This is a Summer Secret Santa gift for Lizzybeth! Happy Summer!

Disclaimer: No, I do not own The Mentalist

Save Me From the Nothing I've Become

~Prologue~

Lacey Wall stumbled up her apartment steps, nervously glancing over her shoulder. She still felt them, the eyes staring at the back of her head that she had felt watching her since she left the local school she taught at. She had stayed at work longer than expected, marking papers and knowing full well that her husband was away on a business trip in D.C., therefore she was not in any type of rush to return home.

Her initial plans upon coming home were to curl up on her sofa, a glass of wine in hand, and with the new novel she had picked up at Barnes & Noble earlier that week. Now she wanted to call her husband, or the local police as the eerie feeling continued to cause the hairs residing on the back of her neck to rise.

Seeing nothing behind her again, she shakily turned back and stuck the keys in the door's lock, flicking her wrist to the right to open the lock. With her breath caught in her throat, she pushed the door open and barely stumbled inside, hands quickly clasping on tightly to the wooden door as she shut it closed. Lacey stumbled back a few steps, one hand reaching up and clasping onto her chest as she tried to even out her breathing. Shutting her eyes, she tried to tell herself that no one was watching her, no one had followed her. Reopening her eyes, she gazed held entirely on the wooden door before her. Lacey's breathing hitched as she slowly began to turn, moving herself away from the door to head in the direction of her kitchen.

Despite the rising feeling that something bad was to happen, Lacey kept on with her usual nightly routine. She had gone into her kitchen and put a kettle on the stove, turning the dial up to begin the rapid boil. The kettle had screeched moments after she had ventured to her table in the middle of the room, sorting through the mail she had received earlier that day. She picked up the kettle, pouring it into a small cup and hooked her finger around the string holding the tea bag. Slowly she moved it up and down, subconsciously smiling at the normality of her routine. Setting the kettle down, she lifted the cup up just below her nose, inhaling the wonderful smell of fresh tea. It smelled wonderful and the heat felt marvelous, it would feel even more so if it were cold outside.

Lacey spent the next two hours sticking to her usual schedule while her husband was out of town. Drinking the tea, curling up by the arm of her sofa and reading her novel. Thirty minutes after settling down, she picked up her phone from the cradle and dialed her husband's number. She happily spoke to him for almost fifteen minutes before she excused herself to take a bath and get ready for bed. The woman felt at total peace as she felt her tense muscles begin to relax while she lay inside the warm water. She had fallen asleep only to wake up from the cooler water temperature. She had sat herself up and reached across towards the counter to pick up her watch. It was late, getting closer to midnight and she felt herself slowly returning to her drowsy state.

Quickly drying herself off with her towel, she pulled on the soft nightclothes that were rested on the toilet's tank. Sitting down, she began to lightly apply some lotion to her dry legs. She hummed peacefully, slipping her eyes shut as the thoughts of someone following her stayed in the very back of her mind. She paused, her humming ceased as her eyes opened and she blinked as her eyes gazed around the room. Lacey suddenly heard something fall in the kitchen.

A pan?

Bracing herself on the counter, she pushed herself upwards, standing up on the balls of her feet as she began to creep towards the door. Cautiously, she opened the door and poked her head out, eyes dancing around the darkened hallway. Hadn't she left that on? She always left that on. Always. Pushing the door even farther open, she moved through it, one hand never leaving its frame. She felt her breathing become heavy when her heart began to beat faster in her chest. Her finger tips barely brushed against the wall as the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She turned the corner, feet hitting the cold tile floor of her living room. Her breath caught in her throat noticing that she saw no one in her field of vision. Lacey still heard the blood moving in her ears as she slowly allowed herself to begin the process of calming down.

Just as she was to breathe a sigh of relief, she felt a large hand encase itself around her neck. She gasped, eyes opening wide with shock. Her hands flew upwards, clasping around her attacker's iron-tight held hand.

"Sssh, don't be afraid," her eyes widened at the sound of the voice. She had never heard it before, yet it still made feel the need to beg for her life and to tell the intruder where all the emergency money she and her husband kept in the home, "I just need a favour."

"W-what do you want?" her voice quivered, her eyes turning to look at the man keeping hold of her, "What do you w-want with m-me?" her breath hitched in her throat as she struggled when his hold grew tighter.

The intruder leaned in closer, "I want you to tell Patrick Jane this: The time is near."

He let go of her, just like that. She almost fell back, her hand reaching up to cup her now aching throat. Her eyes moved upwards, seeing a dark figure before her pull something out of their coat. Her eyes widened as she slowly moved her hand from her neck. Lacey stepped back, not knowing what to do. She saw a quick glint of a knife? She was not sure, but she's seen CSI and usually when you would see a glint of something, it would mean your life would probably end very soon. She extended a hand outward, shaking her head as she tried to protest her coming fate.

The dark figure paused, watching her quivering body. He laughed, knowing well enough that she felt only fear. Lacey turned, she began her run towards her bedroom so she could lock it, pull out her phone, and dial 9-1-1. The man grasped onto her hand, right before she could reach the door knob. She tried to scream out, but a black glove was placed over her mouth. She was roughly pulled into him as he held up the knife, her eyes widened with fear as she began to struggle, trying to capture a hold on his hands to prevent him from stabbing her torso.

The man was too strong; he shifted his grip and brought the knife to come down on her forearm, effectively cutting into her flesh, but not deeply. She recoiled, allowing him to bring the knife down on her abdomen. Her eyes opened wide with shock as the blade penetrated her skin deeply. He pulled the knife out, letting her feel excruciating pain all throughout her body. One of her hands moved down to her abdomen, feeling around for the blood seeping through her clothes. The man laughed again, bringing the knife down and stabbing her once more, close to the previous wound. She screamed against his hand, tears prickling the corners of her eyes as the pain slowly began to grow and grow until it became unbearable. He pulled it out again, then pushed the knife back down. Her muffled screams continued, mixing together with quieted sobs. He pushed her back, letting her land hard on the carpeted floor. Her eyes fluttered as her fingers twitched. The man leaned down, putting his mouth close to her ear.

"Remember to tell Patrick Jane what I said," her breath hitched in her throat as she tried to cover her bleeding wounds, "Or else I will come back," he patted the side of her cheek, almost affectionately. He slid his finger down, letting it dance across her lip. It quivered underneath his touch.

She heard a slight rustle of fabric and then the feeling of something warm and sticky against her throat. She gulped, breathing deeply. The man pressed down, the blade barely cutting the skin on her throat. Her eyes slipped shut, her mind telling her that she wanted nothing more than to finally die. The man laughed, pulling himself up and then reaching into his jacket. She heard a loud thud as something landed right next to her hand. She was too afraid to open her eyes and look at what was right next to her.

The last feelings Lacey felt that evening were the man's hands touching her abdomen, almost like they were gathering up her blood and a heavy sensation quickly overtaking her body.

I know, no team or character's, but this is just the prologue. I promise, the team makes an appearance in the first chapter.