• Prologue:

    Elation


    The head rush, the pure unfiltered high of battle. I want another attack, just one more, to satiate the blood lust.


    Chapter 5:


    In the hallway, about 10 minutes after killing Rico. Everything seems sharper, clearer than it was before. To quote Poe’s The tell-tale heart “The disease has sharpened my senses…” though I see it more as a blessing than a disease.

    The head rush is unbelievable. Maybe I should become an assassin, talk about loving what you do.

    I lean against the wall, lightheaded. I need to steady myself, when they find the body, it’ll look better if I seem fine. They won’t expect me to act concerned (morbidity is one of my strong points) but if I appear happy it will draw even more attention. With the police still snooping around me, I have to seem as usual as I can.

    Composure re-assumed, I head towards English class. About halfway there, a terrified shriek splits the air.

    I can see the headline now.

    “ Serial Murder Turns Siren High School Inside-Out”


    ***

    Rushing through the hallways, hoping to see who found my handiwork. The bell hasn't rung yet, so nobodies in the hallways. There are usually teachers outside hunting students out of class, but the day's almost over and most are in the break room.

    I arrive outside the bathroom, open the door.

    "What's going on?" I shout.

    A freshman boy is on his back, scrambling to get away from the stall where Rico's body is. Sheer terror in his eyes.

    I lean down next to him, pretending not to see the body. "What's wrong?"

    He points in front of him, staring like a deer caught in the headlights. I turn my head, my eyes grow wide as they come to rest upon the bloody remains of Rico Ciara.

    "What the ********!?" I yell; it takes all my will power not to burst out laughing.

    A couple of guys run in at the sound of my exclamation. They ask what's wrong. I yell to go get help, that some body's hurt. One of them runs to get a teacher.

    The other speeds over and crouches on the other side of the stunned freshmen, catches sight of the body, and bellows out an articulate "Holy ********!"

    A teacher comes barging in, Resource officer right behind him, with Aaron's death still fresh on everyone's mind, they've gotta be expecting the worst.

    As well the should. The teacher -Mr. Brells the Psychology teacher I think- takes a look in and immediately backs away.

    The resource officer tells Mr. Brells to get us out of here, that we can't handle this.

    The irony is almost palpable. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling.

    ***



    2 hours later. Principal's office with the freshman and the other kid. Being questioned by some field officers about finding the corpse. They ask the freshman first, he tells them about going in to take a crap, then having it scared out of him (literally).

    They ask me, I tell them I heard the kid scream, ran in and yelled my lungs out. The other two back this up. No more questions asked. The cops say they'll be in touch, and send us to the office. Office sends us to homeroom.
    ***


    I sit, waiting for them to tell kids that we can go home, they probably want to get us out ASAP, lest we interfere with the investigation. Some people ask whats going on, it tell them. Shock, fear, and plain disbelief fill their faces.

    "Who was it?" one kid asks.

    "Rico Ciara."

    Someone behind me gasps. I turn around. It's Tina. I forgot that she had the same homeroom as me.

    "You outta be happy," I say to her. He was always messing with you after all."

    After a pause I add: "It wasn't you, was it?"

    "God no! I'd never do something like that!" She looks down, nervous, starts rearranging her desk, straitening pencils, evening out the papers in her binder.

    "Didn't you say you wish he was dead?" I say pressing on, I wanna see the look of gratitude on her face. I killed her torture master!

    "But I didn't mean it! I just wanted him to leave me alone, anyone who would kill somebody is insane. I mean, my God!"

    Fury invades my bliss. that little b***h! I killed Rico to make a stand for people like her! the people constantly badgered by assholes like Rico and Aaron, and she isn't even grateful!

    She's next on my-

    "You really shouldn't use the lord's name in vane," somebody interrupts my raging thoughts. "It angers our lord and Savior."

    Carrie, the Religious nut-wing of Syren high. She wears a huge crucifix necklace everywhere she goes, constantly talking about how "God has done so much for her."

    It annoys the s**t out of me.

    "And we have to appease God, he is the one who created us."

    "Bullshit," I tell her. "That's all that's in that big a** tome you carry around, unfiltered horse excrement."

    "You just haven't accepted to Lord Jesus Christ into your life!" She yells back.

    I stand, poised to bellow at her every argument I have, these Jesus-freaks have no ******** off-button, and Carrie seems to believe everyone who doesn't absolutely luuuuurve Christianity needs a Holy spirit enema up the a**. Or as she would say "rear-end."

    Before I can fire off my opinions, the intercom goes off.

    "Students, please file out of the school in and orderly fashion, and refrain from using the hallway outside the auxiliary cafeteria. Thank you."

    Carrie walks off, fuming, I'm no happier. I HATE people like that.

    Tina can wait. Carrie's next. Her precious Jesus won't be there when I come for her.