The Revenge Killer

Willow Hills

~7 years later~

Ark! Ark! Ark!

Ugh! I don't want to get up!

"Tara! Wake up!" my mom yelled. I moaned and sat up. I opened the curtains. Sun will wake me up. Ugh, Sun! I moaned. Look on the bright side school ends in a month. But that's a month. UGHH! I can't win. I got dressed and brushed my teeth. I grabbed my bag and went downstairs to get some breakfast.

"As many of you know today marks the 10th anniversary of the Revenge Killer's killings and that the teacher that had done the killing is going to be put to death by the electric chair at 4 pm today. Many people have put up memorials around the places victims' bodies were found and around the graves that these victims now rest. Many of the Revenge Killers victims' were between ages 15-50. Between students, parents, and officers he killed 15 people before being caught." the news reporter said.

Oh my gosh, how could I forget what today is? Maybe I can get out of going to school?

"Hello honey," my mom said. I saw she was cooking my favorite breakfast foods. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, toast with a sunny-side-up egg, and bacon.

"What's the special occasion?"  I asked sitting at the table. She only looked at me and started making me a plate. I raised an eyebrow, why hasn't she mentioned it's been 10 years? The execution? Did something else happen? Did the Revenge Killer escape? Did he get out of the execution? What is happening?

She sat my plate down with a cup of orange juice.

"Mom please stop trying to distract me with delicious food. What happened?" I asked. I was a bit irritated she felt the need to put food in front of me first. She looked at me and sighed. She threw the towel, she was using to wipe her hands, on the table. She sighed and sat down.

"Mom please just blurt it out," I said. She nodded and patted my hand.

"It's your aunt. She died this morning," she said. I was in shock. She kept talking but I wasn't listening. My aunt was dead. The Revenge Killer has killed my aunt. He shot her when they were trying to arrest him and she went into a coma from the bullet and now she's dead.

"And if you need time from school today-" my mom said but I cut her off.

"Weren't you with her last night?" I asked. She nodded and looked away. I realized she died last night and my mom didn't tell me. I looked at my mom in disbelief. I talked to her last night and she seemed fine. She only looked tired and went to bed. She could've told me last night but she didn't.

I grabbed my plate and went to go to my room.

"Tara, I'm sorry. I know I should've told you. I just- I just didn't know how or when. A lot is already happening today. I didn't know how to tell you." she said.

"No mother. I am almost 18. I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm not scared anymore." I said. I went to my room and closed the door. I turned on some music but softly. I sat my plate on my desk and started writing in my journal while eating.

Dear Journal,

So my aunt died today. My mom didn't tell me as soon as she knew and I don't know if I'm mad at her or the Revenge Killer for keeping my aunt from me.

I should get ready for school.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As I walk into school. I am greeted by many, many, many eyes starring at me. It's a known fact that I have always missed this day for the past 7 years so to see me at school some people are probably very confused. I really shouldn't have come to school. I'm already ready to leave. I went to my locker to put my books away. I wasn't planning on coming to school so I had all my school books in my backpack. I felt the sweet relief of the weight off my shoulder, well the weight of my backpack that is. 

I still can't believe my aunt is gone. Like officially gone.

I saw Ms. Clair walk down the hall. Everyone calls her Mrs. Clair but not to her face (Recognize the name?). She was married to the teacher that killed my aunt. I realized I was kind of staring at her. She made eye contact with me and started to take a step to walk to me but I turned away. I didn't want her to come over here. Not after what happened. Not right now. I have only ever had one conversation with her and I want to keep it that way. It seems most of the town forgot about her being married to the serial killer, but I didn't.

"Tara?" I heard. I looked up and saw Tyler.

"Oh hey," I said. Putting away the last of my stuff.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Um, It's kind of a long story. I just needed to not be at my house" I said, closing my locker.

"Your house? Why didn't you go see your aunt?" he asked. I looked up at him and gave him a sad look. He gasped and hugged me. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry for your lost" he whispered. I enjoyed the hug and realized people will be staring at us if this goes on any longer.

"Ok, Ok please stop," I said pulling away, "I don't want people to start staring and then they start asking me questions." He shrugged and nodded.

"So wanna ditch?" he asked. I smirked and nodded. "Oh good! Cause I was hoping you would," he said. He grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the school. We got in his pickup truck and left the parking lot.

After driving in silence for a bit Tyler finally said something. "So how did it happen?" he asked. I looked at him for a bit thinking about how it happened. He looked at me, then back at the road then back at me. He looked confused but so was I. I realized I don't know how she died.

"I-I don't know," I said. I dropped my head down slowly as reality set in.

"Hey, I get that your sad but you can't be sad around me," Tyler said, "I'm the fun guy!" I giggled. "You don't think so?" he said. I just looked at him then back at the road. I can see him smirking and nodding his head in my peripheral. He turned the car around super fast and we started the leave town. "Where are we going?" I asked. "Crazy," he said. I was so confused as to where he was taking me. He grabbed my hand and kept driving.

Tyler. He is a really good friend I don't want to call him my best friend because that would be friend-zoning him. We started talking to each other with the intention to be in a relationship but we just haven't gotten around to asking one or the other. I don't know why I don't ask. It's not that I'm scared to make the first move I just don't know if I really want a bf at this point in high school.

We keep driving till I see the dusty old sign on the side of the road.

"Now leaving Willow Hills... Please visit us again very soon!" It has a picture of the woods in town and the H in 'Hills' is crossed out with a K in its place so it says, Willow Kills. Willow Hills was a very quiet and vibrant town. People from nearby towns would come to Willow Hills to enjoy a night out. We use to have a drive-in movie theater, a lot of restaurants, a pub, a skating rink, bowling, and more. Now we have a few restaurants, a movie theater that looks like it hasn't been renovated since the 80', and a skating rink. We also have a diner that is claimed to be "60s themed" but in reality, the restaurant hasn't been renovated since the 60s. 

Tyler raised my hand and kissed it snapping me out of my train of thought.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Nothing just zoned out. I'm ready to crush you at bowling," I said trying to change the subject. He snickered.

"If you say so," he said.

I smiled and watched as we left Willow Hills.