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Victim #56

"Please, state, what exactly happen?" The police officer asked gruffly. He was tired and wanted to go home but the threat of a killer on the loose made him stay where he thought was safe, in the police station.

"Okay," She whispered. The police officer took a good look at her. She was about average height. She had golden hair with dark eyes making her look beautiful yet mysterious and secluded. She appeared calm but her shaking hands told a different story. She started her story:

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I was just coming home from my office when I felt someone staring at me. It felt off. Like I was being hunted. It sent shivers up my spine. I heard a faint sound of a clock ticking. I gulped in dread. Everyone in the city knows what happens when you hear a clock ticking in the middle of the night...when no else is around.

By off chance, I looked around me to see if anyone else was still left out on the street. There was no one. I glanced behind me. I see a distant figure following me and with each step they took they got closer. I quickened my pace, but to no avail, as the sound of footsteps were getting steadily closer.

They were so close that I could feel their breath at the back of my head. I glanced behind only to have my gaze travel upward to a very tall silhouette. They gave me a smile but the smile looked wrong, grotesque even, almost like it was forced. Their smile almost made my heart stop. The clock ticking gave me a sense of foreboding. Like it was mocking me, telling me that my time was up.

"Good, you finally stopped," Their voice dripping like honey. Sticky, gooey, honey that made it hard to move at all. When they spoke it made me realize that they were female. She was very tall. So, tall that it hurt my neck seeing as she was standing so close. Her light grey eyes were the only pretty thing about her. I was almost captivated by it. Too bad I was fearing for my life or I would've stared longer. Her hair was so dull it had no color. In a way, it made her look even scarier. She was wearing all black with her hands in her pockets like she was holding something precious.

"Let's play a game," She said. She didn't ask it was a command. I shuddered at the sound of her voice. "But first, my name." When I didn't say anything she continued. "Tick Tock's the name and hide and seek's my game." I gulped in fear.

"Here are the rules," She gleamed. " I count to 60 seconds and you have that amount of time to hide. If I find you, you die. If I don't find you, you'll be able to live." I grimaced at the sound of my odds of living. "You can't contact anyone while we're playing and you can't ask for help. That could risk the chances of other people dying and we don't want that, do we?" I shook my head furiously.

"Wait, how long do I have for you to find me?" I asked finding a bit of courage to ask such a dangerous person.

"Ah, right, I forgot about that," She said sounding apologetic. "Excuse me for my loose screws," She whack the side of her head to emphasize. I gave her a weak smile. "About an hour," She grinned. Again that smile didn't look right on her face.

She pulled out her clock. It turns out it wasn't really a much of a clock but more of a pocket watch. I've never actually seen one before. Before my curiosity got the better of me she spoke again.

"Let's start, shall we?" She asked. She covered her eyes and started counting down.

"One..."

"Two..."

I panicked and made a run for it while my brain was running through all the possible places I could hide. My house? No that's the first place she'll look. My office? No that's in her direction. Damnit. There's not many places I can go. I couldn't look for help of any kind that could get more people killed.

What to do? What to do? My brain kept racing for a place for me to hide when I almost went past this old factory that was on the way to my house. I stopped. My brain was working at the chances of her finding me here when I hear the sound of her watch getting closer. I panicked. There's no way that it's been a minute. I quickly went inside shutting the door gently and quietly, wincing as the door squeaked to a shut.

I slowed my breathing so I could hear better from what was happening outside. I could hear the ticking as it got closer, fearing that might've heard the door squeaked, until it eventually passed. I waited for what like the longest time before I let my breath go. I mulled over what I should do next. I didn't have a watch on me and I forgot my phone at home so I had no idea what time it was. I decided to go further in the factory and away from the door. As far as I can tell this place is a huge maze. Perfect. The chances for her finding me here are almost none or so I thought.

I still didn't want to pull my chance of never being found. I quickly walked around making sure to not leave a trail behind because it might lead her to me. I walked around a bit. Getting lost in all those hallways till I found an old office with lots of furniture. I figured with all the walking I did she wouldn't be able to find me. So, I hid in a small cabinet filled with lots of junk that I couldn't recognize. I hid behind all that and closed the door.

I waited for a very long time. The only sound was of me breathing. Then I heard it the very faint sound of a watch ticking. As it got closer I held my breath. I could hear the ticking was getting close. The sound of ticking stayed in place. I could feel my lungs burning as it was begging me for air but I refused. The sound continued to move along and it grew faint again till I couldn't hear it anymore. I finally let myself breathe. For awhile I didn't hear anything else.

Then I heard a sound of the door to the office creaked open. I felt fear overtake me. There was no sound of ticking but I knew it was her. She made no sound as she came across the room where I was hiding but I could almost feel exactly where she was. She stopped in front of the cabinet door. I could practically feel her bending down. I heard her breathing starting to get heavy as the seconds turn to minutes. I didn't dare uttered a peep.

She slammed her hand against the door. I jumped but I still didn't make a sound.

"There's no way you're hiding in here," She whispered sending shivers down my spine. "You're too smart for that."

I felt survival instinct take control. Before she could open the cabinet door I jumped out, slamming into it. I fell against the floor as she fell backwards landing on her rump. I quickly searched around for anything to use. I felt my hands wrapped themselves around a sharp object. It was too dark to see what it was. She tried to get up and was only halfway when I sent that object to her face. She yelped in pain as she clung to her face. From the little light there was I could see blood oozing out between her fingers. Her shoulders started shaking as she was trying to control her laughter. I didn't want to hang around find out what that meant.

I ran out of the office and down hallways. I could hear her uncontrollable laughter fading. I ran until I bursted out of that place. I stopped a moment to catch a moment. I didn't stop for long because of that crazy bitch inside. I ran to the nearest police station. I figured by the time I got there an hour would have been up. I didn't see nor heard from the entire time I was running to the station which told me my intuition was right an hour has passed. Once I got there I collapsed in the front of a police officer and cried.

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The police officer was astonished this normal looking woman got away from one the most gruesome killers this city or this country has to offer. He wrote down the rest of what she said.

"So the killer is a female?" He asked.

"Yes," She said annoyed that he wasn't listening.

"Right, right, sorry... it's just that it's too hard to believe that you escaped." He said amazed.

"Well believe it," She said bitterly. With all the fear and adrenaline she was tired and wanted to sleep.

"Right, so I'll just call my fellow officers to update them on what happened," He informed her. "So I just need you to sign some papers and get you a place to stay for the night unless you want go back home?"

"No, no I don't want to go back," She whispered.