“Why don’t you take a morning off?” Brad sighed. “And come back here, my love.”

Kelly smiled as she pulled running shorts over her long tanned legs.

“You know I can’t miss a day. Not, if I’m going to win that marathon! Keep me company.” She tied her sneakers.

“Not today babe. I’m real tired.” Brad replied with one eye closed. “Besides, I can’t keep up with you at my best.”

Kelly blew him a kiss. “Keep the bed warm. I’ll be back real soon.” She locked the apartment door behind her.

It was a damp, overcast morning at Venice Beach. The sea mist quickly enveloped Kelly, as she went through her leg stretches.

‘Maybe I should forget it this morning?’ She thought and suddenly yearned to be safe in her lover’s arms. The mist felt like icy fingers that pinched her skin. ‘But if I miss a day itwill be harder the next.’

Reluctantly, she slowly began to run along the sidewalk.

A drunk was passed out next to a trash dumpster, empty beer bottle by his side. He had been using it as his sleeping place for the last three nights; probably for his food as well, she suspected. Kelly wondered how old he was. It was impossible to tell with his long mattered hair and overgrown beard.

She encountered the homeless almost every day and it always depressed her, but once she turned onto Wave View Street, her spirits were raised as she passed by the quaint houses.

Wave View is one of the many pedestrian alley ways that crisscross the city of Venice. These houses are an eclectic community of brightly painted wood bungalows from the 1950’s and modern multi-level dwellings.

The mist began to clear as Kelly ran passed her favorite house.

It was shaped similar to a light house, and the top portion of its central tower entirely encased in glass. She imagined that the views from that vantage point were spectacular as it was the tallest building in the neighborhood and within a block from the beach.

The front yard was open and she noticed the young man as he arranged fold-up tables.

“He”s having another yard sale.’ She thought. ‘Every Saturday; like clockwork.’

Kelly felt a certain curiousity about the man. He did not look like the usual  Venice Beach vendors who had their spots along the entire length of the boardwalk and peddled everything from Indian Joss sticks to model airplanes made from recycled soda cans.

The man caught her gaze for an instant and then shyly turned away to set up his wares. ‘He’s kind cute,’ she smiled and soon joined the cycle path that winds along the beach from neighboring Santa Monica through Venice and beyond.

She kicked her pace up a notch and began to pass most of the others already on the pathway; joggers, dog walkers and skate boarders.

These days the Venice beach community is a diverse group of affluent wannabes, die-hard Hippies, street performers, foreign vendors and dozens of vagrants.

It is in some ways still a throwback from the sixties, with the ever present legacy of Jim Morrison on billboards, re-cycled T-shirts and posters. And even a tribute band that performs Doors music every weekend at a beach front bar. But there is now also something very seedy about the surrounding slums; ever present police – force, gang-bangers and look- a- like stores, whose owners were not even American Citizens during those innocent years and could care less about the history of Venice beach.

Kelly appeared somehow unscathed by the tawdry surroundings. Tall and beautiful, her long black hair shined as it fell about her shoulders.

The promenade was already a hive of activity when she turned once again onto Wave View Street, now near the end of her run.

Kelly glimpsed the young man as he sat behind a table, intently reading a book. An elderly couple browsed through some items.

“Why not?” She stopped running and walked towards the yard sale. ‘Besides, I’m dying to have a closer look at that house.’

The young man nodded a welcome as he helped the older man with a purchase. She smiled in return and her gaze was quickly drawn to a piece of jewelery.

“That’s adorable!” She said out loud, and picked it up to look more closely.

“I’m glad you like it.” The young man replied, nervously. “It’s mine…I mean, I made it.”

“I’m impressed. How much are you asking?”

“Err…How about five dollars?”

“Done!” Kelly handed him a twenty dollar bill from a pocket.

“I’ll get change.” He opened a nearby cash box. “If you’re interested, I have more of my jewelry. Would you care to see it?”

“Yes. That would be great.” She really liked his work.

He pointed to his front door.

“It’s displayed in a case in my living room. I don’t always carry it out here, because most people don’t appreciate my ideas.”

Kelly balked… “Oh…No…I don’t think so…maybe another time?”

“I understand…Another time.”

Kelly took her purchase, turned to leave and glanced in through the open doorway. She noticed an antique looking wood jewelry case that stood at the end of a narrow hallway.

“Is that it?”

“Yes,” he replied and approached another shopper. “You’re welcome to take a peek. I’ll be here if you need me.”

‘What harm can it do?’ She reasoned with herself. ‘He’s outside, other people are walking by and there may be some more bargains. His work is really unusual.’

She entered the doorway.

The hallway was old and gloomy; hardwood floor covered with a shabby rug. Kelly hesitated as she smelled a musty odor that permeated the room, but the jewelry case looked tempting and just a few feet away. She once more looked over her shoulder and saw that the young man was now some distance away, at the other end of the yard.

Kelly slowly walked towards the living room.

Suddenly, the floor under her feet gave away and she fell into the basement below…

“Hey! Are you all right? Must be those old floorboards. Hope I don’t have termites? Give me your hand and I’ll pull you out.”

Kelly recognized his voice and reached out in the darkness. She felt a sharp needle prick in her finger and passed out.

She slowly regained consciousness. Her head throbbed, her eyes felt sore as they adjusted to the brightness of the surroundings. The room was unbearably cold, and she couldn’t feel her feet.

Kelly lay naked on a stone table and all about her frozen sides of meat hung on steel hooks.

A door opened and the young man entered the room. He wore a butcher’s apron and pulled a tool cart.

“Good, you’re awake.” He said, in the same calm voice that now made her skin crawl. “Have you already introduced yourselves?” He gestured at the body parts. “No? Well…

At that moment, Kelly kicked out towards him and hit his face.

He slumped to the ground, as blood gushed from his nose.

Without hesitation, she quickly moved towards him and kicked as hard as she could.

He collapsed to the floor in agony.

Kelly rushed through the opened door and looked about the room. She was in the large basement area, and just a few feet away a ladder was propped against an opening in the ceiling. Light filtered in from the hallway, above.

The man winced as he slowly struggled to stand.

Kelly quickly climbed the ladder and tried to open the front door.

It was locked and bolted.

Her hands shook as she fumbled to grip the rusted bolts. She heard the man’s footsteps on the ladder.

The front door creaked open and she was outside.

It was dead of night and fog engulfed the darkened street.

‘How long was I unconscious?’ She quickly dismissed the thought. “It doesn”t matter. Get the Hell way from here!’

Kelly began to run, as she had never run, before.

She was all alone on the sidewalk for what seemed an eternity and then she saw up ahead a man propped against a dumpster.

‘Is it that drunk?’

“Hey! Help me!” Kelly screamed out at the top of her voice as she ran towards him.

But he did not stir.

“Help me!” She stood over him. “Please, help me!”

The man finally moved and turned his head toward her…

“Good, you’re awake.” The young man said, in the same calm voice that now made her skin crawl. “Have you already introduced yourselves?” He gestured at the body parts. “No? Well…let me present my wife, Sally… I’m sorry; I don’t know your name?” He approached one of the meat racks.

Kelly felt terrible pain but knew that she must escape.

She tried to sit up, but was unable to move.

“Going somewhere?” The young man asked. “Well then, you’ll probably need these.” He smiled as he unhooked two long tanned severed legs from the rack and held them up before her….