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Chapter One

Azizia

The bathroom is covered in blood.

And I mean covered.

There isn’t an inch of floor that isn’t red. The walls are painted in it too, and there’s splatter all over the ceiling. I didn’t mean to hit an artery, but when they fight back so hard, it’s difficult not to. I prefer a slower, more painful death, but when you get those arteries, it’s lights out.

Such a damn shame.

She was so pretty, too. I’d love to have sat and watched her beg a little more…

Guess I’ll have to be more careful with the next one.

I grab a towel from the rack over the toilet and drop it onto the floor in the doorway, hoping it’ll stop the blood from seeping into the rest of the house. The less messy it is out here, the better. I need a place to stay for a while, and I’d rather not slip in blood, or worse… have my foot get stuck in it. Ugh, I hate when it’s gooey—like glue.

I move to the kitchen and grab a soda from the fridge. I crack it open as I walk around the house, taking everything in. It’s a cozy little place. The girl was young and doing well for herself, it seems. I should have thanked her for that before I killed her, but oh well.

I take the soda with me and sit on the small couch in the living room to take a break. I’ve been moving all day, and a nap would be nice.

Oh, a nap sounds so good.

I put the soda onto the glass table beside the couch, then lie down and close my eyes.

The stone floor beneath me is cool and hard—just the way I like it. Anything that’s different from hell is good in my book. I’m tired of hot and sticky. Fire and lava are overrated. And the humidity? Don’t even get me started on it. Even the thought makes me want to gag.

Nevermind what it does to my hair. The air up here is nice. Though there were some places that didn’t smell too great.

I spread my arms wide, crossing my feet at the ankles and open my eyes to darkness.

I can’t help but smile at how simple and lovely this all is.

For once, I’m confident with the choice I made.

Running away was a good decision.

This basement is wonderful. I only wish it were mine and I could stay here forever.

I glance at the door that leads upstairs.

Maybe it could be mine forever?

The girl who was living here won’t need it anymore considering she’s rotting in the bathtub… I really should clean that up, but I’m tired. A good mauling takes a lot out of me. Even though it feels good in the moment… all the blood and guts, the yelling and begging… this right here, the silence, peace, and stale air? There’s just something comforting about it. Besides, this basement has the best acoustics I’ve ever heard! I’d been exploring the house, had my favorite podcast on, and made my way down here. The sound had me stopping and sucking in a breath. It was at that moment I knew this would be my favorite place up here on earth.

I spent half an hour finding the perfect placement for my phone so I could get the sound just right. I’ve gone through countless episodes of Crime Time on a Dime since. There’s just something about the way Shelly talks about cases and how they could have been investigated better… and cheaper. She’s so passionate and gets into the gritty details.

I love hearing the details.

All of them.

Every last one.

I glance up at the ceiling, to where the body is. Rigor Mortis has surely set in by now. I can’t remember how long it’ll take for maggots to start eating her. If I turn the heat up, it should happen quicker, but I hate the heat and the smell would get worse. I hate the smell of rotting flesh.

Originally, I hadn’t planned on staying here long, but now that I’ve found this house, I may have changed my mind. This was supposed to be a quick pit stop. A place to rest. But it could be home.

“Well, that’s a wrap, my freaky fans!” Shelly says from the phone. “Until next time…”