The Void That Pulls

The Knife, The Plum and The Reporter

Danny had thought nothing could stop him, that he was a master manipulator above all. He didn't value others, and he didn't care. Any resemblance of emotion was lost near the end of his endeavors, the false sense of safety and security he put in place with his victims collapsing. Jed Olsen was the beloved reporter of Roseville, Florida. He was charasmatic, and kind and intelligent. He possessed the kind of intelligence that one could admire, at least on the surface level. When he was Danny, he was the complete opposite. Victims feared his cold intelligence, his precision that left people mangled in their homes. He was patient, and yet so unbelievably wired from the sensation that killing gave him.

Danny got away with plenty of kills in all his time in Roseville, being the lead reporter to solemnly interview the family and friends of the deceased. It was almost admirable work, almost flawless. Almost. Jed thought things were running smoothly, that he was undetected as much as he could be in the little town. He got off on the stalking, and the fear he struck into the civilians. He got off scott free- that was, until a photographer made their way into the office he occupied. She was new, she looked fresh out of college and just simply gullible. She had a pretty, slightly tousled, appearance; but it was endearing in a girl-next-door way. She had much darker skin compared to him and others in the small town, hair done up in an elaborate pattern if a protective style that sprawled across her head. She was bubbly, curious, and overall a nuisance for Danny.

He found that pretty girls were nuisances to him, and it seemed she had sensed his opposition to her when they first spoke. She sensed, but didn't care about it. Every day, she would show up, claiming that her job brought her on a trip to the Florida town to help solve the murders that had occured recently. She came in with new photos, mainly taken at night, with possible shadows of suspicious figures that passed nearby murder locations. She was good at what she did, but Danny couldn't help but feel like she was hiding something behind her smile. She acted similar to how he may around others, and it made him suspicious of what photos she was actually getting. Her name was Sadie, and that was all he knew of her.

Sadie was an open book, yet reserved when it came to her personal life. One would think she was just a people pleaser, but he knew. Oh he knew- she was very far from an average person. Jed thought he figured everything out with her, her motives, her presence; but he forgot a key detail. Sadie was observant. Smart. He feared what she might of seen in the dark of night, whether it was him killing his victims or proof of his incrimination. He noticed the devious looks she sent his way whenever talk of the murders came up, which is what fueled his curiosity. He had decided to investigate her house, observing the locks and entry ways and any possible cameras she could have installed.

Luckily, she was dumb when it came to security. She had left her back door practically wide open, the lock being faulty when it came to his skilled fingers. He smirked in delight, not believing the hilarity of it all. He snuck in that day, examining the decore in vague interest and looking for any incriminating evidence. Danny didn't expect to find anything, at least not in the open, but he did. He had tiptoed towards her small office, glass doors framed by wood and sheer curtains swinging in the breeze that swept through the house. It was cold and descolate in the home, like Sadie was barely even there. He had passed a doorway towards the office that day, noticing the multiple locks adorning it. Danny would look later, he supposed.

When he had silently crept into the room, he shuddered. His eyes moved along the walls, ugly wallpaper attached to the old office. Maybe she wasn't good at interior decoration, he pondered. He looked to his left, seeing a single window with similarly sheer curtains on the wall. Nothing interesting there. Although, the other side of the room brought a grimace to his face. Photos were littered across the wall, in the shape of some kind of fucked up heart. How peculiar. He stepped closer, gazing at the obscure photos. Was that...him? Him in his mask?