You're My Favorite Murderer (Chapter 6-9)

Chapter 6: 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮

Just as I make it out of the building's French doors and down the stairs that same deep voice calls out to me, somehow breaking through the chaos of everything. "Hey. Hey you." I force my head down, not bothering to look, knowing it's the sexy mystery geek who helped me. But calling out most likely means he's looking for something in return for his volunteered services. And I'm not in a giving mood. "Yeah, that's okay just walk away. I'll be sure to let the professor know you cheated" he projects across the space. Christ, did he have to let the whole goddamn world know? Gritting my teeth I turn around quickly eating up the distance as I come face to face with the gorgeous man trying to fuck up my life. I won't deny his good looks but the malicious smile he's wearing says he's gonna make this fucking hurt. And not in a good way.

Stopping at the edge of the steps I watch tensely as he saunters down each one, taking his sweet ass time, hands in his pockets all nonchalant attitude pouring out of every invisible pore. Cocky asshole. L.L. Bean Eco Bay sneakers landing on the flat earth I flash on him a fake smile trying to hide my sudden hatred for him. "Hi, thanks for what you did in there" I say pointing to the ajar doors. "You really didn't have to, so it was quite nice of you to do so." I have to make this quick, any minute I know the mask will slip and my fuck off bitch face will return.

"I didn't have to, did I?" He darkly ponders, stepping closer as I instinctually retreat a few paces. His grin grows bit by bit until I catch a glimpse of two sharp canine-like fangs. Suddenly I feel like the prey staring into the eyes of my predator. My dark wide eyes drift lower noticing his lip piercing, the metal gleaming in the slowly setting sun; I can't help but swallow my prepared words. Of course he has a piercing. If he's got ink, I'm fucked.

Trying to begin again I let my eyes wander, looking anywhere but up at him. "Yeah, and I would really appreciate you not telling the professor about it."

Lifting my chin with a finger I watch as his lips curl, a devious smile dripping poison at the corners. "What's in it for me" he coos closing the distance.

I wet my lips, biting the inside of my cheek, hands fussing about reaching for my vape in the large pocket of my hoodie, anything to distract myself from this arousal-oozing-masculine-figure standing before me. "Any other time I'd be more than willing to do something to repay you, but I have to get back to the dorms and finish my packing. I'm driving back to see my folks and I don't want to be late." I shrink back, tucking a loose strand behind my ear diverting my gaze further as I take a hit. Angling away from him I blow out the puff, the chilled tense air taking on a delicious taste of cherries. "So, how about a quick thanks and we call it even." I feel my heart pounding beneath my chest, eager to escape as I start to walk away but he's quick to grab my arm, tugging me back. Rough hands and beringed fingers digging into the skin despite the thick barrier of the grey hoodie's sleeve.

Before I know what hits me, I feel my back pressed up against the rough exterior of the building. "Is that what you think" he creeps closer, showing off how much more height and build he has on me. His fingers skim along my chin, holding my tiny face in his large hand, cool metal rings chilling the skin where they touch. I gulp at his size, slowly becoming more aware of how easily it would be to snap me like a twig without even really trying. I feel my panties getting wet at the thought, his strong hands, my frail body. Me at his mercy, but no intentions of giving it. Damn my traitorous pussy.

There's a barrage of students and professors alike mulling about but they're all too preoccupied with getting out of here to notice the impending danger currently hovering over me at six foot two. My throat closes as he takes another step closer, forcing me further into the wall his hand over my head caging me in, sleeves of tattoos exposed beneath his long sleeve navy blue sweater. The rich aroma of spiced citrus filling my nose with every sniffle as a result of the chilled temperature. Fuck he has tattoos, and he smells amazing. Damn him.

"Yeah, no. Here's what's gonna happen love," even without the originating accent the way he says that word has me coming in my panties. He leans closer, lips hovering over my ear. "I think you should show me how god damn grateful you are for my help. And then maybe I'll let you go and run off." I feel his teeth nibble at my lobe and I fucking melt right there. "Or maybe I won't." His tongue runs along the sweet spot at the nape of my neck, tasting my pulse. "Maybe I'll take my time, forcing that gratitude out of you, bit by bit." His hand releases my face, travelling oh so slowly down my abdomen, "inch by inch" he darkly teases, cupping my sex on the outside of my sweats. "Just as I thought, wet and ready for me you filthy little slut" he tantalizingly taunts whispering in my ear, I bite my lip so hard I taste blood.

"There you are! Girl, I've been looking all over for you" the sweetest of voices breaks the tension, the geek and I slowly drawing our attention to my new white knight. She's wearing an oversized hoodie with the Greek letters Sigma Delta Pi printed across. It hangs loosely on her petite figure, a slick pair of black leggings covering her long legs and crock slippers. Her gorgeously blonde hair piled on top of her head in the cutest of messy buns as my heart melts. My newest victim just saved me, how sweet.

Licking my bit lip I carefully sneak out of the geek's embrace, accepting her outstretched hand as he remains distracted by my savior. Rushing to the girl's side, linking arms we scurry away as he shouts after me. "This isn't over!" Ignoring the voice, we hurry along talking and laughing like we've known each other for years.

"Oh my gosh thank you, you totally just saved me back there."

Nudging my shoulder, she asks innocently enough "old ex or something?"

I shake my head holding back the urge to bite my lip at the remembrance of such a sensual creature. "Nah, I don't even know his name. He helped me with a couple exam questions and then wanted something in return for his silence." I catch her side eye as we walk.

"Let me guess, something sexual?"

"Is there any other kind of favor known to a man?" I joke laughing it off. Fuck what I would have let him do to me if I wasn't so eager to satiate my bloodlust. It's already been too long, and my skin is itching with the urge; the memory of Georgie having seriously set me on edge, the delicious taste of my cherry vape doing utterly nothing to dull the cravings.

She tosses a fleeting glance behind her, the hot, creepy geek's dark grey eyes watching our every move. "Guys can be such assholes" she remarks returning to the casual walk.

"No argument here" I say putting a hand up. "I'm Jewel by the way" I hold it out for her to shake.

"Alice" she says flashing a warm, friendly smile.

"Nice to meet you. Hey, I know this is a lot to ask but could you walk me back to my dorm?"

She tugs me closer. "Oh my gosh, of course I'll walk you back! I wouldn't want to be by myself with creeps like that lurking around either."

I squeeze her tight, "thank you so much. You truly are a lifesaver!"

"What flavor" she jokes as I laugh with her on the quick quip.

"Hmm" I put a finger up to my chin in mock thought. "Cherry" I decide.

"I would have said strawberry or peach" she replies just as sweetly as the fruit mentioned.

"It's just my go to for everything." I tug out my vape preparing to take a hit. "You don't mind right" I say motioning to it.

She shakes her head "oh go for it. Actually, would you mind if I took a hit? Mine died before I took my French exam and I've been on edge with worry."

I hold it out before I can take my turn. "Here, but fair warning it's cherry."

She waves me off, "don't care just need a hit." I hold it out until she plucks it up. I watch in awe as she draws in a deep breath her delicate pink lips closing over the vape before passing it back. Drawing in a breath of my own just as she releases the sweet mist into our frigid surroundings, she sighs relieved. "Fuck I needed that" she tilts her head back, eyes shut a sense of calm washing over her in the dim lighting. Smiling to myself I imagine how she'll look when I put a knife to her throat, the blood seeping down her chest and sweater painting everything the darkest, deadliest shade of red.

I take another hit, holding in the vapor for longer as we walk, trying to drown my increasing cravings. Releasing the sweet cloud into the night air I feel the tiniest twinge of relief but the insatiable bloodlust relentlessly boiling beneath the surface. Guess this is happening after all. Pulling out my burner I open the app to jam Wi-Fi frequences making sure we don't get interrupted. Placing the fake phone back in my bag I jump when I hear her siren song-like voice speak. "—live. Jewel? Jewel."

"What?" I tear my gaze from the bag with a secret, her eyes on me searching my face.

"You, okay? I was asking, where you live? Which hall?" Nodding my head in understanding I carefully pull out the ID with Jewel Doughty's Hall name written in black- marker pen along the bottom. Baker Hall.

"Oh uh. Baker Hall."

She stops walking for a beat. "Shit, we passed it already."

I huddle into my hoodie closer, a slightly exaggerated shiver rolling up my spine. "Oh, damn it. I'm sorry I didn't even realize. I was just enjoying our talk so much." She turns from the building we're standing in front of, to the trail we walked down and back. "Seriously it's okay. I'll be fine; besides I don't want to keep you from any plans you have." I turn to walk away, still shivering to sell the act. I can practically hear the gears turning inside her head. She's a bleeding heart; I just need to play the right damsel-in-distress cards.

"Wait" she runs to catch up with me. "This is my building right here, and" she shows me her blank notification screen on her smart phone. Perfect. "None of my friends have texted anything. They're probably at the house partying" she points to the sweater with the Greek letters, barely visible beneath the light of the lampposts lining the trail. Curling a hand around my arm she motions me closer to the building looming ahead of us. "Besides, I wanted to get my packing done tonight. If it's not too much trouble, would you mind helping? I promise to make up to you with shitty beer" she laughs, the sound echoing out into the barren quad.

"Hmm, it's a tempting offer...how could I say no" I joke holding my arms out in a dramatic way.

"Come on then. You pull things off hangers, and I'll fold" she says over her shoulder as I rush in after her.

The trap is set.

Chapter 7: 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮

"So where are you from originally?" I ask, tugging down another hanger with a peach-coloured zip up hoodie on it, the closet full of jeans, hoodies, tops, even lingerie. Girl hung anything and everything in this tiny-ass thing. Walking over to the bed where her suitcase lay open over a lavender-coloured duvet, a couple garments already folded and ready to be packed at the bottom and situated about the bed I hand her the hoodie.

"Small town in Virginia but there's nothing there, trust me. Total snooze fest." She says rolling it up, stuffing it in the side pocket.

"What no cute boys" I taunt, tossing a look over my shoulder making my way back to pull down more articles of clothing.

"Definitely not, there's a total of like fifteen guys in the whole place and none of them are even close to hot." She goes still for a moment, a garment stuck between her hands as she stares off. Snapping my fingers, I bring her back to reality, as she lets out a hollow laugh. I see I've hit a nerve there.

"Damn, girl" I lightly laugh too, "no wonder you came all the way here. Though I can't say I've seen all that many cute guys." Not including mr. sexy geek. Fuck, I would climb that without a thought. But Jewel wouldn't, goody goody she was, should have picked a better victim.

She waves me off, placing another delicate top in the smallest part of the bag. "Doesn't matter, I've got my boyfriend don't need any other guy." I nod noticing the little bits of information she's holding back, like a name for instance. "Speaking of which, I should see if he texted." She rushes to finish, stuffing her jeans in the bag without a care before walking over to the kitchenette, bag on the stool sitting open. I check the connection on my burner, smiling when I see it's still disrupted but something tells me she won't have any messages regardless. Testing my theory, I switch it off, tossing the burner in the suitcase for later. "Weird" she half mutters to herself, but still loud of enough to be heard in the next room.

"What?" I question, biting my lip, hiding the growing smirk, knowing just what she'll say.

"He still hasn't texted me."

Biting harder, I purse my lips in a sort of frown. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." Peaking a glance into the narrow walkway of the kitchenette I see she's standing there, staring down at the phone, frozen.

I take a couple steps closer, "hey, you good?"

My voice seems to jolt her awake, for a moment forgetting where she is and what we were discussing. "What? Oh yeah. I'm sure he's fine. He's probably passed out drunk at the house. I'll call, see if I can wake him from his drunken slumber." Turning around, her back to me I watch as she walks a bit away, trying to get a hold of her boytoy. Standing there watching the scene, I cross my arms over my chest tight, the urge to grab my Swiss and end her pathetic suffering fucking strong.

Yo, it's me, leave a message after the *beep* pulling the phone away, checking the screen, she places the phone back at her ear. "Hey babe" she starts off slow, "just wondering where you are. I mean I'm pretty sure I know where you are but...". Taking a deep breath, she continues, "you know what can you just call me please?" She hesitates, shutting her eyes blowing out a breath before whispering a pained "I love you."

She starts to walk back towards me, placing the phone face up on the counter.

"Still nothing" I ask, fake concern laced in my voice. She shakes her head. I close the gap, rubbing her shoulders. "I'm sure he's fine. He'll probably call tomorrow. Don't worry too much about it." She nods but I can tell she only about half agrees with me. "Is there something else going on? You wouldn't be this worried about him if it wasn't serious." It won't be long until my window of opportunity closes and the brief trust I gained will be snuffed out.

She folds her arms over her chest, creating a wall between us clearly indicating she's not planning on opening up any time soon. "It's nothing." She flashes a tight smile. Removing the hair tie from her hair, golden waves cascading down her back she says, "why don't we take a break? Watch a movie, have a drink. Remember I owe you that shitty beer." She begins to retie the strands in a loose side braid.

"Ah yes," I mutter to myself "shitty beer."

She walks over to the fridge, pulling the door open to reveal a barren interior save for two aluminium cans in the very back. Bending over to reach the drinks I stare at her tight round ass, an hourglass waist revealed as her oversized top rides up. My mouth starts watering at her body. "The remote's on the coffee table" she projects, head still deep in the fridge.

I blink away my straight up lust and walk to the living area. A tiny space with the cutest of light teal blue sofas facing the windows, a small low sitting coffee table in the front and a mini flat screen positioned up high on a dresser.

"Any requests" I call over my shoulder as she opens two aluminium cans of what looks like light beer. Shitty beer indeed.

"Whatever you want, I'll watch basically anything." She comes in holding the cans, one for me to take as the remote sits comfortably in my other hand, browsing through the channels.

"Horror movie" I offer, hoping she'll say yes.

She shrugs; eyes cast down muttering "whatever you want" mind far off. Taking a swig from the beer, almost instantaneously her perfect features morph into that of disgust. Delaying the swallow of vile substance, holding the bitter, stale taste longer on her tongue, eventually it slicks down her throat, coating the walls in slime and grotesque liquid. "Fair warning, this shit is awful." She shakes her head, an aftertaste staying with her as she hurries around the corner into a smaller room, shutting the door behind her.

"Well, what's to be expected" I laugh to myself taking a swig, testing the waters out. Immediately I regret it my face twisting into the same look of utter repugnance. "Oh shit, she wasn't kidding" I mumble through the sip.

Shooting up off the couch I rush into the kitchenette, spitting out what remains, pouring the remnants down the drain, sullying the pipes with the disgusting poison instead. Spitting out the unwanted taste I take a couple drinks from the faucet, forcing the rising bile in my throat back down. Placing my hands on either side of the sink I stand there for a moment in thought. Georgie's once perfectly gorgeous face flashes across my vision and suddenly I remember why I'm here. Gathering my wits about me, letting out a sigh I saunter back into the room to find she still hasn't returned. Looking down the corridor, I see the tiny room she ventured off into, the door's still shut tight.

Gradually I approach, my hand resting on the handle. Pulling out my vape, a source of calm in the storm I take a large intake of the cherry scented vapor, my lungs accepting the mist as second air. Blowing out the cloud through my nose, I tap on the door, ear to the wood listening in.

"Alice" I pause, still no answer. "You okay in there?" Pressing the side of my face so tight to the entrance I can just barely make out the sound of little whimpers. "Alice, I'm coming in." I announce, trying the handle. Thankfully it's unlocked, the faux diamond turning with ease as the door sits ajar and a sad, curled into herself Alice sits on the toilet seat, streams of tears cascading down her face, wetting her cheeks. The lightest sheen of translucent salinity painting her skin. Almost immediately I go to her, kneeling on the black bathmat looking up at the saddened beauty. "Oh, Alice. What's wrong love?" I try out the word that sexy geek had me melting with and it seems to have the same effect on her, limbs uncrunched and sitting open enough for me to hug her.

"I wasn't completely honest with you before Jewel." The name still sounds foreign to me, having only obtained the identity in the last couple of days, the kill too quick and nowhere near satisfying me. "Technically I had a boyfriend" she mumbles emphasising the past tense. "There was this party a couple nights ago and I found him with another girl, in one of the bedrooms on the second floor. Clearly, he didn't think he'd get caught otherwise he would have locked the door. I rushed down the steps and kissed some rando in retaliation before storming out." She cries the last bit; I have to try harder to hear the pathetic story. "But you know what the worst part was? The girl he cheated on me with, was my best friend. Like practically my sister, my best friend!" I kneel there watching as she goes through the lie. She's a good storyteller I'll give her that.

Pressing my lips together I shake my head, making her think I'm on her side. Intertwining my hands in hers I raise myself to her height, lifting her chin up. "Aw love, that's terrible I'm so sorry." She gives me a small sad smile before lowering her face in shame once again. Rising to stand I pull her up with me into a warm embrace. "It's going to be all right." I fake console her; she has no idea what is going on inside my head right now. It's taking every ounce of calm I vaped to stop myself from killing her right now. Bitch is a fucking liar and is going to pay!

"Sorry I don't mean to be such a baby about it. You still want to watch something" she questions beginning to walk away. Her hand still interlocked in mine she makes it about a foot away before I pull her back into my embrace. Her ass squished between me and the countertop. My hands resting gently on her shoulders as hers lay on my waist not yet gripping but the intention is there, the danger, the lust, the want. I can feel it in the featherlight touch of her fingertips on my skin. Her hands itching to grip, slowly slipping further up under my hoodie causing my skin to break out in goosebumps from the heated sensations. "Is this okay" I ask lowly and breathy cupping her cheek, our gazes held in a trance with one another. She places one of those delicate fingers over my lips.

"That depends on what you're doing" she whispers, low with a bit of sexual husk.

"I think" I tease, sliding my fingers down, tugging down the neck of her oversized sweatshirt. "I'm consoling my friend" I tug her closer eliciting a gasp from her pretty little mouth. I bring her lips right up to mine, every word brushing mine with hers, her heart pounding hard and fast pressed up to my chest. "If that's all right with you."

She smiles, inching closer, the hand holding her face slipping further down. Parting her lips, preparing her response, her face goes tight, brows furrowed, mouth opening wider as I plunge my blade into her side. Blue eyes wide with fear she remains still as the knife digs into her body, my wrist twisting and turning creating more of a hole than just a slashed-up wound.

"Cat got your tongue doll face" I harden my words, my anger towards her growing as the image of Georgie pulses in my mind. Pulling the blade free of her, I watch as she crumples to the floor, her head somehow missing the corner of the countertop, blood pooling from the wound, her hands vehemently trying to apply pressure. Dragging her to sit, back leaning up against the lower pastel teal green cabinets she looks to me in fear.

"What? Why? What the—?" she's shaking, her body realising it's just been stabbed.

I tap the bloodied blade along her cheek, making sure all of her attention is right where it should be. "Eyes here doll face" I taunt pointing her gaze to mine, though she's still quaking. "Now, I want an actual account of the events that conspired a couple nights ago at that soirée you attended." Getting comfortable, sitting right in front of her, my back up against the glass door of the shower I wait for her to spill her dirty little secret.

"Maybe....it's because of the...large amounts of...blood...flowing out of...my body" she mumbles, gritting her teeth applying more pressure on the open wound. "But none of that made...fucking...sense. Speak...fucking English...bitch" she hisses back, letting out a moan of pain barely able to speak.

I roll my eyes, "this is what happens when you assume the intelligence of a person, they utterly disappoint you." Huffing out my annoyance I begin again, in plain English because apparently, I was speaking Swahili before. "Tell me the truth about what happened with you and your boytoy at the party the other night. You know, when he 'supposedly'" I quote around the word, emphasising my complete disbelief in her bullshit story "cheated on you with your best friend."

"Fuck you!" she spits at me, I can't help but laugh, her words stuttered, and lower half drenched in blood. Shaking my head disappointed I crawl closer, my face merely centimeters away.

"Alice, love. You're killing me here" I joke, she doesn't seem amused. "We're having a girl's night" I say excitedly, she's still not feeling it. "So, spill the damn tea" I harden my words further, gripping her face tight in my hand, the knife sitting delicately along her throat. Raising her neck higher, the warning clear she swallows, trying to keep her I'm nowhere near scared of you composure.

"I told you everything. He cheated on me with my best friend at the party and then I ran off and haven't spoken to him since." Letting her face go, I rest both hands on my knees as I contemplate my next move.

"Okay, so clearly, you're not going to tell me shit. So let me try to guess and you tell me how I'm doing so far." Before she knows it, I jam the knife so deep in her thigh, some of the handle is embedded. "Oooh, nasty" I remark. "Anyway, back to the party. So here's what I think happened." I rest the tips of my fingers on the handle as I speak, her face twisted so tight in agony, no longer bothering to apply pressure on the first wound I inflicted, the blood, seeping out of her with ease. "You and your boytoy—"

"Ex-boyfriend" she screams annoyed.

"Fine, fine you and your ex-boyfriend went to a party at Sigma Delta Beta, whatever, insert appropriate Greek letters here, together. But as the night progressed you might have had too much to drink and found your lips on a certain boy's that didn't belong there." I tap the handle she stares down at my fingers yet remains quiet. "Mhm, that's what I thought. Now let's see, was this boy's lips maybe a little bit foreign to you? Like you knew they didn't belong? Or worse, were they forbidden but familiar. Someone you had kissed before in the past." She still remains quiet. "Oh, this is when you tell me which one it is love."

She turns away, a tear flowing down her cheek. "I'm not telling you shit" she grits out, the pain still getting to her.

I roll my eyes again, pulling out the knife, not at all quickly or delicately, each inch once again visible as she knocks her head into the cabinets doing her damn best not to scream. "Let's try this again. Which one was it Alice, forbidden lips like say his best friend's or some rando drunk you mistook your ex-boyfriend for, since we're getting technical here."

Huffing and puffing, wails and screams silenced each time she presses her lips together tight I finally remove the knife fully only to dig the tip into the underside of her chin, her hypnotizingly blue eyes back on me fully at attention. "Best friend" she manages through a breath. I drag the sharpest bit along her skin, a tiny scratch opening up as I sit back.

"See, now was that so hard to admit? I mean I was pretty sure when I saw that he wasn't messaging you at all and you talked about knowing where he was, etc. etc. Plus, I mean you're a natural born liar babe, so I wouldn't put it past you to lie about other things." She turns away, bored of this conversation or maybe it was all the blood she was losing. Either way, she was starting to leave me but I wasn't done just yet. "Now what to do with you" I question out loud though fully aware of the answer.

"Just...kill me...already. Isn't...that...yo...your plan" she wheezes, taking in heavy breaths barely managing to speak anymore.

"Well yes, but now it's not as fun that you've ruined the surprise ending."

She scoffs, though with how weak she is, it just looks like another heavy inhale. "Cunt" she mutters.

My brows raise. "The fuck you just say to me Georgie?" I realise my mistake the minute I made the letters form in my mouth.

Taking a vast interest in my mistake, she turns back, a sinister smile on her lips, her skin pale and sickly from the blood loss. "Who's...Georg...ieee?"

"None of your damn business" I hiss.

Leaning forward, closing the distance between us, a hand resting loosely over a couple of the major wounds she whisper hisses, "girls...night. Sp...pill."

I laugh, unsanctioned but appropriate for the moment. "Okay, fine. If you must know Georgie was my ex-girlfriend back in high school. Love of my life I assure you but that's the thing about love, it's a total fucking lie, isn't it?" I leave the question hanging though we both know the answer, based on our actions. "I mean look at you little Alice. You fucking told your boytoy—"

"Ex—"

"Yeah no, we're calling him your boytoy since you played with his heart." She shrinks back when I admit her faults out in the open. "That's what I thought."

"Geor..gieee" she groans.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. Fucking fine!" I rise to stand, pacing around the room, her memory seriously fucking me up. "She was my high school girlfriend, love of my life blah blah. But one afternoon she decided we should fuck so she lured me back to her place. At some point I went down on her, my tongue was literally lapping at her precious cunt, like fully in the hole when I felt the touch of cool steel caressing my heated skin." I choke myself a little, the memory replaying painfully clear now. "Apparently she was fucking and loving someone else and I was just the little nieve stooge in the middle. She and her girlfriend planned to rob my ass only I fought back." I grip the handle of my blade tighter, remembering as it sunk deep into both those cunts' bodies. "Do you know what I did Alice" I look down to her, eyes slitted, dozing off.

Crouching down to her, I grip her face so tight in my hand I nearly crush it. "Alice, do you know what I fucking did to those whores?" Her head wobbles, eyes fluttering. "I fucking killed them. I stabbed my knife so far into their guts my hand was inside them. I slit that bitch's throat, before I straddled my girlfriend and made her beg me not to kill her." I shake her a bit, her eyes opening to me. "And then I fucking killed her too" I whisper close, my lips hovering over hers. "I stuck my knife in her over and over again she was barely alive when I slit that cunt's lying throat."

She's slipping away, I can feel it, her skin getting cold, breaths deeper and ragged. I can tell, she's barely holding on. "Just like I'm going to do to you, little bitch." Dragging her so she's laying flat on her back, I straddle her dying form, plunging my blade into her heart, her quieted screams ringing through my ears, such heavenly music. Removing the knife from her body I take one last look at my latest victim, reveling in her pain and torment.

"Pl...plea...ple...as" she struggles to get the single word out. Leaning over her, caressing her cheek with my blade, smearing the red all over her face I slide the knife in deep, slicing across her throat, waterfalls of blood staining her clothes. She tries to grab her throat, staunch the bleeding but only makes it halfway before her hands fall to the floor, motionless, a final gurgled breath let out before her heads leans to the side, dead. Her big gem-like eyes, faded, devoid of life and color, staring up into the abyss of nothingness.

Dabbing a finger into the blood coating my blade, I layer my lips with the deep red hue, kissing hers, painting them the same. Resting back on my heels, still straddling her body I feel a rush of relief wash over me. My bloodlust satiated, at least for now.

Chapter 8: 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘰𝘺

"Fuck it's cold" I admit to the dark, chilled air, my navy sweater no match for the winter wind whisking in. Holding myself close I check my new watch—the one with a brown leather band and a perfectly working mechanism on the inside—for the time. A little past one in the morning. Left that asshole professor blinded with a bloody nose, he never knew what hit him. I smile despite the frigid night zipping down my spine, the sensual memory of his blood running down his thirty something year old face filling my fucked-up mind once more. "Fucking bastard" I muttered as I made off with his timepiece, merely a trophy, the watch itself of no value to me. No one messes with what's mine and fucker unknowingly made that mistake.

Pacing back and forth along the side of the path I gaze up and down the dimly lit trail but find no sign of anyone; half the dorms being on the other side of campus leaving academics barren like a ghost town. Yet I remain hopeful that I'll come across her. But it's not just her I'm watching out for, though if I had my way with that dark haired beauty in that moment, the girl would've been nothing but a wobbly, dripping mess. No matter, this little tease game of hers only burns my raging bloodlust hotter. When I do get my hands on her—

"Damn it" a whispered female voice hisses into the night rudely interrupting my devious thought. Appears I'm not all alone out here. Smiling to myself, about to get up to no good, I follow the sound of the muttered curses, taking hurried deliberate steps, letting them echo along the path. "Shit, shit, shit" the voice curses in response, my pierced smile growing wider as I approach.

As I near a possible new slutty victim of my bloodlust I shove my hands in my pockets, reaching for the knife that feels like an extension of my strong, veiny muscled and extensively tattooed arm. Running the last couple of paces, eating up the distance between us in moments I come face to face with a small skinny little thing, dragging around what looks like a large tarp. "Need a hand" I offer, with a dark undertone of sex. The girl remains crouched, hands still gripping either side of the covering.

"No, fuck off" she spits into the night, her back facing me.

"Oh, come on now. Is that any way to treat a helping hand" I ask. Caressing the handle of my blade I feel cocky and at ease, approaching closer, standing over her huddled-in form. "Don't worry about paying me back, I'm sure we can think of something" my fingers play with the piercing as I stare down at the figure, trying to imagine all the ways I could leave her wet, helpless and screaming.

"You want me to show my gratitude" the girl taunts, slowly standing. Something feels familiar about her choice of words. Getting all up and personal with the sexy stranger, my hard muscles pressing into her back, I trail a hand down her arm, the hoodie's sleeve creating a barrier, but I can tell by her shivers she can feel my touch.

Turning around in my arms, ever so slowly, I lift her head, the hoodie falling back to reveal her face, even beneath the dim light of the lampposts I can recognize her. "Well, well. If it isn't my filthy little slut." She stands still as stone, just looking up at me, flitting her gaze equally between my eyes and my alluring piercing. "And here I thought you weren't coming tonight." I bite my lip hard, trying not to laugh at the double meaning I intended.

Her hand slides up my chest, hooking around my neck, pulling me closer her luscious lips at the shell of my pierced lobe. "I do still owe you my gratitude, don't I?" I let out a groan, her words poisonously sweet in my ear.

Gripping her harder, hands laying claim to my little victim I whisper, "then get on your knees and show me." Pulling back, she bites her own lip, trying to hide her overwhelming lust as she slowly drops to her knees. Smiling down sinisterly at the willing victim I begin to undo my khakis, pulling down the zipper. The only thing standing between us now are my boxers when she holds a knife to my barely covered cock. Well, this just got interesting.

"I will only say this once. Leave now and forget any of this ever happened or I'll saw your dick off and leave you a dickless bloody mess."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. I've always said the more blood the better baby" I tease.

"Don't fucking call me that!"

I laugh, feeling the edge of the blade sliding up real close and personal. "Do you even know how to handle that thing little Darkside?" She grips tighter on the red marble handle, pressing the edge closer, the tip worming its way in.

"I assure you; I do. So, if you want to stay a tripod, you'd do well to obey me and get fucking lost."

I quirk a cocky brow, staring down at her my lips curling into a devilish smile. "Tripod huh? How do you know, you haven't even seen it. Yet." The smirk grows as she tries to hide her smile.

"The outline makes it obvious" she mutters rolling her eyes. Just then, I take my chance and ripping the blade out of her hands tossing it to the side. Typical rookie. With the knife sitting too far for her to reach on her knees I tackle her down to the ground, laying on her body, my hands gripping her wrists on either side of her head.

"You shouldn't tease me with a good time if you have no intentions of following through little Darkside." I lean in, closing the gap between us, her lips brushing up against my piercing.

"Stop calling me that Stalker Boy" she hisses, but it seems to have the opposite effect.

"Oh, I like that. Say it again love." She grunts, trying to get me off of her, squirming beneath me, doing nothing but making me harder. "If you insist on grinding up against me little Darkside, at least have the courtesy to do it when we're both naked" I tantalizingly taunt.

She stops suddenly. "Why do you keep calling me that?" Figuring she's distracted me with the question she continues to wrestle in my grip, so I hold her tighter, pinning her body down further.

Leaning down closer, brushing my lips against hers I whisper, "because I can tell there's a darkness about you, one you don't want people to know about. Two sides to you and this one is mine. All mine." I press my lips to hers; she tries to pull back for a moment before capturing mine with hers, telling me what I already know, she wants this just as much as I do.

Breaking the kiss, she stares up at me, my grip lessening getting hypnotized by those dark brown eyes. "You don't even know me, Stalker Boy" she whispers the nickname once more before knocking her head into mine. I'm stunned for a moment, letting her left wrist free to hold my pounding head.

"Fuck" I shout out as she tugs out of my hold on her, rushing over to the object wrapped up. Shaking my head, stopping the double vision for a second, I pounce on her as she crouches near the tarp, dragging it into the brush along the side of the trail. "What are you hiding in there little Darkside" I growl, the pain subsiding only so much my head still relentlessly pounding.

"None of your fucking business" she whisper hisses, pulling it away, but not before I grab the edge and tug in my own direction. The sudden resistance has her falling on her side, the covering unrolling revealing a pale, clearly deceased hand to flop out. "It's not...she's...I'm" she tumbles over the words, unsure of how to explain it away.

For a millisecond I'm shocked but then I'm smiling. "So, you're my competition" I admit outright. She stops blubbering, flabbergasted at the statement.

"Wait, huh?" She stands, walking over to me, her knife still feet away from us both left forgotten on the trail.

"You're my competition. You're the one who's got me beat."

Still utterly confused, she steps closer, careful and cautious prey stepping up to predator. "What the fuck are you talking about? We've never met until today" she says excitedly motioning to both of us.

"True, but I've been keeping tabs on you little Darkside." Her brows raise. "Well, your kills." They fall. Her face stuck in a look of pure bewilderment.

"So let me get this straight" she says lowly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You've been keeping tabs on the people I've killed? Is that why you're here? You were trying to find me?" I shrug. "Guess, I was right in calling you Stalker Boy then" she pulls her gaze away muttering to herself.

I nod, "guess so."

Still gazing up at me with those big brown eyes, a brow arched confused she asks, "so, what now? I mean I'm not that keen on being found out but what did you plan to do once you met me?"

Shaking my head like it's so obvious, barely able to hold back my laughter, I stride right up to her, gripping her tiny, beautifully devious face in my hands. "Well, I had planned to kill you. Can't have someone out there killing potential victims of mine, now can I?" I twist her face in my hands, shifting in and out of the dim lighting of the moon and the lampposts, every angle exquisitely gorgeous. "But, now having met you, I like you way too much to get rid of you so cruelly. So, I guess I'll just beat you at your own game. After absolutely fucking your brains out of course."

Appalled, but clearly still turned on by such obscene promises I'm proposing she tugs out of my grip, putting more than a few feet of distance between us, arms crossed over her chest perking up her hidden tits just slightly. The body she must be hiding right now.

"Hey dickhead, stop eye-fucking me."

Not even attempting to hide my lust I step closer, forcing her back a step or two. "What, scared you might love it a little too much little slut?" Taking another step towards her, she rushes to keep distance between us, holing tight to herself visibly swallowing a gasped moan, for now.

"What? No! Can't you think without your dick for two seconds?"

"When you're involved love, not a fucking chance in Hell."

She shakes her head, one hand pushing against the right side of her face as she processes everything that just happened in that last few seconds. "For fucks sake, you were intending on killing me a couple of hours ago and now you want to fuck me. Make up your mind, do you like me or hate me?"

I can tell she's getting hot under that hoodie, her breaths coming rapidly, heart pounding trying to make up for the lost oxygen that I just stole with my words. She's breathless and confused and I'm loving every damn minute of it. "Can't it be both?" I ask as sensually as possible, still trying to close the distance, get those luscious lips of hers back on mine.

"No!" she nearly shouts, stepping back again. "You can't both like and hate someone at the same time, that makes no fucking sense!" Realizing how high and loud her voice has gotten over the course of the conversation she pulls back into herself lowering her voice to a barely heard whisper. "None of this does."

"Oh, come on love. I wasn't actually going to kill you." She side-eyes me silently calling me out. "Okay, maybe I was. But once I found out you were the one I had come here to find, I didn't want to get rid of you anymore." She bites her lip deep in overwhelming thought. "If anything" I say, lowering my voice, dark and sexy "now I just want to explore every inch of that body of yours. Give you my fingers, my tongue, my knife, my dick; tattoo you so fucking deep you'll end up killing yourself trying to rid your body of me." Somehow, I've managed to stand right next to her without her trying to put space between us.

Ever so slowly I slide my fingers up her arm, tugging the sleeve up, grazing my fingers along her delicate skin, prickled with gooseflesh from the chill and my presence. Yes, I'm that fucking cocky. "That's a lot to promise" she murmurs, staring off in the distance. "You sure, you'll be able to deliver?" Twisting to face me, she stares into my stormy gaze, slitted and heated, my uncontrollable lust plain to see.

"You won't be disappointed love, that's a promise" I lean down, whispering into her mouth as I lift her chin with a finger and bring our lips together. Only to pull back at feeling her body vibrate in my embrace. "Damn little Darkside, either you're really cold or you're really turned on."

"Huh" she asks, re-arching that right brow, before feeling in her large hoodie pocket. "Oh shit, I forgot to shut off her phone. Damn it!" She pulls away, pacing back and forth, the phone still ringing in her hand, a picture of a girl and a boy pressed up tightly together, clearly familiar with each other.

"And here I thought you were a professional" I admit disappointed, shaking my head, plucking the phone up and out of her hand.

"What are you—"

"Shh" I hold up a finger, silencing her as I answer it.

"Yo babeeeee, I gotch ur messaggge."

Drunk bastard. "I don't know who the Hell this is, but if I were you, I'd lose this number. She doesn't want to see you anymore; she's found someone better." With those harrowing final words, I hang up the phone, leaving a stunned looked on the asshole's face no doubt. Placing small communication device back into her tiny little paw I walk over to the semi-unrolled body. Slowly turning to where I stand prepared to crouch down, she stands there, frozen eyes open, double blinking doing a double take. "No need to thank me little Darkside, not like I just saved your ass or anything" I remark sorely.

Blinking away the shock, she looks from me to the body and back. "What are you doing with my body?"

I laugh. "This isn't your body anymore love. Now it's our body, seeing as you clearly need my help to do the tiniest of tasks" I roll my eyes.

"Fuck you asshole. I don't need your help. I've managed just fine before you and I'll be just as fine when you've fucked off too."

I crouch down, rolling the body back up. "Uh huh, sure. Tell me" I say standing back to my full height towering over her. "What would you have done if I wasn't here? Would you have continued to freak out to the point of getting caught or would you have just left, leaving all the evidence together, wrapped up in a nice little bow?" I tilt my head reexamining what she rolled her victim up in. "Or lilac sheets? You took her bedspread, so much to fucking teach you."

That seems to light a fire under her perfectly tight ass. Ignoring me and my belittling comments she walks right over to the nearly forgotten blade, covered in some dirt and dried blood from when she no doubt killed this bitch with it, rolling it around in her hands, getting comfy.

Rushing up to me, a move I see coming from a mile away, she pulls me in for a kiss, surprising but not ignored. Pressing my lips so tight to hers I almost forget she's armed when the knife gets jabbed into the left side of my thigh. I feel the blade slide in, staying rooted deep in the limb as I go down. "Well played little Darkside" I mutter through gritted teeth as I remain half kneeling on the earth with a knife sticking out of me.

Happily shrugging all nonchalantly, she leans over, tugs the blade free and goes to our body, finishing the wrapping job before dragging her dead ass away towards the back of the buildings. "Happy bleeding asshole, and stay out of my way" she hisses, dragging the corpse further and further. I apply pressure to the new wound as I watch her retreat, hoodie pulled back up, covering most of her face, blood red blade clasped in one hand as both tug and grip the bedsheets, dragging them along leaving a trail.

Shaking my head with a laugh at how all this played out, I carefully get to my feet, limping on the injured leg still holding my hand over the wound as I leave sporadic scuff marks next to and along her trail, hiding the direct hot line to her murder.

Stalker Boy – 3, Darkside – 1

Let the games begin.

Chapter 9: 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮

A Couple of Months Later...

"Stazie, Stazie" I hear a feminine voice call out into the campus library, urgent and insistent. It takes me longer than it should for me to recognize the girl is trying to reach me with the foreign name. I've been in this new identity for all of a span of a month and I still don't recognize when her god damn name is called. But I do remember her pleading with me as I dragged my knife nice and slow through her gorgeous throat. A cute little choker showing off the light skin, just begging to be mangled up. "Staz!" it says again, that's not my name I think to myself, swallowing the words into the pit of my stomach before they can cannon ball out in the open.

Slowly I glance to the figure making a beeline for my tiny little worker desk; stacks upon stacks of ungraded papers creating a barricade around me. This is what I get for choosing to kill a 4.0 GPA having student. Gotta keep up appearances or people start asking questions. But at the moment I can't decide which is worse, grading these complex exams or dealing with my best friend; the twenty-something wearing dark lashes, too much mascara and blacker than black lip gloss coming up to tell me something 'important'.

"Yes?" I question dragging my eyes away from the vexing figure standing before me, focus drawn to question twelve, oh cells how interesting.

"Please, tell me you read the article I sent you?" That annoyingly high-pitched whiny voice asks.

Placing the red pen between my teeth, making it seem like I'm actually busy I make a bullshit mark on the page before switching to a new exam. "Haven't gotten the chance. My phone's been tucked away in my bag all afternoon" I lie easily through my clearly glossed lips, swiping aside my single silver strand, the rest of my hair dark midnight black.

"Stazie" she whines, I all but roll my eyes at her just to get my point across. But I don't, remember appearances. "This is big, important, life-threatening news!" Placing her hands on her hips, looking all badass bitch, I spare a glance her way through hooded eyes.

"I've been busy" I mutter motioning to the papers. "I haven't been able to look at my phone, I'm sorry." Total. Fucking. Lie. I know exactly what article she's referring to, when she texted in all caps 'MURDERER ON THE LOOSE IN LOCAL TOWN'. Caught my attention right away, because the last fucking thing I need right now is competition.

"Well since you didn't bother to read it" she tries to toss out like a dig, it misses me by miles, "I'll tell you what it said. There's a fucking murderer on the loose! Anyone of us cute twenty-somethings could be next on their list."

"For fucks sake" I murmur to myself clenching my fists, stopping myself from slapping the bitch across the face. Love her but hate her and sometimes love to hate her. It's all part of my cover. "Spence, I'm sure it's fine. The tabloids are just tired of writing nothing of importance and made up this murderer story."

Arching a brow, unconvinced, she leans over the desk pulling something up on her green and black skull cased phone. "Then how do you explain this" she says slow and dramatic like, showing me her phone.

There, clear as day on the screen is a dead body, in a light blue sparkle dress, leaning up against a brick wall, headless.

I freeze for a minute, taking in every inch of the image, the way the blood spattered on her clothes, the half angled high heel shoe on her right foot and the missing left one. Her dark blue claw like manicure resting gently next to her, a clutch discarded in front of a dirty trash can to her left.

"Fake" I say before returning to the mundane task of grading papers I know absolutely nothing about.

"Fake" she asks, appalled by my accusation. "What's fake about a fucking dead girl?" She yells outraged, a few of the librarians taking notice, sending a stream of shhhhh her way.

"Oh, go shush yourself, old bat" she tosses over her shoulder as I zoom in on the image. Something seems both off and strangely familiar about it. Quickly zooming back out, she turns toward me, her eyes burning with fury. "Fucking bitch. Staz, I'm telling you; this is fucking real!"

Leaning back in my chair, arms crossed over my oversized grey hoodie I say, "how do you know?" Anyone who's murdered anyone knows the dos and don'ts as well as what's real and what's not. Or better yet, what looks real and doesn't. There's something about this that doesn't.

Throwing her hands up in the air, seeming on the brink of giving up she paces in front of the desk, thinking. "I just do. Come on, you have to trust me on this. Someone is murdering people and anyone of us could be next Staz. Me? You? Your roommate, anyone!"

"So, you said before. But you still haven't answered my question. How?"

Biting her lip, toying with the ruffles of her black furled skirt, ripped tights lining her legs that go on for days, ending at magenta doc martins giving her at least another two inches up on me than the three she has without them. "Okay" she relents, kneeling down in front of me, voice in a hushed whisper. "If I tell you, promise you won't tell a soul? I mean it, this stays between us" she points back and forth with her chewed up finger, "no one can ever know what I'm about to tell you."

Putting on my most believable best friend concerned face I can manage to muster up in three seconds I lean forward, holding her hands in my own, black manicure offsetting the hue of her olive skin, staring into her brown eyes. "You can tell me anything Spence."

A sad smile lifts her lips as she swallows, shutting her eyes tight and pained. "I watched it happen" she admits biting her lip a second time, the black lipstick staining her teeth.

"You what" I whisper yell, genuinely surprised gripping onto the desk for more support.

Opening her eyes, the hazel brown colour the most beautiful part about her, a single tear falls down her cheeks. "I watched it happen Staz. She was there, whimpering, begging and pleading and I just watched. I could have stopped them, but I was so afraid I just sat there fucking frozen."

Gripping her hands in my embrace again, forcing those tear-filled eyes upon me I say as concerned as I can pretend, "you could have been killed yourself. I'm just glad you're safe babe." Jumping out of my chair I circle around the desk and tug her in my embrace, hugging her as tight as I can, the scent of her cocoa buttered olive skin filling my nose. How I wish I could fuck her and then kill her, but then people would really start asking questions. Although I could probably still fuck her and be fine. Only time will tell on that one.

"Me too" she says through a sob wiping away fat tears. "God, I'm such a mess. I should go and get changed. You're coming over tonight, right?"

I pull away, arms holding her at a distance. "I'll try but I really have a lot of shit I have to do on top of all of this." I point back to the stack and half of papers I have no intention of touching.

"Please be safe babe. I don't what I'd do with myself if you got hurt." She holds her heart like she means it but something about her tone seems far from endearing.

"Don't worry, I always got something on me. Let these fuckers just try to fuck with me." I flash a smile; she mirrors the same blowing me an air kiss before making her way out the doors and tossing the middle finger to the leering librarian at the bigger desk.

Shaking my head I rush back into my seat and yank out my new burner phone, pulling up every article I can find, about decapitated heads.

"Doing a little light reading there little Darkside?" I freeze, my finger still tapped on the article, the page stuck beneath the tip. Oh, for fucks sake!