Just One

Trent Phipher sits at his desk in his basement in the city of Alameda, staring at pictures of what once was his girlfriend. Stacy Sharons was her name. Trent didn't kill her for just any reason; she broke up with him a week prior and refused to take him back. They were arguing at his place earlier that day. Stacy left to avoid confrontation but later called and told him she would return for her things. He told himself this was the last chance to make her take him back, or else. When she arrived he hurried to her side.
"How was your ride?" he asked.
"Fine, did you pack my things?” she asked.
"No I figured we could talk while you packed"
"We are through talking, I'm done with your sorry, possessive ass." Trent stepped back staring into Stacy's eyes, he realizes she really is leaving him. No longer wanting to feel this pain he grabs Stacy by the neck and begins to choke her. Gasping for air she tries to yell for help but his grasp is too tight. Her vision begins to blur, everything goes black. Now she lays limp in his arms. He then tied her to a chair. Nervously he waits for her to wake unsure of what he was going to do to her he paces across the carpet in front of her. "Should I kill her?" he asked himself. "I don't know what to do." he exclaimed. He began to hear her moaning, it was her waking up. "What are you doing to me Trent?” she asked.
"Either you be with me or I kill you it's your choice." He said.
"Trent you can't force me to be with you." He slapped her across the face.
"Shut the fuck up!" he yelled. "I’m done being Mr. Nice guy your going to regret this." He said. "You broke my heart Stacy."
"Hmmm where should I start, should I hang you and watch you life slip away before my eyes, or slit your throat maybe?" "Hmmm would you like that Stacy?"
"Trent stop your scaring me."
"This isn’t a game Stacy this is my heart you’re playing with."
He went to his tool box, grabbed his knife and slit her wrists.
"How does it make you feel Stacy? Do you feel the pain?"
"Your crazy Trent!" she yelled.
He came real close to her face with the tip of the knife digging in her neck he whispers in her ear, "You should have taken me back." As he slits her throat. He watched her sit tied to the chair and bleed to death. Stacy was his first victim. After about three days he wrapped her body up in a tarp and dumped her body at the near by shoreline. Police ran a search for her but she never was found. Her murder was the beginning of Phipher's killings. Years later he went to a job fair in Downtown Oakland where he met his next victim.
***
I loved the smell of her hair I just couldn’t resist it. She walked past me as I was at a booth discussing job wages. We saw each other eye to eye and I knew I wanted her in my life. But she wouldn’t give me the time of day. Since then I saw her all over town but she would never see me. I followed her home one night just to see where she lived and I couldn’t leave.
I'm sure she heard my footsteps as I crept towards her. Now her body lays limp in her own pool of blood. Nine days and ten nights I watched her live her daily life until tonight I took that from her. Her name was Mary Grace she had two kids but was divorced from their father and lived alone. Everyday she would wake up, brush her teeth, shower then go to work.
I found no fascination in this lust as I call it. I would appear on different corners and just say something corny like "beautiful day huh?" or "nothing like fresh air". She would just nod and smile. A smile that after tonight she never can show again. I know she leaves the garage door open that's how I snuck in. I entered her house unsuspected and unheard of. She dropped the bottle when I put my arm around her neck and my hand over her mouth. The bottle shattered into a million pieces and wine was all over the floor.
"Shhhh I'm here now." I whispered in her ear as I ran the tip of my knife down her arm. I could feel her breathe in the palm of my hand. I put the knife down on her counter, picked up a steel pan and smacked her in the head to knock her out. Her body fell limp in my arm. The scent of herbal essence blew out of her hair. I could smell that same scent when she would walk past me on her walks. Her sweet smell reminded me of flowers and baby soap. My first victim was my ex-girlfriend. I tortured her in my basement similar to how I planned on torturing Mary. I tied her to a chair sat in front of her and waited for her to wake up. Watching her lifeless body gave me a rush. Her beautiful brown hair swayed back and fourth from the breeze her door drafted in. I went out to my car to get my duffel bag. I carry my "tools" in there. I didn’t always have the desire to kill, people just make me angry. So angry I want to give someone my pain. I want my victims to feel what I feel. About an hour past before she woke.
I never tape my victims mouths shut, I like to hear their plead for help. She starts asking questions.
"Where am I?” she asked I must have hit her really hard, she doesn’t recognize her own home.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
Questions, questions, questions....
I just stare and enjoy wondering what I planned on doing to her. She was older than my first victim. She was thirty-five years old. I planned on trying something new. If she were smaller I wouldn’t even have to tie her up. With her being smaller than me I could just over power her. But she was my size and she kind of had some weight on her too.
"I have children" she began to plea. "I will do anything, don't kill me". Different ideas run through my head. Should I rape her? Nah. I wouldn’t find any pleasure in raping a tied up woman. My idea to tie her up and torture her was the usual I should stick to it. Before any of this could happen I figured I need to move her to my basement where my real "tools" are. I ran outside to pull my car around to her driveway. I then realized I should pull into her garage. A man walking down the street suspiciously watched me as I got in the driveway. He looked as if he wanted to ask me something.
"Can I help you with something?" I asked.
"Uhm. No. Where is Ms. Grace this afternoon? I'm her co-worker and she didn't make it to the office today."
"It's not like her to not show up without a phone call."
"Sorry I'm not sure I'm just fixing her air conditioning nobody’s home."
"Oh, alright thanks."
"No problem."

I closed the garage door and hurried back to Mary. Untied her from the chair tied her arms and legs together then carried her to the back of my van and taped her mouth shut. I opened the garage door to head over to my house. Just before we get on the freeway a policeman decides to throw his lights on me. I pull to the side turn the engine off and wait for the officer. He slowly approaches my window.
"License and registration sir", he said.
"Sure just a minute", I replied.
"Are you aware that your tail light is out sir?"
Mary began to make some noise in the back.
"What is that sound sir? Do you have an animal back there?"
"Yeah I have two dogs in the back, they're playing with a ball."
"Would you mind if I take a look sir?"
"Yes I would mind, I need to be on my way I'm late as it is."
He began to make his way towards the back of the van. As soon as I saw him reach for the door I cut on the engine and sped off. The policeman ran to his car as I made my get-away.
"2319 we have a high speed on our hands requesting back up immediately.", he shouted on his radio.
I'm hitting about 70 on the freeway trying to lose the cops. I see an opening in the traffic and take it. It was an open lane I could see about one hundred yards ahead, I glance into my rearview mirror for two seconds and WHAM! We crash into a red Honda Civic going ninety-five miles per hour, flip onto some nearby greenery. The van lays upside down I can hear Mary kicking her feet, panicking. I see blood drip off my forehead and smoke all around until my vision begins to get blurry, and then everything went black. Now my body lays limp in the driver seat. Mary still in the back of the van is soon rescued and taken to a hospital to treat he wounds and for questioning.