Page 36 of Heart of a Killer

“How did you get this scar on your thigh?” she asks, eyes still closed, with her head resting in the crook of my arm.

“It’s partly why I’m here. What about your scar?” I question her and run my finger over the raised tissue, tracing over the A and the long line that runs through it.

“It’s part of why I’m here,” she retorts with a smile playing on her lips as she looks up at me.

Not wanting to push her like I did with Amanda, I hold her close and run my fingers through her hair. She will tell me when she’s ready, as will I. One day, we’ll swap horror stories. Before pulling away, I kiss her forehead and move to stand.

“Leaving so soon?” she teases playfully.

“Yeah, you know. Don’t want to get caught. The sun is already starting to come up.”

“Wow, really?” She sits in bed to look out the window before dropping her shoulders in defeat. “I guess I’ll see you in a few hours.” Her lower lip pokes out at me having to leave.

I hold her head in my hands and kiss her pouty lip, then make her a promise. “When we are out of here one day, I’ll never leave.”

She looks up at me, all sweet and innocent with her round eyes.

“Okay,” she huffs before squeezing my waist in a tight hug.

Wrapping my arms around her head awkwardly, I hold tighter before leaving. My limbs tingle with the loss of her and I’m already wishing we were already out of here.

* * *

The scissors weighheavy in my hand. I have to return them to the doctor’s desk before he finds them missing. I scurry against the wall and check before every turn. I’m almost there. The brown wooden office door is just within my grasp when voices travel through the corridor. I turn, going in the direction of the bathrooms, and smack face-first into the doctor’s chest. The instrument in my hand is out on display, and I quickly shove it behind my back before he can see it.

“Brie, what are you doing out of your room this late? You know the rules,” he scolds.

“I ... Uh. I know. I just need to pee,” I stammer as my pulse beats wildly in my ears.

His eyebrows push together, and I worry he can see right through my lies.

“I’ll walk you there.”

“No, no, it’s really no issue.”

“I want to make sure you get to your room safely. I know we don’t have much for security, but I also know how the shadows linger in your mind. I don’t want you to go through a psychotic break on your own,” Dr. Benjamin insists.

I can’t deny him, or he will become suspicious. He turns toward the bathrooms, waiting for me to follow, and I shove the scissors into the waistband of my scrubs. I just need to get to the restroom without them being noticed. He walks alongside me, whistling that same eerie tune I heard playing in his office, and it sends a shiver down my spine.

My racing heart slows when the bright lights from the bathroom spill over our feet. He won’t follow me inside. He stands by the door while I go in.

Now, where to stash the scissors?I scour the restroom until my eyes land on the toilet. The tank where the water sits will be the perfect spot until I can get it back where it belongs.

Lifting the back of the toilet, the ceramic scrapes, and I freeze. The doctor isn’t investigating, which is a good sign. Gently setting the top down, I pull the scissors out and dip my hand in the arctic water, not wanting the scissors to loudly click as they touch the bottom. I replace the back cover softly before walking to the sinks to wash my hands.

The doctor is standing by the doorway when I exit, and his eyes are hard.

“I didn’t hear the toilet flush.”

Sweat beads along my hairline, and I bite the inside of my cheeks.Stupid Brie, stupid.

“If it’s yellow, let it mellow, right?” I joke.

The doctor has a hardened look in his eyes. I don’t think he’s convinced.

“Okay, Brie. Let’s get you to bed.”

He follows me to my room, and a sharp prick hits my neck.

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