Murderers Dream Landscape

The First Kill

A cat.
I loved cats. Except this cat was different. It's been haunting my dreams for the past week.
I was playing with this cat when it started to grow in size, yowling and hissing. The grey fur began to stick up, as its feline face glared down on me. The black stripes on its back stretched and filled the space behind the cat, giving the cat a shadow around its head. The paws and face sprouted white flames, and they licked the fur furiously. Spikes erupted along the tail, finding a way to its paws. Claws like daggers, ready to shred apart any life form. It appeared to have stopped growing, and was now the size of a van.
    I felt the panic rise in me as I stared into its coal black eyes. The urge to run was high, but I couldn't move my feet. Weighted down like a balloon tied down with a brick. I stood there, tears welling up in my eyes. A lump in my throat kept me from screaming.
    I turned my head but all I could see was black, the edges of my vision were blurring as I tried to think of a way out of this.
    I bring my attention back to the cat who is now ready to pounce. A gurgling sound comes from the back of its throat, as its tongue slides across the sharp teeth.
    I blinked once, and the cat had made its move. Lunging towards me with its mouth open wide.
***
    My eyes shoot open. My eyesight slowly adjusts to my ceiling fan. A groan escapes my mouth as I rub my eyes with the palms of my hands. They were cold and sweaty.
    "A cat?" I whisper. All I remember was a cat and being scared of it. The cat was grey... with black stripes... and a white face, I think.
    Why was I scared of the cat though? Cats are one of my favorite animals.
    Groggy, I pull the covers off me. I sit up and perch on the edge of my bed. The dull grey walls, and wood tiles of my room greet my eyes. My dresser is covered in all kinds of trinkets, and the window glows with morning, adding a touch of warmth to my room. Two walls are covered in posters of my favorite TV show. Hardly anyone would agree that this was an appropriate show for a ten year old like me.
    'Happy Tree Friends' is what it's called. I find it pretty funny.
    I get up and shuffle over to my closet. I pick out a rainbow tie-dye shirt and set it on my bed. I open a drawer in my dresser and pull out a pair of shorts. In the next drawer I pull out white knee length socks.
    I dressed up into the clothes after I showered, and skipped back into the bathroom to look at myself in the full length mirror. I like my tie-dye shirt 'cause the rainbow is my favorite color. My hair is a glossy black, and it hangs just past my chin. I got my ears pierced a couple days ago, and I want to go show my friends so bad. I had chosen the black star-shaped ones, since they looked the best.
    I get real close to the mirror, just to look at my eyes. They are an odd blue-green color. Blue around the outside, with yellow speckles near the middle. It makes my eyes look almost green from further away. The uniqueness of the colors make me smile.
    I had bugged my mom into taking me to the park today to see my friends, so I could show my new pierced ears to them.
    I have exactly three friends. It might be weird, but I have a crush on one of them.
    I tiptoe to the kitchen, thinking I can surprise my mom. Peeking around the corner, I look into the kitchen. Mom isn't in sight. I walk in, and look around the counter.
    The front door opens, "Hey sweetheart! I'm outside, hurry and eat something. I'm just talking with the neighbors, so when you're ready we'll head over to the park." She leans through the door.
    I nod, "Okay, I'll be out in a minute!"
    I skid into the pantry and search for the pop tarts. My eyes land on the blue box, and I pull out the pop tarts wrapped in the reflective plastic. I tear the package open, and stick them in the toaster. I push the lever down until it clicks in place.
    I grab a cup out of the cupboard, and head to the fridge. I pull out the milk, and pour myself a glass. While returning the milk, the toaster dings. I grab a paper towel and place the pop tarts on them.
     I eat them quickly while sipping the milk. Crumbs fall onto the paper towel, and I drink the rest of the milk.
    I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand while I rush to the front door. I slip my sneakers on and tie the laces. I come out and see my mom talking with our neighbors on the left side of our lawn. I walk up to her and tug on the hem of her shirt.
    "Hang on a sec, honey." She glances down at me for a moment then continues talking.
    As I stand there, I look around. I notice a movement near the hedges on the right side of our house that separates our yard from our other neighbors. I walk across the lawn with curiosity. I approach the tall bushes, and peek around the edge.
    I see the thing that had made the bushes rustle, and my vision falters for a moment.
    It's the cat.
    Everything else blacks out, and all I can think about is the feline. It's colors stand out against the green of the bushes and the grass.
    I slowly approach it, crouching. It comes up to me and rubs against my arm. It's tail sticking up and runs through my fingers. Without thinking, I grab the tail.
    Standing up, the cat yowls and sinks its claws into my arm. I gasp, and slam the furry body on the ground. Over and over, the cat bites and scratches. Blood spots up on my arm. Stunned, I dropped the cat. The furry beast sinks low to the ground and hisses. I noticed a stray brick under the bush, and had an idea.
I pick the brick up, and it's pretty heavy. Letting gravity take it back down again, the brick lands on the cats head. I hear a crunch, and blood sprays my shoes.
    Blinded by the frenzy, I stomp on the cat's body. Again and again, I bring my foot down onto the body. The snap of the fragile bones brings a smile onto my face.
    A shiver runs through my body. I pick the brick up again, seeing the cat's crushed skull. Eyes squished, and fur coated in the glossy red. I drop the brick once more, onto the body. On impact, blood squirts from the head wounds. Fortunately, I wasn't standing in the line of fire. I could see some of the intestines oozing out of the mouth area. Blood runs around the fangs, dripping into the grass.
    Hopefully that was just a stray cat, but that doesn't bother me. That cat is gone now, and I now feel bubbling happiness inside me.
    The colors of red, pink, and purple were stained to the back of my eyelids, as I walked along the hedge towards the backyard of my neighbors house. I cut through the hedge, and sneaked through the back door of my house.
    I rush to the bathroom and strip off all the clothes that have blood on them. Throwing them into the hamper, I sigh. At least my shirt is still clean.
    I put new shorts and socks on, similar to what I was wearing earlier. I also added a lavender colored jacket to cover the scratches and the bites that I had received on my arms. I wash my hands one more time. Glancing into the mirror, I notice that I have a wide smile.
I'm happy. With adrenaline running through my veins, I've never felt so alive! Giggling, I skip back into the kitchen, open the front door and spot my mom waving to the neighbors. They are all walking back to their houses. She turns and looks back at me.
    "Where did you go off too, you goofy little girl?" She asks, teasing.
    "Just getting some warmer clothes, it's a little chilly out here." I smile while I rub my arms.
   

Hand in hand, we walk to the park. Making jokes and laughing, while I'm still buzzing with energy. I love my mom, but I sometimes think there might be something wrong with her. She constantly stops and stares into space during random times. It might be because of my dad, but she won't tell me what happened to him.
    After about ten minutes, we reach the field that surrounds the park. I spot my friends on the swing set and run over to them. The first person I notice is Jeanny, who is on the swing. She is laughing and giggling, and I can feel my ears burn up. I reached them and all I could see was her. She was wearing an olive green coat, and some black leggings. A grey scarf was wrapped loosely around her neck. She is beautiful.
    "Hey Jeanny! How has your fall break been?" I say catching her attention. Her dirty blonde hair flies in the wind and her icy blue eyes look at me with interest.
    "Hiya Charlie! It's been alright. How 'bout you?" There is a hint of sadness in her voice. I notice my other two friends are sitting on another set of swings, talking to each other.
    "It's been boring without you," I say, my face warming a bit. I sit down on the swing next to her and push back with my feet.
    "I was going to say the same thing, I missed you too!" She exclaimed, her cheeks a strawberry red. I start to feel my face heat up a little more. I smile wider and continue swinging.
While we swing, I think about the cat. If it's dead, maybe it won't be in my dreams anymore. I was starting to get annoyed with that dream, I loved cats. This dream was making me fear this one cat and I didn't like that.
    But little did I know, the cat would be the first to a long line of murders I would commit in years to come, and Jeanny would be part of it.