Killer in the Rain Chapter Four Blade and Bullet

Andrew was in a posh restaurant sitting opposite Claire.  She was in a low cut dress, leaving her arms and legs bare.  She was being very nice, but Andrew could not concentrate on her.

"This is a good place, Andrew." Claire remarked.

"Huh? Oh, I took my wife here for our two year anniversary."

"You were married?"

"Technically I still am, but she ran out on me.  I'm guessing we're finished now.  Where do you work?"

"I'm an assistant buyer at this big department store.  What about you?"

"Hmm.  Oh I'm unemployed at the moment, but I've recently done an interview for a nursing position at a hospital."

Claire was intrigued.  "Which hospital?"

"Aww, look at you two bonding.  Do you love her, Andrew?" Jessica mocked.

“Go away; I’m having a good time.  Leave me alone.”

“We’re not gonna leave ya.  We’re gonna make ya lose your mind.  We‘re gonna make ya suffer.” Jessica muttered, menacingly.

“No you won’t.  I am in control.  Aren’t I? Aren’t I?” Andrew murmured over his shoulder.

“Are you alright? Who are you talking to?” Claire looked concerned.

“Yeah, I’m fine.  Sorry I’m just a little preoccupied.”

“Oh look, here comes our food.” Claire pointed out, nervously.

“Look at all that food Andrew; are you gonna make her choke?” Jessica asked.

“Don’t be so horrible.” Andrew replied.

"You're talking to yourself, again.  Are you sure you're alright?" Claire spluttered.

"Tell her Andrew.  Tell her what you did to us."

"There isn't any need for her to know, Steven."

"Who's Steven?" Claire was finding this hard to tolerate.

"Tell her; tell her you killed me." Steven encouraged.

"It doesn't matter now.  Doesn't it? Doesn't it?" Andrew replied.

Claire casually looked at her watch.  "Wow this has been fun, but I have to go now.

Andrew's date hurriedly walked out of the door.  After Claire had left, Andrew put down some money for the bill and left the restaurant.

"I know, I know.  It was my fault for screwing that up."

"You're right.  That's another part of ya life, which you've ruined." Jessica smiled, as she said this.

"In the restaurant, I realised something.  When I killed you and Steven I got a strange sense of euphoria.  It was something I haven't felt in a long time.  I want to get that feeling again.  It needs to be more drawn out.  Maybe, if I torture my victim first."

"You're not killing nobody else." Jessica's hands shot out onto Andrew's throat.  He tried to wrestle her away.  He felt a feeling of despair.  He burned to live.  He forced her away with all of his strength, before realising that she was not there.  It was all his imagination.

'"What d'you feel, when I did that? Despair? Pain? Fear? That's what I felt.  If you do that to somebody else, that is what they will feel." Jessica explained.

"I know, but the feeling afterwards is totally worth it." Andrew looked around and saw Claire walking down the street to the bus stop.  He smiled and followed her.  "Claire wait." She stopped and turned around; before she could react, a fist came flying into her face.  She was unconscious, before she hit the ground.

****

Claire woke up with a dry mouth.  She unsteadily looked around.  She was in a grotty small room, with her hands tied up above her.  Andrew entered the room.

"What the hell are you doing? Let me go." She struggled 'pathetically, with her bonds."

"I suppose, you deserve an explanation.  I get a strange sense of pleasure out of killing people.  I'm hoping you will provide me with the same feeling."

"Untie me.  Andrew, I'm not doing anything for you.  Let me go."

"I'm not going to let you go and you will do whatever I ask."

"What will happen, if I don't?" Claire asked, with fear starting to form in her eyes.

"First of all, what do you think when I say torture? Blood? Blades? There are much more effective ways.  I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to do.  It's a surprise, isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it? Everybody loves surprises.  If you refuse then I will start the one hundred cut death.  It sounds nasty, doesn't it? After I've made the incisions, I will rub some salt into your wounds.  Doesn't that sound painful? Doesn't it? Doesn't it? I was nurse before I was fired; I know what veins and arteries to stay away from.  I will torture you for two hours, then after that if you haven't bled to death, I'll shoot you.  Death by knife or by gun, which one would you prefer?"

"Neither.  Stop playing your cruel game, you sadistic bastard.  LET ME GO!"

"I think that insult deserves your first cut.  If you reach your one hundredth cut, then you will die. If you don't I'll shoot you.  Either way, you're going to die." Andrew took out a flick knife and he cut her cheek.

"Don't say a word.  Do everything I say without question and this knife will not touch you again." Andrew took the knife and roughly cut away all of her clothes.  Claire lay naked and shivering, dreading the inevitable.  Andrew turned around and locked the door.

"Don't do this! Don't do this to her!" Jessica shouted, but the killer ignored her.

"Go and die, Andrew." Claire snarled.

"There's no point screaming.  Nobody can hear you."

****

Two hours later, Claire had suffered over thirty different cuts.  The blood was trickling down and due to the amount of salt used; she thought her wounds were on fire.

"I wish I had saved my tears, so you could drown in them."

Andrew ignored this.

"Do you know how much I wished I left you bleeding on that wall?" Claire growled.

"That's your fault for helping me." Andrew replied.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"I never did explain why I was beaten up in the first place.  Do you remember Steven Wheeler? He was the man on the news.  The one that was found dead in the junkyard? I killed him.  In the pub he was really annoying me, so I went to punch him, but he was just a ghost.  My fist sailed through him and hit this youth next to him and him and his friend beat me up, resulting in us being chucked out of the pub."

"Don't do this, Andrew.  I was being nice to you."

Steven crouched down and went over to Claire.  "I know you can't hear me, but I tried being nice to Andrew and he killed me.  He doesn't take this type of thing too well."

"Steven's right.  I guess I don't respond well to compliments." Andrew agreed.

"I thought you liked me!" Claire screamed.

"I thought you liked me, but you bluntly dumped me in that restaurant.  You walked out.  You humiliated me.  Frankly it would have been better if you just stood me up.  This wasn't the first time either.  I thought my wife loved me, but that didn't stop her leaving me."

"Is this is? Just some petty act of vengeance?" Claire asked.

Andrew left this unanswered.  "I think I've mutilated and defiled you in every possible way.  Now it's time to end this." Andrew took out a gun and then hesitated.  Jessica's eyes widened and she stood in between the murderer and his victim.  "Don't do this to her.  You've already made her suffer enough.  Just let her go."

"That's not going to happen, Jessica.  You forget that I can stick my gun right through you.  You can't stop me doing this." Andrew held up a Smith and Wesson revolver to the brunette's head.

"Go on.  End it." Claire sobbed.

"Actually I think it would be fun to prolong your suffering.  Don't you? Don't you?" He took the gun back and secretly loaded one bullet into the fourth chamber.

"Now, in this revolver there is one bullet in a random chamber.  In turn I will fire each shot at your head.  Have fun waiting for death." He took the gun and pointed its cold barrel at her head.  He pulled the trigger once.  An empty click.  He pulled the trigger a second time.  An empty click.  He pulled the trigger the third time.  An empty click.  Claire flinched on every single click.  Andrew could see the evident fear, behind her eyes.  "The bullet is in any one of these remaining chambers."

"I'll see you in hell." Claire snarled.

"I look forward to it." Andrew pulled the trigger a fourth time.  BANG! After two long hours of suffering and torture Claire had finally been allowed to die.

Killer in the Rain Chapter Three Wraiths

 Who goes to see a film on their own?" Steven asked, incredulously.  He was close to cracking up.

"I'll tell you who does that Steven.  Sad,lonely people, who don't have any friends." Jessica replied.

"Be quiet! Both of you.  I just want some time by myself.  Some time to escape.  I can do that in the cinema."

"I thought you had given up trying to escape from us?"

Andrew looked straight into her eyes.  "You two are in my head every day and night.  I can't give up trying to get away from you."

"We've already told you this a million times.  Frankly we're getting sick of it.  Escaping from us is impossible."
****
The lights were starting to dim.  Andrew was sitting comfortably in the middle of the room.  He had a good view of the screen.  He had received some strange and sympathetic looks, when he had sat down, but he ignored them.  He no longer cared about what people thought about him.

"You stopped caring about what people thought of you, when you killed me.  I was worried about you, but you didn't care."

"Let that go, Steven.  I was in a bad mood then." Some people behind Andrew told him to be quiet.  He shot a glance at his second victim and shifted his attention back to the screen.  The advert being played was a warning not to record this film.

"Are you watching this advert, Andrew? It says not to record or illegally download this film.  It's warning you not break the law.  If only there were a warning not to kill somebody." Jessica mocked.  Andrew clenched his hands, but then relaxed.  He was not going to let his ghosts aggravate him.  He was here to unwind.
****
Finally the adverts and trailers had finished and now the film would start.  It would be a psychological thriller.

"It's interesting that you're watching this.  I suppose not many people can relate to films like these. You should be proud to be a part of the select few." Jessica commented.

Andrew started breathing heavily.  "Be quiet! You're disturbing the customers." Jessica rolled her eyes.  Andrew turned back to the show, where the credits were dripping onto the screen like blood.  He could already see what the tone of film was going to be like.
****
Fifteen minutes later, the person Andrew presumed to be the killer had already started stalking his first victim. It was a black night and the foolish girl had split away from her friends to walk home alone.  She would be the first to die.

"At least you didn't kill us in such obvious ways," Jessica remarked, "I think I know why you're watchin' this.  It's not to relax or unwind or any of that rubbish.  I bet you're looking for new, inventive ways to kill."

"Shut up Jessica.  Leave me alone, right now.  Go crawl into the dark." Andrew snarled, through clenched teeth.

An usher wielding a torch rushed up the stairs.  "Sir, this is your only warning.  If you disturb our customers again you will be removed from this cinema." Andrew simply glared at him and turned back to the movie.
****
Twenty minutes later, after a torturous ordeal just as Andrew expected, the girl had been killed.

Steven flinched at the horror.  "Ooh, that is grotesque.  I'm thankful you didn't kill us as painfully as that."

"If I knew at the time I would've." Andrew replied.  There was a sudden flicker of light coming up the stairs.  The killer groaned and turned to his two victims.

"Look at what you've done," he stood up and rushed down the stairs, "I'm going.  No need to throw me out." He said to the approaching user.

"You know Jessica, that's the first he's spoken to a real person tonight." Steven commented.  Andrew shook his head and pushed open the exit doors.

"Poor, pitiful, paranoid Andrew.  You can't even watch a film without talkin' to your demons.  You pathetic little man." Jessica taunted.  Andrew ignored this and went to get himself a strong drink.
****
Andrew was sitting in the local pub, clutching a pint of the local brew in his hand.

Jessica watched him raise, the drink to his mouth again.  "I thought there was no way you'll start drinkin' to escape your conscience?" She asked, confusedly.

Andrew shrugged.  "You two put me through so much pain drinking is the only escape."

"Why are you doing this, Andrew? What's the point?" Steven asked.

"Maybe I can destroy the part of my brain that controls my memories and emotions.

"Are you trying to get over us? Aww isn't that sweet Jessica? We're like his ex wife who broke his heart.  I didn't know you cared for us that much."

"You should report yourself to the police.  That's the only way you're going to sooth your conscience.  You're not going to drown us out by drinking."

"We'll see about that." Andrew went up the bar and ordered himself another pint.  Two stools to the right of him a couple of skinhead youths were discussing the latest video game.  Steven shook his head, disapprovingly, as he sat on the stool in between Andrew and one of the skinheads.  "You're never going to listen to me.  After all who ever listens to their conscience.  I wonder if your children are like you."

What are you talking about?" Andrew asked.

"I was wondering whether they've inherited the gene which might turn them into killers.  You could be infamous, if you turned yourself in.  The papers would call you the Killer in the Rain.  If your children become murderers, their nickname would be the children of Satan.  After all you are the devil in human form."

"That's it!" Andrew shouted, as he swung for Steven's face.  His fist sailed through his second target's face and made contact with the back of the youth's head.  "What the hell you doin'?! The skinhead shouted, as he pushed Andrew up against the wall.

"If you're going to threaten someone, don't give them a chance to distract you." Without further hesitation Andrew lifted his right knee into the youth's crotch.  Taking advantage of this diversion Andrew head butted his assailant.  The murderer tried to make a quick getaway; but the other skin head floored him with a simple punch to the throat.  A swift kick to the stomach, kept him on the ground.  Before anymore damage was done all three of them were kicked out of the pub.  Andrew was seized by his collar and he was pulled back up to his feet, where he received a punch to the mouth.  The hit was strong enough to floor him and the impact was rough.  Andrew groaned, as his right forearm scraped against some jagged rocks.  The two skinheads laughed and ran away  Andrew heaved himself up and sat on a nearby wall.  He checked his body and performed a self diagnosis.  As far as he could tell, nothing was broken.

"I don't know why you lashed out.  I was just pointing out a possible pen name."

Andrew glared at Steven, before inspecting his wounds again.  Ten minutes later, a slim brunette who was walking past him stopped and looked down.

"You alright?" She asked.

"If I was alright do you think I'd have a cut lip, scraped forearm and a bruised stomach?"

"If you'll prefer I'll just leave you bleeding on this wall." The girl replied.

"Maybe that'll be best."

"I'm going to ignore all these sardonic comments and like to think that you're actually a nice guy."

Jessica rolled on the floor laughing.  "Oh Andrew, this girl cracks me up." She said, wiping tears away from her eyes.

"Do you live close to here? I could take you home." The brunette offered.

Andrew nodded.  "I don't live far from here.  Can you help me up?"

The girl agreed and pulled the man up to his feet, when he suddenly groaned.  "What's the matter?"

"My ankle's twisted."

"Of course it is.  Just put your arm around me.  We'll make it to your house eventually," the pair set off down the road, "how did you end up like this?" The brunette asked.

"I got into a fight in the pub.  Don't even remember why.  Sorry about before.  I was just angry of how badly I lost that fight."

Steven's jaw literally dropped open.  "Oh my god! Andrew Stone apologised?! That skin head must've hit you harder than we thought."

"Why are you helping me?" Andrew asked.

The brunette shrugged.  "No reason.  It's just a hobby of mine to take injured men home."

"Thank you.  What's your name?"

"I'm Claire Brooks."

"Nice to meet you Claire. I'm Andrew Stone."
****
Andrew was lying on his sofa, while Claire was making a cup of tea in the kitchen.  She brought it through to the living room and set it down on the table adjacent to Andrew.  "You feeling better?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm just swell."

"I would've thought somebody of your age would be in a house." Claire remarked.

"Somebody of my age? I'm only thirty five.  How old are you?"

"I'm thirty two."

"You look good." Andrew said.

"So do you."

"The secret to youthful good looks is killing two innocent people." Jessica stated.

"Why were you out so late?" Andrew asked.

"My friends had invited me out to dinner.  I didn't really want to go, but I didn't want to let them down."

"Is that why you helped me out?"

Claire nodded.  "Yeah, I was looking for an excuse not to go out and you're it."

"I'm flattered Claire.  Listen, if I fix myself up, would you want to go out for dinner with me tomorrow night?"

"That would be nice."

"Aww isn't that sweet? You asked her out. Do you love her, Andrew? Andrew and Claire sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.  First comes love-" Jessica mocked,

"Shut  up." Andrew whispered.

Claire frowned.  "What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"Why'd you say nothin'? We're not nothin'.  You're so rude.  You should introduce us to your girlfriend."

"Say if I pick you up at seven?"

"Yeah that would be fine." Claire wrote down her address and handed it to Andrew.

Jessica shook her head, reproachfully.  "If only you knew you were giving your address out to a murderer."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

Claire nodded. "I'll let myself out, see you." The door opened and shut quietly.

Steven stood up and walked in front of Andrew.  "You asked her out? How desperate are you? I know your wife left you, but is this seriously your way of getting back into the game?"

"No it's not.  She was nice and I just seized an opportunity."

"You do know we're going to ruin this.  You're never going to get your old life back."

"We'll see.  I'm not that old yet.  I can still have a family."

Killer in the Rain Chapter Two Demons

It was always raining in October.  Andrew needed to go to the shops.  He did not smoke or drink and was not intending to start.  There was no way he would find an escape from his conscience in a beer bottle or a packet of cigarettes.  He stepped into the supermarket.  The halogen lights burned down on him.  The over-sized convenience store was a a mixture of noise: babies crying, toddlers screaming and his own private demons taunting him.

"What are you going to buy here? Your next murder weapon, perhaps?" Andrew's second target mocked.

"Oh shut up.  I just need some food."

"Andrew look at all of these people, there are so many targets.  Which ones are you going to kill," Jessica pointed at a slim brunette, thumbing through a fashion magazine, "are you going to kill her?

"Shut up.  I'm just buying some food." Andrew picked up a basket to carry his shopping in.

"Look at that kitchen knife you could make sure somebody suffers with that or you could end it all quickly can make them feel pain and fear like you did with me or you could rip life away like you did with him.  Which one is it going to be?"

"It will be neither Jessica, I'm not like that anymore."

"Of course you're not." Andrew's second target said, rather unconvinced.

Andrew moved into the meat isle.  His second target pointed at humongous leg of lamb.  "You can kill someone quickly with that: one blow to the head and it will all be over.  Or you could bludgeon them to dead.  That would be truly painful and truly malicious." The second target explained, malevolently.

"You will always be a murderer.  Murderer! Murderer!" Jessica and his second target started circling Andrew, shouting out "killer" and "murderer." Andrew tightly closed his eyes and ignored the taunting.  When he opened them, he saw a plain faced security guard in a knitted jumper, advancing towards him.  "Ok mate, let's take this outside."

"Why? What did I do?"

"You're disturbing our other customers.  I'm just going to take you outside." The guard took Andrew by the arm and led him to the exit.  As a last insult his shopping was confiscated.

"That was your fault again."

"No it wasn't Andrew; we're just in your mind.  We don't exist."

Andrew cursed and stood up.  He disdainfully flicked dust and dirt off his overcoat.  He walked away from the supermarket and further into the high street.  There would be other places where he could do his shopping.

<em>All of them are so normal.  All of them are so different to me.  I've changed.  Why can't I can be like them?</em> Andrew thought.

Jessica pulled a face.  "Did killing me make you stupid? You can't be like these people, because you're a murderer.  You killed me and your second target and now we're a part of you and you can't change that."

"I will be able to change that.  Just watch me." Andrew replied.

A passerby stopped and frowned.  "Are you talking to me?" The man asked.

Andrew shook his head and smiled.  "No sorry.  I was just thinking aloud." The man shrugged, accepting this and walked off.

Andrew's second target smiled in disbelief.  "That's completely ridiculous.  When I asked about your health you act rudely and kill me.  But when that man challenged you, you reacted politely and let him go.  What makes me so different?"

"I was just in a bad mood at the time.  Jessica was really annoying me.  You know how it is."

"Actually I don't know and I'm not going to know, because I'm dead."

"You should really stop talking to yourself in public, Andrew.  People might think you're crazy." Jessica suggested.  Andrew shook his head and ignored her.

"I've got an idea.  Why don't you just go home? Why don't you go back to where it's safe? Why don't you go back to the padded walls and the straight jacket?"

Andrew agreed to this and walked up to the zebra crossing and without looking at the road, he stepped straight off the curb.

"Andrew there's a car, you idiot!" Jessica screamed.  The killer looked to the right and stepped back, just in the nick of time.  He received an angry honk from the car.  After a few minutes it was safe to walk.  Andrew hurried across and into a quiet alleyway, where he turned to Jessica.

"Why did you do that? You could've just let that car hit me."

"No I couldn't've.  I'm not having you die, until I've finished tormentin' you." Jessica replied.

"Isn't there someone in hell you could torment, instead of me?" Andrew asked.

"Of course there is, but you killed me, so obviously I want to mock you rather than anybody else."

"You really are a spiteful, horrible person." Andrew commented.  By now he had reached his tower block of flats.  He quickly entered the access code and the door buzzed open.  The killer's second target suddenly burst out laughing.  Andrew stared at him quizzically.

"I couldn't hold it in any longer.  I can't believe you're calling Jessica horrible and spiteful, when you're the one who killed me, even though I was concerned about your health."

Andrew shrugged.  "It's not my fault if you're dead.  You should've run."

"I did run."

"Why are you blaming me? If you ran a little faster, then we wouldn't be standing here having this conversation." Andrew shook his head and started climbing the stairs.

"It wouldn't have mattered if I had run faster.  You still would've caught me." Andrew's second target muttered, before following his murderer up the stairs.
****
Andrew was in his new flat, trying to engulf himself into his new leather sofa.  He was sinking deeply trying to hide from the fates that had befallen him.  He turned on the TV and switched to the news channel.  "Our main story tonight, today at one forty-five p.m. in an auto junkyard in North London a middle-aged man called Steven Wheeler was found dead with a piece of glass in his back.  The police don't have suspects.  He doesn't have any known family..."

Andrew smiled.  "No family? There will be nobody to miss you.  You were the perfect target."
****
Andrew was sleeping or at least trying to.  He could not get the faces of Jessica and Steven out of his mind.  He kept thinking of Jessica's face before she died.  He kept seeing the panicked run of Steven and how he crumpled, when the shard of glass hit him.  He turned on his side and looked at the time.  Three a.m.  He rubbed his eyes.  At least he did not have any work to wake up to.  He had a feeling he would not be able to get back to sleep.  He got out of bed and walked to kitchen.  Waiting for him was Jessica.

"Couldn't get to sleep, could ya? You can't stop thinkin' about us, could ya?"
****
Andrew finally awakened out of a troubled slumber that he had never intended to take.  He kept dreaming of his victims.  He realised he had fallen asleep on the kitchen counter.  He stood up and went to the bathroom.  He did not even recognise his reflection.  The man staring back at him had disheveled hair and about a day's stubble.  There were dark shadows lingering under the his eyes.  Today was a new day.  A new day to do something good.

"You want to do something good, Andrew? Try not to kill anyone." Steven advised.

Andrew shook his head.  He had given up trying to cast the voices from his mind.  They would remain with him for the rest of his life, however long that would be.

"You're right Andrew; you will never be able to get rid of us." Steven said.

"I might not be able to get rid of you, but I can try and block you from my mind." Andrew replied.

Jessica smiled.  "Good luck with that.  We're going to remain with you, until the day you descend into hell."