***September***
Useless!
The tone was sharp and clear, as it shot through the pitch black like a flash of lightning. That word left a bitter taste as she reminisced on how frequently it came up.
It's your fault we're even like this!
Why? Why did things have to be like this? The words got clearer, silhouettes formed from the shadows in her mind.
My fault?! It's yours! Yours and hers! You both are the reason this house is a hell!
… Why? She can feel her own fingers digging into her palms as she clutched them into fists at her sides. The doorway of her kitchen just ahead of her, the musky scent blending with alcohol and old cigarettes, lingering like a thick cloud around her.
It's her fault I'm so damn miserable!
But, why…? It felt warm, congested for some reason. It felt hard to move.
It's your damn fault I am stuck in this hell you useless girl!
She didn't want this, either… Her heart was beginning to pound inside her chest as the scenery began to form more vividly, the sound of those two voices seeped through the wooden door just a few feet away from her, screaming back and forth between one another.
We're like this because you exist!
She didn't want to be stuck here, either, she really didn't.
You're a waste of life, just like she is.
She felt the world shaking around her, the ground started to tremble as the noise of an engine grew louder. She was fixated on the door in front of her, swallowing down a lump in her throat as she slowly raised her hand to the doorknob.
You both should just drop dead!
Her hand grasped the cold metal as the sound of random voices began to fade into existence.
You hear me?! A bitch like you, and a monsterous bitch like her only deserve to fucking die!
It was then she felt a sudden jolt, her world came to an unforeseen stop. Immediately, Rachel's hands extended out to catch herself on the back of the seat in front of her, staring at it in a confused haze. She wasn't in her living room, that became clear as she slowly raised her head, and focused back in on the sound of a couple arguing in the back of the crowded bus, causing enough of a scene to force the driver to abruptly bring the vehicle to a halt.
Everything slowly began to comeback to her as she listened to the driver jump into the situation, joining in the screaming to try and get the pair off. Her lips tighten into a thin line across her face, dull blue hues focused outside the window, trying to ignore the chaos going on a few feet away from her. She scanned over the unfamiliar scenery before focusing in on her own reflection, she recalled the events to lead her where she was. She took a bus into the city, intending to get far away from the place she once called home-if it could ever be called that. Her past was not a pleasant one; often making her question her very existence.
After that night, there was no choice but to get as far away from all of that as she could. Rachel had always been resourceful. When everything happened, she gathered the stash of money she knew her mother kept in a safe, along with any other assets of value she could find. From afternoon to early morning of the following day, she made all the necessary plans and arrangements to collect her things, and leave with a single duffle bag.
She wouldn't have to involve herself with everyone's criticism, or have them concerning themselves about her whenever she walked by. Her old home would be roughly six hours away, there would be no one here to give their unwanted pity or help. She knew they were aware. The neighbors, the teachers, even the people she didn't recognize who always tossed her nervous glances. They knew the situation in that household, yet did nothing. Whether it was because her father was a cop, or because they agreed with her parents, she couldn't be sure.
She understood the abuse was not normal, however it became normal for her. It had been pounded into her subconscious that it was her own doing. She had no one to blame but herself for her bland existence. A pitiful excuse of a human being, beyond broken, yet playing the part of another member of society. It was like she was some puppet, but she didn't know what else to do except this.
She was empty, often seen as emotionless. It was rare for anything to breach the walls she kept firm around her heart. People would whisper things about her whenever they thought she was out of earshot. Usually a comment about how dead she looked, how creepy she was, how she was like a ghost. The whispers only escalated over the summer after that day.
Rachel didn't care about the whispers, the remarks, or the opinions. With most she agreed, and the others were more annoying than anything else. She didn't need or want pity and fake attempts to be nice to her. She only wanted to try and continue playing her part until a more solid idea came to mind. She would stick with her routine, to read her books, or pass time sewing. To finish her schooling as she intended, rather than doing it as something she wanted. She could keep the same pace she had at home, with the only new addition being her urge for baking. Being able to use precise measurements for something that seemed so simple intrigued her. For now that would do. Even if she didn't really have any friends or family; it was enough. All she had to do now was try to move ahead until her pointless existence made sense.
Reality began to settle in again as she noticed the bus approaching her stop, she adjusted the duffle bag neatly placed on her lap. As soon as the bus came to a halt again, announcing her destination, she joined the group of passengers who began to make their way off the bus and onto the sidewalk. The wind whipped through the long blonde locks upon exiting, which she readjusted as some strands that had got in her face, freeing a hand to tuck them behind her ear. Blue hues browsed the busy sidewalk as she took in her surroundings. She had mapped out the path to the apartment complex when she visited the other day to sign her lease. It was a short distance through some nearby alleyways. Rachel withdrew a piece of paper with the directions to The Little Corner Cafe.
She already took care of getting a cheap rental and signing a lease. Now she needed to sign the paperwork to confirm her employment. She had been lucky to have them give her a job so quickly, and the manager sounded like a reasonable enough man from what she gathered on her phone interview. It wasn't too far from the college, or her apartment building either, fortunately.
It wasn't a long trip from the bus stop to the cafe, the scent of freshly brewed coffee filled her nose as she pushed open the glass doors. The inside was bigger than it had appeared from the front. A few square black tables stood unused in the center of the floor, while the ones along the walls next to the doorway had a few occupied seats. Rachel blinked to try and adjust her eyesight in the softly lit cafe, letting her gaze run along the decor, taking in the various types of strange artwork along the walls by every table. As her eyes roamed back to the back of the building, she noticed the display case of treats, all of which seeming delicately prepared. A few employees were busy behind the counter there as well, one handling one of the two registers, while the other stayed busy cleaning one of the few coffee machines.
Rachel made her way to the counter where a relatively pretty young girl stood. She had gentle brown eyes and curly brunette hair tucked neatly into a bun, the girl also seemed focused on what she was doing at the register. Rachel stood patiently waiting for the other woman to notice her arrival before finally speaking up, her voice just a hair or two high enough for the cashire to hear.
"Excuse me."
The girl shifted her gaze from the register's drawer, after she finished up counting the last few dollars before shutting it. Her head darted up upon hearing the woman now in front of her, a smile quickly spread across her face, right on cue as she noticed the blonde.
"So sorry about that ma'am! Welcome, my name Christine, how may I serve you today?"
Ray had to admire how fast the woman managed to go from her task to customer service.
"I am here to see Ryan."
This seem to cause the woman across from her to perk up, Christine's expression made it evident she knew exactly what Ray was there for.
"Oh! You must be Rachel!" She chirped, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
"That's right." She responded cooly, keeping her usual expression.
"It's great to meet you! I will be your training supervisor."
Christine extended a hand, which Rachel politely shook. She then quickly explained that Ryan was in his office upstairs, motioning for Rachel to follow her there.
Once she got to the office, it felt like the time flew by. It didn't take long for her to get the paperwork signed, as well as go over her school schedule so that she would be set to start working the following day. The manager was as she suspected, a very reasonable man and had her working Wednesday through Sunday, with Monday and Tuesday off. He didn't give her any trouble at all about her availability, which brought some ease to her mind.
As their meeting drew to an end, Ray exhaled a deep breath, relieved to have that over with. From there it was just a simple matter of getting her things moved, and getting herself acquainted with her new surroundings.
Finally it was the night before school started, and after a week everything was set up in what was now her new home. Ray kept her near lifeless cerulean eyes closed; sighing as she laid across the cream colored sofa in the living room. Long pale colored locks draped over the armrest in a flowing curtain.
It was another long day, work was taking its toll on her. It would be more accurate to say the whole week had taken its toll. Rachel had been forced to switch to mostly night shifts, not being able to keep up with the busy pace earlier during the day. She was smart, but rather sluggish when it came to certain actions. Some customers seem to dislike her unfriendly expression, while her coworkers were not happy about her slow pace during the rushes. The only luck she seemed to have left was that her boss was willing to try to move her to a different shift rather than simply fire her.
It seemed like every other customer had something wrong with their food. They took it out on her, and the cooks in the back did nothing to try and fess up to their own errors. It didn't help that the other coworkers took their sides, too. She assumed it was easier for them to make a fool out of her instead of being honest. There wouldn't be anything she could do about it, she knew exactly how cold people could be. As for her face, while she was grateful to her manager, she really didn't know what to do about it. Her boss kept saying she needed to smile more but she just wasn't good at that.
To top it off her neighbor seemed to be having another fit in the apartment next to hers, she could hear them smashing who knows what. Every night since she had moved in seemed to be the same with them. Every now and then she could even hear laughter through the walls. Whatever it was they did, they seemed to be enjoy themselves.
She had never seen them, but they seemed to be a real jerk; recalling earlier that week when he had yelled at her through the wall for the noise she had made. She had dropped a box filled with cookware, it hadn't been intentional, throwing what she assumed was a man into a fit. Though his noisy actions were clearly on purpose. Ever since that one misstep it was as if he was trying to be as loud as possible. From breaking things to slamming doors shut.
Fortunately, her bedroom was the furthest room away from the wall that provided a slim barrier of protection from the obnoxious racket going on next door. She could still sometimes hear them, and discovered quickly that it only seemed to be the one person that lived there just by the noise. On that note, it seemed they were the only two people on the entire third floor? Even the second floor had seemed empty when she happened to wander through it one curious evening. It was strange to think the owner would allow such an annoying tenant if they were the reason for so many vacancies, not that she minded. It meant there wasn't anyone else around to complain or deal with… It still bothered her, though. Why did the landlord make it seem as if this was the only available apartment?
She sighed.
How annoying. What in the world are they doing over there? Is he really that bitter over one incident?
Tired and irritable Rachel lazily removed herself from the love seat; showered and made her way to her queen size bed. She wanted to be well rested for the following day- or at least try to be. She slipped in under the covers and snuggled into her blanket, nestling her face down into the pillow she snatched into a loose hug.
She hoped for a good night's sleep. Recently she tended to not get much shut eye due to the nightmares that plagued her had lessened over the past few weeks at least, going from every night, to every couple nights. Nightmares wasn't even the correct word for it, it was always the same thing, after all.
It was always the same…
Never changing…
Thud...Thud….Thud…
What was that sound?
Ray crept down the stairs after being hidden away in her room with her headphones as she took her usual position on her bed; nose buried in a mystery novel. She was trying to keep herself out of the way. Things could get loud at her house, to the point it was hard to concentrate through the screaming and breaking of glass and china without something to wash out the worst of the pandemonium.
Even with her music blocking out most sounds she was sure she had heard a scream unlike any other. Screaming, yelling, it was not uncommon in this household. But this one was different… Something was definitely wrong…
Thud...Thud...Thud…
A potent scent permeated her nose, a gentle splish emitting from her shoe upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, causing her to freeze.
Rachel's eyes widened. There was blood on the floor …? It trailed all the way to the kitchen.
Her heart pounded in her ears, in sync with the unknown noise coming from the kitchen.
Thud...Thud...Thud...
Get out now! Leave! You don't want to see what's in there!
She ignored the voices screaming in her head; her fight or flight instincts taking over. The kitchen door was slightly cracked.
Thud...Thud..Thud...Squish.
Everything blurred and transitioned to a blood red haze clouding her mind.
Her eyes shot open then, heavy breaths accompanied by a rapidly beating heart. The air from the fan felt cooler than usual, and she could feel she was drenched in sweat.
Again...
The young woman rubbed her weary eyes, her pale hand reaching over to the white nightstand beside her bed, to bring the glow of a cell phone to her face.
5:43AM.
At least she'd survived most of the night this time, truthfully she hadn't slept well since the incident. She doubted any amount of therapy would be able to help her. It was too late for her, it had been for a long time. If she was broken before all of this happened, she was without a doubt broken beyond repair now. Nothing would be able to change that. She accepted this to be how it was. Her life would remain empty, and her existence unnecessary. Suicide had crossed her mind more than a few times, but she couldn't even do that. Her parents had hammered into her head that it was a sin in god's eyes. She would never be forgiven if she took her own life.
It was bad enough she couldn't be forgiven in this life, she didn't want to also be hated in the next…
8:15AM
Rachel arrived 15 minutes early to her first class of the day, having taken the time to map out the place the week beforehand had really come in handy. She navigated around the campus from the entrance to her English class with ease.
Despite her lack of self care the young woman had always been highly intelligent, excelling at most school subjects. Given her high GPA, she could have gone to a more expensive school for sure, she just didn't see the need. There was no place for her to go back to during holidays or when school was out; so she might as well live more practically, and get in a place where she can live for an extended period of time. One of the reasons she chose this city was the fairly low cost of living because of high crime areas. It wasn't all too safe with that being said, but that didn't bother a person who didn't care much whether they lived or died.
"RACHEL! I didn't know you had applied here too!"
Rachel's eyes grew then, her fingers folding into a fist on her lap as that voice registered in her mind. She didn't think it was possible, she was done with everyone from her old hometown, so why? Why was he here?!
Her expression quickly settled down, masking any signs of shock that had previously sown, along with her slight annoyance. When she spotted the source of that voice, a boy slightly older than her with green eyes and red hair; a young man who always seemed so cheery, very much the opposite of herself.
"Hello, Eddie." Her response was met with a beaming smile.
Eddie excitedly motioned for her to sit with him and that blonde girl she recognized from high school. She never could remember her name, but she always seem to hang around him. Eddie was always friendly, even when she didn't want him to be. It never made sense to her why he had always been so eager to talk to her when most people just thought she was dull. They weren't wrong, in comparison with everyone else at her old school, she wasn't much to want around. Not wanting to cause a scene Rachel complied reluctantly, nodding a polite thank you.
It wasn't his fault she was annoyed to be honest, Ray didn't hate him, he was one of the few people who was always kind to her. It was the idea that she had escaped all the memories of that place, all the places, all the people. She had been looking forward to not having to deal with people anymore, to just let herself dissolve in the meaningless day by day routines. She was grateful he at least he never brought it up, though she could still see that pity behind his stare.
After a few minutes of pointless conversation, Ray excused herself to move back to her desk, pulling out a book to absentmindedly flip through. She hoped it would deter anyone else from attempting a conversation with her. She was relieved that he had kept most of his attention on the other girl, though to her annoyance she could feel him stealing glances in her direction far more often than she liked. He would always stare at her when she was walking down the hall, and she had heard others gossip that he perhaps he had a crush on her. Either way, it didn't matter to Rachel. She would never feel that way towards him, or anyone. The thought of having feelings for someone was a very foreign idea for her.
She had read many romance novels and even enjoyed quite a few of the stories within them. She was just certain that such things would never be meant for her, afterall how could she feel love if she hardly felt anything for anyone? She didn't know love aside from what she had seen in the movies, or read in her books. Love was not and never would be something she could understand...
It had been another terrible day at work for Rachel, the day being unusually busy for a Wednesday evening. The hour was late, and her coworkers had left her quite a mess to deal with. The floors were filthy from coffee spills and customers trash, the dishes were practically overflowing from the three compartment sink in the back, and none of the boxes that had been delivered were put away. She would be lucky to make it out on time, or even in a reasonable amount of time after.
The woman sighed irritably at the situation, scanning the dining area for any remaining customers before she could lock the door and begin her tasks at getting the cafe back in order. She noticed a single patron dressed in a dark hoodie and jeans seated at a corner table, Ray's eyes turned towards the clock a moment after. She hadn't even noticed the man come in, but something about him made her think that he might be a difficult customer. She would need him to leave if she wanted to at least attempt to get out in a timely manner.
Rachel took a deep breath, before she made her way towards him. His hood was pulled up, concealing most of his appearance, sitting with his head low and his elbows on the table. The first noticeable feature she could see was the layers of bandages wrapped around his hands and wrists. She wondered if he might be injured, but something told her that was not the case.
"Can I get something for you, Sir?" After a moment of awkward silence, she proceeded to inform him that they were about to be closing up, hoping he would catch on to the subtle nudge.
Rachel felt her heartbeat stumble when she noticed the single eye glance at her from underneath the shadows of his hood, the rest of his features remained hidden.
"Tch."
Without a word the man stood up, her eyes widened ever so slightly, caught off guard by how tall the stranger actually was. He didn't even give her a second glance before shoving his hands into his pockets and heading out the door, her eyes trailed along with him. Something about the man strange, something she couldn't put her finger on. The small amount of details she could see, the way he moved, and before he left, she could have sworn she heard him mutter "What a boring look" under his breath.
Boring?
The young woman frowned; but she didn't have time to think on it. Even if he had said something like that, it wasn't a lie.
Ray, turned the key, locking up the cafe to complete her shift. She released a sigh of exhaustion, and began her slow walk to her apartment. It was dark, with the only source of light coming from the soft yellow glow of street lamps. The quickest way home was to take a shortcut through the back alleys. She had been warned they could be dangerous, but she had cut through many times over the past week without single incident. Minus getting catcalled from intoxicated strangers by what she assumed was a strip club. It was an agitating occurrence. Fortunately, they usually left her alone if she simply kept her pace and didn't respond. Usually….Until tonight.
"Hey there little miss." The man's speech was slurred, alcohol wafting off his breath with each word.
Rachel stuck with her usual plan for this situation. She ignored him, expecting he would take the hint and back off; She kept placing one foot in front of the other, moving along at her usual pace. A chill crawled up her spine as she notices the sound of footsteps closing in behind her, taking only a second to turn her irises towards the corners of her eyes. It quickly became apparent that this man had no intention of backing off or leaving her alone.
"Where ya goin'? It's gettin' late, a perdy lil thing like you shouldn't be alone.." He was almost side by side with her, but she didn't dare to look at him.
"HEY! Quit ignoring me you bitch!"
His grubby hand roughly grabbed her shoulder to force her to meet his grisly face. The harsh wrinkles which littered his skin indicated this pervert was probably old enough to be her grandfather. Instinctively the petite blonde slapped his hand away and used his surprise as an opportunity to dash off into the alleyway towards her apartment.
Her legs burned as she ran as fast as she could to get away. Unfortunately, Ray didn't get far before her foot caught on a crack in the concrete, causing the woman wince in pain before catching herself on her elbows, nearly planting her face in the ground. Without a thought, she tried to get up when a jolt of pain froze her in place. Her eyes darted down towards her foot, almost glaring at it as she realized the fall twisted her ankle. It would be difficult to run without pain shooting up her leg each time her foot kissed the concrete. Rachel could only hope she had gained enough distance, and that he would give up. She quickly forced herself back up, and limped away as quickly as she could.
Unfortunately, She didn't get as much of a gap between her and the man as she hoped. The man still had enough in him despite being drunk to catch up and corner her against a nearby dumpster, leering in delight at his little win.
"Leave me alone."
Her cold stare was met with a heavy slap across the cheek, the momentum was enough to force Rachel to her bottom on the cold concrete. She could feel a sting from where he had hit her and reflexively brought he hand up to the spot.
"Shut up ya little bitch… I'll put you in yer place." A disgusting smirk painted his face, and dull grey eyes stared her body down with ill intent, letting her know exactly what he meant by that statement.
Rachel did not fear death, but she disliked the idea of being defiled or beaten. Her heart was racing in her chest as his foul breath closed in on her. She protectively hugged her arms around her chest. She tried desperately to devise a plan of escape, but as her assaulter drew closer, her options became nonexistent. Rachel clenched her eyes shut, waiting for her fate to befall her. Instead something warm splashed onto her body followed by the song of a maniacal laugh.
Cautiously Ray opened her eyes, still holding her arms against her chest. Her would have been rapist stared straight at her, with an expression of shock and horror frozen on his face. However, what was most notable was not the odd face he was making at her, but the large blade which protruded through his chest. The warm liquid which had covered her.. It was blood…
Her eyes widened in surprise when her gaze shifted to the man wielding what she now realized was a scythe. She recognized him instantly, there was no doubt it was that man from the cafe who had said her expression was boring. Ray watched as in one swift motion and his hooded figure slung the corpse against an adjacent wall with ease, a stream of blood escaping the body with the action. Rachel couldn't help but flinch at the sound of cracking bones as the corpse hit the wall, lying lifelessly on the ground. She knew should have been terrified, yet she seemed to feel a bit of relief. While the chances of him killing her next was high, she could accept it. She would rather her life come to and end than be used as some living sex toy.
"Looks like I found ya in quite the predicament there!" He spoke in a crazed voice.
It was too dark to make out any features, especially with his hood. Though he did appear to be covered in bandages, just as she had observed his hands were before. The man flicked his weapon clean before returning his attention back to the small woman on the ground before him.
Rachel remained silent even when he leaned forward with a devilish grin that made her tense in place. Her cerulean orbs met the one she could make out in the darkness. A unique, pretty amber color hidden behind a reddish gleam. Her focus was snapped back to reality however as he held up three fingers inches from her nose.
"Now I'll give ya to the count of three...if ya wanna live then ya better start runnin! Oh! And I want you to cry and scream with every step!"
Rachel knew she couldn't run, her foot was injured. Even if it wasn't what was the point? It wasn't like she could get far, she wouldn't cry or scream, either. Her heart was still pounding and yet she was froze in place, with only a single destructive thought bringing her comfort.
Would it really be so bad to die? Being murdered isn't a sin. If I died...Then all this senseless pain would be erased...Everything would be erased… I would be erased…
Having made her resolve, the blonde adjusted her arms to clasp her hands in front of her chest as if to pray, her head bowed to the man in front of her before closing her eyes once more. She was willing accept this man's blade taking her life, however it never seem to come. Those three seconds he gave her were long expired, but the blow never came.
"Th' fuck are ya doin'?" The man asked, his voice hissed with irritation.
Ray's eyes fluttered open, looking up to see him staring at her in confusion. He hadn't killed her? But, why?
"What am I doing?" She asked cocking her head to the side, a bit confused herself now.
"Why aren't ya runnin? And th' hell is that boring ass face? You look like some dead looking doll."
"My foot is injured so I can't run away. Even if I did you would catch me…" She paused pondering his last statement. "Also...I cant look like a dead doll. Dolls were never alive to begin with."
"Tch! Ya think I don't know that?!" He got close to her face again. His irritation replaced by eagerness as if he got a thought that pleased him.
"C'mon! Ya can at least make a better face for me! I saw it when that creep was about to have his way with ya! Cry! Scream! Beg for your life!"
The small blonde blinked at the man. Her eyes dead as ever. He wasn't pleased.
"Th' fuck?! Tch! Your face is so damn boring!"
"I'm sorry…I don't know what I can do about that."
A frustrated growl bled from the killers throat. What was wrong with this chick? It wasn't much, but she had at least looked a bit more scared only moments ago.
"Yer face was perfect for worm food over there! Ya sayin' you were afraid of him but not me?"
"Are you going to rape me?" She asked with an almost curious tone. She wouldn't be comfortable if this man had similar intentions to the drunk. From the look of shock and utter disgust she could tell that he did not.
"WHAT THE HELL?! Don't lump me in the same category as that sicko! I ain't that low!"
"Then no." She stated matter of factly as if it should've been obvious.
The man stood back up tugging his hood down his face clearly disturbed by the young woman beneath his towering form.
"Ugh! You're so boring! Listen, I'm not into slicing up emotionless dolls." grumbling irritably at the situation the killer decided to move on and find a prey that would provide more amusement. Her subtly surprised tone calling out to him stopping him momentarily.
"You are not going to kill me, then?" Rachel stared at the back of his head with the same dull, blank look as before.
"I told ya! I don't kill dolls! I'm a respectable adult!" He didn't even turn to look at her, before resuming his stride into the darkness.
Ray blinked a few times in confusion by the whole thing. If not for the evidence on her clothes, she would have debated having hit her head during the fall. In a way she felt relief, but also disappointed.
She knew any normal person would have immediately called the police after a murder. The thought vaguely crossed her mind as the murderer walked away without a care. She knew she should, yet she felt a small bit of gratitude for him killing the man who tried to attack her. Even if he had intended to kill her after, he still had indirectly saved her nonetheless. Besides, dying by his hand was something she couldn't say she would have minded, so she supposed not calling the cops would be one way of thanking him.
It would just be more of a hassle anyway.
She took a moment to gather herself. The small blonde carefully stood up, trying to keep as much weight as possible off her rolled ankle. It wasn't broken or sprained, but was going to need some ice. She began her slow walk home at last, steadily making her way home at last.
Zack rinsed the crimson liquid from his body. His last two kills had been messy. Very messy. He couldn't help it. That brat had grated his nerves, and as a result he had taken his frustration out on a middle aged couple who looked way too damn happy.
He grinned just a little at the memory of the way they begged and screamed. The male victim trying desperately to protect his lover, the look of despair on her face when he had failed.
It was almost enough to cull his frustration. Almost. He couldn't seem to get those dull blue eyes out of his head. He had recognized her as the same woman with that boring look from the cafe. Though her face sure as hell wasn't boring when that creep was about to get his way with her.
What was her problem? Did the brat wanna die? Tch…
Something hadn't been right with that one. A normal person would have to be all kinds of fucked up to be alright with being killed by a monster. Stepping out of the shower Isaac sighed at his disfigured body reflecting back at him. The physical proof of what he was.
It had been a dumb move to keep her alive; he should've just killed her. She had seen what he looked like, she probably would give those bastard police more information on him. He couldn't get over that expression...Just the thought of killing her with such a dull expression made him sick.
Zack grumbled irritably, as he reached into a drawer for some gauze. Whether she was a problem or not, he had absolutely no desire to kill that girl, a notion he was unfamiliar with in his life.
After the first week of school, Ray had fallen into a routine of leaving early so that she could drop by her job for a coffee before heading to class. That Monday started out the same as normal as she closed the glass door behind her, a new flavor of latte in hand to familiarize herself with.
A chill ran up her spine when a cool breeze swept across her skin. Rachel zipped up her light jacket up to help guard her upper torso from the wind. Her legs would have to suffer, as she had only a pair of jean shorts and sneakers on her lower half. She found it futile to dress for cooler weather when it was only cool in the mornings, and at night. During the day it remained a relatively pleasant temperature, though it was a matter of time before the colder weather rolled in, forcing the leaves would begin to change their colors before falling from their perch.
It wasn't long before she spotted the large school building and entered onto the campus grounds. She was fortunate the school was just a few blocks from her job, it made going and coming between the two easier on her wallet, along with her personal time. She continued her steady pace towards class, something in the distance caught her attention, bringing her legs to a slow halt.
Just ahead of her, walking from the opposite direction was a recognizable hooded figure. From the distance she could make out the bandages which hid his skin, and the familiar features immediately brought the color of red back to her mind. There was no question it was him, the murderer from the alleyway. Why? Why was he here on school campus? She noticed he was also carrying a backpack, did he go to this school? Why would a killer want to go to college? She blinked in his general direction, Rachel's mind quickly filling with questions concerning murderers and their lifestyles.
In the meantime, Zack continued his stride around the grounds for the third time now, glancing between the paper clutched in his hand, and the direction he was heading. Even with this map that had been so neatly drawn out, he still found it difficult to navigate this campus. He let out a long grunt, shoving the paper back into the pocket of his hoodie as he tried to look around the unfamiliar territory.
Instantly his eyes caught someone staring in his direction. Zack felt a jolt rush through him, as he noticed a familiar pair of dull blue eyes set on the rather clueless looking expression. It was her, there was no doubt about it. Damnit! What was she doing here?! This wasn't good, she was looking directly at him. Had she been watching him? Was she following him? This was going to be a problem, one that he needed to address soon.
Rachel blinked, seemingly frozen in place as their eyes connected. The man was getting closer and closer, clearly coming straight for her. Yet all she could think to do was stay where she was. He definitely didn't seem happy to see her there, so maybe he was planning to kill her after all…?
Zack quickly closed the distance, while Rachel just stood there with that vacant expression. Her eyes widening a little when he grabbed her wrist, tugging her with him. She didn't put up a fight or resist him as he led her away from the public eye. After a quick scan of the area he spotted a secluded corner, tugging her in that direction. Once he was positive they were out of sight, he positioned her back against the wall, she didn't flinch, not even when he slammed his palm against the brick next to her head. Isaac made sure she was trapped between him and the side of the building with no way of escape. He was trying to gauge a reaction, but she was just as emotionless as that night in the alley.
"You following me?!" He snarls, his face inches from hers. She doesn't react, pissing him off further.
"That would be impossible."
Zack glared down at her expressionless face, searching for even a trace of fear. She was calm as ever, it would seem that she hadn't lied about not being afraid of him after all. He wasn't sure how to take that, or what to do with this girl.
"Shut up! Why are you even here?"
"I go to school here." She responded simply.
SHIT!
A look of shock spread across his face at her response, a pit growing at the bottom of his stomach. This was bad, he couldn't let her live, yet he had no urge to kill her. He'd feel like shit if he killed her with that dull expression of hers. To let her live was dangerous, she knew too many details about him.
"Are you going to kill me?"
Her soft voice snapped him from his thoughts. As he processed her question through his mind, Isaac backed away with grimace, clutching at his stomach. Such a disturbing thing was almost enough to cause him to lose his last meal.
"Don't say gross shit like that!" The man gagged in disgust, whether it was because of the question, or the fact that he realized there was no way he could kill her with that dull look, he wasn't sure.
Rachel tilted her head in confusion, he thought was she said was gross? It seemed strange coming from someone who enjoyed readily killing people by slashing them open and splattering blood everywhere. After Zack recomposed himself, he brought himself close to her once more, a sinister look in his eyes. Any other person would have been terrified by such an expression, but of course Ray lacked a reaction.
"Tch! Listen here ya deadface girl. If ya tell anyone 'bout me…" He started in a menacing tone, grabbing the front of her shirt to yank her close enough for their noses to nearly touch. "...Then I'll kill ya!"
"... I understand. I won't tell anyone." While she didn't make any reactions, she tried to keep her tone sincere as she promised.
Zack straightened himself back up, releasing her. The man seemed a little more relaxed, though the scowl never left his face. With better lighting she was able to make out more of his features than she had been able to the other night. He didn't have the same crazed expression, though still undoubtedly looked dangerous. What stood out most to her was his unique eyes, one being the pretty amber she remembered, while the other was significantly darker and the pupil looked to be a different size, it was almost kind of cute. She couldn't make out much except what was exposed of his skin around his eyes and mouth was a few shades darker than hers. The black hair that poked out from beneath his hood looked like it would be soft to the touch. Getting a good look at him, despite being a killer he was rather attractive, something she didn't usually notice or pay attention to, but something about him seem to stand out.
"Glad ya got it through your head."
The man ruffled his dark locks in irritation before he withdrew the map from his pocket once more. Shit didn't make sense to him at all… This was a genuine pain in the ass. His eyes flicked up from the paper as he noticed the blonde still staring at him, her expression unreadable.
"What?"
"Do you need help?" She asked casually, as if he hadn't just threatened her life.
Th'fuck is wrong with this chick?
He sighed heavily, he really didn't want this girls help. However, he wasn't so smart when it came to this kind of thing. Fuckin' nuisance… He mentally cursed the old man, as he had done so many times since being forced into this ridiculous situation.
"If you let me see, I can show you were to go…"
Zack's irritation was peaking, but he really didn't have much of a choice. The man grumbled under his breath.
"Gah! Fine!"
He reluctantly shoved the paper into her outstretched hand. Ray wasted no time looking over the simplistic map, blinking; surprise written all over her face. Zack lowered himself down to her level, peeking between her and the paper.
"There something weird on there?"
Ray handed the sheet back to him, unsure how to explain her new discovery.
"No." She responded softly.
"Well then? What's the problem?" Zack stood up straight, keeping his eyes on her.
Rachel gave herself a brief moment of preparation, looking back up at the man after. "We have the same class."
"... Hah?!" Well this was flipping frick-tastic! Great, just fucking great. He mentally cursed his shitty ass luck.
Rachel was just as surprised as he was. This would be an interesting semester. Very interesting...
"Yep…."
"Well shit!" The man tugged his hood over his face, muttering various expletives under his breath.
The walk to class was silent and awkward. Ray glanced at the man from the corner of her eye, her curiosity only growing. Did she bother him that much? His irritation seemed to increase as they made their way through a crowd of students laughing and smiling, she noticed that strange red flicker in his eye. It was still strange to her that he would be attending school, especially since he seemed to dislike people so much. The pair took a flight of stairs before making a left turn towards the classroom.
"Here we are." Ray's gentle voice broke the silence that had grown thick between them, the man followed her lead through the open doorway.
They were half an hour early, none of the other students were in the classroom, and the professor had not yet arrived either.
"Tch..."
The man didn't waste so much as a second before shoving past her towards the back of the classroom. It was then that she noticed him fidgeting with an object buried within his sweater. Curious, Ray moved in closer, catching sight of a black handle inside of his hoodie pouch.
Did he bring a knife?
"What th'hell do ya think yer doing?" Zack growled through gritted teeth, when the blonde proceeded to seat herself in the only chair next to him. He had elected to sit at a corner desk to avoid being surrounded.
"You can't bring weapons to school."
The man turned his intense gaze onto the small woman following her eyes to his pocket. He snapped his eyes away to glare daggers across the room after realizing she had noticed what he carried.
"Shut up."
His day seemed to be getting shitier with every passing minute. He had already felt on edge from the short walk from his apartment to the school. The man avoided heavily crowded places whenever he could. Anytime he had to go into town for anything he made sure to only go when the streets and stores were nearly vacant. Then to have this bitch show up at the same school and class… What a joke. Though not as much as the silent confession he made to himself of having absolutely no desire to kill her.
Ray furrowed her brow slightly, then turned her attention elsewhere. She hadn't reported his attack on her, and even now she had no desire to out the man. Not that she condoned violence, she didn't find murder to be something easily forgiven, and she knew he had probably killed some innocent people. Yet she found didn't hate or fear him despite knowing it. She supposed it was because whether intentional or not he had saved her. Plus, she had only just met the man, so even if he seemed a bit rude she didn't really know much about him, or why he acted the way he did.
Vsssst Vssst.
Snapping from her thoughts, Ray withdrew her cell phone from her pocket. Zack eyed the device curiously. He knew about cell phones and various digital devices of course, he just had never owned one. He just barely learned to read last year. He still had a bit of trouble with it to be honest; so he wouldn't of been able to make much use of the device.
"Do you have one?" she inquired not bothering to look up.
Her boss texted her to ask her to pull a double shift on Saturday? Seem one of her co worker would be on a sudden vacation.
"Nah. Too complicated."
She was about to ask what he meant by that, but she felt eyes on her. She was sure she knew exactly whose eyes were watching, too. Sure enough Eddie had shown up with the girl whose name she found out was Siri last week from the teacher role calling.
The red haired boy didn't even smile at her this time, his green eyes shifted to Zack, before Siri grabbed his arm to drag him off to sit elsewhere. Rachel felt an instant amount of relief to not have to deal with socializing with him as well today, though she could tell from the look on his face that he wasn't happy.
Soon more students, along with the teacher made their way into the classroom. She peered at the man seated next to her, his eye looked as if it might have been twitching slightly. He had a wild gaze fixated on the posters on the wall, or up at the ceiling; though he remained quiet the tension radiated off him like a thundercloud.
It wasn't until the teacher started to role call that she realized she still wasn't even on a first name basis with this man.
"Isaac Foster." Ray noticed the man next to her cringe.
"Zack..just Zack." The man responded irritably, he never liked his full name.
The professor nodded then resumed calling the rest of the class. Isaac...Or Zack, was it? He glanced at her, seemingly irritated, unaware of the fact Zack realized she also now had both his real name and nickname now. Ray quietly raised her hand when her name was the next to be called, ignoring his stare for the moment.
As the professor began the lecture, Ray couldn't help but to peek past her curtain of hair at him again. He was very fidgety and chewing the inside of his cheek. His knee was shaking the whole desk from what she presumed was a level of anxiety. Zack seemed to be focusing more on restraining himself from stabbing someone than what was going on within the class. Maybe he was just really bored? She hoped it was just the latter, as she went to reach into her bag for a notebook and writing utensil, along with the rest of the class when the teacher began the assignment.
Zack glanced around as everyone else seemed to be prepared, whereas he didn't. Shit...He didn't even have paper or a pen. All he had packed was the required book that the old man had purchased for him and some snacks incase he got hungry. The man blinked in surprise there, noticing this chick next to him, whatever her name was, as she nudged a couple of pieces of paper and a pencil in front of him. Zack grunted in response, unsure how to react to her helping him out.
The hour dragged on, feeling more awkward as he noticed the rest of this class seem to know answer after answer to the teachers questions where he didn't know a single one. It irritated him, being in this position of not knowing. The girl next to him seemed particularly bright and attentive while he was close to dozing off.
God, I'm bored…
Yawning the man stretched his arms schooched back and casually propped his feet up on the desk resting his hands behind his nape.
"Mr. Foster, this isn't your living room. Please remove your feet from the desk."
The woman glared at Zack's lack of manners. The man was close to snapping back at her, till recalled the old man's lecture from the other day about following instructions. He rolled his eyes and complied with the teachers request. What an annoyance. The man was not fond of being told what he could and could not do. Fuck this shit… Truth was he wouldn't be here if his living situation wasn't threatened. Fuck that old man for making him do this.
"Tch, stupid…" The man muttered so low only the blonde could hear.
Soon as the class ended, the man bolted up only to be stopped by a small tug on his sleeve, it was that annoying woman he couldn't seem to be rid of.
"Hey…"
Rachel couldn't help but notice that Zack really seem to struggle in class, he was unable to focus, as well as not really understand basic etiquette. It was his first day from what she gathered and already he was getting into trouble.
"Whaddya want now?"
His tone was slightly less irritable than it had been before. This gave the woman a bit more confidence to proceed.
"It's...I noticed you seemed to get in trouble a lot...I could offer some ad-"
"TCH!" Zack cut her off. "Shut up! I don't need some quiet doll who can hardly make a proper face tellin' me what to do."
Before she could utter another word, he was gone.
Zack's long nap hadn't done much to improve his mood. The man stretched himself up from the couch, grumbling his way towards his bedroom to change into a different pair of clothes for his nightly routine. What bothered him most, as he slipped on his dark brown hoodie and crimson trousers, was the fact that he couldn't seem to get her out of his head. His thoughts were constantly invaded by those eyes.
She looked dull as hell. He had noticed idiots eyeing her left and right as they walked to class, but her face was so boring… Yet he couldn't get it out of his head. He couldn't help but realize while he should have been furious at this girl and their situation, she was pretty intelligent, and seemed pretty eager to help him out despite only knowing him for a little while and threatening her life twice. It was possible that she could turn out to be useful when it came to this school thing. Long as she kept her word and didn't open her mouth...
No he couldn't trust her. It was bugging the hell out of him. She was a problem. He had to get rid of her, but how when he couldn't get himself worked up enough to want to kill her.
"DAMN IT!"
Isaac uttered a growl, as he punched the wall in frustration. He took a deep breath, then cut back through the living room to step out onto his balcony. Zack ruffled his hair, trying to figure out what to do about her. He knew where she worked, and now he knew she shared the same class with him. This gave him ample opportunity. Perhaps he could try to catch her off guard? Evoke some kind of emotion to rile him up enough to kill her?
He is suddenly broken from his train of thought when he hears his neighbor out on their balcony. It was a nice night, with a calm breeze and a big bright moon hanging above a sky decorated in stars, and shades of black and blue. It made sense for them to come just as much as he had.
At first Zack wasn't interested, but a quiet realization then crept into his mind, the idea that he can get his floor back with one simple disposal of the noisy tenant. He ducks his head down, trying to hide his face while he glances over, preparing for a little joy kill only to be met with a pair of listless blue eyes…
He is immediately caught off guard, even she seemed to show some surprise to see him standing there.
"Y-you?! Are you actually stalking me?!" His tone was accusatory, unsure what to make of any of this bullshit.
"...Yep it's me." Her face settled back into her usual blank expression, though it was obvious she was a little bit annoyed by his question. "Shouldn't I be asking you that, you did intend to kill me for a split second."
"Shut up, and I can see that idiot!" the man ruffled his black hair irritably. "Why th'hell are you there?"
"Why are you?"
Isaac slammed a palm over his face, ignoring her question. He can hear her. Her asking him if he has a headache, as he's slowly putting the pieces together. She was at his usual cafe. She was at the same school, and his only class. She lived next door to him. Yet despite all these prime opportunities. He still had absolutely no desire to kill this girl...
"It is a pretty moon out, though."
"...Fuck me…"