Do you know Jack? The Ripper? Saucy Jack? Leather Apron?
The most infamous serial killer in history has long been fodder for the imagination of authors and artists alike, but his true identity remains an enigma to this day. Take a fresh look at the...
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I woke myself up with a panic attack.
Startled, I pressed my hand to chest, willing myself to control my hyperventilation and racing emotions.
My girlfriend, awoken by my panic, rubbed her hand down the length of my back in a soothing motion.
She rested her head on my shoulder, kissing my cheek. "Another bad dream?"
All I could do was nod in response, letting out a shaky breath. "They're getting worse, Ava."
She resumed rubbing my back. "Have you considered going to see the psychic I told you about, the one who interprets dreams?"
I pushed myself up out of bed, taking a few gulps of the glass of water that was resting on my nightstand. "I don't need some quack that claims to be a doctor telling me about my nightmares."
Ava sighed, clearly exhausted with this argument. "Fine, Jacob."
I bent down and kissed her cheek. "I love you."
A smile replaced her annoyed expression. "I love you too, you stubborn ass."
I used my morning shower to wash away the intricate details of my reoccurring nightmare.
My nightmare didn't happen every night, but when it came it left me haunted for several days after. It always started off the same, me with a knife. I was a serial killer in my dreams, each nightmare hunting down a different victim. Each victim only had one thing in common, they were always female.
I didn't know why my subconscious had chosen to manifest the way that it had. My girlfriend believed it was from working too many long hours in the Emergency Room, and I was reliving the blood and the gore through my dreams.
Her theory made sense. The dreams only came after long and difficult shifts, one in which I'd witness a multitude of deaths.
Lives I couldn't save had always haunted me.
Once I was freshly showered and dressed for my shift, I met Ava out in the kitchen, where she'd brewed some coffee and was making breakfast.
I bent down to kiss her once again. "Sorry for waking you up like that."
She shook her head. "I know that your nightmares take a toll on you. No need to apologize for them."
We flipped on the news, half-watching the weather reports and the local updates.
That is, until a picture of a dead body flashed across the screen.
I let out a loud yelp, my eyes wide as I stared at the young girl on the screen.
"That's her," I whispered, my eyes fixated on the picture. "That's the girl from my dream last night."
Ava let out a small sigh, sitting next to me. "Why don't you take a few days off, Jacob?"
