Dark.

XVI. - Killer -

"Let's go." Nicomaine told the rest of the group. They quickly moved closer to the mansion. The sea of stars shone brightly above them. The moon casted an eerie light on their surroundings, making the entire thing a bit more terrifying than it should be.

Harry led them towards the side of the mansion. Nicomaine pointed at the open window and they all skittered closer to it.

"Is this really supposed to be open? I mean, this is the only entry point we have without having to break anything." Harry whispered to her.

"I guess so. I mean, I never saw them close this window so I guess it always stays open." She answered. One by one, hey all crept inside the mansion. After getting in, they huddled on the corner to talk about their next move.

"I'll go to Richard's room. You guys do a quick sweep around here. Let's be gone before anybody wakes up." She said and the guys all nodded, including Harry. Nicomaine then tiptoed her way towards the stair and quietly walked up to his room. She took a deep breath and slowly twisted the door knob open.

If there's one thing Nicomaine really noticed about Richard, it's the fact that he never learned the importance of closing and locking his bedroom door. She smiled and let herself in. Nicomaine closed the door as quietly as possible. After doing so, she turned her tiny flashlight on and started rummaging through his stuff. She opened desks and cabinets, looking for small, valuable but forgotten things she could take.

Richard will be out for the rest of the night, at least that's what he told her. Nicomaine took a deep breath and told herself to stop feeling guilty for turning him into their victim. After searching his cabinets, she went straight for his desks and drawers. Nicomaine pulled a bright red folder and placed it on top of the table.

A hospital logo is printed right in front of the folder. She took a deep breath and opened it, only to realize that's what inside are Richard's hospital papers. Nicomaine opened his desk lantern and started reading the documents. She skipped paragraphs after paragraphs and only stopped when she reached the results.

Major Depressive Disorder W/ Psychotic Features

Her heart dropped after reading those words. And finally, everything about Richard made sense to her. Nicomaine closed the folder and returned it to the drawer immediately. She stood up and started walking around the room. After a few minutes, she noticed something she never seen before, another door. She tried to open but it was locked. Nicomaine sighed and pulled a hairpin out of her pocket to picklock it. A few tries later, the door opened. She smiled and walked in. Nicomaine started reaching for the switch; unaware of the horror waiting for her once the light comes on.

--

Harry led the rest of the group towards the inner parts of the mansion. They took vases, paintings, ashtrays and goblets. He looked around, searching the area for more loot-worthy items.

"Harry, where is Nicomaine?" one of the guys asked.

"Upstairs. Come on guys, let's do this as quickly as possible." He said. And right at that moment, all the lights went on. Caught off guard, Harry and the rest remained still for a moment. The lights then suddenly went out and they all heard sirens, police sirens.

"Shit!" Harry yelled. The guys carried their loots and headed straight for the window. Harry ran upstairs to get Nicomaine but the moment he reached the second landing, someone hit him on the back of the neck with a hard object. Harry's view started spinning and he passed out.

--

Nicomaine's mouth fell open because of what she just discovered. All four walls were covered with pictures. She looked at the black painted ceiling and at the right light bulb that illuminated the room with the color of blood.

She moved closer and studied the pictures. Most of them are family pics from when he and Katherine were younger. But some are from his previous girlfriends. Nicomaine's heart continued to pound hard against her chest. The hair on her arms stood up when she saw her own picture on the corner.

"Fuck." She muttered and looked at the one beside it. Nicomaine's eyes widened because she saw a picture of her and Bella together. That's when she realized something unfortunate. Richard knew the entire time that she's friends with Bella. And that means he always knew who she really is. What kind of monster she is.

Hello, Nicomaine ...

Maine jumped and turned around, only to see Richard standing by the door. The entire world stopped spinning right at that moment. She looked at his eyes and noticed something different. She saw his darkness and not the kind of darkness with small bits of light. What she saw in him could only be described as full black, no moon, no stars, storm coming kind of dark. He flashed a devilish grin and took one step forward.

"What are you doing here, honey?' he asked.

"Stay where you are." She said.

"Oh please, don't act like a stranger. I know exactly who you are."

She shivered after sensing malice in his voice. Richard went full on dark, the kind of dark she can't turn around, the kind of dark that she can't escape from.

"Goodnight, Nicomaine." he said and the lights went out. Nicomaine screamed and a hand covered her mouth. Tears welled in her eyes. Her heart kept on pounding hard against her chest. She closed her eyes and accepted whatever kind of doom is heading her way.

---

Richard grinned at Harry before letting the police take him and the other guys away. Arthur then tapped him on the shoulder and so he turned away.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Sir, where is Nicomaine?"

"I hid her somewhere safe."

"Sir, are you going to kill her?"

"We'll see. First, I'm going to teach her a lesson ... one that she will never forget for the rest of her goddamned life."

--

last 4 chapters.