The Chesapeake Ripper and The Baltimore Ripper

Nobody

——— Martin ———

"Stop!" I shouted at Martin who had his head in his shaking hands. He was fuelled with rage, simply because I wanted to leave for college.
"You- You can't go" Martin said to me sternly, as he looked up at me and stared me in the eyes. He looked angry, rather than sad.
"I don't want to end up... here. I want to help people" I confessed to him, standing my place. He scoffed and wiped at his stubble.
"That's ironic for you" he chuckled. "What you gonna do? Fix the human mind? Listen here little girl" he stood up and marched over to me, towering over me. This isn't the first time he's gotten angry at me like this before. He loves me like a daughter, but he if he loved me so much, he'd want me to leave for a better life than his. Killing people for some pocket money.
"You belong here, with me" he pleaded to me.
"I always wanted to become a doctor, my mother always said to me-" I smiled thinking about my beautiful mother but Martin shouted at me, snapping me out of my sweet memories.
"She is dead! She's just bones now!" He shouted at me. My jaw slightly dropped and I felt my legs Shake.
"If you stay here, I can protect you from that fate" he whispered to me.
"I would rather be bones than be here any longer!" I shouted back. Suddenly, he raised his hand and went to slap me but quickly stopped himself. I gasped and took a few steps back, seeing him March a few feet away from me and slap himself in the head a few times, taking in deep breaths. I backed up beside the fire place and clung onto the rocks hanging out of it. I sunk into the wall and slowly sat on the floor. Martin has never raised his hand at me like that.
"I want to protect you, can't you see that?" He asked me, turning to face me again but stayed in his place. He waited for my response but I had nothing to give him, I just stayed close the wall where I felt safest. Martin's eyes saddened seeing me like this.
"Grace, I'm sorry" Martin held his arms out to me and stepped close to me but I let out a shriek and pushed myself further into the wall.

——— Grace's home ———

I opened my eyes and heard the birds chirp outside and felt Hannibal's hand on my hip and his husky breath landing on my neck. I turned around slowly to see Hannibal still in bed with me, in a deep sleep. I reached my hand out to his ear and clicked my fingers to check if he was in a deep sleep, but his eyes flickered open.
"Good morning" he smiled to me, sounding a little tired still.
"Morning" I said back to him and got out of bed. I approached my dresser and pulled out a pair of shorts and a shirt.
"It's strange to think that's the last night I'll be sleeping in that bed" I smiled to myself, turning around to face Hannibal as I got into my clothes. I saw he was sat up, covering his lower half with the duvet.
"Very strange" he responded to me. Once I was changed, I picked up his trousers off the floor and tossed them over to him, which he caught mid-air.
"I have a session with mr. Verger, that ends at 1 o'clock. I would like for you to arrive then, to help me prepare dinner" Hannibal informed me. I adjusted my brunette hair and nodded to him, waiting him to finish changing.
"Alright" I agreed. Hannibal stood up and approached me, then he slowly reached his hand out to me and moved some hair from my face. I watched him stare at my scarred eyebrow and then he slowly looked down and raised my arm and traced his finger on an old scar I have than ran down my hand, it was old and faint however.
"May I ask about this ones story?" He asked me, staring at my scar. I didn't mind Hannibal asking and feeling my scars, Martin taught me to embrace them.
"Cut my hand up trying to free myself" I admitted to him.
"Freeing yourself from what?" Hannibal pondered.
"From the pillar Grutas tied me to" I whispered. Hannibal caught my eyes again and let go of my hand, letting it fall to my side.
"I'm sorry..." Hannibal responded to me. I calmly shook my head and gave him a faint smile.
"I see it everyday, you didn't refresh my memories. I do it to myself" I promised him.

——— 3 hours later ———

I sat on my couch, scrolling through my phone and often checking the time. Hannibal left a few hours prior to his session with Mason, to prep. It was only 12:30 so I decided to get a head start. I jumped off the couch and I grabbed my helmet on the coffee table in front of me. I zipped up my jacket and put my helmet on then I headed to my front door, grabbing my keys.