14. Damien

It's funny the kind of things you retain muscle memory from, like climbing trees as a child. I fucking remember and that's insane in itself because I haven't climbed a tree in nearly twenty years. And yet I sit behind a mass of leaves in a tree, watching the party go on in the house yards away from me. My next target is inside. He's probably drinking or in the middle of some slut sucking his cock. Either way, he has to come outside at some point.

It's Devil's Night, the night known for adolescents doing fucked up shit, but I have my own list of deeds for him.

Pulling the pack of smokes from my pocket, I lift one to my lips before flicking the lighter. The flame blazes and the end smokes as I drag in the cancerous fumes. I suck it deep into my lungs before blowing it out, feeling the calm settle over me.

There's a couple screwing a few trees away and the symphony of their pleasure reminds me of my girl and getting her off in the school bathroom. The way she screamed for me will live rent free in my brain for years to come.

The note I left for her was a test that I hope she passes. If she doesn't, I won't be able to finish the work I've started here. I've shown my dedication to her. Now, I need her to do the same by remaining silent. She is the only person in Chippewa Falls that knows what I look like. She is the only one the cops would need to take me down, but I won't be going back to jail. No, I'd go out in a blaze before I'd ever go back to that place. I won't let her be ripped from my arms again.

My cock swells and pulses against my zipper at the thought of how tight she was and how she came all over me. It was so hot seeing her lose control with me. Last night she was in control but today, she was a wild animal begging for what she wanted.

My pretty little dead girl loved being my little fuck toy.

The party starts to thin out as the night drags on and I look down at the watch on my wrist to see the second it hits midnight.

I fucking grin.

It's Halloween. Exactly fourteen years ago, I killed sixteen people and I'm leaving an identical blood trail in my path this time. I'm just spreading it out more. I'm older and smarter than I was back then.

I stare through the trees as my target walks out of the house with a busty redhead as a bunch of the party-goers leave the house.

The overly zealous couple dresses themselves before also leaving the party and, once there is no one near me, I jump from the tree and pull my mask in place. I use the trees to create a shadow around me as I make my way to the back door.

The only people left inside are his friends and they all deserve to die. This piece of shit openly talked about raping my girl and his friends did nothing. Nobody batted an eye at his disgusting behavior. I'll teach them a lesson that will scar them straight into the afterlife.

I slip through the back door. I slowly walk down the hall, looking into each room until I make it to the living room that looks into the kitchen where one of the guys from that car stands, probably making himself a sandwich, when his phone rings. He puts down the knife he was using and pulls out his phone before pressing a button on it.

"Isn't it way past your bedtime, Miss Sullivan?"

My entire body stiffens. Why the fuck is she calling him? He's one of the pieces of shit that said nothing.

"Talon, I've told you not to call me that."

"So sensitive," he teases.

"Where are you?"

"Um, I'm at Derek's stupid party. My dad made me come or, trust me, I wouldn't be here. The last thing I want is to be associated with this dipshit."

That gives me pause. Is he telling the truth or just saying that to calm her down?

"Your dad is an idiot. You shouldn't be forced to be friends with that asshole."

"I'm not friends with him. I play ball with him. There's a difference. I'm not friends with any of these guys. They're all just like him."

"I didn't get the chance to tell you earlier, but thank you for telling Alexis about what he had planned. It's nice to know I have some people watching my back."

My eyes widen behind my mask. My girl just took this guy off my list. The people in this house are supposed to die for not saying anything but this guy, this Talon, did exactly that.

"You don't need to thank me, Aurora. You're my friend and you're Lexie's friend. I'll always look out for you." He lifts up the sandwich he made and takes a big bite out of it.

"Thanks, but Alexis needs you, like now."

His eyebrows raise in surprise. "What's going on?"

"Did you hear about the dead body on Main Street?" she asks, her voice cautious.

"Yeah, everyone's been talking about it. It was something about someone chopping his dick off and shoving it down his throat. Brutal. Someone pissed the wrong guy off."

I almost laugh. I kind of like this guy and that's not easy because I don't like people, period.

My girl lets out an awkward laugh and I smirk. She'll never have a more perfect chance than this to tell someone that she knows who I am. Yet, she doesn't.

"Absolutely. Well, the body is Calvin."

He chokes on his sandwich before forcing the bit of bread and meat down his throat. "What?" he mumbles around the food and I watch him try to swallow again before clearing his throat. "You mean Lexie's cousin, Calvin?"

"Yup…and she saw him like that. She's been fucked up about it all day. Lisa was with her at home during school hours and my mom temporarily took me off my grounding to be here with Alexis. Lisa ditched to go screw her boyfriend because he's in town for the next few days. I need to get home and your parents are gone for the week. I just…you're the only one I could think to call."

So the pervy vendor is related to one of Trixie's friends. That's an unforeseen situation.

"What about her boyfriend?" He says it like the word makes him want to vomit.

"Come on, Tal. You know he's a front. She can't exactly go around telling everyone that she's screwing her stepbrother, can she? The whole town would lose their shit. It's better if everyone thinks she's invested in her college boyfriend across the country. You're the real deal."

"Try telling her that," he grumbles, irritated with the direction of the conversation.

"I know," Trixie sighs. "When you're done dealing with her bullshit, that's up to you, but if you're planning to still deal with it tomorrow, she needs you right now."

"I'll be there in two minutes." The poor guy seems really defeated. I get it. If I had the same issues with my girl, I don't know what I would do. It can be a hard situation to find yourself in.

Who gives a fuck if he's screwing his step-sister? It's their business alone. I'd still feel the same way if there was a blood relation. If they're two consenting adults, that's the only thing that matters.

It seems Talon and I have something in common, issues with our step-sisters. Mine raped and brutalized me. His pretends she doesn't want what they have. Different issues, but issues nonetheless.

Talon hangs up his phone, drops his sandwich in the trash, and walks out the front door.

It's a good thing he left. I don't want one of the few spared to witness this. Then, I'd have no choice but to kill him.

I check to make sure the knife is still in my pocket. I have a weapon for the majority of my targets in this house but the needle is for Derek Fuller. I have something special in mind for him.

I stalk through the house slowly, drawing the knife. I stand in the hall outside of a room where I hear commotion inside.

"Get the camera, man!" one of the guy's says with excitement dripping from his tone.

"We have to get this on film."

Then, a woman's voice screams from inside. "Please, don't do this! Harry, make this stop!"

"He's not going to do shit, Priscilla. Shut up before I tape your mouth shut. This is going to make us a lot of money on the dark web."

My eyes narrow behind the mask. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what is happening inside that room. They probably have the woman restrained and are about to rape her on camera.

That's one thing that has always pissed me the fuck off. Rape. It doesn't matter who it is against—men, women, children, rape is rape. I've been through it.

There is never a fucking reason to rape anybody.

Without a second thought, I slam my boot into the door and the lock disengages, the door swinging open to slam against the wall. Three men stand around the room as the girl is tied to the bed completely naked, tears streaming down her gorgeous face. She's fucking petrified and can't be older than fourteen. Even that's pushing it. She's a fucking kid.

One guy is between her legs with his pants around his knees but no penetration has happened.

"Private party, dumbass!" The one holding the camera says before turning it to flash at me but I can't be seen behind my mask.

I take a step inside the door.

"Get out," another one moves toward me and eyes my knife warily.

Good. All four are here. No one else is on the property except Derek but he's dealing with his whore.

I tilt my head as the girl cries. "Please, help me!" Her auburn curls fan around her face as her lip trembles.

"Shut up, you stupid bitch!" The one on top of her slaps her and her skull ricocheted off the mattress with a loud smack and my eyes narrow.

The one closest to me steps forward again and I slam my knife into his stomach, purposefully to make sure it"s as painful and paralyzing as possible. He screams and all the others jump in fear as the girl continues to cry.

Their friend drops to the floor, gasping as if he can't believe I actually stabbed him.

"Holy shit," one of them says before looking between me and his fallen friend who spits up a bit of blood, rasping with each breath he takes. "You're him, aren't you? Damien."

At this point, it's become a running joke. Since I left that scene on Main Street, the cops can't hide the fact that I'm back in town and the entire place has been in a panic ever since. Every person they see that they don't recognize off the bat instantly makes them scared. The funny thing is I'm not one of those people. I was here before the panic started and people already noticed me before that. The weird, quiet guy. They don't see me as a threat at all. The only one who has been suspicious of me at all is Lieutenant Sullivan. However, he didn't say that to my face. He only said that to Trixie. It"s surprising that he didn't recognize me the way my girl did.

I wave my free arm into my chest like a half-ass curtsy. It's enough of a confirmation for two of the pedophiliac, rapist pigs to charge me while the other cries in a ball, hiding on the other side of the bed like he could use the girl as a shield.

With a single swing of my blade, I slice open both of their necks without even breaking a sweat. They stagger back clutching at the cuts as blood sprays from the artery between their fingers. They gag and cough before dropping to their knees.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." The one remaining piece of shit repeats that sentiment over and over until he should be blue in the face. His face is the exact opposite color.

I step over his fallen comrades as he blubbers on like an idiot and I walk around the bed, where the girl still shakes and cries. I stop in my tracks when I see the implant behind her ear.

She was talking but plenty of deaf people can speak. Not only is she a little kid but she's a disabled one at that. There's nothing wrong with being deaf, but it tends to give a disadvantage to defending oneself. How can you protect yourself if you can't hear the danger coming?

These idiots are even bigger pieces of shit than I originally thought.

I let out a soft whistle and the tone of it must be enough for her implant to pick up because she turns her head to face me, more tears falling down her face.

Back in the psychiatric hospital, I was put in a class to teach the deaf to learn sign language. Even though I wasn't deaf, they wanted to give me an alternative way of communicating. I never participated but that didn't mean I wasn't paying attention.

I send her a message in sign language.

Close your eyes. I'll tell you when you can open them.

She was smart when I killed the others. She had her eyes closed for each kill.

She gazes at me hesitantly before she slams her eyes and snaps her head around so her hair shields her face. Even if she wanted to look, she couldn't.

Good girl.

Without another moment to give him to decide on his escape, I grab a handful of his hair and yank him to his feet before I slam the knife into his neck. His eyes bug out in pain and horror as his mouth flops open and closed like a fish before I rip out the blade before stabbing him through the eye, twisting the knife in his socket. His body falls slack quickly but that was the point.

That was the one who was actively trying to rape this girl. The point was to show that a few seconds can change the way you look at the world forever. The seconds drown on forever and you have no concept of time when you're a victim of such a horrible crime, like being sexually assaulted. That's why Satanists believe rape is the worst crime one can commit, worse than murder. It can destroy one's soul. It did that to mine.

I drop his body before I turn to the girl.

I have no clue what I'm going to do with her because there is one line I won't cross. I don't kill kids.