the killer's obsession | the whistling man

Murder County

You jumped awake in the passenger side of the car, your heart racing in your chest as you tried focusing on the speeding by view passing by the window outside.

Still strapped in the car beside Henry, who had been driving, you look over at the man who was already looking at you.

"You okay?" His voice was soft, like he already knew the answer but he wanted you to know he was there.

You nodded, shifting to sit up more as you covered your eyes with your hand.

"How long have we been driving?" You ask, not meeting his gaze again making him slightly frown as he faced forward again.

He was so worried about you, but he'd never tell you to your face.

"About three hours. I can keep going if you want to keep sleeping." He says but you shook your head.

"Next gas station we can switch, i just need a coffee or soda or something..." You sighed, propping your thigh on the door as you looked out the window again.

Henry was a mere second away from reaching over to reassuringly rub your other leg but he hesitated, putting his free hand in his lap as he steered with the other and sat back in his seat.

When you guys reached the gas station, you got out, shutting the door behind you as you made your way inside with your bag.

Once inside, you passed the line of people at the counter to grab a basket for your stuff.

But completely catching you off guard, Henry walked in behind you.

"What the hell are you doing?" You ask quietly as to not alert the other customers as you pulled him behind a taller shelf.

"Making sure you're safe, is there a problem, princess?" He leaned down to meet your eyes making you huff as you looked away.

"You. Cannot. Be. Seen." You hissed, grabbing a nearby sun hat to put over his head.

It was an comedically large one too.

"No one knows I exist anyway," He told you, tilting the hat up so he could see you as you began filling your basket with what you could afford.

"If you can show your face, you can work just like I have to." With only about twenty bucks or so left in your pocket, you sigh, putting back a bag of candy you'd been craving.

"I've told you, it's hard. No one replies to me because I'm twenty-one and have no experience." Henry crossed his arms.

"It's only a matter of time before someone says yes. Just wait for it." You told him before you walked up to the now empty front counter.

As you unloaded your items, the cashier was eyeballing you and Henry took immediate notice of this, stiffening as he looked at a display out of the employee's view.

"Hey, aren't you that..." They began to ask but upon receiving a worried look from you they cut themselves off. "Sorry, I thought you looked like an old classmate."

He chuckles and you relax, glancing over at Henry who had his hands in tight fists at his sides.

"No worries, it happens. Busy day?" You ask with a smile once you emptied your basket and set it back in the stack by the door.

"Yeah, a lot of folks come through here on the weekends. Since it's right off the highway and all." Henry didn't like the vibes this guy was giving off. You could sense it despite the distance between you two. "You going anywhere in particular?"

"Van life. You know how it is." You shrugged, looking down as he put your things in a brown paper bag. "I'm set off to explore the world."

"Sounds lonely." The smirk that came on his lips for a split second was enough to set Henry off for real. "Mind if I tag—"

"They're good." Henry stated calmly, stepping up and wrapping an arm around your shoulders snuggly as he looked right through the cashier's soul.

You could feel Henry's unease through his grip and frowned to yourself before sending a nervous smile the employee's way as you slipped him the rest of your money.

"Sorry, have a good one though." You tell him, grabbing the bag and walking out with Henry still latched to you like a dog.

(walk him like a dog sis, walk him like a dog 🐶)

Once putting the bag into the car, you put your hand on your hip as you look up at Henry.

"What was that?" You ask as he looked at you obliviously before shrugging his shoulders, his hands in the pockets of the red jacket he was wearing.

"What was what? We're wanted to the state, we need to keep a low profile." He walked past you to get in and hold the groceries while tossing you the keys.

You smirk, turning to him as you leaned against the car door.

"I dunno man... it seems like you were kind of... oh, what's the word..? Jealous?" Once the word left your mouth you saw him visibly stiffen.

"I—I wasn't." He denied.

"Hmm... So you wouldn't mind if I ran back in there real quick to ask for his number? Right now?" You teased making him look at you as if you were the insane one in this relationship.

"You're not serious, right?" He asks before you begin to walk off.

But it wasn't even a second before he leaped out, his strong hand grabbing ahold of your arm and stopping you in your tracks as you looked back at him smugly.

"Please just... get in the car." He looked at the pavement as he said this making you chuckle.

"Good boy~" You scratched under his chin making his cheeks immediately warm up, being dusted with a pink blush as the blood rushed to both his heads. (I'm so sorry)

As he was stunned by your last move, you shut the door before walking around to get in the car.

But before you could hop in, you notice a lone car sitting in the parking lot facing your ride.

You look around for anyone else facing a bare parking lot.

But getting in and shutting your door upon not seeing anyone, you start the vehicle and drive off.

Peggy was the one in the mysterious car, her eye and still healing would wrapped poorly with bandages.

But tightening them in the rear view mirror, she gets out, walking up to the gas station.

The cashier was about to greet her when she pulled out a gun to aim it at him.

He flinched, throwing his arms up.

"Where are they heading?" She cuts right to the point as he whimpered.

"They—They told me they live in their ride. That they didn't have anywhere to go specifically." He informed her before she aimed at his legs and took out both his knees causing the college student to fall to the ground, screaming in agony.

Peggy jumped over the counter, opening the register to grab some cash as the cashier cried from the pain.

He tried crawling away, leaving a grotesque trail of blood behind him as Peggy watches sadistically.

Then pulling out a switchblade she had found, she walked up behind him, grabbing him by his curly brown hair and yanking his head up before slitting his throat, playfully slow.

Hearing his scream give out as she cut through his vocal cord filled her with a bloodlust she never knew she could possess.

Standing and looking down at her work, she tilted her head before letting out a single chuckle.

Then she left the store, taking off down the road after you.