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His skin turned a mottled purple as I slowly willed my fingers to claw along his tongue into a fist. I reveled in his garbled screams as he gasped and gagged for breath. I punched my fist further down his throat.

Too soon it was over.

Steve lay limp on the floor. A crumpled heap. Used and abused.

His eyes open but vacant. Lifeless.

Chapter 8

“Why do I always have to get the freaky perverts,” grumbled the detective as he stepped over Steve’s body.

“Just lucky I guess,” quipped the police officer standing next to him.

“Shut up and tell me what we’ve got.”

“Wife found him this way. Figure he died from some auto-erotic, fucked up sex game.”

“What the hell is that?”

The police officer picked me up from where I rested on the sofa. “It’s one of those sex dolls. A nice one too. It practically looks real!”

“Cover her up! She’s naked.”

“It’s just a doll.”

“I don’t care. Cover her up,” ground out the detective.

It was the first time anyone had shown me the slightest kindness since my accident. As if I were a real woman with feelings.

Too bad that was no longer true.

The police officer draped Steve’s discarded suit jacket over my shoulders.

The detective shook his head. “Put her in the closet. We don’t need the wife seeing her.”

“The wife already saw it. She’s the one who found the body,” protested the police officer.

“I don’t care. Just put her in the closet. Have a little fucking respect.”

Grumbling about arrogant detectives, the police officer placed me in my dark safe cocoon.

At least this time I was placed sitting up on the floor. I still hadn’t gotten the use of my legs, so I did appreciate not being face down or on my knees for once.

For the next several days I listened to the sound of life outside my little cocoon.

Then everything became quiet.

Dark and quiet.

Months or perhaps years later, I heard someone coming down my stairs. They opened the door to my closet. Forcing myself to not react or blink from the sudden flash of bright light, I schooled my features to remain calm and vacant.

I was lifted out of the closet and held high.

Finally, I was able to look the person who disturbed my rest in the eye.

It was John.

His mouth twisted into a self-satisfied smile. “I was hoping you would still be here. Had to wait till afte