POV - The Watcher

Silver sits alone in her living room late at night watching television. She yawns and stretches then she turns off the TV and prepares for bed. Before heading upstairs, she checks the front door to make sure it is locked and notices that one of the windows is slightly open. She closes and locks it, satisfied that the house is secure. Silver walks upstairs and enters her bedroom. She begins arranging the bed, straightening the sheets and pillows while her back is turned to the room. Behind her, the bedroom door slowly closes, revealing a masked intruder who had been hiding silently inside. The intruder approaches from behind holding a cord stretched between his hands.

A creaking sound makes Silver pause, but before she can turn around the intruder suddenly wraps the cord around her throat. Silver gasps in shock and struggles to pull the cord away as the attacker tightens it. She fights back, kicking and striking behind her, and the two step throughout the room as she tries to escape but her every movement is followed. She tries to elbow and kick at her attacker but he maintains a firm grip on the cord. After some struggle back and forth the Intruder pulls Silver down along with him to the bed where he has his back on the bed and she is balanced on top of him.

The Intruder rocks her back and forth as her maintains a tight grip on the cord. The cord is long enough for his hands to wander while still wrapped in the cord and pulling tight. Despite her efforts, the intruder keeps the cord tight as Silver flails and tries to break free. Growing lightheaded, she gathers enough strength for one desperate attack and drives her elbow into the intruder’s side. The blow causes him to lose his grip and the cord goes slack. Silver falls off the bed gasping for air and runs out of the bedroom.

The intruder quickly recovers and chases her downstairs into the living room. Silver rushes to the front door and unlocks it, but before she can open it and escape the intruder grabs her by the hair and pulls her back into the room. He spins her around and clamps both hands around her throat, squeezing tightly as they struggle face to face. Silver fights desperately, clawing at his arms and kicking as he continues to choke her. Her strength begins to fade and her vision blurs from lack of air. During the struggle she manages to drive her knee into him, forcing him to release his grip.

Backing away, Silver grabs a baseball bat from the corner of the room and holds it out defensively. The intruder approaches and they circle each other. She swings several times, but he avoids the strikes. When she commits to a larger swing, he catches the bat with both hands and tears it from her grasp before throwing it aside. The intruder rushes her again, striking her across the face and forcing her to the floor. He pins her wrists above her head and begins choking her with one hand. Silver thrashes and pleads for him to stop, but she cannot break free. Her movements weaken as she loses consciousness beneath him.

After holding her limp body for several moments, the intruder releases her and briefly examines her. As Silver begins to regain consciousness, she suddenly kicks him and attempts to crawl away toward the door. The intruder grabs her foot and drags her back across the floor where she is face down. He retrieves the cord and wraps it tightly around Silver’s neck again from behind. She claws at the cord and struggles as he pulls it tight with all his strength. Her breathing becomes strained and her strength fades. When she loses consciousness again, the intruder loosens the cord. He removes the cord from her neck and uses it instead to bind her hands tightly together in front of her. She begins to wake up as he finishes the ties, fear overwhelms her as she realizes the hopelessness of the situation.

Silver struggles helplessly against the restraints as the intruder pins her down and places both hands around her throat for a final attack. Silver summons one last burst of strength, striking and kicking in a desperate attempt to escape, but the intruder holds her firmly in place. He keeps her hands bound together and holds them over her head while she wraps a hand around her neck. Her resistance gradually weakens as the pressure increases. Her movements slow and eventually stop as she loses consciousness. Convulsions pass through her body before she becomes completely still. The intruder continues squeezing her neck even after she goes limp. When he finally releases his grip, he stands over her exhausted but satisfied. He moves her head and touches her face and body before stepping back to look down at her.