It was a cool quiet summer night in the sleepy little town of Amsterdam when the scream rang out. It was a scream so alarming that lights all around town started flicking on as the sleepy residents exited their cozy homes in search of the noise that had so rudely awaken them.

In the town square a body was found. Upon first glance the body looked as if it was dumped there, but on closer inspection the body had been placed there in what looked like a modeled pose. The body had been place in such a way that it looked as if it were merely sleeping; the eyes were closed as if in slumber, the face looked almost angelic. The hair, that was a sandy blond in color, splayed out as if it were spread across a pillow. One arm was bent with the hand open at the side of the face while the other was laying bent across the waist. The legs were slightly bent at the knees and the feet were crossed at the ankles. The only things missing from the scene were a bed, pillow and blanket as the body was clothed in pajamas.

It took the police about ten minutes to reach the scene because of all the chaos surrounding the area where the body laid. There were frightened whispers and many a crying child could be seen around the square. Lights were flashing from the police cars and rescue squad, police radios blaring of reports of noise and of officer's communication from the surrounding towns and state police.

As the town officers were working to cordon off the area where the body was and get the townsfolk to return to their homes a flash was seen from the roof of the corner drug store. As the police and a few of the town's men took off running toward the drugstore in an attempt to corner whoever was on the roof another flash went off beside the theater and another by the library and yet another on the roof of the hotel. These flashes caused quite a stir as shouts were heard and screams were sent up as each new direction was called. People were running in every direction trying to apprehend the person behind each flash, but all that was found was a carefully placed and secured camera flash set on a timer to go off.

Thirty minutes after the first flash was seen the state police and the coroner arrived to take care of the body. Pictures were taken of the scene and of the onlookers in hopes that the suspect would be mingled in with the townsfolk. As the coroner looked over the body there were no marks or bruises to be found, only a fresh tattoo of a rose in the open palm of the victim. While the coroner was taking care of the body the state police were collecting any and all evidence they could find, which wasn't much; only the camera flashes and timers that were placed throughout the area.

To all onlookers left on the scene all of the flashes were accounted for except the one that went off simultaneously as the flash from the theater as no one saw it or thought to look at the water tower where the criminal was perched watching and photographing the scene below.

And that was as far as I got as my phone rang signaling that my time alone had come to an end as my best friend Alice had decided to interrupt yet again.

Sighing to myself I picked up the phone "Hello, Alice, to what do I owe the pleasure of this interruption?"

"Oh come on Bella, you have been holed up in that apartment for five days, I've been wondering if I should send out a search party."

"At least the search party wouldn't have to go too far." I said sarcastically.

Apparently Alice wasn't in the mood for sarcasm today since she immediately started in about her plans. "It's Friday night, there is a new club opening and my cousin finally decided to move to town, you remember me telling you about him right? Well anyway, he's here looking for a place…" I let her ramble on and on inserting "uhuh's" and "yeah's" in a few spots so she would think I was listening, which I should have known wouldn't get by her.

"BELLA" Alice yelled snapping me back to the conversation. "You haven't heard a word I said did you?"

"Yeah I was Alice, your cousin is in town and you want to check out a new club."

"And what else?"

"umm, I don't know, you kind of scared me with the yell to my ear drum." I said.

"Well anyway, you are coming with us tonight; Rose, Em, and Jasper will be there and you can finally meet my cousin Edward. Oh it's going to be so nice to have all my family and friends in the same town!"

"Alice, I can't go tonight. I've just started writing again after that big mess with Jake, which you interrupted my creative flow so thank you so much." I didn't really feel like being around people again after the mess that my life had become recently.

"You can't keep yourself locked up just because Jake was an ass. Now you are coming out with us and that is final. I'll be there in a few hours to help you get ready. Bye!" and she hung up on me. I stood there gapping like a fish with the phone still attached to my ear trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

I groaned as I finally hung up the phone, trying to figure out a way to get out this evening. I knew I didn't have a chance in hell to get out of this outing Alice has planned for tonight. I sat back down at my computer with the hope of getting a bit more of my story written before the tornado known as Alice showed up. Needless to say that didn't happen because as soon as I sat down the phone rang again.

"This is getting ridiculous" I groaned as I reached for the phone.

"Hey babe, it's mom. I'm just calling to check to see how you're doing." Not this again I thought as I balled my fist up and hit the counter. "Mom, for the hundredth time I'm fine. You don't need to call every couple of hours to check on me." I said trying to get her off my back about the Jake situation. It's like everyone thinks I'm going to jump off a cliff or something because of the way everything played out. "I know honey, but I worry about you. You moved to that little town practically in the middle of nowhere and I don't get to see you anymore. I miss you."

"Mom, you're only six hours away, that's really not that far. If I promise to visit soon will you stop calling so often, at least limit yourself to one or twice a day?" I asked trying to get off the phone, mom was really starting to bug me with all the phone calls. It was getting ridiculous she had called about ten times already today and it was only five thirty in the afternoon. Every day for the past two weeks it has been the same thing starting at seven in the morning, and I am so not a morning person. Now, I love my mom to death but enough is enough.

"Now Bella…" she started. "Mom, I started writing again and you're like the third person that has called to interrupt and I've finally got my mind clear enough to do it." I interrupted hoping she would get the hint that I really didn't want to talk, but opening my mouth yet again had back fired on me as she started firing question after question at me.

"Oh honey, that's great. I always loved your stories. What is this one about? How far have you gotten? When can I read it?" "Mom, would you breathe for a little bit? God I just started it, I'd be a lot further if I didn't have to keep answering the phone every hour on the hour." I know I can't take my frustrations out on my mom considering she isn't the only one calling all day, every day. I know I could screen my calls and let the machine take messages, but it's broke. So I'm stuck answering the phone every time it rings, which is doing very little as far as helping to keep me sane let alone get any work done.

"Ok, ok, I get it. I'll let you be, but you better visit soon." Finally I thought. "I will mom, love you. Bye." I hung up the phone and looked at the clock on my stove realizing that I was on the phone with my mom for about a half hour, well that was better that usual I guess. Mom's normal calls always last at least an hour so I guess I can count myself lucky for now.

It would be so nice if I could just turn off the ringer and be completely oblivious to the outside world for a while, but that would just mean that I would be answering the door more often. Rose, Alice or Em would be knocking it down every few hours if they couldn't reach me by phone. Besides my friends calling to check on me I was also waiting on a few potential employers to call since I lost my last job because of Jake and the shit he caused where I was working.

I had a nice job as a receptionist at a school in the next town over, it was only a thirty minute drive and the only job available at the time I graduated with my degree in elementary education. I also have a degree in literature, hence the writing that I have been trying to accomplish with all my interruptions. I wish everyone would leave me alone for at least a little while, I know they are all worried about me after what happened with Jake, losing my job and the hurried move I made to this wonderful apartment to get away from the situation; but come on that was three months ago. Although I did luck out in finding this place and so far it's in my price range, at least for the next six months or so anyway. Alice's aunt found it for me, or should I say pretty much gave it to me. Esme owns the complex and has an interior design company on the side and after Alice told her that I needed a place to stay for a while she shot me to the top of the list of potential tenants. I didn't feel right about taking it but what can you do? This complex has four apartments. I have and end apartment which leaves only one more open for Esme to rent out, which is where the guilt comes in because I know that she isn't charging me the full rental price for this place. Even though I feel guilty I still fell in love with my apartment, well it's more like a condo but either way I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. It is a new construction in a quiet part of town with a park down the street.

This place has a wonderfully spacious kitchen with all stainless steel appliances, a connected living room and dining room, two nice size bed rooms with the master bed room having its own bathroom, hard wood floors throughout, floor to ceiling windows in the living room and dining room, sky lights in the master bed room and bath. I even have a garage attached to the kitchen by a mud room and my own patio out back, how cool is that? Esme even helped me furnish the apartment since I left everything but my clothes and other personal belongings behind.

I looked at the clock and realized I had a few hours until Alice showed up, so I sat back down to try to continue writing for a little while.

Within a few hours the pictures from the scene below were posted on the internet. Everything from the first initial scream to the disbursement of the crowd after the body was removed and statements taken could be seen. The link to the pictures was also sent to the state police, but was routed in a way that couldn't be traced since it led back to an internet café that was closed for the night. Through the next few days the investigation was continuing to hit wall after wall with no additional help from the coroner or autopsy that was done on the victim, who they couldn't even identify.

The town had all but forgotten the scene that played out that night, until a month later when the scene was repeated down to the last detail. The only exception was that the victim had dark brown hair, even the rose tattoo in the open palm was the same. A new link was even sent containing all pictures that the criminal took including a new picture of the words 'miss me?', this time the link was traced back to the community library that was also closed at the time.

The police were having a hard time with the investigations since there were no finger prints or traces of evidence left behind, not even on the body. They were even having trouble with the identification of the bodies; it was like the girls never existed before their deaths. One of the most troubling pieces of information the police had was the picture with the words' miss me?'; as they couldn't figure out if the words were in reference to the criminal or the victims and had no leads in either direction.

That was about as far as I had gotten when the door bell sounded, making me jump as I realized Alice was here. I answered the door and was pushed to the side as Alice entered carrying her arsenal of beautification products and a garment bag.