“ The Handsome Stranger ”         by  Anonymous  

 

One night in 1977, I was a little bit high when I left the bar. I was planning to walk

home and let the fresh night air sober me up some. Well, as luck would have it, along

came a man in a Volkswagen. He slowed down, poked his head out the window and

asked if I needed a ride. I turned to look at him and got a neat surprise.

 

He was handsome! One of those guys you dream about hooking up with, instead of the

losers I’d had in my life. I thought to myself, “hell, why not.” So I jumped in and

introduced myself.

 

He told me his name was Ben. His smile was as perfect as his looks. I told him I was

going to another bar close by and he could drop me off when we got there. No matter

how handsome he was, I wasn’t gonna tell a stranger where I lived. I figured we’d go

to the bar across from my apt., and have a few drinks to get acquainted.

 

When we got to the bar, I told him to pull in the back parking lot where the other

cars were. To my surprise he kept right on going.

 

“Hey, what’s the big idea Ben?”

 

“I got a better place for us to go”, was all he said.

 

Now I was starting to get nervous, so I asked him to stop and let me out on the road.

He ignored me completely and kept driving. I tried the door handle with the intent to

jump out, but the door wouldn’t open. He looked over at me struggling with the door

and laughed.

 

“Relax lady. You’re going to have the time of your life.”

 

The way he said ‘life’ made my skin crawl. I knew he was going to rape me and

possibly kill me afterwards.

 

My mind was racing with fear. I looked around for something to grab. Nothing.

I tried to open my pocketbook, but he snatched it from me. I quickly turned to look

in the back seat…..

 

Laying on the back seat was a roll of duct tape, thick rope, a flashlight, bat and

handcuffs. Dear Lord! Why hadn’t I seen that before I got in this car? I hadn’t

thought to look. He was so handsome that all I saw was his face and smile. I was

in big trouble.

 

When he finally stopped, it was in the woods a little ways out of town. He turned to

grab me and I went berserk! I started fighting him, punching and screaming. He just

laughed like it excited him more. When he reached in the back for the bat, I completely

lost it. I knew he was going to kill me, so I fought with all my might. I rose up on the

seat and started kicking the shit outta him.

 

Now he was really mad because I kicked him in the face several times. I kept kicking

so he couldn’t grab my feet. Pushing backwards, I landed in the back seat myself.

I got hold of his bat and started swinging when he reached for me. I hit him on his

hands and aimed for his head, but he ducked and somehow yanked the bat out of my

sweaty hands.

 

When he raised it up, I kicked at him again. That kick pushed him against the steering

wheel. All the while I was screaming, he was cursing and the car windows were fogging

up with our hot breath. Obviously he didn’t expect me to fight him like that, so he was

taken off guard. I grabbed the flashlight and hit him in the face as hard as I could.

 

While he was holding his face and calling me every bitch in the book, I rolled down

the back window and tried to squeeze out. He grabbed my legs and I kicked him over

and over again until he let go and I tumbled out the window!

 

I was on my feet and running before he could start the car up and come after me.

I ran as far into the woods as I could, knowing he’d have a hard time driving through

that thick brush to find me. Then I laid down and covered myself with as much leaves

and branches as I could. My heart was beating so fast and I was breathing so hard that

I swear he could hear me no matter how far away he was.

 

I waited. I still had that flashlight in my hand and I clutched it so hard my fingers

went numb. What the hell had I got myself into?  I had gotten in the car with many

men, but nothing like this had ever happened before. This is exactly what my sister

had warned me about, but I didn’t listen. Now, I was as far away from my sister

and family as I could get. I didn’t know if I’d ever see them again, but one thing was

for sure, I would fight for my life if he found me.

 

Still no sound. No car, no walking through the brush. Everything was quiet except

for my thumping heart and heavy breathing. After what seemed like forever, I did

uncover my head, trying to see in the dark. Finally I felt strong enough to slowly get

up, looking all around me to make sure he didn’t jump me.

 

With the flashlight and a heavy stick, I slowly made my way back to the main road

by walking through tall grass. Just in case he was waiting for me on the road, I didn’t

want him to see me first. The road was clear, with headlights in the distance, but

nothing coming at me in either direction. I walked and walked. Scared of every car

that went by, ducking back in the woods before anyone could get close to me.

 

I was so exhausted, I was sure I’d pass out any moment, but thankfully I didn’t.

I kept walking until I was back in town around people and lights. A bar was still

open and I ran in there, telling the bartender to call the police. He did. I slumped

down in the nearest chair and started crying. It hit me that I could be dead, if it

hadn’t been for….

 

When the police arrived, I told them what happened and described the man who

tried to hurt me. The 2 cops looked at each other when I said he was very handsome

and drove a Volkswagen. They asked me what color the car was. I think it was

yellowish, maybe greenish. It was dark so I didn’t get a look at the color; I just

knew it was a Volkswagen.

 

The police called for back up. When they arrived, they asked me to show them

where he picked me up and to take them to the woods where I escaped. I did. 

By now, it was about 5 police cars, 3 plain cars and Lab van. When we got to

the site, they took tire prints, found a bloody towel he must have used to wipe his

face and other evidence. 

 

I couldn’t show them where I hid because I didn’t remember which direction I fled

in. They said they’d find it when it got light out. I had already given them the

flashlight I took from the back seat. It still had his blood on it from me hitting

him in the face.

 

Hours later, when they were sure I was all right, they took me to the police

station to get a sketch of the guy. The sketch artist was good and drew the man’s

face exactly as I described him. When he held up the 2 sketches, the police looked

at each other again.

 

“What is it? Do yall know who he is?”

 

“Yes madam we do. This is the serial killer the whole state’s looking for. We spect

he’s killed at least 10 women so far. You only the 2^nd woman to escape. And you’re

damn lucky too cause he beat and raped the first lady and left her for dead. She

survived, but what he did to her is a damn shame!”

 

“Who is he?”

 

“He’s name is Ted Bundy.”

 

Oh my God! The very name sent chills up my soul. I had heard of him and how

he was killing women near Starke and Gainesville, Florida. I was in the car with

serial killer Ted Bundy!

 

As soon as I opened my eyes, I started screaming. I thought I was still in Ted Bundy’s

car. People in white clothing came running to my room. When they touched me, I started

fighting and kicking with all the strength I could muster. Finally they held me down

and stuck a needle in my arm. I kept screaming cause I was sure they were drugging

me so Ted Bundy could get me.

 

The next time I woke up, a policewoman was sitting near my bed. I tried to sit up

real fast and get out of the bed, but I fell back. The drug still had me drowsy.

 

When she saw me struggling, she calmly told me that I was in the hospital

and that no one would hurt me.

 

I asked her where Ted Bundy was. She said they were still looking for him, but he

was not in that hospital and I was safe. That was a relief and I went back to sleep.

 

I remember my mother and sister coming to visit me, but I was too woozy

and exhausted to respond much. A couple days later, I was able to go home.

 

Home. Now that was another nightmare. Home was where the stepfather raped

me from the time I was 10 to 13. At 13 I started fighting back. When he came in

my room one night to rape me again, I snapped. He got in my bed and I started kicking

the shit outta him.

 I started kicking him and couldn’t stop.

 

When he fell on the floor, I hopped up and started stomping him in the face as hard

as I could. Then I kicked his dick so hard that he had to be operated on down there!

He walked funny until the day his nasty ass died. From then on, he never raped me

again. Whenever he even looked at me, I’d raise my foot and he’d look away.

 

That’s what I meant when I said, it hit me that I could be dead if it hadn't been for…..

I fought off Ted Bundy and kicked him because I had practice kicking and stomping
the step father. I survived one monster and went home to face another one.

 

That happened 31 years ago. Both creeps are dead now. I got over Ted Bundy

trying to kill me, because he never got the chance to touch me. But I’m still

dealing with what the stepfather did to me.

 

I can't decide which monster was worse; The handsome stranger  or  the familiar face?