. “Barbara!” I screamed with both shock and delight at seeing that she was alive and well. “Hurry!” she cried, motioning me toward her. It was in that instant that I realized that Anina might not have been hit too badly and that she just might be able to reach for her own gun. At this point, what was to stop her from killing us both? I ran past Barbara and into the hallway. “Hurry up!” Barbara shouted. “Out the front door!” I ran with her right behind me, hoping and praying that Anina wouldn’t come flying out of the room and shoot us both before we could make it to the front door. But something was with us that day, for we made it to the door just fine, threw it open and ran outside. “Keep moving!” Barbara shouted. “Where to?” “Follow me.” I started to follow Barbara to her neighbor’s house, but then the sound of Anina’s shouts and the wail of sirens caused her to stop and face the madwoman. Anina started to raise her gun at us and that’s when Barbara fired her gun again. Damn. Barbara really hadn’t been kidding when she said she’d blow her brains out if she broke in.