The case file that was rudely dropped on my desk woke me up from my drowsy day dream. I opened it, still a little pissed off that it unfortunately woke me up from a grand little snooze. I opened the manila folder to find one paper, a missing persons report, not even a back side, just a front.

“Um, why wake me up for one damn piece of paper that you could just tape up on the wall!?” I screamed across the office to the open door with the name Joey Lane painted on the window.

“Calm down Aubree, I just need you to investigate it, that’s all. No need to get your panties in a bunch sweet stuff.” Joey was my boss, head detective in this department. He was tall, tan, athletic, comical, had a charming smile. To sum it all up, one great piece of ass I’ll tell you that. But then again that was the usual look for Santa Barbara guys these days. He liked to call himself Joey Bond; even now it still makes me giggle. You know how you laugh at something but not because it’s funny, because it’s just so stupid it kind of seems funny? The only thing distinctive about him that made him different from the rest of the crowd was his scar. He had this scar on the left side of his face. He loved to tell people he got attacked while working a case, but between me and you, it was caused when his wife at the time threw a hot iron at him. I glared at him and got my coat on.

“I’ll see you in a week,” I said irritably.

“Where you headed?”

“Scratch my ass on the couch. What do you think?” I took the case and purse and walked out the door. He must have thought my caustic comeback was funny because I could here his laughter as I walked out the door. I got in my car and slammed the door. I started the ignition and left this sad excuse of an office. I was driving on the open road for what seemed like five minutes tops. I must have zoned out though because my car jolted and suddenly came to a brutal stop. I looked at my fuel gage which was completely empty. I banged my head against the steering wheel as I screamed every curse word I could possibly think of. I sat there for what seemed like hours until I realized I couldn’t wallow in my own sorrow. I got out of my car and checked my cell if I had bars, yeah what was I thinking. I was out in the middle of nowhere, literally.

“Ugh could this day get any worse,” I screamed out into the openness. I walked for a while until I saw an old abandoned looking house. A pretty crappy house if I must say so myself. Nothing high-end detectives or anyone in the world that has a slim amount of common sense would ever want to buy. But it would have to do for now. I examined the house with a close mind, the stairs looked as though they could give out at any given moment and leave me plummeting straight to hell, the shutters were hanging off one little hinge that I doubt would support it for much longer, and the porch swing looked as though it hadn’t been sat on for three thousand years. I started thinking out my plan how I was going to break into the house and stay for a night or so then continue walking to find the closest gas station and go back home. But as I was looking for a way in I noticed a park truck on the side of the house. Almost hidden, more like they didn’t want anyone to see it, but why? So someone lives here. I walked up the unsteady stairs carefully, I was about to ring the doorbell but thoughts and doubts crossed my mind. This whole thing kind of seemed sketchy to me. But there was no way in hell I was going to sleep in my car tonight. I reached my hand out to the bell and pressed my finger down.

The light shimmered through the blinds. She caught my eye about 3 miles down the road. I didn’t know it was a girl at first, my hopes hadn’t aroused until I saw the heels. Heels, a lady’s holster for the tan and long guns they owned. I needed her, I wanted her, and I’d do anything to have her. Her blonde hair fell down her back in long stunning curls, her petite waste rocked that little black skirt she had on. Even from far away a blind man could see she was flawless in every shape or form. I turned around and stared at the room across the hall. The house was dark but you could see the silhouette of a lifeless body on the twin bed. “She’s a lot prettier than that stupid slut, right Dad?” My question echoed throughout the house, I sat there waiting for an empty reply. I frowned and turned to face the window. ‘Where did she go?’ I thought to myself. She disappeared. Great! I turned around and started down to the kitchen when I heard a rickety noise. My ears pricked up and I turned around with a grin. I rushed to the window to see if my ears were deceiving me. My hearing was crystal clear; she took that risky trip up those three thousand year old stairs to see me. A little voice in the back of my head started barking at me, ‘You ignorant fool; she needs a place to stay, to rest. No one in their right mind would ever come and see you.’ It was brainless to think otherwise. I watched as she pressed the bell and with an excited heart fluttering sigh, I opened the door in a flash.

I was startled to see the door open so fast, quick service I thought to myself. I tried to block out the thoughts that he was my own personal slave, because he wasn’t. I was a guest in his house, and I was just going to have to hold my tongue and behave myself. It was kind of hard too though; I was so busy talking to myself that I didn’t even care to look at the poor boy. He was cute. He had brown shaggy hair, dark eyes, almost like a pool of darkness. There was something mysterious about him, and I liked it. Not someone you would imagine living on the outside of the world like this, that’s for sure. But it was obvious this man had been cut off from society. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he didn’t have a telephone, or maybe he had one of those phones with the little rotating buttons. Those made me laugh, and just seeing him in my head using one made me laugh even harder.

She was beautiful, model gorgeous. Someone you’d expect to be on billboards scattered across the nation. I stared at her flawless face and took it in for a second. Her eyes, light brown, welcoming me into a world of love and honesty. Her lips, so kissable, I had to bite my lip to hold myself back. But something about her helpless facial expression changed. Was she laughing? Better question…at me? I started becoming angered, I felt the blood start to rush to my face and my head started pounding. I was in a fury, but still had a smile on. I needed to keep my composure for my plan to play out. Oh yes, we’ll see who is the last one laughing.

“Hi, can I help you?” I sensed a little bit of curt mixed in with my attitude as my sunglasses slid down the bridge of my nose.

“You ringed my doorbell miss…” My rude remark probably shied him off. You could see he was starting to blush as if he did something wrong. Crap.

“Oh man, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so rude; I’ve just had a hell of a day. Walking for miles, see my car broke down all the way down the highway,” I pointed to the right as he looked down the road as well.

“Oh my, that’s a long walk. Your feet and body must be tired. Please come in. Have some food and relax,” he offered sweetly.

“No I can’t do that. I don’t want to impose. I’ll just keep walking down the road until I find the nearest gas station.” I started to make my way down the stairs ‘No, my pretty, you’re stuck here,’ his voice, soft and quiet, almost as if he were whispering in my ear. I turned around “What did you just say?”

“I just said that the closest gas station is more than four miles down the road.” I couldn’t keep walking on; I’ve been walking for miles all day. I turned back to look at the strange little man that I had crossed paths with. His grin not only seemed a tad bit creepy but somewhat inviting.

“Well, if you don’t mind I’d like to take you up on that offer to stay.” His grin turned into a great smile, of straight teeth and a beautiful glimmer. I was surprised. Looks like tonight wouldn’t be so bad after all. I followed him up the remaining stairs I started to descend and followed him down the hall. I noticed that there were no other hats or coats on the coat racks. What a loner.

“Oh I forgot to catch your name,” I asked with curiosity.


“How about I trade this grilled cheese sandwich for your name first?” He smiled at me. I grabbed the plate and started to violently shove the sandwich in my mouth. I didn’t realize what I was doing until I noticed him laughing softly at me. Wow. That must have been attractive. I put down the plate and finished swallowing.

“My name is Aubree.”

“Hmm. An Old German name, meaning elf or magical being, also associated with power.” He looked at me with another one of his award winning smiles and started to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” I was vexed by his laughing.

“I noticed you were short, now I know why.” He started to laugh again, but this time I joined him.

“Oh shut up. What’s your name stranger?”

“Jarrett, same origin as yours but mine means strength of the spear.” He gloated proudly.

“Jarrett the parrot…”

“Ha-ha. Your funny aren’t you?” He looked at me with those mysterious eyes. I wonder what went on in there.

“People tend to say so as a matter of fact.” I winked at him to show I was being sarcastic.

“Well dwarfs tend to always have the best jokes.”
“Yes. Yes we do.” I smiled and continued to stare on in his eyes. Something changed though. One minute it was a pool of mystery and amazement and the next it contained horror and trepidation. His smile faded and he started pacing. I was wondering often what went through his mind but now it was obvious that something was wrong. I turned around to face the staircase.

“Maybe I should go to my room, I need rest.” I started to continue towards the mouth of the stairs.

No, no, no, no, no. What was I thinking? I needed to get this plan started, Dad wouldn’t approve of this stalling. Her smile was radiant and she was real compared to all the other skanks that had passed over the generations. I couldn’t fall for her, I knew I couldn’t. But you can’t control feelings right? Was that my great excuse? I’m such an idiot, I’ve never been put in this position and now that I am…I’m screwed.

“Let me go up there first and get your room ready,” he said sweetly. He leaped up the stairs, skipping one step after every step. To some it might have looked suspicious, but to me, it was adorable. I stood there for a great deal of time as I heard shuffling and cursing upstairs. I wonder what was going on.

I finally got the door shut. The blood dripped while I was dragging her, but I couldn’t do anything about it right now. I would just have to hope that this girl wasn’t a big adventurer. But just in case I pulled an old rug out and covered as much as I could. I smiled at my grand ideas. I started down the stairs and saw her sitting on the couch. Damn she’s gorgeous.

“It’s all good now. Sorry it was a mess.” He started to chuckle.

“Oh, don’t sweat it. I’m going to bed now, I’m tired.” I started up the stairs without turning back. I was at the top of the staircase and saw the room at the end of the hall. My room for the night, it was as crappy as the house itself. The floor was old and dusty, almost as bad as the stairs, the closet door looked like it would capsize on me and I would never wake up. And what the hell was wrong with the windows? Windows are for peaceful sceneries, but no, these windows were brown. And the curtains were torn and tattered at the edges. I sat on the bed and the springs creaked. That was going to get old, really fast. I went in the bathroom and took a shower; the shower isn’t even worth going into detail over. I wrapped my body in one nasty looking towel and started for the bed to put my pajamas on. I brought my oversized Superman t-shirt. Well actually it wasn’t even mine. I must have spaced out because I realized that my towel was on the floor.

“Crap, ugh why do I even try?” I was whining as I bent over to pick it up when I noticed something. It was a red little drop, almost looked like a little paint splatter. I got on my knees and looked closer. “Oh my god, is that blood!?” I covered my mouth quickly, god I hope he didn’t hear that. I looked down again but something else caught my eye before I could even get my eyes to the blood splatter. “What the hell is on my finger?” I slowly removed my hand from my mouth and looked down on my hand. There was blood splatters scattered across the outside of my hand. I stared down in awe and ran to the sink. I started scrubbing and scrubbing. As I bent over to get the towel there was blood all over my feet as well. “What is going on!” I screamed.

“Is there something wrong?” I let out a high-pitched scream and turned around with my fist locked. I took a swing but my fist was rudely caught by an open palm.
“Whoa, calm down there tiger. It’s just me, no need to go boxing legend on me.”
“Good god, never do that to me again! I literally almost pissed my pants.” I started to laugh at how silly that sounded and thank god he joined in. He must of noticed my feet all bloody because his laughter turned cold.
“What happened?” I could sense the stress in his voice. I needed to find out what was upstairs so I made the best lie I could.
“Oh… that,” I pointed to my suitcase lying on the floor, “that wretched thing jumped me when I came out of the shower.” I tried to joke it off but I still sensed his curiosity starting to bubble.

I looked over to her suitcase and noticed a manila folder on the bed. I didn’t leave that there. Who was this chick?
“Oh well. I’m going to bed, and I advise you do the same.” His warm cordial personality snapped to a cold demonic character in a matter of seconds. What in the world. As he started to walk away his shadow seemed to get larger. I couldn’t sleep in this house knowing something was hidden upstairs… or even someone.

‘How the hell could you be so stupid! We don’t bring cops into this house you idiot. Their bad news, they get their noses into business that isn’t theirs, and now you’re going to rue the day you brought her in here.’
‘Why don’t you just shut up for god damn sake,’ I screamed. Silence met my reply to his rude but correct statement. I couldn’t bear it. I closed my eyes softly and dreamed of her. I saw her walking down my road. She was calling my name, and there he was following her, stalking her every move. And in the dark of the night he snatched her, he took her away from me, and I never forgave him. I opened my eyes hoping that the nightmares would be far from my grasp and I could wake up with her in my arms. But that wasn’t the case.

I listened to him yelling at no one for what seemed like half an hour. I couldn’t just stand there while the room above mine has its menstrual cycle all over my sheets. I started down the hallway and took a sharp left. The hallway was decorated with pictures and pictures of his family. Memories in the making, my mom liked to say. All of the sudden a sharp pain had aroused in the back of my head, I grabbed the wall with my open palm and turned around. I slid down with my back against the wall and that’s when I saw Jarrett holding a baseball bat with that smirk on his face.

“Oh sweetheart, I told you to go to bed.” I tried to reply but the room started to spin in circles and the colors left in the dark hallway turned to pitch black. I closed my eyes and prayed.

The sound of laughing fluttered to my ears and the smell of jasmine reached my nostrils. I turned around to find myself at home. I look around and it was all coming back to me. It was the summer of ’96, that’s when I had my first real crush. Tommy Fredrickson down the street, now that I remember that kid was a total nerd. I looked at the playground in the front yard and saw myself, 20 years younger, without a care in the world.

‘Kids, come on in. Time for dinner.’ I knew that voice, I hadn’t heard it in quite a while but I could never forget it. Mom. I stared with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes. I walked through the white picket fence and slowly walked down the walkway. I ran up the remaining stairs and I was a little girl all over again. I looked up at my mom and started to cry. In a split second I was all grown up again. I wiped the tears off my cheek and leaned towards. I kissed her on the cheek; I don’t care if she couldn’t feel it or what. The memory started to flicker from dark back to my mom.

“Mommy I miss you,” I took a sobbing sigh, “and am so scared,” The back of his hand reached my face violently and left with a sting. I whipped my bangs back and stared at him.

“Oh shut up you stupid b****. I told you to go to bed.”

“Oh I’m sorry, I just really didn’t appreciate being bled on all night,” I snapped. He started to pace across the floor violently.

“She saw the blood. But no that’s impossible. I cleaned it up, I cleaned it up, I cleaned it up! He was right, she’s too nosy. She doesn’t know anything, she cant; I stopped her from going….”

“Would you just shut up already? Stop talking to yourself. You’re a creep and a loser, and that’s why you live out here all by yourself.” I turned my head and looked up the stairs. He stopped pacing and looked at me. The look in his eyes was no longer mysterious, they were cold and lifeless. I tried to breathe as he stalked closer to me, but my airway felt blocked. He grabbed my wrists and started to drag me up the stairs. I tried to fight back but step by step I got weaker and weaker. My legs no longer kicked and throttled, they lay there motionless almost like they were hanging by a limb. I watched him as he whispered things to himself; I tried to talk but the tighter he grasped my wrists the more light-headed I felt. I started to close my eyes and the room got darker and darker. Soon the surroundings and pain from the stairs faded, but this time I wasn’t home. I was in an empty hole of darkness. Oh isn’t this great.

She was so pretty in the light, her hair glimmered, and her face half shone with light and the other darkness. I couldn’t let her go to my head. I closed my eyes again and there she was. Beckoning to me, looking at me with love in her eyes, and there he was. Just like he always had been, standing there, ready to lunge. I opened my eyes and she was gone, but she was never really there. Aubree looked at me, she was awake.

“Who’s Leanne?” She asked. Her eyes were big and her cheeks were tearstained.

“What?”

“You were moaning the name Leanne…”

“Oh. It’s none of your business.”

“Okay, sorry for asking.” She leaned her head on the wall and started to cry again. I could tell she was scared, and I was too. I hadn’t taken this long to kill one before. So why couldn’t I?

“When I was nine my mom and dad got divorced, they had a huge custody fight. After my mom won my dad left the face of the earth. When I was thirteen my mom died in a car accident and was bounced from foster home to foster home. I didn’t see my dad for years and I get a call three months ago telling me he was found dead because of a cocaine overdose,” I started to cry and sniffle, “I’m twenty-one now, eight years I don’t see that son of a b****. He’s sniffing cocaine and I have nobody. How is that fair?” The silence seemed to last forever, the thought that he dozed off crossed my mind. But the silence was broken.

“Leanne was the most important person in my life. She used to live in that house across the street.” We both looked out the filthy window, as I turned my head back to him I noticed a switchblade left in the crease where the wall and floor met. I bent down with my rope-tied hands and grabbed it quickly so he wouldn’t notice. He turned back to me and continued with his story as I started to maneuver my way out of this predicament. “Biggest brown eyes, perfect smile with the little gap in between her two front teeth, cutest laugh I’ve ever heard. She wasn’t like anyone else I ever met, she understood me and she laughed at my jokes,” he started to chuckle, “but when my mom died I was broken. She could tell by the look on my face that I just wasn’t the same person anymore. I grew more distant and pushed her away. One day when I realized what I had done I went to find her. To apologize and get her back somehow.” He stopped talking and looked on the ground. I was so close to getting this wretched rope cut.

“What happened?”

“She had moved on and I had to do the same. But he didn’t get her in the end either.” He looked up and straight in my eyes. The rope was so close; I could feel the grip start to loosen.

“They didn’t work out I’m guessing?”

“No they didn’t.” I could feel the blood rushing towards my wrists. Only a few more cuts and I could get out of here.

“Why, what happened?”

“I killed her.” My heart stopped. I looked up at him and tried to murmur something but I couldn’t get any words out. “It was easier than I thought. I was so mad; I lost my mother and now the girl of my dreams? It’s not fair. Why should I be unhappy? What did I do to God that he decided to jack up my life? She deserved to have her throat slit.” Getting the rope off was no longer my problem. It was now trying to get out of that house alive.

“What is wrong with you? You killed her in cold blood. That’s not love, that’s being a psycho.” He looked up with hatred in his eyes. He started towards me. I wasn’t vulnerable anymore, and he didn’t know that. He was fast though, by the time I realized what he was doing his hands were already on my neck.
“Who’s the loser now huh? Who’s your daddy Aubree?” I started to scream for help. What help? I started to black out slowly. Not again, I didn’t know if I was going to wake up this time. I looked down and saw a shovel; I stretched to get a hold of the handle. I tried to get a grip so I could strike, but it just wasn’t happening. I couldn’t die this way, I couldn’t. I took one last lunge and grabbed the handle. I turned around. I took a swing and landed the shot.

“Who’s your daddy now?” I dropped the shovel and started to run. My adrenaline started to rise faster by the second. I needed to find a way out of here. My car was stalled miles down the road and for all I know his truck could be dormant. I heard stumbling footsteps and panicked. I looked around and ran into the closest door I could find. I closed it softly just in case he was near. I could hear him. He got closer and closer.

“Aubree, come out, come out wherever you are.” I started to scoot myself farther in the closet when I stumbled upon something cold and toe-ish. I turned around and even in the dim light I had I could see it was someone. I covered my mouth before I had the chance to blow my cover and scream. I started to cry. I heard the floor start to creak and could see the door knob start to turn. I was frozen in terror. What was I going to do? I didn’t have the time to sit and think. I needed to act fast.

The closet door opened slowly, I knew she was in there. I could feel it in my gut. So where the hell was she? The faint light shone through the crack I had made and even in the faded light I could see her. Not Aubree, but the other one. She caused all the mess, I stared her down. Her pool of blood had caused his next victim to become curious. If there wasn’t so much blood, if he just cleaned it up earlier. He got sloppy, cocky; this is what he got as a punishment. He knew one thing, that girl…couldn’t leave the house. At least not alive.

Behind the door was my great hiding spot. I started to scold myself, but it was a miracle that I was still alive. Other girls lost along this road that had stopped at this house for shelter, to be invited by this handsome host. Only to be possibly raped and killed, he was a monster. Preying on innocent and vulnerable women, it made me sick, he made me sick. I knew there was a fifty fifty chance I would make it out of this house alive. I couldn’t try and pretend that the possibility of dying wasn’t at hand. The door shut as I was trying to consult with myself about what I was going to do. His footsteps like thunder pacing away, the hardwood floor creaked after every step. I started to be able to breathe again and I knew what I had to do.

I opened the door just wide enough that I could see if he came back. I heard the back screen door fly open and close shut. It was my time to run, to make a dash for it. I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity and let it slip out of my hands like my many others. I put one foot out the door and started to slowly walk across the wood.

At first I couldn’t hear anything and I started to wonder if my ruse had worked. I began to doubt my talent when I finally heard the floorboard creak.

I was so close to just running down those stairs and out the door. I don’t know where I would go from there. But I would just run, and never stop. Then, the floorboard creaked underneath my step.

It was time for me to catch my prize. I no longer felt remorse for this girl. She saw a weakness and used it against me to escape. But not this time, any more mind tricks and no more games. I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity and let it slip out of my hands like my many others.

I heard him start to walk up the stairs. Not even a walk, but a saunter. Like he had won, caught his prey and now he was going to slaughter it. Maybe he had won; there was nowhere else to go. He had blocked off my only exit out of this hell hole. I started to cower back and find a corner of a wall where I could maybe creep into and hide away. I could hear him coming, the louder my heart pumped when the closer his footsteps got. I closed my eyes and prayed, clicked my heels, tried everything. But nothing worked; I was never going to get out of here until I found a way out.

I started up the stairs, calm and pert. No longer was she the winner of this mind game. I had got my way, once again. Although none of the others had tried to run before, except Leanne. I reminded myself that she was gone and continued with the task at hand. The closer I got up to the stair landing the more excited I became. I was finally going to get this girl. No way could she outsmart me now.

I looked down both directions of the hallway, but his footsteps kept getting closer and closer. I was running out of time. I heard him reach the top of the staircase, I dashed for his room. I tried not to slam the door as I closed it behind me. I leaned back and tried to get my heart rate down; the adrenaline seemed to rise every time I heard the floor creak. I started to search and delve through his belongings, something that could get me out of here. I saw something sparkle out of the corner of my eye. Sitting on his dresser were his car keys to his pick-up truck outside. I heard his footsteps start to go up the second flight of stairs. As soon I knew this wasn’t another trap I made a run for it. No taking it slow, I had what I needed and I was going to get out.

Where was she? The house wasn’t that big so I knew she couldn’t have gone far. I was irascible, no matter if I got closer I was always one step behind. I hit myself against the wall and my head started ringing. It lasted longer than I thought it would, the ringing sounded awfully familiar. I heard the front door slam. I sprinted to the window and saw her getting in my truck. I was screwed. I couldn’t let her leave. Not without the proper goodbye.

I violently tried to jab the keys into the key hole but my hands were trembling. When I finally got the key in the ignition I tried to turn it. I heard the engine rumble over and over again, the gas was out. And I had made a scene. By now he was probably halfway down the stairs. I didn’t have anywhere to go. I could try and get to the gas station but how I do I know he doesn’t have spare gas and could come and track me down at any time. I was running out of options. I looked down and noticed a piece of paper on the floor of the truck. It was a picture of me from some newspaper article I was in like two months ago. What was it doing here? I looked at the back of the truck and saw pictures of me taped up on the glass. When I was eating, working, reading, even just sitting with my cat, they were everywhere. I noticed a little handwritten note taped up by one picture of me with Joey. I couldn’t read the handwriting at first but then it started to get less blurry. “For you and only you baby. For you and only you.” What a sick bastard.

I saw her in the truck. I saw her look at the note and I saw her find the pictures. I knew it was too late to make any negotiations. I couldn’t let her go now. She’s seen too much.

I looked over and saw him running toward the truck. He wasn’t going to win, not this time. I tried the keys one more time. I closed my eyes just in case it didn’t start. But to my luck it did. I put it in reverse and backed it up and started to pull out.

I stared in hatred as that stupid woman got the car to work. I couldn’t let her go I couldn’t. Nobody was ever supposed to find out. Nobody suspected the loner.

I tried to drive but the stick shift was new to me. He ran past me and stood in front of the truck.
** I knew she wasn’t going to run me over; she wasn’t the killer or the monster here. I was.

I couldn’t run him over I just couldn’t. I looked at him with such compassion. Then I looked at the pictures. He had over hundreds of pictures and newspaper clippings.

The notes, his scrawny handwriting writing, the note itself made me feel sick to my stomach. I no longer looked at him with compassion, but with hatred. I moved the stick shift and pressed down on the pedal. I watched the car get closer and closer.

I was paralyzed, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t think.

I felt relief as I drove away down that highway. I passed my car but didn’t dare stop. I just kept driving. I never looked back, just forward. ‘For you and only you baby. For you and only you.’