The Final Deadline

Catherine works at home on her final paper for class which is due at midnight. She types hurriedly on her laptop, glancing at her textbook and websites with information on the subject. She has been procrastinating on getting the final paper finished and now she is straining to get it done in crunch time. What she does not know is that a masked intruder has made his way through an open window and has unplugged the internet router in the living room

Catherine is frustrated to find that the Wifi isn’t working. She takes as a sign that she should take a quick break so she sets the timer for ten minutes and starts to stretch out her limbs. Swinging her arms back and forth, hoping up in one leg to stretch her quads. The masked intruder peeks through the entryway of the room and watches the college student stretching. As she is faced the other way the man stealthily approaches her, checking out her figure as he silently crosses the room. Catherine continues stretching, unaware of the threat quickly approaching. She continues to swing her arms and ends up turning to face her attacker. Before the shock can be processed, the intruder punches Catherine hard across the fave and knocks her out cold. she falls back on to the couch unconscious and the intruder leans in for a close look. He takes the cord from the router out of his pocket and sets about restraining the helpless student.

While Catherine is at the whim of her captor, her roommate Molly gets back from class. She is listening to music through her wired headphones as she comes home and closes the door, unaware of the danger that awaits. Molly kicks off her shoes in the living room and drops her backpack on the couch then looks at her phone. She notices the Wifi isn't working and calls out to her roommate. When she gets no response, the frustrated Molly walks downstairs to get Catherine to help her figure it out. When Molly walks into the basement area she discovers Catherine tied to a chair with a cloth gag in her mouth. Still listening to music in her headphones, Molly is oblivious until she looks up from her phone. Even then she is just confused, thinking her roommate is messing with her in this strange pose.

Catherine tries to warn Molly of the danger but her voice is obfuscated by the gag and Molly doesn't understand. The masked man sneaks up from out of the bathroom and takes Molly by surprise, wrapping his arm around her neck and squeezing tight. She fights back at the crushing force around her neck, surprised by the sudden assault. She stands in place struggling to move at all with the chokehold keeping her subdued. Kicking her feet at her attacker and pulling against the arm around her throat. The man follows her every move careful not to let her go. He applies steady pressure on her neck forcing her to cough and gag. Catherine screams in terror watching her friend be brutally attacked. Molly manages to use her elbow to temporarily break free from the chokehold, but the intruder is quick to renew the assault. He grabs at the headphone cord still connected to her phone and spins Molly around in a circle, looping the cord tightly around her throat. He maneuvers himself behind his victim and pulls the cord tight, ensnaring Molly's neck with relentless force. She strains at the intense pressure wrapping its way around her entire neck. She sweats in terror with no hope of escape. Soon she falls to her knees, struggling to stand up as she begins to weaken from the murderous force. Her flush red face contorts between scrunched and wide as she reacts to the extraordinary pressure. Molly pulls at the ligature around her neck but is unable to get it to loosen. The attacker throws her down onto the floor, ready to finish her off. Catherine can do nothing but watch as her roommate struggles and dies in front of her. After much straining Molly loses all her breath and goes limp with one hand still gripping the cord around her throat. To finish her off completely and taunt Catherine with the brutality of the kill, the man lifts Molly up halfway and then casually snaps her neck, letting her body fall to the ground still twitching with the tongue sticking out.

With the roommate out of the way, the killer steps over the dead body and approaches Catherine tied to the chair. He runs his hands along her face and neck then positions himself behind her. Catherine's hands struggle against the cord that ties them together behind the chair, desperate to loosen them. The killer unwraps the cloth gag from around Catherine's mouth and pulls it taught with both hands. She takes a moment to breath unobstructed then pleads for mercy and cries out in fear. The killer continues with his twisted games and wraps the robe tie around Catherine's neck, strangling her while she is tied to the chair. The terrified student coughs and gags, choking from the pressure. The man pulls tightly on the ligature and strangles her with force. Catherine's hands continue to work desperately at the cable that ties them together. After much struggling, she finally manages to break free. She pulls herself forwards and the man loosens his grasp on the tie. Catherine makes a run for the door but in her weakened disorientation she trips on Molly's dead body, falling flat on the floor by mistake. She is in such pain that she can't even stand upright, so the man hops over Molly's corpse and rushes over to Catherine. He grabs her by the neck with his hand, struggling with her while she sits on the floor trying to stand. He throws her roughly to the floor then stands over her as he wraps the ligature tightly around her neck once more. Catherine struggles with the tie, pulling at it with her hand trying to catch a breath. Her feet kick wildly on the floor, slipping and sliding against the wood. The man shoves his knee on to her back to keep the struggling woman in place. He pulls the cord with all his force and soon the pressure overwhelms Catherine. She goes limp face first against the floor while the killer yanks at the ligature. After continued pressure she stops twitching and Catherine is no more. The murderer brushes his hand against her face and hair, shaking her shoulder while Molly's corpse stares upwards at the ceiling.