The killer's favorite obsession

't stop

had "somewhere to be," my hands wouldn't stop trembling. Hi

they find...

t my death. I had wanted to laugh, to deny it, to convince myself that he was

trying to hurt me and whoever killed

glances and hinting it was time to leave. My legs wobbled as I stood. The glass Ra

ehow. Every noise was louder, every color more sa

work with a hoarse voice "Food poisoning," I said

sat under the oak tree that had lost most of its leaves. It was quiet there and safer, someho

ed that man t

. It should have terrified me. It did terrify me

li

d me but now he was dead. Someone made sur

uld someone protec

me and watching me. What if the man I was sitting across from at th

something broken in them, something sad. He didn't seem l

t was delicate, beautiful, and wrong. I remembered seeing it once in a news article-the first murder, the gi

Now it fe

ried to steady my breath, pressing my palms agai

o talk to

pocket. I pulled it out, it was

ere lucky last night.

working. My thumb hovered ove

s don't want to be seen and

th wen

what's

supposed

o one did. Nothing but the soft rustle of the wind and a lone squirrel darting up a tree. I backed away slow

d shoved a chair beneath the knob for good measure. I sto

again. It was

worry I will

bs as I stared at it lying face-down on the carpet.

al? Was I g

y window and yanked

die stood under the bus stop awning, h

a coinc

e curtain shut and backed

number-he had written it on the napkin beneath th

but it was th

he hell

hallway outside made me flinch. Every siren in the distance made me hold my breath.

****************

t was evening-and someon

Knock

d I froze. No one ever came to my

" I called,

ans

no one was there. The hallway was empty. I opened the door

hands trembled as I reached down and picked it up. It was light-too ligh

eaked as I

It was fresh and wet with dew a

g on my couch. The same

o. My breath caught in my throat. My body went cold. I

n't a

had be

was watc