The Carter Hollow Murders

"Trace" - First Official Murder

Moving closer the girl, I look at her. She is wearing dark red Converse with faded jean shorts and a blue t-shirt with a band's name on it which I'm too far away to see clearly. Her wavy brown hair is in a messy bun.

I met her yesterday. She said her name was Beth Rose. She was really nice and outgoing unlike most freshmen. She was pretty too.

I see her wave good-bye to her friends as they walk away from the basketball court. They're heading back to their dorms. I walk closer to Beth Rose as she dribbles the basketball and practices a few shots.

I hope we become friends.

"Hi," I say casually.

"Hey," she replies.

"Could I practice with you?" I ask.

"Sure," she smiles.

We practice dribbling and passing, and she laughs at my jump shots. She has a nice laugh.

I wish I'd never met her.

During a break, she checks her phone.

"Hey!" She yells.

"Yeah?" I shout back.

"We need to head back." Beth sounds annoyed. "It's almost 9:20. We have to be in our dorms by 9:30. I jog over to where she is.

"Let's walk back together," I suggest.

"Sure," she agrees.

In the dark night we go back to our dorms. I walk close to her. She's so nice and pretty and funny I wish we could be friends.

But we can't be.

I can't be seen with people who are from the wrong side of the of the tracks. People who got into Carter Hollow on a scholarship.

People like her.

We reach a dark space between the streetlights. I touch her arm. We stop walking.

"Beth Rose?" I say.

"Hmm?" She says.

"I had fun tonight." She starts to smile. I interrupt her.

"Can I hug you goodbye?"

"O.k." She opens her arms.

I lean close. Her hair still looks perfectly messy. Hugging her, I whisper in her ear.

"I'm sorry. So, so sorry."

Her eyes widen but she can't scream as I cover her mouth and knock her out. I lay her down in the shadows next to her dorm where the streetlights don't shine. Her hair is falling down but I brush it way from her face as I slide my knife across her throat.

Beth Rose was perfect.

People like her don't belong here.