One Short Story A Day

July 20, 2024

Prompt: Your roommate is a serial killer on the news. However, he's one of the nicest people you know. He's respectful and discreet and has morals in his deeds. Neither of you bring it up until one day he says, I'm bored. Got anyone in mind for me to.... You know?"

It had been a week since the news broke out. The headline was shocking and surreal - "Local Serial Killer Strikes Again, Roommate of Suspect Interviewed." I couldn't believe my eyes as I read the article detailing the gruesome murders that my roommate, Nathan, had been accused of.

Nathan had always been the perfect roommate. He was quiet, clean, and respectful. He never brought any suspicious people over, never had any strange habits, and always paid his rent on time. He was the kind of guy you could rely on, the kind of guy who would help you move your furniture without complaining and who would listen to you vent about your day without interrupting.

But now, everything has changed. The police had raided our apartment, searching for evidence linking Nathan to the murders. They found nothing - no weapons, no bloodstains, nothing to connect him to the crimes. But the news had already spread like wildfire, and now everyone looked at Nathan with suspicion and fear.

I didn't know what to believe. Could my roommate, the sweet and kind-hearted Nathan, really be a serial killer? I tried to push the thought out of my mind, to focus on the Nathan I knew, not the one being portrayed in the media.

Days turned into weeks, and life slowly began to return to normal. Nathan continued to be his usual self, going to work, coming home, and keeping to himself. We never talked about the accusations, never addressed the elephant in the room. But one day, as I was making dinner in the kitchen, Nathan spoke up.

"I'm bored," he said, his tone casual and nonchalant. "Got anyone in mind for me to... you know?"

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. Was he suggesting what I thought he was suggesting? I turned to look at him, and saw a glint of something dark in his eyes. It was a look I had never seen before, a look that sent shivers down my spine.

"Nathan, what are you talking about?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

He shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "Just thinking it might be time for a change of pace. A new project, if you will."

I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead. This couldn't be happening. My roommate, the serial killer? It was impossible, unthinkable. But the look in Nathan's eyes told a different story.

I gathered my courage and confronted him. "Nathan, you can't be serious. You can't... you can't be thinking of... of killing someone."

His smile widened, revealing a row of perfectly white teeth. "Why not?" he replied, his voice calm and composed. "It's not like they'll be missed. No one would even know they were gone."

I shook my head, unable to process what was happening. How could this be real? How could the man I had lived with for years, the man I had shared countless meals and conversations with, be capable of such horror? But as I looked into Nathan's eyes, as I saw the darkness lurking behind his facade of normalcy, I knew. He was telling the truth. I stood up, my hands shaking with fear and disbelief. "I can't do this, Nathan. I can't be a part of this. I won't let you..." Before I could finish my sentence, Nathan lunged at me, his hands wrapping around my throat with a strength I had never known he possessed. I struggled, gasping for air, kicking and punching in a desperate attempt to break free.

But it was no use. Nathan was too strong, too determined. As the darkness closed in around me, as my vision began to blur and fade, I realized the truth. My roommate was a serial killer. And now, he was coming for me. The next morning, the news would report another body found in our apartment. Another victim of the notorious serial killer, Nathan. And I would be just another name on his growing list of conquests.