The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and my car was covered in cat guts. Not the best way to end the day. Nelly and Erin had offered to help clean the car, but I waved them off knowing that they would make things infinitely worse.
Also, I still wasn’t sure that it wasn’t sweet, forgetful Nelly’s fault. Squinting my eyes suspiciously at their retreating backs, I pulled on my gloves and started wiping away at the guts on the windshield.
I was at it for a while when I heard footsteps approaching me, “Good god! Horrifying, absolutely horrifying,” a voice boomed from behind me. Turning around I saw that it was Julius. Huffing and puffing he ambled towards me.
“Hey Julius. The neighborhood has been absolutely wonderful as you can see.,” I said dryly.
“I am sorry my dear. So sorry about your cat,” he said pompously.
“It was Toby’s cat. A boy living here.” I interjected.
“Oh, was it? Terrible really and your car too,” he continued airily as he wiped at his walrus mustache. Yes, I could feel his concern dripping around us I thought, rolling my eyes.
“What do you need Julius?” I asked knowing he hadn’t come here just out of the goodness of his heart. The man wasn’t the type for leisurely walks.
“Well to check in on you my dear. I was worried, so worried. This is a most terrible happening you see. I hope it hasn’t turned you away from the apartment.” he replied in a grandfatherly manner.
“Don’t worry we aren’t abandoning the apartment as of yet.”
Julius sighed gutsily and looked relieved. “Very good my dear. Very good.”
I grunted as I wiped away at my windshield furiously, hoping he’d walk away but he lingered there, staring at me.
Sighing, I asked, “Do you need something?”
“Well, I was hoping to check in on your friend too, maybe have some tea and catchup?” he said sounding hopeful.
“You just saw us yesterday.,” I replied dubiously.
“Ah yes, it has been too long.,” he chuckled.
Rolling my eyes heavenward I threw the bloody rags and turned towards the apartment, “Come on, I’ll take you upstairs.”
He chattered all the way upstairs, from his problems with the plumbing to the problems he had with his back and everything in between. At this point I was ready to take the elevator, get decapitated and call it a day. My car was never going to smell the same, Erin had decided to befriend a sociopath, and I was stuck with our clingy landlord. This couldn’t get any worse.
A shriek cut through the air suddenly, startling me from my thoughts.
“Good God! What was that?!,” Julius yelped.
“I don’t know but it sounded from our floor! Erin!” I yelled in worry and ran towards our apartment fearing the worst.
“I bet it’s Nelly!” I called out to Julius as I ran ahead.
“Who?”
Ignoring him I continued towards our apartment almost crashing into the door in my hurry. I fumbled with the keys as my hands shook. Finally, I managed to unlock the door and kick it open with a yell.
“Get away from her!”
“Huh?” Erin replied dumbly from the couch where she was sitting with Nelly.
“What do you mean huh?! You were screaming! I heard you!” I gasped as I tried to calm my racing heart.
“Oh, that?! Me and Nelly were just watching a scary movie. I got freaked out and yelled.,” Erin giggled.
My eye twitched as I looked at them both.
“Good….god!” Julius gasped and almost tumbled on to the floor as he finally made it.
“Oh my god! It’s Julius!!” Erin shrieked as she clapped her hands excitedly.
“Oh! Yes, hullo my dear.,” he gasped. I really couldn’t understand how he made it out alive all this time. He looked one walk away from death.
“Hello dearie.,” Nelly simpered.
“Miss McKenzie! How are you doing? Stabbed anyone recently?” he laughed seeming impressed at his own joke.
“Oh, good…goodness no! Th…the first time was en…enough.,” she chuckled nervously.
Leaving them to it, I wandered over to the stove and put the kettle on for heating and pulled out the things to prepare the tea, the sooner I gave him the tea, the sooner he’d leave. Erin walked over to me, looking sympathetic.
“Hey, how are you holding up?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Come on, I know how much you love that car.,” she pouted. She hated it when I didn’t “share” stuff.
“Yes, I do but now it smells like a mortuary but what can we do? Do I like it? No. Will I continue to drive it? Yes.” I replied and leaned back against the counter.
“Well at least there wasn’t any worse damage, but the real question is why did this happen? And who did it?” Erin asked looking puzzled.
“Well-“, I started.
“And don’t say Nelly,” she interjected looking smug. Dammit she knew me all too well.
“Well then who else do you think? We don’t know anyone else here so who could do it? Also, why do you trust her so much?” I complained, feeling put out that she would put Nelly before me even though she hardly knew her.
“Because I think she’s nice and people are just mean to her cause she tried to save herself.” Erin explained as she looked fondly at Nelly who was chatting away with Julius.
“Erin you are being crazy again,” I sing-songed.
“Pam you are being paranoid again,” she cooed.
“Fine, let’s say it’s not her. Then who could it be?!,” I hissed, feeling frustrated.
“I don’t know. Did you see anyone suspicious?” she asked looking serious for the first time.
“I did not… wait,” I recalled the weird feeling I had in the morning. The feeling of being watched. Could it be…?
“It’s just not safe these days anymore. What has the world come too?” Julius’s voice boomed with disgust breaking me out of my reverie. I blinked and looked over at them. Julius was shaking his head at the newspaper as Nelly patted his back comfortingly.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Oh, noth…nothing dearie. Ju…just these awf…awful deaths that have been go…going on.,” Nelly shivered and gestured at the paper. Feeling curious I took the paper and read through the page as Erin peered at it over my shoulder.
HARROWING CRIMES CONTINUE. WILL NO ONE STOP THEM?!
Another body of a woman was found in the dumpster, mutilated beyond all recognition. She like all the victims before her was a young woman, in her 20’s and worked a late shift at her workplace. The victim has been identified as Stacy Westenbower and lived with her friends on Pintenbone Street. She worked late night shifts at the Café Pour Later.
It seems poor Miss Westenbower was being stalked for quite some time before being taken. Her friends even mentioned about how the killer had once even broken their apartment window, but the nearby neighbors mention this was done by some rowdy boys, our sources aren’t sure yet.
But one thing is for sure folks. None of us are safe so do remember to bolt your doors and windows.
For further details about the Window Story turn to page 5.
Snorting in disgust, I passed the paper back to Nelly, “Great journalism that. I have learnt absolutely nothing.”
“But Pam. Pintenbone street. That’s only a couple of blocks away! Aren’t you worried?” Erin asked looking concerned.
“But didn’t you read? Apparently, she was stalked for a while. So, she knew or at least had some hint of it. We just came here. No one knows us.,” I replied confidently but hid my uneasiness. I didn’t want to scare her just yet.
“But what abo…about the cat?” Nelly asked looking worried as she stared at the girl’s picture. “She loo…looks so familiar.”
“Probably your last victim.”, I muttered.
“Oh, think nothing of it! Must have been some mad lads running around. They must have wanted to play a prank. Or scare that boy….what was his name? Ah, yes Toby.,” Julius laughed.
We stared at him blankly.
“A prank really? Also “Mad lads” aren’t a comforting thought either.,” I growled. Erin and Nelly nodded their heads sagely.
Poor Toby.
The kettle whistled and Erin turned to get the tea as I got out some snacks as my mind wandered. Was Erin, right? Were we being hunted? But why? We just got here. We don’t know anyone her. But what if the killer just killed women randomly?
Sighing I shook my head, this wasn’t going to lead me anywhere. For now, I needed to be more careful and bolt the doors shut it was. I was going to be paranoid, and Erin was just going to have to deal with it.
My face was set with grim determination as I set down the colorful cupcakes and sipped the tea. The sound of chatter filled the silence comfortingly. We were arguing about the killers’ motives when a sudden knock on the door interrupted us. Curious, I got up to investigate it. I peered through the keyhole, it was middle aged man with thin blonde hair and a protruding belly.
“Who is it?” I asked.
“Names Wallace. Your neighbor.,” he grunted.
“Oh, I know this one. Always angry.,” Julius said in a hushed voice as Nelly nodded in agreement.
“What do you need?” Erin called out.
“Can yuh open the door so we can talk all normal like!” his voice boomed.
“Oh dearie, he alw…always yells at me when…whenever I sleepwalk into hu…his apart…apartment.,” Nelly mumbles.
“I can’t imagine why.” I snark as I unlock the door.
“Alright what do you need?” I call out.
“For yuh to stop rifling through my trash. Just cus’ we are neighbors don’t mean you can look through another man’s trash!”, he growls and scratches his belly.
“Huh?” I reply intelligently.
“Why in god’s name would these girls look through your trash Wallace?!,” Julius asks looking shocked.
“Yea! And what proof do you have that we are the ones responsible?”, Erin asked hotly, her hands on her hips.
“Well listen here young lady! I always been keeping my trash outside my door for the cleaner but since y’all have come I been noticing that my bags are torn open every morning! Trash all over the place!” he huffed.
“But why will we do that?! It makes no sense!” Erin cried out angrily. I pull her towards me trying to soothe her.
“Erin, calm down it’s alright. Mr. Wallace, I assure you, we have done no such thing. But if we see anything suspicious, we’ll let you know.,” I said politely and hoped the man would listen.
“Yes you…young man. I have been wi…with the girls all du…day. They ha…haven’t done anything.,” Nelly added.
“Alright. I’ll leave it be for now. But if I see it happen again…! I’m calling the cops! Rifling through a man’s trash… What has the world come to these days…,” he continued to grumble as he left and entered his apartment, the door banging shut behind him.
“Safe to say he isn’t happy.,” I sighed.
“What an odd young man. Odd indeed.,” Julius muttered as he twirled his mustache before he continued, “I’ll be leaving now dear girls, but I’ll drop by whenever I can.,” he said in a reassuring manner.
“No need to pressure yourself.,” I replied quickly in order to stop this weird tradition from forming.
“Nonsense it’s no hardship.,” he chortled.
“Bye bye Julius! See you soon!” Erin called out happily.
“So nice to see you de…dear. Come by on Tue…Tuesday I’ll make my special le…lemon cake.,” Nelly said.
I could feel my heart sinking.
“Well then time to leave!” I shooed Erin and Nelly inside the apartment and walked Julius outside to make sure he actually left and didn’t hide in some corner just to terrify me later.
Waving him off I was standing on the sidewalk for a while breathing in the fresh afternoon air when the feeling returned. I was being watched. I stood still as my eyes darted around trying to pin down the person, there was no one there.
Turning around I walked back quickly to get rid of the eeriness. Hurrying, I almost ran into someone.
“Toby! You almost scared me!” I gasped.
“Sorry, I just wanted to take Muttons for a walk.,” he mumbled.
“What?” I replied blankly.
“Yea! Mum was real angry you see. Said she wouldn’t get me another one. But Mum fixed her up real good! See?!,” he said as he shoved her decapitated head in my face. I yelped and almost fell as I saw it. Oh, it was Muttons alright. Or at least her stuffed head attached to a leash.
“Isn’t she the best?” he sighed as he hugged the head close.
“Uh huh.,” I mumbled, not trusting myself to use words.
“Well, I don’t wanna be late! Mama will yell at me!,” he cried out as he dashed down the steps, dragging the decapitated head behind him.
I watched, absolutely stunned, well at least he won’t have to worry about feeding it.
Sighing I walked towards my apartment. I’ll be the one needing the therapy after this.
I could still feel the eyes on me.
