Song: Keep On Loving You by REO Speedwagon

"I carried it too far, that's for sure."—Jeffery Dahmer

May 13th, 2014

Hello, it's me. Yes, The Midnight Killer is back. Did you get the Adele reference in the first sentence? What? Even a serial killer can have a good taste in music.

How many of you missed me? It's just few days over a month since I last wrote, and just over two months since I last killed.

As most of you would remember, I promised to write again if the police could not find me. It's so sad watching them struggle. Therefore, I'm here to lend them a helping hand.

As of some hours ago, another woman has gone missing. In fact, I'm currently writing this as I watch her sleep. She looks so at peace. I wish I could snap a picture and attach it to this letter, but I won't. I haven't decided what I would do with her. Maybe by the end of this letter I would have figured it out.

I hope I have sparked you all's interest as to who she is. Rubs hands together with a devilish grin plastered on my face. Let's get this show on the road.

***

Events of the previous day...

Mondays suck. Especially when I haven't done the one thing that brings me relief—kill. Nevertheless, I'm a man of my word. I promised not to kill until I have given the police time to find me. A month has passed and I'm still waiting.

I mentally planned my day as I sipped a cup of coffee while staring at the people that walked in and out of the Starbucks just a few blocks from my office.

Some people will call it creepy, but I call it being observant. I glanced at my wristwatch. The time was 7:45 am. Work starts at eight sharp. I placed a twenty-dollar tip on the table and walked out. I was feeling generous.

The moment I stepped out of Starbucks, the smell of water mixed with dust hit my nostrils. I took in a deep breath, welcoming the smell. Thunder rumbled beneath the dark clouds accompanied by lightning.

Pulling my jacket closer to my body, I hurriedly walked to my office. I sat staring at my sketchpad, at a loss of what to design. I was like an island whose water had dried up due to drought. I guess not killing for a long time has an effect after all.

I looked at the time. Five hours had gone by since I resumed work this morning. Time flies when it's raining. Now, the rain had stopped. I decided to take a walk and clear my head. Maybe I will be able to get my mojo back?

As soon as I stepped outside, the brightness of the sun hit me and filled me with warmth. At that moment, I knew everything would be okay, even if I didn't know how.

With no destination in mind, I began to walk. I just wanted a place where I could relax and design.

The funny thing was that as I walked, somehow I found myself smiling and greeting everyone I passed. I felt like I was in a scene from The Sound of Music, except I wasn't singing. However, I imagine smiling and greeting random people was something Maria would have done.

"Pull it together," I said to myself. "You wouldn't want people thinking that you are crazy."

In fact, I was sure I looked crazier by walking and talking to myself. It's not like I cared. Things I had done were enough to declare me mentally insane. However, I wasn't insane, just mission-oriented.

Okay, back to walking. I had just walked for ten minutes when I spotted a playground. Light bulb. A playground would be the best place to relax and get in the zone. All the laughter of kids as they played with no care in the world had a calming effect.

With that settled, I entered the playground. Finding a bench to sit on that was far away to avoid being disturbed by any kid or parent proved to be difficult. I knew it would have been hard considering that because it was a playground, parents would want to stay close and watch their kids.

Anyway, I settled for a bench where a dark haired man sat. As I sat down, I mumbled some greetings to him and he nodded. Bringing out my sketchpad, I began to design. All the elements that I had being missing back in the office suddenly became clear.

I had just finished the first sketch when I felt a tug on the sleeve of my jacket. Lifting my head, I saw a very familiar face staring and smiling at me. A wide smile spread across my face when I recognized him. He was that kid I played with sometime ago. I remember refusing to take his mother because I felt a connection with him. What are the chances that I would meet him again in another playground?

"Hi." He blushed.

"Hey, buddy," I said, "how have you been?"

He rubbed his eyes and nodded. So cute.

"Want me to play with you?" I asked.

He nodded and whispered, "Yes."

"Okay, but first let me say hello to your mom," I replied.

He nodded once again. I found it adorable. He led me to his mom and I greeted her. He didn't let me say hello properly before dragging me off. I chuckled at his antics. At least I remembered to leave my bag and sketch pad with her.

Three hours later, we both slumped onto the bench his mom was sitting on laughing but extremely tired. She looked at us with an angelic smile. And all I could think about at that moment was how I wished my mother ever looked at me with eyes filled with so much love and pride.

My heart raced as I thought of all the fun things I could do with her in my basement. My palms itched in anticipation.

She looked at her wristwatch and announced it was time for them to go. Suddenly, the boy started crying as he clung to me not wanting to go with his mom. My heart went out to him as he cried, but I pushed the feeling away. The last thing I needed was to feel guilt when I kidnapped his mom.

I watched his mom promise him several things, but he still refused to let me go. Then an idea struck me. Why not kill two birds with one stone. So I wrote down my house address for his mom and told them to come over for dinner. That way, he gets to see me again. Only then did he agree to let me go. His mom whispered a thank-you as they left. I could only nod, a sinister smile over my face, feeling proud of my plan.

I went home to prepare for my guests.

About two hours later, the doorbell rang. Showtime. I smiled and swung the door open to reveal a pair of green eyes smiling at me. I felt little arms wrap around my legs, so I knelt and hugged him. The smile on my face was a genuine one. I didn't like the way he weakened my resolve. At the end the day would I be able to kill her, knowing fully well who she was going to leave behind? I had not yet decided. Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.

I let them in. We ate, laughed, played games, and watched movies. It felt like a real family having dinner. Nevertheless, as midnight drew closer I knew I had to make up my mind. By this time, the boy had fallen asleep on the couch.

When the mom got up saying they had to go, I knew I couldn't let them leave me. At least not yet. So, I did what I knew how to do best. I quickly grabbed a syringe and injected her with it. Firstly, I carried the boy to my room so he could be comfortable. Then I carried her body to the basement. However, this time around, I didn't tie her. I didn't want her feeling like a prisoner.

***

That's how I came about this victim. I stood up to go check on the boy; he was still asleep. I hope that by the time he wakes up, this nightmare would be over. Although, I doubt that because this is morning. I'm about to send this letter out, and they are not yet awake. This is the longest I have kept a victim. However, this victim is special. I love her and her son.

"I like children, they are tasty."—Albert Fish

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