Page 27 of The Killer You Know

I hold the small glass vial in front of me with just over an ounce of sanguine liquid in it. But just knowing it came from Robin’s dying body gives me pleasure.

I won’t let a drop of it go to waste. I can’t. I worked too hard to get it.

But with Brittney, oh, with Brittney, the game is far from over.

I’ve been saving her, keeping her close to me, and it’s a pleasure all its own. I’m savoring her terror, enjoying every moment of my day knowing that her day is warped with fear of the unknown and that her future is just out of reach.

And those rats.

A laugh pumps through me.

It was a stroke of genius on my part. What better way to add a little more torment while I’m not there?

But those rats are just the beginning. A mere taste of what’s to come. And judging by the way she screamed on and on, long after I shut the door, lets me know it’s a fitting terror for the woman who has been nothing but a terror to me.

She’s been getting off easy so far, but all that’s about to change. I’ve planned something special, something that will break her spirit the way she broke mine.

This isn’t about revenge.

It’s about taking back my life, piece by shattered piece. Each moment of their fear, of their suffering, is a step in the right direction when it comes to redeeming the past.

Those monsters took everything from me, but now I’m the one in control.

It’s their turn to lose everything, piece by piece until there’s nothing left but the memory of their torment.

Robin’s life is done and destroyed, just the way she destroyed mine.

And as for Brittney, she’ll wish I had ended her life quickly like Robin’s.

We all know that some fates are worse than death, and I’m going to ensure she experiences every agonizing moment of what I’m about to give her.

A dark sense of joy rises in me at the thought.

But for now, there are others that must be dealt with. Another monster that needs her life taken down a notch or two.

Those monsters think I’ve forgotten the way they’ve treated me. But I’ve simply written down their names on the blackboard of my mind.

It’s time to take roll call again.

And the next name on my list is Sophie Clarke.

Don’t worry, Soph. I know exactly where to find you.

You can run, but you can’t hide.

19

Sophie Clarke

Starting my day with a kale smoothie seemed like a good idea about four months ago—back when I was starting my day off with pancakes and coffee. But this year has been coming down the pike, about as welcome as a tax audit.

My twentieth high school reunion is at hand and I loathe that I was coerced into going. I missed the ten-year fiasco. There wasn’t a fifteen. I guess we’re sticking to round numbers.

And speaking of round, that’s something I refused to be come that infamous night. And since I’ve managed to shed zero weight over the last year—not that the effort wasn’t there on my part—it’s do or die at this point.

So far I’ve tried it all, keto, paleo, intermittent fasting, and working out like a loon. As it stands, I’ve decided I need fuel in the morning, thus this quasi-palate-pleasing green concoction that I somehow manage to choke down.

As soon as I chug the glug as I’ve come to call it, I lace up my running shoes for my usual trail run through the backwoods behind the condos where I live.

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