Alone

"I'm almost home... Yeah, I'll text you when I get there... Okay, bye." Iris ended the call with her friend, Sara. She blindly slipped her phone into her purse, never taking her eyes off the road. Iris didn't enjoy being alone at night and driving was no exception.

Ever since that murder in 09 no one has gone out at night alone. Barely anyone went out at night at all. The murderer was never caught, though the police was certain it was Jeffrey Woods. Children around the area was told of the story, teenagers given a curfew of 6:00, and adults being smart enough to work shifts in the morning. Iris had broken the rules a bit for tonight.

Tonight was her best friend's Welcome Home party. She had been off to college for a few months and decided to come back. Iris missed her deeply and promised herself she would go to that party. Only when she had promised she had also promised she would go home at at least 8 PM. Quickly that 8 PM curfew turned into 12:30.

So here she was, driving with all windows rolled up, all doors locked. She was cautious. Even if it was stupid Iris wasn't taking any chances.

Sadly though, luck was not on her side. Her car started to slow down until it came to a complete stop. "No! No, no, no, no, no!" She whisper yelled to herself, "I am so fucked! This cannot be- bloody hell..." The last thing she wanted to do was walk home, alone, in the middle of the night.

'The house is only three blocks away. I can make it that far.' Iris tried to reason with herself. She was also about to add in that the murder happened on the other side of town but decided it was best to keep that out of her mind. Iris remembered clear as day the fear that shook the whole community.

She was only eight when it happened. She was watching the news with her mom when the murder was reported. For three weeks Iris's parents didn't allow her outside for more than twenty minutes. She wasn't even allowed outside without an adult. The murder had happened close to her childhood home so her parents had a right to be worried.

For months, maybe even years, the whole town feared for their lives. Murder after murder happened and the police couldn't stop them. Everyone feared they would end up on the floor of their kitchen, a dark corner of town, or even in a park, dead, with a bloody smile forced on their face.

The murders slowly died down but they still happen every now and then. Maybe 5 murders a year. Those were the known one's at least. What the town wasn't aware of was far more than 5 murders happened a year.

Iris called Sara, deciding she would feel a little better if someone was talking to her.

"Balls and wieners." Was the greeting Iris got. She couldn't help the twitch of her lips as she fought a trembly smile. "Hey Sara. Listen, my car stopped a block away from my house. I decided I'll just walk home and call someone to fix it tomorrow. Mind staying on the phone with me so I don't piss myself?" Iris asked, pulling her purse strap over her shoulder, digging out her keys.

"What? No way! It's too dangerous. How about I drive over and, and... Damn it, what am I saying? Oh yeah, I'll come pick you up." Sara suggested. Iris was tempted but found it ridiculous.

"That would be a waste of time. Plus you get tired by ten. You driving at night at 12:57 in the morning? No way. Just talk to me." Iris unlocked her door and got out of her car. She had a look around, even going as far as looking under her car, before locking everything up and starting her short journey to her home.

"Ugh, fine. So, Ema's new lip injections, right? I mean, they're not awful! They actually look a bit natural. But it seems like a waste. She looks amazing with small lips and should embrace it!" Iris let Sara ramble on about random topics. She was still trembling horribly, heart racing, teeth clattering, and fear had consumed her body. Yet she still felt that little bit of relief and safety spark inside her.