She killed them all, without hesitation too. Each of her victims were so innocent and naïve. Sometimes she enjoyed it, trying hard to control the laughter inside that was dying to burst out. Other times she made the mistake of talking to them. She learned thing about some like their life back at home, why they had run away, and their names. That was her biggest mistake. Learning and knowing a person’s name gave you a certain tie to them, it also never let you forget them. I can still hear the way she said it. Sounding each syllable out because she thought my hearing was bad.

“It’s Marissa, not Mira.” She said, laughing at the thought of someone actually naming their child Mira. “And your name is?”

Hesitant to answer she finally blurted out, “Oh honey, I have had so many names in my lifetime.”
Although, it wasn’t an answer the young girl chuckled and climbed into the beat up green and gold station wagon. She looked around thirteen. She was tall for her age and built like she played sports, most likely soccer. She had stringy blonde hair that hung around the sides of her face, forming it into an oval shape. Her eyes were very intriguing; at times they appeared to be a hazel color, but when the sun hit parts of her face they appeared to be green. Her beat up tennis shoes and ripped jeans showed she obviously didn’t come from money, as well as the single black trash bag she carried around.
“Where are you coming from?”
“Texas, Dallas.”
“Run away?” She asked, even though it was obvious.

“Yeah,” she began to fidget with the rips in her jeans. There was a long pause, and then she started again, “I saved up enough money to buy a one way ticket here. I was a little nervous; you know coming alone and all, I’ve never went anywhere without my younger sister; she’s nine. But I guess meeting you was fait and a sign that I was supposed to leave.”

Listening to those words the women wanted to so badly to laugh. To laugh at this idiot girl who had no idea she was about to die. To point and laugh hysterically at her stupidity for getting into a car with a complete stranger. Wanting to shake her and laugh in her face for thinking just because she was an old lady she was someone to trust. Had this girl lived in a hole, or did she not realize that there were dangerous people in this world and you couldn’t trust anyone. Unfortunately she was unable to do those things; so she just smiled and looked at the girl.

Inside the car the humidity was overwhelming, Marissa made an unusual gesture to the women but she couldn’t make out what the girl wanted. Marissa began to roll down the windows. As soon as she did so the cool summer breeze filled the inside of the car. The streets were filled with children playing jump rope and hop-scotch. The park was filled to capacity with couples, and families having romantic picnic, barbecues, and birthday parties.

“This weather reminds me of home,” Marissa said, a pleasant and eager smile now planted on her face. She looked at the women uncertain as to why she had not responded.

“Roll those windows up!” She said, shooting Marissa a stern look, “Now!” All at once the women that had seemed so sweet, gentle, and caring had transformed into a mean, snotty, and evil person.

Realizing she might have frightened the girl she began to laugh, “Please, the smell from all that smoke gives me a headache.”

Unsure of what had just happened Marissa began to roll up the window. A sigh of relief filled the women. Fearing someone, anyone might have seen or could see the girl, she hastily locked the windows.

“We’re almost there,” she looked at the girl with a smile so wide it almost touched both of her ears. The girl smiled back.






KILLER

As the car pulled into the drive way the house looked as if it had been abandoned for years. The outer sides of it had large amounts of cobwebs attached, and the rust on the window sills made it seem as if they had not been open in day’s maybe months. As they entered the house from the back the inside was worst. There was no color and the furniture appeared to be nothing like the things she had seen in catalogs back home. The women motioned toward a room where the girl could put her stuff. God this house is creepy; but it’s really nice of her to let me stay and give me food. Marissa thought as she made her way through the dark hallway. Why doesn’t she have any lights? When she had entered the room it was a dull green color, probably the most colorful room in the house. She thought laughing at her own joke out loud. She sat her stuff down and began to shift through the drawers for places to put her things. When she bent down to untie her sneakers she notices a tiny silver clip underneath the bed. She got on all fours straining her body to reach it, unsuccessful at her multiple attempts she decided to move the bed. There was hardly any furniture in the room except for a single chair that was placed to the left of the bed. Putting all her weight into her arms she began to move the large, wooden, queen sized bed. She quickly grabbed the beret and shifted the bed back to where it was.

Examining the barest it seemed like it belonged to a girl. She had to have been her age or younger. It was beautifully crafted and seemed expensive. There weren’t any pictures of kids in the house, and the women never talked about having any, so why would she have this beret. Maybe it was a nieces that had been playing on the bed and was unaware it had fallen out of her hair and into the bed. In the midst of her thoughts all of a sudden she heard the woman’s voice.

“Marissa come here, I made you a snack.”

She threw the beret in the trash unaware of its importance and made her way back down the dark hallway to the kitchen where the women was standing. She smiled at the old woman as she presented her with a bowl of ice-cream. It was Marissa’s favorite; a mixture between vanilla and chocolate. There was unusual colored syrup dressed on top of it and various colored sprinkles. She began to eat mouth full’s at a time. She couldn’t even remember when her last meal was let alone the last time she had ice-cream or any desert.

The women watched intrigued by the young girl so hastily eating she smiled thinking to herself; She has no idea that she’s eating poison, Oh that poor stupid girl.

All at once the girl had stopped eating. She sat quiet for a minute; her skin turned to a purplish, blue color, and her posture went from upright to a slumped position.

“I don’t feel well.”

“Oh dear what could it be?”

She didn’t answer she looked around the room her vision in a haze. She tried to stand up but was unable to. The last thing she remember seeing was the women still standing in front of her smiling.

“What did you do to me?” She cried out.

All at once she hit the floor. She laid there motionless but before passing she did hear the women say one thing.

“Don’t worry, now you’ll be with the others.”