Dexter:

My sister Deb had to beg me to come to the cookout at the beach. Friends, steaks, and the sun setting along the Miami waves; any person would find joy in that, I suppose. But I'm not a person... I'm a monster; hunting for other monsters like myself. At least, that's what I should be doing, instead of watching everyone mingle. But Harry taught me the importance of blending in and seeming 'normal' to others; it's the only way I am able to do what I do and not get caught.

That's the number one rule of the Code: Don't get caught.

I wasn't expecting to find anything unusual here, just families and their kids enjoying the beach. But one of the kids looked a bit...'off'. I spot a girl, that looked no more than 10, walking along the shore. What was odd was her choice of clothing; a long dress that looked like it might've been worn centuries ago, but not in this lifetime - and definitely no kid from today would wear something like that, not to mention it was almost a hundred degrees here in Miami. There was something about her, something that said she wasn't normal...that she's just like me. Not so good at blending in though, are we?

"Really, Dexter? You think that little girl is a monster just because of her clothing?" Harry, the ghost of my father, said to me; he's been showing up a lot lately.

"She has something to hide, can't you tell? In my line of work you can never be too careful."

"But she's a child. Doesn't that go against your rules?"

Damn. He had me there. But something in my mind kept nagging at me, and I couldn't stop noticing...how this girl made a point not to hang around the other children, and when she wasn't alone she seemed to prefer the company of her father more than her mother. Not that that makes her killer, but it seemed odd. "Some things change, dad. Besides... I don't think she's what she appears to be."

Or am I so desperate for a victim that I'm choosing the first person, or child, I see?

But the Code of Harry is drilled into me, I can't go against it. I need to find evidence that this girl is a monster in disguise.

I watch as she puts down her backpack and I was just close enough to see the name written on it in cursive: Esther Coleman.

Silly Esther left her belongings unattended. With the family not looking, I make my move, putting on my gloves, I quickly look through the bag. There was only one item inside; an old Bible. How odd again. I take the small book with me, planning to take it to the lab to check for fingerprints. As I walked away, I carefully open up the book. Inside I found something else that screamed to my Dark Passenger; It seems as though Esther likes to keep trophies, like me. But unlike my blood slides, Esther chose pictures...of different men.

Is this why she was hanging around the father so much? Is he even her 'father' at all? Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions...but maybe not.

Let's see what you're hiding, Esther Coleman...