Mortality

Relentless

                                                                                            4.

 The Killer watched with growing excitement, delighting in the frantic movements, indicative of surprise, of his captive. He struggled desperately against the rope binding him to the bathtub, opening and shutting his mouth soundlessly, wasting what little energy he had left on pointless motion rather than holding his breath. Then the mouth shut with surprising rigidity; presumably the body was preventing itself from breathing as it finally recognised the absence of oxygen. At this point, the Killer was quite enjoying himself. Even from childhood he had maintained an innate curiosity in the uncommon bodily functions. One last effortful tug at the rope and the victim went still, eyes shutting and chest ceasing movement. The Killer got the sense that he would have sunk to the bottom of the bath had he not been prevented by the rope.

 Hopeful of another stage to this drowning, the Killer leaned closer in anticipation, carefully scanning for any abrupt change. He was not disappointed. The body started convulsing, the mouth exuding foam and the fingernails and lips slowly darkening to a deep azure colour. The body gave a violent jerk and then was still. The Killer watched for several minutes, intoxicated by the suspense and in a state of delirium. Eventually, he had to concede that it just wasn't happening. For whatever reason, the burning hadn't worked, but apparently the feat was not about to repeat itself. The Killer was crestfallen, but he set about removing the knots and disposing of the corpse nonetheless, albeit dejectedly. 

  Unfortunately, concentrating as he was on heaving the cadaver over his shoulder, the Killer did not notice a pair of eyelids fluttering open the moment they met oxygen, much as he failed to perceive a hastily stifled cough. In his unprecedented bout of ignorance, he mistook the water now spilling out of his victim's mouth as having leaked out of the bathtub. Fortunately, the incomprehension ended there, for, as soon as he sensed the tiniest stirring in the previously thought carcass of his kill, he responded with his own swift movement: the Killer brought a concealed knife from the inside of his trouser leg, a move perfected with practise, and made three quick slashing movements across the stomach, before finishing with a powerful thrust deep into the abdomen. His quarry gasped, then went limp and dropped to the ground, unconscious for the second time that day.

 The Killer hadn't even been sure of the movement, but you could never be too careful in his business. He would have to be more vigilant of this particular guinea pig: it was a rebellious one.