In her mind she was the princess; spoiled rotten who got whatever her heart desired simply because she was beautiful and rich. In reality she was fragile and insecure because mommy and daddy dearest never gave her a second thought.

I knew this. I knew all I needed to know about the spoiled little bitch the moment I saw her. She masked her lack of confidence with manipulation and acting as society's puppet. Just flash a smile, show a little breast, and buy the masses with daddy's credit card. Everyone was wrapped around her dainty, manicured fingers. Everyone except me.

I saw right through her foundation-caked façade she wore; right to the rotted soul. She was disgusting and petty, with a voice like nails on a chalkboard. In her mind, she was the princess, in mine she was the wench; good for nothing unless in between the sheets.

It was time for her to meet the real world; to see reality. And reality was me. By the end of tonight, her act would be mine to own. I would be a better Jackie than she could ever hope to be. Prettier, too. Because, remember: beauty is on the inside. Too bad when she'd see the world without her ugly fortress she'd already be dead.

The air was bitter, quiet, and so thick with dust that Jackie could hardly breathe. Once everyone was separated into their pairs, she realized how scary this house was and how alone they really were. She didn't feel save, even though she was most likely the most protected of them all. Steven wouldn't let anything happen to her; the strong hold around her waist told her so.

But the look on his face, that look he couldn't hide rom her, showed that he was at least worried. Was there actually something to be afraid of? Ever since he had gotten back from wherever he had gone off to, he had been eerily quiet; not the normal "zen" quiet either, there was no zen whatsoever on his face.

Jackie squeezed Hyde's hand in order to calm him down and to reassure herself that he was there and she wasn't alone. This house gave her the creeps and watching her friends depart for their own adventures in the lofty building gave her the sinking fear that she'd never see them again. But at least she had Steven, and they'd all meet up later; she was just paranoid. If she didn't him, she wouldn't have the will to live. He was her rock.

Jakie's stomach squirmed uneasily and she winced in pain. She felt a light touch on her cheek and met the gaze of piercing ice blue pools. Her discomfort seemed to eradicate with his touch.

"Let's find someplace to sit, doll," Hyde whispered. Jackie relaxed even more at the endearment and nodded, allowing him to gently lead her to the front door.

"Outside?" She asked him curiously, he nodded and seemed to want to run out of the house as he closed the door. There was something wrong. Very, very wrong. "Baby, what is it?"

"We need to talk." He murmured in a monotone voice, sounding surreal even though he was so "zen" all the time.

No. He couldn't do this. Not with what she had to tell him.

"Steven, wait… please…?" she was practically pleading; she could already feel her heart starting to shred. Was she not good enough? Things had been good lately… no more than good; amazing. His fast pace came to a halt as he turned to her.

"Jackie. Get in the car." His voice sounded so icy it sent a chill down her spine. His eyes were dull; as if he were dead on the inside, and was simply a vacant vessel. What happened while he was gone for that short amount of time?

The petite raven-haired girl breathed a shaky sigh and reluctantly walks to the passenger door of the Vista Cruiser. As she waited for her boyfriend to unlock the driver's side door, she heard a slight rustling in the brush behind her. Jackie turned her head to the shrubbery and stared at it for a minute; why was she holding her breath?

Suddenly a searing pain shot through her ankle; it felt as if someone had branded her skin. Jackie gasped and fell against the door; tears burned her eyes yet she willed them not to fall; she was stronger than that. She heard the hood pop as Hyde's foot stomped down on the metal to jump over to her side in what seemed like a millisecond.

"Jesus Christ… Jacks…" His face was paler than she had ever seen; what happened? Her mismatched eyes glanced at his hands. Was that blood? Was he bleeding?

"Steven…" She whimpered, wrapping her arms around his neck. He quickly opened the backseat door and laid her down.

"Listen, just… don't scream." Wait. What?

"Steven what are you talk-?"

He covered her mouth as a blood curdling scream erupted from her throat. His pocket knife pressed against her ankle, but it was burning. Why was it burning? All she saw was white and all she felt was heat as tears forced their way through her pinched eyes.

As the pain began to recede, Jackie could hear his voice, the vulnerable voice he only used with her, repeating "I'm so sorry," over and over. What was he sorry about? What had he done? Slowly, she opened her eyes and felt her stomach clench with nausea.

He was covered in blood.

Play right into my trap. The pieces were falling into place and soon everything would be set in stone. The wheels of suspicion were beginning to spin, and I would have a scapegoat. With a vacant mind like the princess's, she would believe anything and everything; she'd even believe her boyfriend was to blame for a massacre. Soon I'd have her right where I want her and she would trust me until the end.

"Steven… are you bleeding?" She asked, voice hoarse. The blonde shook his head and locked his eyes with hers.

"Jackie… just forget about it. We're fine." Jackie crossed her arms, even that movement felt sluggish. She shouldn't be this tired. "Why don't we just go-"

"And leave our friends here?" She asked, "I want to go home so badly, but we're not leaving them here. What if they get hurt and need us?" Hyde sighed heavily and scrubbed a hand through his hair.

"Jackie, I just want to get you safe. I want to talk to you."

"Safe from what?" She interrogated, feeling another wave of nausea wash over her. She couldn't get sick now.

"I don't… just trust me, okay? This isn't even what I…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "You need to rest," he advised, causing her to scoff.

"Steven, I'm scared. How the hell can I rest when all I want to do is run?" She flinched as his hand ran through her hair. He recoiled at her sharp movement and even she was in shock; she had never so much as winced at any touch.

"I don't know."

That was the final straw. With a sudden burst of adrenaline, she practically flew out of the car. Jackie heard Hyde cry out to her to stop, and suddenly fell forward on her face. She couldn't walk… she couldn't feel her foot. Her eyes glanced down her leg and screamed in horror; her right foot was gone, laying five feet away from her.

The shriek was cut off by someone yanking her in a standing position by her long hair. Her body was slammed against the car once again, and a knife pierced her face, slicing from her eyelid down to her chin.

"Steven…" she whimpered, unable to even cry as the knife slashed against her neck and chest. Her body was numb as she crumpled against the ground.

Jackie couldn't move, her eyes stared straight as she watched Hyde bite his lip then run through the yard as he searched through his pockets. The last thing she heard him say was, "I promise I'll find out who this bastard is." The tall silhouette began to approach her once again. She stifled a shriek as she caught the silver glint of a blade reflect from the bright moon.

"Steven!" The twenty year old woman cried, her voice ringing through the air. She knew he wasn't going to let her die. Her heart pounded heavily in her head and nearly jumped out of her chest as she watched, paralyzed as the man raised his knife. Jackie braced herself for the crippling pain that would consume her body, and closed her eyes.

She heard Steven cry out, his heavy footsteps from his boots echoed through her mind. The curly haired man grabbed her assaulter and smashed their head against the car.

The first person took a swing at him, who narrowly missed the blow and hurled them to the ground; the first thing done was he removed the mask covering the face.

Jackie couldn't believe it. This couldn't be possible.

I felt her stricken gaze on me and slowly turned. Grinning preciously, I waved and went back to the kill. I knew her weakest point; I knew what would make her die and let me take her life. Only I wouldn't be the one to end it.

Jackie lunged toward her boyfriend and the unmasked attacker, trying to stop the inevitable. She flinched as she heard the sound of the large blade perforate through skin; yet she couldn't feel anything. Opening her eyes, she screamed as the blade came down once again...

A scream tightened in her throat as she witnessed the blade sink into Hyde's chest. The horror and shock in his bare eyes was more emotion than she or anyone would ever see from the young man.

"NO!" She screamed as I pulled the blade from his body. Blood poured from the perforation and his breath gurgled; a bubble of crimson was his last exhale. I smiled sweetly and popped it before stabbing his abdomen; his left lung, to be precise. With a feeble twitch and jerk; his body went still. I would never tire of that feeling.

Jackie leapt forward and pounced on the assailant; she used her nails, teeth, hands, feet, anything that would cause harm. Blood dotted her face and hands as she continued to beat the relentless person against the ground. Instead of a cry of pain; all she heard was laughter.

"You sick fuck," She hissed, reaching for the blade left unattended on the ground. Her face was a mess of blood and tears as she fought for dominance, yet failed as she was pinned on the ground, next to her fallen lover.

"Reach into his pocket," she heard the whisper, sharp against her ears. Just like the blade. "DO IT!"

Jackie shook her head and didn't even shout as the blade pierced her stomach.

"You know he had something to say… you know he was ready to tell you something. And what did you have to tell him, doll? You were carrying his child. The poor little bastard." Jackie laughed sharply and struggled to break free from my grasp. "But I'm not going to kill you; that'd be too easy. You had it right all along; this place is no good, after all!" I shrieked in a voice that nearly matched hers.

"Just reach into his pocket, dearie. You'll see what he wanted to say all along."

As her heartbeat grew louder in her head and her body felt heavier and heavier, Jackie slowly obeyed. Her fingers touched the denim of his jeans and her eyes widened. She pulled out a small black box from his pocket and felt a rush of emotion, illness flow through her veins, taking away her will to live.

"Open it."

"Go to hell." Jackie spat, "I'm dead anyway."

I laughed at her poor attempt at an insult and caressed her hair. She quickly turned her head away from me and I shook my head.

"You look just like you should, now… you deserve all of this and more. You knew you'd never have happiness, you knew you didn't deserve the life you dreamed of, which is why it was nothing but a dream. Now, I'm giving you an opportunity here. You can either live your life looking like you do now and being a freak in society-"

"Like you?"

"Or you can end it now. Be with your precious Stevie." Her eyes flashed with emotion at the mention of the man who lay still beside her. "Your choice."

Jackie took a deep breath and watched as the gloved hand offered the blood-stained knife. The black-haired girl felt a sob catch in her throat as she took the weapon. When she said she wanted a love like Romeo and Juliet, she didn't mean how it ended. But now that seemed her wish had come true; right to a T.

"No." She whispered suddenly, glancing up at the newly masked person with one eye. "I won't do it, I won't do what you want me to. I don't care if I live or die, but I will not let you win. If I die, it's on my terms. Not yours."

So persistent. So greedy. Everything was always how she wanted it; there was no way to avoid it. The princess was showing every ounce of her spoiled personality even as she breathed her last shallow breaths. Even though it would be what she wanted; the satisfaction of her death on my hands seemed right.

She made no sound as I snapped her neck.

I sat in the chair with the notepad and pencil in my hand, and a bloody foot on my lap. Six names had been written, and four were crossed off; the last two that remained were the ones I was looking forward to most. The fifth name was circled and I held the wax doll in my hand. I flipped the miniature look-a-like over in my hands, then took the small braided rope and tightened it around the neck. Hanging the doll from the arm rest on the chair, I sighed and watched it swing back and forth, as I stroked the cold, dead foot.

Now that the princess was gone, the knight would have no one to protect. No one to care or be cared for; leaving him vulnerable and easy to torment. Bye, bye, Burkhart, hello Jekyll and Hyde.

Author's Note:

I apologize if this chapter was horrible. I really don't know how I feel about it. I've read over it... it seems very fast-paced. I hope it's good, I just don't know. To me it's not, but it has the potential to be good. But I kind of like it too, I don't think it's good but I like it. So...

And I know it may have seemed really confusing. But don't worry. It'll make sense in the end.

And if you're wondering, Hyde did not cut off her foot. He cauterized it. She also lost her left eye... who ever said I was a nice person? :P