Chapter 4

Every once in awhile a darkness descends upon Gotham City, a darkness that cannot be seen but felt, a darkness that has mothers hold their children's hands a little tighter. A sinister air that twists and clings to any that dare to walk in the shadows of the night. An air that slips inside your coat and seeps into your skin, chilling the very soul of your body.

The streetlights constantly flickered above Charleen as she pulled her light brown overcoat tightly around her. She crossed her arms over her chest hugging her body, as her tan gloved hands rested underneath her armpits searching for warmth. The clicks of her heels echoed around the dark empty street, her strides are as long as her gray business skirt would allow without ripping. Quick breaths hit the cold night leaving a trail of vapor as she quickly crossed the street a few blocks from her home.

This night was born for people like me, ones who thrived in the shadows. I watched her as the darkness clings around me. Her light brown overcoat pulled against her body, showing her curvy figure as she snaked through the streets, always finding the brightest spots of the sidewalk to place her heels. I don't know her name, who she is, but that is all irrelevant to my goal. She is the perfect starting spot, the perfect first, the one that will cause me to be on the tip of every person's tongue. I watched her hug her body trying to find warmth as she crossed the street. 'The scene is set, all we need is the music' I thought to myself, pulling out my little old music box. I started to crank it slowly, as the clicks quietly filled the street. The quiet clicks were soon drowned out by the slightly out of tune humming from the box. 'Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby,' I followed the song along in my head as I slowly continued cranking the music box.

Charleen stilled mid-stride, the musical tune and clicks of the box bounced off the street and walls, her paralyzed heel paused a few inches off the ground. Charleen wanted to turn her head and look behind her, but she was too frightened, like a child too afraid of opening the closet doors at night to see if a monster was inside. Her flight instincts kicked in, her body pumping adrenaline through her veins. Her tan glove hands untucked from her armpits, her arms uncrossed from her chest and were placed at her sides at a ninety-degree angle. Every cell in her body working in conjunction with a singular goal of getting her home safe, she pumped her arms as her raised foot slammed into the ground to dash away.

The snapping noise of Charleen's heel as it cracked against the ground, unable to take to force of the slam, pierced through the musical tune that filled the street. Charleen's ankle twisted under the pressure of the broken heel, as her body's momentum collided into the asphalt sliding against the loose pebbles that littered the road. "No, no, no no no," she mumbled as her scratched palms pushed against the ground, lifting her chest, and twisting her body so she was on her back sitting up. For the first time, she could see her stalker, he moved like a predator and she was in the position to be his prey.

"Tsk tsk my dear, almost making little ole me chase after you, how woefully dreadful," the cheery voice hummed into the music that filled the street. His eyes met hers as he continued walking at a nice slow pace towards her downed body. He could hear her mutterings, the pleading and begging to the universe, the hope that her word 'no' would create a divine miracle and stop me. I stopped in the middle of the street, spreading out my arms as I tilt my head towards the sky while closing my eyes, waiting for her miracle. The eerier silence filled the street as I waited for the lighting bolt to strike me down. A giggle escaped my lips as no lighting bolt appeared so I resumed my hunt. I dropped the music box on the ground, as I reached into my pocket and pulled out a switchblade. I stood above her body as she tried to scoot away, a smile stretched across my face, "oh yes indeed, you are going to be perfect."