October 6th, 2014
There is no handbook on how to become... well, I haven't really become anything. That part of me, I haven't come to terms with yer. I don't really know what it is that I'll be doing. Well, okay, I do. How do you admit that to yourself? That you're looking for someone to kill. Perhaps that's the wrong word, too. I'll be immortalizing someone. It took some time to figure out how to properly watch someone without being too obvious. My presence was easily noticed and perhaps that's because I carry the presence of a cop. My wardrobe changed, then my personality, and finally the way I looked. It wasn't much. Each time I tried to put on a disguise it looked like one, so I changed small things like the way I fixed my hair and the color of my eyes. My hunting grounds were a couple of cities away where I wouldn't run into fellow officers or civilian workers from the station. Less people noticed me, and I was able to hold conversations with people without being memorable. How did I know this? They were usually employees of whatever business I was patronizing, and when I returned a few days later to pick up the conversation where it left off, they had no idea who I was. I hadn't brought myself to actually take anyone yet. Just the thought of it sent my heart racing and not in a good way, it wouldn't be in a good way just yet.
About three months after spending nearly a year creating another persona, I decided to take a trip as the new persona. I went to Arizona, to a small town just outside of phoenix. It looked like it was stuck in the 1980s with beat up old trucks, kids riding in the flatbeds with no seatbelts. Everyone was dressed in cowboy boots and hats, all carrying guns. It was certainly different from California, but I didn't mind, it was a nice change. The whole town could use a facelift into the present, though. I went into a diner that looked like it was bustling. Inside the waitresses were dressed in pink uniforms out of the 60s, oldies playing on a jukebox set into the corner. The smell of greasy food wafted out from the window that opened into the kitchen. A waitress zoomed by telling me she'd be right with me. I slid into the booth closest to the exit on the other side of the restaurant. My side faced the entrance, perfect for people watching. Their patrons consisted mainly of families with screaming children and elderly parents in tow.
The waitress who had spoken to me seemed overwhelmed with the amount of customers, so I waited patiently. Out of the corner of my eye, a woman stepped towards the booth. I glanced up to meet eyes with a young waitress holding a notepad. Her hair was swept up into a ponytail with a ribbon. If I didn't know any better I'd say she was a high school girl from the 60s come to ask me to the sock hop. I smiled, looking at the menu I hadn't even bothered to pick up yet. It was faded with time, the plastic it was laminated with curling on the edges and slick with old grease. My toes curled in disgust, but I didn't let it show on my face. Who knew how many damn germs were crawling all over this place.
I ordered their breakfast platter and a cup of coffee. She lingered for a few seconds longer than necessary, cheeks blushing as I held her gaze. Yes, young girls were easy, especially from small towns where they'd grown up with everyone. A stranger was always exciting. I ate slowly when she brought my plate, hoping she would interpret it as lingering for her company. She stopped by frequently to check how my meal was going, each time flitting away with pink tinge on her cheeks.
My breakfast settled heavily in my stomach, going past being satiated and more like being stuffed. I rose, leaving a couple bills on the table, extra for the young lady's tip. She spotted me from the counter and circled around a large group of entering customers to come see me off. Her eyes were glittering with nerves as a small blush crept up into her cheeks again. She stuttered out for me to have a good day. Time for the charm to kick in. I thought back to a most embarrassing memory, allowing for my own blush to show up as I reached back to the table to pick up her tip. I placed it in her hands, thanking her for such good service. I'd had better, but she was open to compliments from a stranger. Her blush deepened as she giggled out girlishly. I smiled in satisfaction, but to her it surely appeared to be flirtatious. We stood facing each other for a few seconds longer, then shyly decided to part ways. She watched me leave through the back exit. I looked over my shoulder catching her eyes, and grinned before turning the corner out of sight.
Across the street was a hardware store. It wasn't a large chain, but seemed big enough for the employees not to pay too much attention to their customers. I slipped in through the entrance, evading the eagerness of the greeter. His white hair and wrinkled skin put him so very clearly in his eighties. He grinned kindly at the older women who came in, greeting families with such warmth you'd think he was the nicest grandfather and patriarch. But I watched as his eyes followed the nicely shaped figures of the young women who also entered. They lingered too long on the teenagers wearing shorts and halter tops.
Wolves were everywhere, and what were the odds that there was a pervert and a budding serial killer in the same place? Surely astronomical, but obviously not impossible. I headed towards the hardware section marked by a large hanging sign. Music poured out from an outdoor speaker display as I passed Garden, Paint, then Electrical. The checkout section was playing their own music, watching customers use the self checkout and herding them towards the actual cashiers working their lines. I turned into an aisle with all of the power tools.
These were of little importance to me. Power tools were so messy, spewed blood everywhere. If I were the dismembering type, then I would surely be using a reciprocating saw or even a circular saw, but today was not about destroying the body. Today I would be practicing carefully pealing skin from its muscles and bones. My works of art needed fine-tuning, and this place was perfect. I picked a container holding a set of bungee cords. It was my hope that these would cause minimal damage to her skin when I tied her up. In my pocket was a bottle of GHB to knock her out. The necessary tools for this were small, but I had accidentally forgotten to bring a knife with me. I'd brought my filleting knife, but needed something to cut her throat. I figured that if I got pulled over, then I would look quite suspicious hiding a carving knife under the driver's seat.
I stopped at a bay where the box cutters were. All the blades were too short until I came across an insulation knife. The blade seemed dull, but maybe it could do the job. I picked it up, moving towards the paint aisle for some plastic sheets. Things still got messy. To ward off suspicion, I picked up a couple of cans of spray paint, some painters tape, then finally a bag of chips at the checkout. The young girl manning the self checkout area spotted me, and smiled as she directed me to an open machine. Her eyes lingered as I lifted up the insulation knife to scan in.
"Say," I began, catching her attention. "If I was cutting up a body, should the blade have more or less teeth?"
The terrible joke landed, as she laughed with a bit of shock in her eyes.
"Well, I suppose less teeth if you were planning on making a rough cut, more for a smoother cut." she replied.
The fuck?
I chuckled, nodding and finished checkout. Well, she was next.
I carried my hardware bag out, opening the chips I had purchased. Within walking distance was my motel and my base of operations, sort of. I waited until the diner was almost closing before I walked back over. The waitress was waving goodbye to the owner, rounding the corner to the bus stop bus and where I was standing. She jumped back, startled, but softened when she recognized me. A smile spread across her lips as she began to blush almost immediately. Even in the dim lighting of the only lamppost on this side of the diner, I could tell she was unable to conceal her attraction for me.
"Sorry, I was too nervous to go back in there." I said, placing a hand on the back of my head, looking away shyly.
"Oh, did you forget something?" she asked.
"No, not, really. I actually wanted to um... well, I wanted to ask you, uh, out."
God, I hated the way it sounded. It was like a teenage boy asking out a girl on their first date. This was so beneath me, I could puke.
"Oh..."
Nothing followed, so I waited. Heat started to build up under my skin, but I tried to maintain a neutral face.
"Okay." she said, nodding.
She was convincing herself. Not exactly what I wanted, but I would take it. What did country bumpkin girls like?
"I bought a 6-pack of PBR. We could sit up on the roof of my car and stare up at the stars."
Disgusting.
"I'd love that."
I tell you, it was too easy sometimes. She followed me out to my car. If you ply a woman with enough alcohol, then she will be putty in your hands and that's exactly how she ended up. The GHB did help of course, but within four beers, she was closing her eyes and sinking down to rest on her back. I slid her off and slipped her into the passenger seat. With the headlights turned off, I headed deeper into the desert until there was no light visible in either direction.
I grabbed the shovel from the trunk and stared to dig a hole right next to the other three that had been made over the course of a month. She would be sharing the space with her new sisters. Their missing posters will fade with time, but they'll always be together.
After her, I headed back to California.
March 27, 2015
I've continued to watch the reports in Arizona. No sign of the missing women, making their cases become officially designated as cold. I'd say I'm quite pleased with myself. It's been easy to lie low, and it's incredibly important to keep a low profile for now.
As far as the station knows, I went to fish down in Mexico, and certainly wasn't spending time in Arizona. Being a fairly new detective, I have to be especially careful. All eyes are on me for the time being, and so far, everyone thinks I'm normal. A bit of a dog with the ladies, but they believe that has rubbed off on me having spent time with Adrian.
It's been nice having him around. He's solidified my position in the department and in the division. I'm Detective Marner, nothing suspicious about that.
August 14, 2015
My taxidermy is coming along nicely. My house is currently overcrowded with literal stuffed animals, but I've contacted a hunting store that would be interested in taking them off my hands. I'll be dropping them off soon.
My time for hunting has been limited. I haven't gone out of state and I refuse to kill in my area just yet. It doesn't feel right. But, the daughter of the hunting store owner does look very appealing. Her skin is supple, would look perfect as a porcelain doll. I have to practice on human skin. Animals aren't enough anymore. The process is different, I have to practice.
January 19, 2016
I can only keep myself so occupied for so long. I can't keep putting off my urge to create and protect. So I've decided to take a little trip, and have come to Minnesota. The station thinks I'm in Georgia doing whatever it is you do in Georgia. Collecting peaches or something. I've selected the Minnehaha Falls as a dumping ground for whatever failed projects arise.
My first night was most productive. A woman drunkenly stumbling out of a night club, fell right into my arms. Her eyes were glazed over, the distinct mark of intoxication. She seemed to find familiarity in my face and clung to me, as I helped her into a random car I'd found unlocked. She slumped into the passenger seat, sighing heavily. With gloved hands, I drove us away towards the Minnehaha Falls. The clock on the dash read 2:18am, meaning the park was closed and there shouldn't be anyone there other than possible vagrants.
The falls had frozen solid, making the space behind it available and out of sight. I draped her over my back, hiking up her legs so I could carry her, then trudged down towards the railing. I hopped over first, then brought her over. We slid down slowly until we made it down to the frozen ground. The temperature was most inhospitable. If I didn't kill her, the hypothermia certainly would.
I hiked her up again, climbing up into a human sized opening in the falls. They never did freeze perfectly. I set her down and reached for my bag of tools. The cold would help keep her preserved while I worked on her, and with temperatures predicted to drop even further, the falls would remain frozen for another couple of weeks.
I filleted her flesh off of her bones, making sure that I was keeping the skin intact. Heat steamed from her innards, as I placed her guts on ice. I worried that perhaps her skin might stick to the ground, but I'd had the forethought to bring a tarp. The smell was putrid, and although I was used to it somewhat from working with animals, this was incredibly strong. I worked through the night, ensuring she was prepared to be left alone for a significant amount of hours during the day. It was too cold for tourists, but I was sure that some idiot would come in to take picture of the frozen falls.
Despite the temperature, a sweat broke over my brow. I worked, and worked until dawn broke, then I sat and waited for sounds. The cold was unbearable, almost felt that none of this was worth it, but if I could work in these conditions, then I could do anything. When I heard no sounds, I returned to my work and as I toiled, taking breaks only to eat and urinate, I finished her within a few hours. I still needed practice, but she was still beautiful. I admired my work. Very rarely did I get to see my completed work in its naked glory, so this was a special moment.
I was an artist.
After searing her image into my memory, I left the falls and searched for rocks. It was a laborious effort, but when I had enough, I returned to the safety behind the falls. I tied the rocks to her, then pulled her towards the frozen wall. It was only a matter of time before the falls unfroze, and the water ran hard enough to drag her in.
I didn't wait to find out. I buried the tools in the nearby nature reserve and headed towards the airport, never to return again.
I suppose as you're reading this, you're thinking: he's told me where the bodies are buried.
Yes, I guess I have.
Hello! The long awaited chapter! hopefully, sorry I took so long.
I've been struggling to write, but I managed to pull this together.
It's been increasingly difficult for me to find the inspiration to write, even though the entire story is planned out, but I will try to get back onto a more regular schedule.
Again, I apologize for being away for so long, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter!