Purely Criminal

Chapter | 2

   Austin stared, void of emotion, at the dripping body in front of him. 14 stab wounds, and a large bruise around the neck. Blood trickled down the side of the victim's head, the short hair clumping. A small hole was apparent in the wall, exactly above where the body was crumpled to the floor. A murder much like this could really only be committed by someone willing to give up their sanity.

   The blonde man knelt down beside the body, grimacing at the mangled victim's disgusting features. He was very obviously an unattractive man, so Austin felt as if he had done the bleeding body a favor in disposing of the life that sheltered within it. Any woman might have fled at the mere sight of this man, even before his body was tarnished and destroyed to pieces. Austin himself had nearly ran when he had spotted this poor fellow.

   Austin was not your average young man, if it was undecipherable by damaged, lifeless body before him. He was not attracted to women, he was a serial killer, and he was not in the right state of mind. The most average thing about him was his job, just a humble barista at a small coffee shop.

   His sparkling, ocean blue orbs shifted towards the exit. He should make his escape, exit the building, and return home to clean himself off. Yet he couldn't bring himself to do it.

   "Tonight is too beautiful." He murmured, opening the blinds and staring up into the bright, full moon. Stunning, bright light filled the room, illuminating the torn body on the floorboards. Austin turned back towards the body, slowly unlatching his bag and pulling out bright red lipstick. He smeared some of his glove, as if to make sure it were working, before kneeling down beside the dead man. He drew a small, carefully practiced heart beside the man's head, careful not to smear it as he observed it's beauty.

   Austin drew in a shuddering breath as he stood, pulling up his bloodied knife with him. Unfortunately, he had gone a little too wild with his weapon of choice, getting the strange, yet magnificent red liquid all over him. He slowly tucked the knife and lipstick into his bag, before latching it shut. After checking that his bag was secure, he returned to looking at the exit. If he were to leave, he knew he could never come back.

   After taking a brief double-check of the room, Austin opened the door, already aware he was leaving bloodied stains. They couldn't link him to the murder, as it wasn't his blood, but his victim's. Sure, they might find that he had went out the front door, but Austin didn't feel like jumping out of any windows tonight.

   Carefully, Austin tip-toed his way across the lawn, hoping he wouldn't be spotted. Despite his worries, he knew that he wouldn't be seen. He was in dark clothing, and he was hidden under the shade of the trees. As soon as he got to the road, he began his slow, joyful walk home. He slipped his hands into his pockets, uncaring about the blood and lipstick that were likely staining the inside of his pants.

   Austin never seemed to carry many emotions after killing somebody, but during the murder, he was a wild mess. The most common things he felt were malice, hate, confusion, and delight. So many emotions swarm his mind and body all at once, fueling his hands to commit to his malicious actions. Austin shuddered at just the thought of the pleasure of murdering. The act of taking someone else's life, all of the power you hold in your very own hands. It's so intense, it drives Austin to continue.

   After a few twists and turns, Austin ended up in the front of his residence. He fumbled with his keys, before finding the correct one, pushing it into the keyhole. After stepping inside and taking off his shoes, he slumped against the wall with a sigh of relief. He looked down at his hands, a smirk tugging his features at the sight of the blood drenching the glove's fabric. Austin then glanced down at the rest of his apparel, soon realizing that he was nearly completely covered in blood. His clothes stuck to his body, and he smiled strongly of copper and iron.

   Austin gleefully bounced to the bathroom, stripping himself of his clothes slowly and cautiously, letting his shirt hang from his fingers for a moment as he inspected it. A slow, dark red drop fell from the edge of the fabric, splattering onto the white tile. It sent shivers down Austin's spine. After he had his fun, he slowly, and gracefully stepped into the shower. He turned on the water, not even flinching as the cold dampness fell onto his back. It gradually became warmer, but the blonde man was more focused on the diluted, red water drained away.

   He finally shifted head upwards, letting the water cleanse off any dirt or blood left on his face and chest. Austin was not a short man, standing at 5 feet, 11 inches. He had dirty blonde hair, with bangs that were never really combed through. It was usually wild, unruly, fitting to his personality. He was definitely a good-looking young man, at the young age of 24. He never quite seemed to be attracted to women, despite them being rather attracted to him. They were often magnetized to him by his burning blue eyes, ones that could either stare right through you, or seem to freeze you to the floor. He was rather slim, and agile. He relied on speed, more than strength, but if he found the need to, he could send you flying across the room.

   After finally cleaning off the red liquid, and any grime left on his body, Austin exited the shower. It felt good to be clean, despite how it also felt good to be covered in the thick blood. He wrapped a towel around himself, shivering at the cold tang in the air. He bent down and picked up his bloody clothes, waltzing out of the bathroom and tossing them in the trash. He had learned from experience that there was no use in trying to clean them, they always ended up staining anyways.

   There were certain joys of living alone, one being that you could walk around with nothing but a towel tied around your waist. Another was that you didn't have to worry about a nosy roommate finding bloody clothes in the trash. Austin didn't really tend to worry about anyone finding things in his household. After all, he could simply kill them if he believed they had seen something they shouldn't have.

   He took a seat down on his couch, running a hand through his damp hair. He was definitely exhausted after the night's work, but at least he had finished. He hadn't even really known his victim's name, just that he was a vile creature, who deserved death. Austin had seen him staring creepily at a group of young girls, obviously having the intent to do something unacceptable to them. Austin had been working at the time, carefully watching the man observe the children.

   Austin worked at a small coffee shop, one that he adored very much. Often times, his victims were ones that had been rude to him or others while he was on his shift. He didn't care if they were a single mother with three children, or if they were a young teenager just fooling around. He knew that someone had to deliver justice on the smaller, less significant criminals, so he took the matters into his own hands. The police won't bother with bratty kids, they have other matters, like catching petty thieves, or pulling over people for speeding. Austin believes that he is the only one saving the town.

   Sighing, Austin stood once more. He would have liked to have stayed on the couch, but he knew if he did, he would fall asleep, and wake up late for work. He may be a murderer, but he knows he can't afford to get fired. Yawning, he draped his towel over the side of the couch to let it dry for tomorrow's use. Austin sauntered to his bedroom, flopping down onto the comfortable, soft blankets with a huff of relief.

   Relaxed, he suddenly remembered the gentle, caring smile of the Officer. He had an interesting name, Austin recalled. You didn't meet a Wren everyday. Giving another soft yawn, Austin stretching his limbs across the entirety of the bed. Austin had given the Officer his number purely because he thought he was attractive, and he had noticed the man staring at him. He still looked rather young, probably about the age of 27. Austin closed his eyes and smiled softly. He and Wren would probably talk, become friends, and hang out occasionally. Austin figured he could get useful information out of Wren, if the Officer was apart of the case. While the blonde man doubted he was, since his name tag had only read him as an officer, Austin figured it might be worth a shot. But besides Wren being an information rat for him, Austin secretly believed this relationship might be, well... Nice.