The Copycat Killer

Prologue

The need burned deep within him. It was what was driving him on this stormy night. He had to kill. There was no ignoring it this time. He had been doing that for far too long now and it was weighing him down.

                Tonight was the night. He had been stalking her for weeks now. Getting her schedule down and making sure she was the prime victim. Following her to work and the community college where she attended classes. Researching her past. Making sure she lived alone and had no pets.  He had no room for mess ups. He had to make sure everything was perfect.

                He was waiting in the little black Camry parked down the dark ally near her home with all the car lights off. A stolen car.  Any minute now and she would drive her Malibu down the road the front of the car was facing and pull into the driveway.

                Sweat dribbled down the side of his face. He was anxious and ready. This was the part he hated worst of all. Waiting. The need was bubbling up inside of him and it was hard to sit still. One more minute.. 4- 3- 2- 1.. and all of a sudden there she was. She looked so beautiful with her face hard in concentration that he had to catch his breath.

                Now was the time he was waiting for. He slowly put his car in drive and crawled toward her house. He watched as she got out and locked her car. She walked to the front door. Red. What a promising color. He liked the color red. It reminded him of that sickly sweet smell he loved so much; the splatter on the walls he worked so hard to create. Soon she would smell just as nice. The red liquid turning darker as it stained her perfect blonde hair.

                “Stay calm,” he whispered to himself as he pulled onto the side of the road and turned off the car.  He pulled his hood up as he got out of the driver’s side door and carefully, quietly, shut the door behind him. He walked behind the car and opened the trunk taking out a small black bag. His tools.

                He watched quietly as the lights in the house turned on. He imagined her dropping her purse and jacket at the door and making her way to the kitchen. He could almost smell the hot chocolate as he imagined her pouring the cocoa into the warm milk and mixing it together. It was her nightly ritual after classes. Something he learned by watching her every night.  He knew that she was about to walk back to the living room and lock up, turning the lights off as she left.

                She was afraid of the dark he knew. He thought about the irony as he watched the lights go out and an upstairs light turn on.  Waiting patiently he imagined her walking to the bathroom and taking a shower. What a perfect little body. The water running down her hair. Her breasts perfectly round as she massaged the soap onto her perfectly toned stomach and down her incredible legs.

                “Don’t get ahead of yourself. She will be yours. In due time. In due time.”  Again he calmed himself.

                Suddenly he looked up into the night and noticed the lights all turn out and he knew that it was time. Time to quiet the driving need inside of him. Time to kill.