Masks

Chapter 8- Fear

Tara held her breath and she felt the audience do the same. Her friends were constantly glancing at each other, throwing looks of fear, confusion and curiosity. The mayor licked his dry lips and started reading the letter in his hands.

"Dear Mayor,

Let me get straight to the point. I'm the killer you have been looking for. Truthfully, I'm having a lot of fun here. Although, I wish this race gets over fast. Either I complete my motive or you catch me before I do. Judging the way your investigation is progressing right now, I have no doubt that I will complete my mission sooner than you'd catch me. Did you know that this killing spree started because of a mere accident? A twisted turn of fate? But it seems like I enjoy watching them squirm and scream before I kill them. 

You are lucky. Very lucky. Your daughter was to become my third victim. The only reason I couldn't slit her throat while enjoying my kill was because the body of my previous victim was found earlier than anticipated. So you see, I had to flee.

But these letters aren't for you. They are for the whole town. This is what you have to do- call a town meeting at the town hall on the next Monday evening. You will read all the letters I have sent in front of the citizens of Hale, including this one. In case you fail to do so, I will see to it that your daughter does not live to see another day beyond Monday.

Thank you for your cooperation."

Tara felt her hand involuntarily reaching for her neck in shock. The killer had spoken. The hall was silent for a fraction of a second before chaos and whispers erupted. Tara looked frantically at Em. 

"What in the world just happened?" Tara gasped.

"Wait...weren't we sure that we were dealing with two killers?" Em asked, confused.

"Maybe the killer has a minion?" Tara asked more than said. Em nodded, absent- minded.

"Please! Fellow citizens! Let me finish," the mayor said loudly. The audience stilled once more. The mayor opened the second letter.

"Dear Citizens of Hale,

Yes, we know each other. I reckon that you must've at least figured this out by now, if not anything else. I have wanted to speak with all of  you for a long time now. Let me tell you why I wrote these letters. It is to instill fear within you. It is for my entertainment. But most of all, it is because people never do what they are told."

Entertainment? 

Tara felt tears pricking her eyes as she realized what the killer had meant. This was a game. Killing these girls was a mere game for the killer. But what had the killer meant by people not doing what they're told?

"You all are miserable wrenches. Doing nothing, fighting for nothing and nobody, going on living your own lives like nothing is going on. Well, let me tell you something- I won't let you. I have people, clinging onto every word I say, obeying me. Of course, most of you may not even understand what I'm saying, but the intended do. The intended know that snitches...get stitches."

"What the hell?" Tara exclaimed softly. Em shrugged, her eyes still on the mayor.

"I want you to know exactly what you're dealing with- whom you're dealing with. You're dealing with a powerful, smart person who can kill without blinking. Who listens to screams for music. Who slits throats for punishments. I'm going to give you a demonstration of the ruthless identity you are dealing with right now. I am going to describe how I killed Rye Haven."

The crowd gasped and Tara felt her hands shaking. What was the point of this? Why did the killer want to describe the murder? Why would the killer want to inflict that kind of pain upon the parents of Rye Haven who sat in this very hall?