Page 3 of Sinner

“Whatever. They’re games. Not real life.”

They were my life anyway. As one of the designers for a small but profitable gaming company, we had challenge sessions every Monday morning where we tossed out ideas for possible future game development while sipping on lattes and bouncing on huge rubber balls used as chairs. While I had a sizzling list of ideas I kept locked away for security purposes, I thought a horror flick might generate the darker, more creative side of me.

The city of Chicago offered promise, even if the reason I’d moved here wasn’t entirely about accepting a position I’d gone after with tooth and nail. No, my reasons for abandoning my home in Baltimore were very personal. Much to my father’s anger.

But I was a big girl determined to live my life.

And right the wrongs that had occurred within my family.

We finally made it out of the building, the crisp air a welcome change to the recent weeks of sticky humidity. “That was… disgusting,” Stephanie said before bursting into laughter.

“It was made on a dollar budget too.”

I glanced at Ashley and shook my head.

“Baby girl. You don’t need to worry about money so stop complaining.” I told her.

She gave me the finger as I’d anticipated. The girl had balls, but a hell of a lot of brains too. Plus, she was the most gorgeous of the three of us.

“At least we managed to squeeze in some time together.” Stephanie threw open her arms. “Group hug.”

I groaned. She always did this as if we didn’t try to see each other at least once a week. “We’re going shopping tomorrow. Remember?”

Stephanie pulled away. “Shit. I can’t. My mother is insisting I go to brunch with her and dear ole Daddy.”

“Pooh,” Ashley chimed in. “We’ll miss you. Well, maybe not that much.”

We all laughed. “Where did you park, girlie?” Steph asked me.

“Over there.” I pointed behind me. The parking lot had been slam full when I’d arrived, but the other movies had ended around eleven so there were few cars left.

“By the forest?” Ashley made a face. “I will say this. You just had to pick a theater far removed from civilization. There’s like nothing else around.”

She was right about that. With one road leading away from the theater, it took a full mile before hitting a two-lane road heading for the highway. “This is the only location the movie was playing.”

“Gee. I wonder why. A dungeon,” Stephanie growled out and acted out a scene from the movie.

Shadows. The moon. The stars. They were both right in that this was a perfect location for a crime scene. Maybe that’s why I’d selected both the movie and the theater.

“Are you afraid of the dark?” I made a sound like a ghost. Steph hated the dark while I thrived in it. Darkness was when I was in my most creative spirit.

“You’ve been spending way too much time alone, girlfriend. Maybe you should get out in the light more often.”

They loved to call me a vampire. “Funny. Ashley. Eleven tomorrow. Don’t be late.”

“Me? Late? Never.”

“Always,” both Stephanie and I said with singsong tones. I backed away, waving to them before taking long strides toward my little car. Getting out for a change had been a great idea. I’d been working so many long hours that days had gone by without me knowing.

But I had plans.

Big plans.

And they would put me on the top of the gaming world. Plus, I could finally act on the biggest need I’d had in my life.

Destruction.

I obviously had a slice of evil lurking in the abyss of my mind.

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