Sweet Dreams

“A...b...c...d...” Rebecca said slowly, she was trying very hard to remember those few letters.  Rebecca  is four years old, just starting school.  It’s about three months into school now, and she has made great progress.  Her parents were very happy with her, as was her teacher.  But, there was someone else very proud of her as well, someone she didn’t even know existed.  He watched her walk home from school with her mom, and watched her dad put her on the bus in the morning.  He was sure she saw him at the mall the other day, when he accidentally bumped into her mom’s shopping cart.  Hopefully she wouldn’t remember..1

Rebecca ran out of school along with many other children after the final bell.  She ran right into her mom’s arms.  They started to walk towards the street.  He was in car, and watched them walk behind his car as they tried to cross the street.  He was trying to learn everything about them; the way the walked, the way they got home, how long it took them, what they usually did afterwards.  Everything.  They started to cross the street and he watched them in the mirror.  For every step her mother took, Rebecca took three.  After they were across the street, she let go of her hand, and Rebecca skipped ahead and poked a little boy on the shoulder, he turned around, and she laughed once he saw her.  The man in the car smirked, and drove ahead down the street.  ‘Soon they will be here, and it will be perfect,’ he thought, as he parked the car in front of their house and waited for them to arrive. 2

Rebecca’s mother dropped her back pack on the front porch, and started to unlock the door, then pushed it open.  Rebecca ran inside, followed by her mother.  He waited a few moments after they were inside before going to the door.  When he got there he looked in the mail box, and read the name on it, Joan McPhillip.  He knocked on the door.  She answered, and he just stood there, he thought of how different she looked from far away.  “May I help you?” She said, annoyed, and broke his trance.3

“Oh.. uh.. Sorry.  I’m looking for Joan.  I used to go to school with her, and I was in town and heard someone talking about her and asked around.  Is this the right place?” He asked, she looked at him oddly. 4

“Who are you?” She replied to his question with a question.  Joan looked at him now, he was tall and lanky, he had dark brown shoes on, and he was balding at the top of his head.  His clothes consisted of old worn out blue jeans and a flannel button-up shirt.  His face was wrinkled, and there was a slight grin on his face.  His eyes were dark brown, and they had crows feet.  He cleared his throat, and she looked down at her watch. 5

“I’m Adam.” He said, he looked past her inside the house.  He could see Rebecca sitting on the floor in front of the televison.  She stepped in front of his view. 6

“Excuse me.  I’m sorry but I don’t remember any Adam from school.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.”  She backed away and started to close the door, and he reached and grabbed her arm.7

“Wait!  I need to do an article for my paper back home, on the changes of people.  I just need to ask you a few questions about your life now and then.  I’ll even send it to you after it’s published.  Here’s my card,” he said, and handed her his card.  She looked at him quizzically and read the card.8

“Fine.  But make it quick,” she said and stepped back from the door, allowing him to step inside.  He closed the door behind himself.  “This way,” she said, and he followed her to the kitchen.  She sat down at the table and he sat down across from her.  He put his bag down on the floor beside him and opened it up, and pulled out a notepad, pen and glasses.  He put his glasses on the tip of his nose and looked at her over top of them.  9

“I know you want to make this quick, but I need to know a little bit of background first..” They talked for a while and he got all his questions answered plus a few extra things that would help him on his journey.  He even told her some things about himself, of course, they were all lies, but she didn’t know that.  As they stood up to walk back to the front door, he turned around and put one hand over her mouth, and his other hand pulled both her hands behind her back, holding them by the wrists.  He put her face first into the table, and took one hand off to go in his bag. 10

“If you make one sound, I swear to God, I’ll slit your daughter’s throat in front of you,” he said in a loud whisper.  She nodded.  He grabbed duct tape out of the bag and ripped a piece of with his teeth.  He covered her mouth, then he ties her wrists together behind her back.  He moved down and taped her feet together.  He threw her off the table and onto the floor, then pulled her up by her arm, and put her in a chair.  He taped around her waist and the back of the chair, then he taped her feet to one of the chair legs.  Afterwards, he knocked the chair over so that she was under it.  11

Walking into the living room, Rebecca was still watching televison.  “Rebecca, can I ask you some questions to put in my newspaper, honey?” He asked.  Joan was trying to get out of the tape and hoped that she wouldn’t answer.  Rebecca  just nodded to him.  “Well, first, do you like games?”  12

~~~~~~13

Rebecca woke up in a dark room.  She tried to sit up quickly, and couldn’t.  Something was holding her down.  She looked around, and didn’t recognize any of her surroundings.  Starting to get afraid, she tried hard to see if anyone was there. “Mommy?” She whispered.  “Mommy, where are you? Mommy! Mommy!!!”  She started screaming and crying now, trying to get up, but still she couldn’t.  Adam ran into the room, and turned the lights on.  He looked at her, and he couldn’t wait to do just what he had said to Rebecca’s mother. 14

“Mommy’s not here.  It’s okay, I’m here.  I can help you.  What’s the matter?”  He said, reassuringly.  She looked at him, her eyes were red and puffy.15

“Where’s mommy?  I want mommy..”  She sobbed.16

“I just told you, mommy’s not here.  You don’t want to know where mommy is.  You won’t like it.” 17

“Mommy?  What happened to mommy?” Her eyes grew big, and started to Get teary again.  He stood up beside her, and turned to walk away.18

“It doesn’t matter anymore, you’ll see her soon enough.”  He said and walked out of the room.  Rebecca started screaming and crying again, and he just ignored her.  19

‘Soon enough you’ll be with her.  Soon enough you’ll know.  She’s somewhere better now.  It was her time to go.  You are next and then someone new, who could it be, after you?’ His thoughts wouldn’t stop.  He had to do it now.  He needed to do it now.  Walking into the kitchen, he grabbed a knife and headed towards Rebecca’s room.  When he got inside, he held the knife behind his back.  She was sleeping again.  ‘She cried herself to sleep..’ he thought.  He knelt down beside her.  He put duct tape over her eyes and mouth.  He hated seeing the look on their faces when he did it, he just needed to see the blood dripping. 20

~~~~~21

The next day at school, the teacher noticed Rebecca’s absence and, being a family friend, she went over to Joan’s house after school.  Joan’s car was there, and the front door was even open.  She knocked a few times, and no one answered.  She opened the door and stepped inside. “Hello?” She asked.  No answer.  She didn’t understand, walking to the kitchen she saw the chairs tipped over, and a notepad on the table.  She read it, there were bad, evil things drawn on it.  A picture of Joan, with her face crossed out.  She knew Joan didn’t draw this.. Joan couldn’t draw.  Fumbling to get her cell phone out of her pocket, she dialed 911, and told the police what was going on. 22

~~~~~23

He saw the news.  Two missing, mother and daughter. Joan and Rebecca McPhillips.  Last seen yesterday, after 3:00 PM.  He smirked at the way they talked about it.  The drawing was sadistic to them, but to him it was a masterpiece, his best piece yet.  But that would change soon, he now knew who was next.  The one who found they were missing.  Her schedule would be almost similar to Rebecca’s, school hours and everything.  He shut the TV off, and started to come up with a plan.  24

At school , Ms. Connor was distraught, she couldn’t stop worrying about Joan and Rebecca.  Joan had been her best friend since grade six.  What would she do without her?  He waited outside in his car, but she wasn’t aware.  Just there like all the other parents.  But he’s not a parent.  Everyone was gone except a few older kids by the time she came outside.  He watched her walk out of the building, while reaching inside her purse for her keys.  She walked to her car and got inside.  She started driving away, and he followed behind, slowly.  She didn’t notice, as there are many other cars on the road as well.  When she arrived home, she pulled into her driveway, and he drove right by.  25

A few hours later, there was a knock at the door.  She opened it and there was a tall lanky man there.  He had a big smile on his face and extended his hand out to hers.  “Hi.  I’m Adam, from the local newspaper.  I’ve a few questions to ask you about, well.. You know what.”  She shook his hand and stood aside to let him in.  ‘These people are too easy..’ he thought, smiling.  She lead him to the living room where they sat down, and he began asking her questions about Joan and Rebecca.  She noticed that he didn’t seem to be writing very much down, but didn’t say anything.  26

About a half an hour later, they stood up and she started to walk him out.  They said their good bye’s, and had a final handshake.  During this handshake, he grabbed her and turned her around, his other hand covered her mouth.  She gasped and her eyes went wide.  Everything started turning black.. She fainted...27

‘That just made my job so much easier.  Thank you, Ms. Connor.’ He thought to himself, and smiled, while he taped her up and brought her to where Rebecca and Joan were.’She is dead now, as well as the other two.  But I must continue, these people are worthless!  They are all evil and do not deserve life.  If someone as simple as me can get into their houses with just a few words, they are better off where I put them.  Good night, Ms. Connor.  Sweet dreams, Joan.  Don’t let the bed bugs bite, Rebecca...’28