Act 1 | Chapter 22

"I can use the trunk." I thought, emptying it out and placing my art supplies beside my bed. It was a fairly big trunk, enough so that I could fit inside of it if I was curled up into a ball. The red container became lighter, and I popped the wheels out on the bottom. They folded up so that the trunk would move around, and remain stationary, but I needed this for my plan. Not to long ago on social media, Maria had made a post of her at her house. She and her friends were spending time together, celebrating Maria winning the art contest. I knew where she was, and knowing her and her friends, they most likely had alcohol at the 'party'. If my assumption was right, they should be drunk by the end of the night, which is when I planned on pulling this off. I didn't have time to wait, I needed her gone now. Just thinking about her was pissing me off. Besides, "I'm smart. I've read police reports and watched dozens of show's movies, and even a couple of books explaining how these things usually go. I can avoid mistakes if I'm careful enough."

The first part of my plan was how to kidnap her. Well obviously, I can stuff her into my trunk. The art supplies label should throw people off. I can look like a simple high schooler, rolling her stuff down the street. If Maria at all woke up though while in there, then there would be problems, but I wasn't counting on it, considering she could potentially be drunk. It was snowing outside too, so I would be leaving tracks. I might have to cover them up then. How though? I remember hearing something about covering up tracks in snow being difficult. There isn't any real way to do it, but I do remember one thing. I can't leave any imprints of the soles of my shoes. The markings on the bottom can be identified, so with every step, I have to shift my foot to not leave any. That's another problem. It's December. Christmas is only a few days away. People could still be out shopping or doing other activities, so I can't look suspicious while doing it.

So, get Maria into the trunk, cover my tracks, and then bring her somewhere to kill her. Before that though, I need to know what to kill her with. I contemplated the idea of using a hammer or perhaps a wrench, but why not use a simple knife. Making my way downstairs, I looked towards the kitchen. We had a small rack of knives used for cutting things up. The biggest one also shared some similarities to that of another killer. Always wore a white mask, never spoke. Usually had a mechanic's jumpsuit on. "The knife could work." I thought, grabbing it and taking it upstairs with me. I put the knife into my trunk and went back to planning. I might need something to keep Maria quiet. My father had duck tape in the garage, so I could use that. Another thing I needed to come up with was what to do with the body. I could bury her, but that would take some time. That, and the snow is making the ground cold, so that should make it harder to dig. Shit. I have to though, there's no other way I can completely hide the body. The only question for that is, where. Bate's County is rather big, and has a couple of spot's that could work, but no. I need to bury her far away. "The woods? Yes, that can work." Bates County is surrounded by a large heavily wooded forest. I can take her there, walk deep into it, and kill her. "It's going to be a long night." So for the checklist, I would need my winter gear, my art trunk, the kitchen knife, duck tape, a shovel, and maybe a lantern to see. That'll work.

I walked back downstairs, and to the garage. The shovel was hanging on the wall, right above the table with duct tape on it. I grabbed both of them and walked over to where we kept the later. Well, it was more of a flashlight, but it looked like a large lantern, so I always called it that. Once everything was gathered and stuffed into the trunk, I grabbed the spare lock I had and put it on to prevent the trunk from opening. The key was attached to a necklace, which I just easily put around my neck. I took a step back and let out a long, and deep sigh. "Am I really going through with this?" I wondered, "Is this a good idea." No. But I can't think of anything to do anymore. The school's office hasn't helped me before, my parents surely won't. Beside's, I want to see Maria dead. Her gone would just make my life a whole lot easier.

My snow coat and snow pants were hanging in my closet. I put everything in and readied myself. The city buses have a compartment to put luggage under the seats. It's like the overhead luggage space in an airplane only for buses. I carefully took my art trunk down the stairs and out the front door. Already, the wheels were leaving tracks in the snow. I groaned and shook my head. "It better snow later."

The bus stop wasn't far. I waited, using my trunk as a seat. When the bus did come, I opened the compartment on the bottom and slid the ramp out. Pushing the trunk into the commitment and closing it, I climbed on and sat down. It would be at least a thirty-minute ride to her house. As time passed I stared out the window, looking at all the people. They were walking with their kids, chasing each other, playing, shopping. When I finally got to my stop, I climbed out, retrieved the trunk, and started rolling it down the sidewalk. Maria lived at the end of a long stretch of houses. Each one was built to look the same, though some had small gardens to try and stick out. There was a tree line I could use to hide behind, close to the side of her house. I wouldn't have been able to find this if she didn't have her location on when she posted the picture. I pushed the trunk past her house and into the woods, hoping no one saw me or thought this was suspicious in any way. A series of bushes covered the tree line, to block the tree's trunks, and I chose to hide behind theirs. All that was left to do, was wait. Wait for the sun to set, and the moon to come out. It can provide me shadow's to hide in.

It being December and all, it didn't take long for night to fall. The light's in Maria's house were on, and I could just faintly hear the beat of the music. If I could hear it all the way out here, I can't imagine what it sounds like inside. I waited a bit longer, and got back up, pushing the trunk along the treeline, until I was at the left side of her house. Peaking through the one window on that side, I was able to see inside. I could just barely see through what was going on. Music was blasting over speakers while something on TV was playing. Maria and her friend were sitting around each other in a circle, spinning a bottle between the four of them. Other empty bottles had rolled across the floor and judging on their movement, they were all drunk. "Perfect." I thought, "Just as planned." I undid the lock on my trunk and opened it slightly, enough so that the lid was leaning against the side of the house.

Cracking my knuckles, I walked over to the front yard, and over to the door. I picked up a rock on the stone path parallel to the front sidewalk that led to the driveway. Quickly, I pressed the doorbell, and ran, hiding around the side of the house. The music kept going, and once the door opened I could hear just how loud it was. "I can use this." I thought. Maria stepped out onto the front porch and looked around. She had a cigarette between her middle, and index finger. The smell was awful, and I started to despise her, even more, knowing that she smoked.

"Hello... hellooooo?" Maria said, stumbling a bit as she walked further out. Her hair was a bit of a mess, being very undone and frizzly. She walked out in a pair of sandals, her feet covered by tall stockings that went up to her knees. They were visible, as she was wearing shorts that only really went down to just above the knee. She wore a long sleeve shirt, with a pink skull printed on the front. Judging by the two bump's that poked out of the shirt where her breasts where I assumed she wasn't wearing a bra. "She must really be drunk to walk out here wearing so little."

I used the other rock and slammed it against the side of the house. I pulled my head back as she turned her entire body to look my direction. Slowly, I made my way further back, and around the other side of the house so I was just out of sight. A moment later, Maria rounded the corner, tripping over herself and almost falling into the snow. It wasn't very thick, and every footstep revealed the grass beneath it. The moment she saw my trunk, she tilted her head and started walking over to it.

"What the fuck?" She said to herself, bending over to look inside. "The fuck is all that?" Her words slurred. This was my chance. Quickly, I ran around the corner and over to her. Adrenaline filled my body as I rushed over and raised my fist. I didn't scream and brought it down onto the back of Maria's head with all the strength I had. She was lunged forward, hit her head on the roof of the trunk and slumped over into it, going limp. The cigarette went out as the tip of it landed in the snow.

I winced in pain as my knuckles went numb. I'd never punched anyone before, and it hurt like hell. I tried to ignore the pain and rather celebrated that I had knocked Maria out. It felt good. Reaching into the trunk, I pulled out the duck tape and bound her arms and legs together, then put a strip around her head to completely cover her mouth. Every time I used a new strip, it made a loud ripping sound, but the music drowned it out. Once everything was done, I positioned her into the trunk and slowly closed it, locking the container, and grinning. All that was left was to cover my tracks. I walked back over to the front door, and shut it quietly, muffling the music once again. As I walked, I used my feet to brush away the footprints. That was they couldn't identify me by my shoe's. Pushing the trunk out from the side of the house, and back through the tree line, I followed along with it until I hit another street. That's when I finally left cover and rolled it through the thin snow to the nearest bus stop. I needed to get to complete another side of town.