please...anything.”
The elevator stopped and when the doors parted, Jilly pushed past a couple on her way to her car. She could hear them cursing and complaining about her. But more disturbing yet, she could hear the man’s footsteps following behind her.
“C’mon,” he called to her, “at least just tell me your name....”
Jilly stopped in front of her car. She didn’t have her keys out and would have to set her bags down in order to retrieve them from her purse.
“Are you afraid of me?” The man asked. He looked amused.
Jilly dropped her bags and looked up at him. That’s when the unthinkable happened. Even as the struggle ensued, Jilly knew she had no one to blame but herself. How many times had her mother warned her not to be by herself in public, not to draw attention to herself, not to invite such trouble into her life? She sadly remembered the last time it had happened. She was not quite sixteen yet...so young, so unprepared for the trauma. Now she’d have to re-live the shame all over again.
Lost in her fears and worry, she hadn’t even realized that she was in her car with the man. Time seemed to slow to a stop, yet everything was happening so fast. She heard the grunts and moans and cries, but it all seemed so foreign, as if she were removed from it all...just a spectator witnessing the brutality.
Within mere minutes there was blood everywhere. All hope for survival was lost. Tears slid from Jilly’s eyes as the cruel hand of reality took hold of her fading senses.
Noooo, her mind screamed, not again....
In less than a half an hour, Jilly stumbled into her house carrying her blood-stained shopping bags.
“It’s about time, Jilly, I—”
Jilly’s mother stopped in her tracks as her jaw dropped open. She stared in horror at the blood covering her daughter’s clothing. She was drenched in it, as if she had bathed in it.
“Mom,” Jilly whimpered in an unsteady voice, “please don’t be mad....”
“Oh, Jilly, not again. How could you let this happen?”
Her mother sounded more angry than disappointed. Jilly began to sob.
“Peter,” Jilly’s mother cried out loudly to her husband who was sipping cognac in the family room while watching the news.
Peter heard the anxiety and distraught in his wife’s voice. Something was wrong. He set his drink down and raced toward the kitchen to find her. He stopped short, finding her standing in the foyer with their daughter. One look at Jilly answered his questions and confirmed his fear.
“What happened, Jilly?” He asked in a soft, sympathetic voice.
“A tall blonde man followed me in the mall. He wouldn’t leave me alone, Daddy....”
“It’s okay, sweetheart, everything’s gonna be okay.”
“How can you say that? We warned her it would happen again and she was careless. You really want to have to move again?”
Jilly’s mother’s cheeks burned red, hot with anger.
“C’mon, Diane, quit making her feel worse than she does...it wasn’t her fault.”
“Did you even try to avoid him?” Her mother asked snidely.
“Yes, Mom,” Jilly whimpered, “I swear. I really, truly tried to just do my shopping and get out of there.”
“Where was Peyton? Wasn’t she supposed to be with you?”
Jilly nodded.
“But she couldn’t make it,” Jilly said piteously.
“Then you should have just left!” Diane shouted in frustration.
“That’s enough!” Peter yelled loudly. “Obviously, Jilly didn’t plan for this to happen and she’s very upset about it. What’s done is done and we’ll all just have to make the best of it.”
Peter walked forward and embraced his daughter, not caring that the blood soaked into her jacket would stain his own clothing. He hated to see his daughter so saddened by events that were simply beyond her control. He, unlike his wife, could empathize with her helplessness.
“Go take a shower, sweetie, your mom and I will figure things out.”
As Jilly trudged upstairs, Diane let out a loud, exaggerated, frustrated sigh and crossed her arms.
“You act as if she’s totally blameless,” she said to Peter.
“She is, really, when you think about it. That man had no right following her around.”
“If she doesn’t learn to control herself, we’ll all pay the price.”
Peter pulled his wife toward him and planted a kiss on her lips.
“You’re overreacting, dear.”
Diane pulled away.
“It’s not like it used to be...there are cameras everywhere. For all we know there might have been a camera in the mall parking garage. The police could be here any minute.”
“You worry too much. You’ll see, it’s gonna be okay.”
“Don’t make light of it, Peter. We just moved here in March. It’d be nice to be able to stay in one place for more than two years.”
“I’ll talk to her, Di...she’ll learn to control her urges. She’s just a teenager. You know those are the toughest years.”
“I know,” Diane said, her voice losing its edge. She inhaled deeply then exhaled slowly.
“I promise you, baby, no one will find out about us.”
Diane nodded nervously. She enjoyed the fruits of their labor but hated the stress and anxiety that accompanied each kill.
“I’ll help you with the body,” she said softly and they both walked to the garage.
Peter peered into Jilly’s car. A big smile formed on his face.
“Our little girl’s growing up,” he said, beaming with pride.
Peter and Diane grabbed the man by his feet and pulled the body out of the car. The dead man’s head hit the concrete floor of the garage with a sickening thud. Peter walked over and lifted the man from under his arms while Diane lifted his feet. They carried him into the house and directly to the partially-finished basement where they laid his body atop a long metal table.
“Go on, honey, you clean up whatever bloody mess we made upstairs, I’ll get started on him.”
Diane nodded. She walked upstairs and retrieved several cleaning supplies from the utility closet. The mess wasn’t nearly as bad as it often was. Once, Peter had brought home a woman whom he had nearly decapitated. Now that was some mess.
Peter had a set of sharpened knives, axes and bone saws prepared for just such an occasion. He spared no time chopping the man into thick slabs and fillets. It was a surprisingly long and arduous process, but well worth it. A man the size of the deceased blonde-haired guy would feed his family for weeks. It was actually a good thing that Jilly ended up hunting as they were getting low on their meat supply. Peter held the man’s heavy heart within his hand and smiled. Now the family would enjoy a most hearty Christmas dinner.
When Jilly reappeared after taking her shower, Diane had just finished scrubbing some streaks of blood from the hard wood floor.
“Are you still mad at me, Mom?” Jilly asked, feeling ashamed.
Diane stood up and tossed the sponge into the nearby pail.
“I was sort of mad before, but I know you can’t help it. It’s in your blood.”
“I really didn’t want to...I just couldn’t stop myself.”
“I know, honey, I don’t blame you...really. I don’t care about those filthy humans at all. It’s just that I don’t want to arouse suspicion.”
“I know, I was careful. I promise not to make it a habit. You and Dad provide enough for us anyway.”
“I’m so proud of you, sweetheart. I know we can trust you. I’m sorry for overreacting.”
“It’s okay, I understand. I’d better get started on my homework.??
?
Jilly went up to her room. Diane carried the cleaning supplies to the girl’s car. She shook her head in dismay. Automobiles were always difficult to clean. Yet, it had to be done. Dreading the task ahead of her, she washed the outer surface of the car quickly before tackling the interior.
Days later, the family joined together at the dinner table to enjoy a bountiful Christmas feast. The mood was merry and light as they exchanged jokes and reminisced about past holidays. The television was on in the family room adjacent to their dining room. They always kept it tuned to the local news channel. It had served as background noise for their meal until a certain news report caught Jilly’s attention. She craned her neck to watch the screen. Peter and Diane likewise glanced at the television to see what had captured their daughter’s attention. They grew quiet as they listened to the reporter.
“...three nights ago at the Windcrest Mall. His live-in girlfriend, Jessica DiBiasi, stated that she had called him just after six-thirty that night and he had informed her that he would be home shortly. After two hours and several failed attempts to contact him via his cell phone, Miss DiBiasi drove to the mall to try and locate him. She spotted his car in the parking garage and waited for him to return, but he never did. Given the circumstances, police suspect foul play. Anyone with information on the disappearance of Drew Jacobsen is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 555-T-I-P-S.”
A photograph of the blonde-haired man was displayed for the public to see. When the local traffic and weather report began broadcasting afterward, the Carson family lost interest and turned away from the television.