Unknown POV

He slammed the door shut behind him, anger burning through his heart and mind. His euphoria from slicing the rotting cadaver was short-lived. He saw Amaya smile and embrace her friend at the university today. He shook his head. No, he can't afford to be jealous right now, he needs to dispose of any possible traces and residues of his previous victim.

The man rolled up his sleeves and finished scrubbing the floor that was stained with blood. The room that had Jackson Brown's body was now clean and sterile. Everything was scrubbed down with bleach and disinfectant. The chair Jackson died on had blood stains that refused to come out.

"What a shame," he mumbled to himself. He needs to buy one that doesn't stain so easily.

The muscular assailant grabbed the black duffel bag laying on the floor and exited his previous hideout. He walked a mile through the serene sunflower fields before reaching his car parked on the side of a dirt road. It was a chilly night with clear skies. He welcomed the cool crisp air, feeling refreshed after sweating from disinfecting and mopping his den. Once he got in his car, he unzipped his duffel bag and took out a gray sweater with Daventon University embossed in purple and outlined with gold thread.

His phone buzzed loudly in his pocket. It was an Amber Alert. One body found in Daventon University's Student Quad. Killer still on the loose. Evacuate campus immediately. The intersection of Estrella & Cruz Street closed.

Taking off his black cotton mask, he sneered. Finally, they found the body. It took them a while, he thought sarcastically. He was curious about how the authorities would react once they encountered the second "portion" of his craft. He put on the Daventon University sweater then started his car. He searched for directions towards his thrilling destination and grinned wickedly.

Amaya

Carter and Amaya stared at each other in silence after receiving the Amber Alert notification. They ran to his car and once they were inside, he quickly pressed a button to lock all his car doors shut. "Fuck no, we're not dying tonight." Carter laughed uneasily.

Amaya was nervous. A serial killer in Luna Del Sur? Since 1912, there hasn't been any reported murder in the college town. They were usually only burglaries that have been reported and the odds of murder was less than 1%. Apparently, she was wrong.

"Do you think it's safe if we drive back to our apartment with a killer on the loose?" Amaya asked Carter. Thankfully, both of them lived in the same apartment complex and their units were in close proximity to each other. She still felt unsafe. They didn't receive any more information about the killer.

As Carter sped through the freeway to their apartment, Amaya scrolled through Instagram to see what other people had to say about the recent Amber Alert. There were plenty of mixed opinions. Some were actually fascinated by the idea of a possible serial killer on the loose in Luna Del Sur. They believed this murderer could be the next Ted Bundy of this generation.

On the other hand, many students were frightened and posted pictures of the dead body with the letter 'A' carved on its surface. The police found the limbs of the victim and have yet to identify the body. It didn't take the authorities long, however.

They found the victim's head hanging from a branch of a tree located in front of the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office. As Amaya continued to swipe through Instagram, a notification of a student recording a Live Story appeared on her phone's banner. Out of curiosity, she clicked on it and immediately regretted her decision.

Her throat felt tight and bile was threatening to spill upon seeing the graphic content. The name of the victim was Jackson Brown, head of the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office. His head was suspended about six feet off the ground, and dangled from two ropes drilled on each side of his temple.

Finally, Carter and Amaya arrived at their apartment's parking lot. They parked in the well-lighted portion of the parking lot. "Do you think this serial killer is killing people with any names that have 'A' as a first letter?" Amaya asked Carter.

He simply shrugged. "I don't know, Amaya. We can't jump to conclusions until the police know more."

"Would you mind if I sleepover at your place tonight?" Amaya asked him meekly. "I'm scared to be all alone in my apartment. I'm not sure if my housemates are coming back tonight."

"Yeah of course!" Carter exclaimed. "I was actually about to ask you if you wanted to."

"Let me just grab some stuff from my apartment," Amaya said. They walked towards her unit and Amaya unlocked her apartment door. Carter waited for her in the living room while she grabbed her turquoise duffel bag and filled it with her overnight essentials.

In her room, she quickly grabbed a pair of PJ's, jeans, and Amaya changed into a large gray sweater and purple shorts when she felt eyes staring at her. She turned. Her blinds were closed, but why did it feel like someone was watching her? She grabbed her backpack for school and was about to leave but she forgot something...

She went over to her bed to grab her favorite teddy bear but he wasn't on her bed like he usually was. Amaya looked under her bed, in her closet, and under her study desk but teddy was nowhere to be seen. She huffed. Yes, she's 21 years old but she still sleeps with a teddy bear. He made it easier for her to sleep.

She looked at the time and felt bad. Carter must've been waiting longer than he needed to. Amaya gave one last glance in her room before she grabbed her keys and duffel bag and walked to the living room.

Carter was scrolling through Tik Tok and smiling at one of the funny videos that popped up on his For You Page. "Thank you for waiting, I was looking for my teddy bear but I couldn't find him anywhere in my room." Amaya pouted.

"Wait, you still sleep with a bear?" Carter asked, his smile widening.

"Yes, and don't judge! He helps me go to sleep," she replied matter-of-factly.

Carter rolled his eyes before putting his arm around her shoulders and they both walked out of Amaya's apartment. "What's that? Tinder?" she asked looking at his phone.

"It's not! I don't have Tinder," he answered.

"Carter, it's okay if you do. I'm not judging, just let me know if your thumbs get tired and I'll swipe for you." Amaya jokes.

"Shut uppppp"

Both of them laughed as they climbed up the second floor to get to Carter's unit. He lives by himself so she didn't have to worry about bothering his roommates or worry about overstaying. Her phone rang. It was her Mom calling. Amaya didn't want to answer her phone. answered the phone to reassure her Mom that she was safe even if the killer still wasn't found. She told her Mom about staying the night at Carter's place and she was apprehensive upon hearing this. Amaya promised that she feels safer staying with Carter than being alone in her apartment.

"If you say so, Amaya." her Mom sighed. "Call me if you need me to pick you up, your Dad and I will drive up," she informed.

"I'll be okay, Mom don't worryyy." Amaya rolled her eyes.

"I love you, sweetheart." her Mom said.

"I love you too, Mom," Amaya said before hanging up.

Amaya dropped her belongings next to Carter's brown couch and sat down. She let out a loud sigh. She was exhausted even if she didn't do a lot today. Depression really sucks. Carter held out a plate of chicken stir fry and she gladly accepted it.

"Does your Mom know about...you know?" Carter asked.

Amaya shook her head. "Honestly, I don't even know how to tell my parents. They're Asian and mental health isn't a part of our culture's vocabulary."

They both ate their food in silence until Amaya spoke. "I think selling my medications is a good idea and a good way for me to make money and help me pay for this year's tuition."

Carter's head snapped up. "I was seriously joking when I said that."

"I'm really desperate, Carter." Amaya's voice cracked.

"You should put your mental health first. There's a reason why you were prescribed these medications. They are meant for YOU." he emphasized.

"Taking care of my mental health wouldn't help pay for bills," she said sadly, her eyes welling up with tears. Crap, she's about to look like an idiot in front of her best friend.

Carter wrapped his arms around her and sighed. "All right, do what you gotta do. I'll help you out."

"You don't have to," she murmured into his chest.

He grabbed both of her shoulders gently and looked at her straight in the eye. "Selling Adderall and Xanax have high risks. You could be expelled or jailed if you were caught. Medical school would be out of the picture, Amaya."

She sniffled and wiped her cheeks. "Not if I have you by my side, shopping cart," Amaya said, calling him by the nickname she gave him years ago.

Carter rolled his eyes while giving her a small smile. "As a business major Amaya Papaya, it is my duty to know that selling Addy makes the worst profit margins. I'll see what we can do about the Xanax, though," he informed her.

Amaya hugged him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear before pulling away. "So, how are we gonna get these meds in bulk for cheap?" 

Here's another chapter! Thank you for reading!