The Fifty State Nightmare

16

"I'll be watching the news like a hawk!" Broken smiles, her eyes shining with excitement. "Make E.J. take pictures too!"

"I'm not leaving pictures of myself behind!" E.J. protests.

"Don't worry. I can be very convincing," You tell her with a grin.

"No you can't," E.J. huffs in annoyance.

"Call if you need anything okay?" Slender says, handing you your backpack.

"I have the maps. We'll be able to get back. I'll bring souvenirs!" You smile, accepting the bag.

"I can't wait to see you on T.V.!" Sally cries, jumping into your arms for a hug.

"It's going to be great! Expect the first body soon!" You giggle, giving Sally a hug before setting her down.

You and E.J. grab your bags before heading out of the mansion and through the forest. You two come out to a small park and get into a brand new vehicle, loading your bags before hitting the road. The two of you were starting out in Florida and would make your way across the U.S. You were beyond excited to be doing this with E.J. You two find a small town with your first victim, watching a young woman's family leave before she's left alone in the house. You reach for a knife and your hand brushes against E.J.'s, your cheeks flushing as you retract it.

"Sorry," He tells you, grabbing his scalpel before handing you your knife.

The two of you climb out of the car once night descends on the town and slip into the house. E.J. follows you through the house and to the bedroom the woman was sleeping in. She jerks awake when you push open the door, her eyes widening in fear as she fumbles for the gun in her nightstand. You lunge forward and pin her to the bed where she screams and struggles.

"Please! Please, is it money you want?! Take whatever you want in the house!" She begs.

"Only thing I want is a new trophy," You chuckle, getting her hands pinned above her head before you bury your knife into her neck.

She gasps and chokes on the blood that fills her throat, her beautiful blue eyes slowly fading before going dead as she bleeds out. You clean off your knife and climb off of her, getting your picture before E.J. harvests her kidneys. Your eyes widen when flashing lights suddenly shine through the windows, you and E.J. exchanging looks before scrambling downstairs and out the back door. Your hearts race as you run through the back yard and hop over the fence, the sound of a barking dog sending adrenaline racing through your veins. E.J. runs in one direction and you run in the other, trying to throw the dog off of your trail. You make it a few miles from the house before you're able to stuff your mask and knife in your backpack, slipping off your black shirt to reveal a pink tank top beneath. You take calming breaths and walking on the sidewalk.

You pull out your phone and text Eyeless Jack, giggling when he tells you he was back at the bar with a nice bite wound in his leg. You find a bench and settle on it before you wait for him, jumping into the car when it pulls up.

"That was crazy!" He tells you as you two drive into the city and stop at a restaurant for breakfast.

"Can't believe we were almost caught! Maybe doing it in the city from now on," He tells you.

"We just got unlucky. It's not usually like that," You tell him with a laugh. "Don't worry. We'll be more careful next time."

"This is why I choose to kill in only a few places. Can't believe I let you talk me into doing all fifty states," He laughs.

"Hey! It was your idea! We'll be fine! Trust me, it gets better from here," You tell him with a grin.

"I trust you," He chuckles. "Let's get breakfast."

You two head into the restaurant and get a table, ordering food and devouring your breakfast. You two were starving after your little adrenaline rush. You two laugh happily as you eat together, pulling out a map and marking the next towns and cities you two were going to next. You mark a few towns so you two can rent a hotel room for a shower but otherwise you two planned to spend most of your time in the car. Days pass as you two hit the road and kill over the next little while, your photos flashing across the news as the police find the bodies you and E.J. leave behind. You two cheer when the bodies are found, everyone anxious and on the look out for the Fifty State Nightmare and their accomplice. After a few weeks you two return to the mansion, a successful trip out of the way.

The pastas are excited when you two return home, congratulating you on your successful killing spree. You smile and thank them for their encouragement, you and E.J. spending a few days in bed and recovering from your trip. You all laugh and chat as you eat breakfast, most of the talk being about kills you all did the night before. You were so happy to be able to relax and enjoy yourself among all of them. You were truly home.