had stuffed a package of meat in her purse and was now making off with it.
He sighed and climbed off his perch, taking one careful step after another, and followed the woman toward the front of the store. As he walked past her, he peeped slyly into her handbag. Yup, still there.
“I’ve got a delivery to make. Be back soon,” he spoke to the manager as he neared the front of the store.
The manager just grunted and went on reading from his clipboard.
Jeremy slipped past the registers and out the front door. He stood outside, around the corner against the wall, where he couldn’t be seen from the front.
In a few minutes, the old hag, working her cane, hobbled through the exit. He knew stealing wasn’t stealing until they left the store, so just to make sure, he walked past her again and checked her bag. Yeah, still there. He ducked into an alley and let her get ahead of him, and then strolled out and followed her.
Because she moved so slowly, it took some time, but finally they reached the run-down dwelling where he supposed she lived. Jeremy slipped inside behind her as she sweetly held the door open for him.
“Thanks,” he mumbled.
She went to the right, so he went left. As she opened the stairwell door, he turned around and headed back in her direction. Keeping out of sight, he made the slow uphill climb, one plodding step after another.
Two floors later, he watched her through the stairwell exit, and into the hallway. Second door down. She fiddled with her handbag and pulled out a single key on a rabbit’s foot chain. She worked it into the lock, pushed open the door and entering her humble living space.
Jeremy pushed out his foot and stopped her door from closing completely, and then pushed it open a couple of feet. She was facing him, holding her cane out, as if about to hang it on the doorknob.
Her eyes, and then her mouth, popped open. She asked, “What is it young man? Are you the new neighbor? I always like meeting the new neighbors. People come and go in this place, but I like to meet them all.”
Jeremy let the door close behind him. “No, I’m not your neighbor,” he said. “I’m from Mortinos, and I know what you did.” He looked menacingly at her. She quivered in fear. She was caught! “I saw you take the meat. You shouldn’t take the meat. That’s stealing. You’re not supposed to steal.”
Poor Mrs. Bellows was too in shock to see Jeremy reach down and lift his pant leg. She didn’t see him pull his top-quality Bowie knife from its sheath. She only grunted as the knife entered her body. Her eyes were still wide, as she slumped to the floor.
Jeremy bent down. He wiped the knife clean on her dress, and put it back in its sheath.
The blood from the wound in her chest soaked her dress, the warm thick liquid pooling on the worn-out carpet.
He reached out and touched the wound. The tip of his finger was crimson. As he put it to his tongue, he closed his eyes, and immediately felt a swelling of exultation and ecstasy.
He remained silent. The excitement caused his breathing to become rapid, and his heart raced, as he relished the euphoric feeling overtaking him.
The blood on his tongue mixed with saliva, and was gone.
He opened his eyes slowly, and then stood and watched her.
Her eyes flickered and remained still, and unseeing, gone to join her long gone friends.
Chapter 15
Friday, August 12th, 12:55 PM
JAKE got there before the cops did.
Annie had called him after reporting her discovery to the police. She was waiting in front of her car when he roared up, pulled a u-turn, and stopped behind her vehicle.
She ran to him as he stepped out, and held on. He could feel her shaking, and he held her tight. He tried to soothe her, calm her down.
“It’s all right now. Relax, honey,” he said.
She soon stopped shaking, his strong safe arms around her.
“I didn’t get a look at the face,” she said. “I only saw one foot. It looks like a
He sighed and climbed off his perch, taking one careful step after another, and followed the woman toward the front of the store. As he walked past her, he peeped slyly into her handbag. Yup, still there.
“I’ve got a delivery to make. Be back soon,” he spoke to the manager as he neared the front of the store.
The manager just grunted and went on reading from his clipboard.
Jeremy slipped past the registers and out the front door. He stood outside, around the corner against the wall, where he couldn’t be seen from the front.
In a few minutes, the old hag, working her cane, hobbled through the exit. He knew stealing wasn’t stealing until they left the store, so just to make sure, he walked past her again and checked her bag. Yeah, still there. He ducked into an alley and let her get ahead of him, and then strolled out and followed her.
Because she moved so slowly, it took some time, but finally they reached the run-down dwelling where he supposed she lived. Jeremy slipped inside behind her as she sweetly held the door open for him.
“Thanks,” he mumbled.
She went to the right, so he went left. As she opened the stairwell door, he turned around and headed back in her direction. Keeping out of sight, he made the slow uphill climb, one plodding step after another.
Two floors later, he watched her through the stairwell exit, and into the hallway. Second door down. She fiddled with her handbag and pulled out a single key on a rabbit’s foot chain. She worked it into the lock, pushed open the door and entering her humble living space.
Jeremy pushed out his foot and stopped her door from closing completely, and then pushed it open a couple of feet. She was facing him, holding her cane out, as if about to hang it on the doorknob.
Her eyes, and then her mouth, popped open. She asked, “What is it young man? Are you the new neighbor? I always like meeting the new neighbors. People come and go in this place, but I like to meet them all.”
Jeremy let the door close behind him. “No, I’m not your neighbor,” he said. “I’m from Mortinos, and I know what you did.” He looked menacingly at her. She quivered in fear. She was caught! “I saw you take the meat. You shouldn’t take the meat. That’s stealing. You’re not supposed to steal.”
Poor Mrs. Bellows was too in shock to see Jeremy reach down and lift his pant leg. She didn’t see him pull his top-quality Bowie knife from its sheath. She only grunted as the knife entered her body. Her eyes were still wide, as she slumped to the floor.
Jeremy bent down. He wiped the knife clean on her dress, and put it back in its sheath.
The blood from the wound in her chest soaked her dress, the warm thick liquid pooling on the worn-out carpet.
He reached out and touched the wound. The tip of his finger was crimson. As he put it to his tongue, he closed his eyes, and immediately felt a swelling of exultation and ecstasy.
He remained silent. The excitement caused his breathing to become rapid, and his heart raced, as he relished the euphoric feeling overtaking him.
The blood on his tongue mixed with saliva, and was gone.
He opened his eyes slowly, and then stood and watched her.
Her eyes flickered and remained still, and unseeing, gone to join her long gone friends.
Chapter 15
Friday, August 12th, 12:55 PM
JAKE got there before the cops did.
Annie had called him after reporting her discovery to the police. She was waiting in front of her car when he roared up, pulled a u-turn, and stopped behind her vehicle.
She ran to him as he stepped out, and held on. He could feel her shaking, and he held her tight. He tried to soothe her, calm her down.
“It’s all right now. Relax, honey,” he said.
She soon stopped shaking, his strong safe arms around her.
“I didn’t get a look at the face,” she said. “I only saw one foot. It looks like a
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