Chapter Text
The rain tapped softly on the car windows as the young woman returned home for the evening. Her street was quiet, as it always was- the idyllic suburban road, punctuated by the silence of a rainy summer’s night. The warm glow of the porch light reflected in the wet pavement, the street shining with every new ripple that passed over its surface. Sweeping her blonde hair back away from her face, she fumbled with her set of keys trying to find the one that fit the front door. With a jangle and a muttered curse, the keys fell onto the entry mat, stalling the process momentarily.
She wouldn’t have noticed the small red hairpin that sat neatly in the middle of the doormat if it hadn’t been for her unsteady hand.
I had placed it cleverly that way.
It shone brightly in the dim glow, innocent on the pavement like a line of new lamb’s blood. Something in its simplicity, in its clearly stated scarlet features captivated her and she began to turn it over in her hands as if investigating its appearance here on her front porch. Regaining her focus and stowing it away in her pocket, she located the correct key and turned it in the lock with a satisfying click.
She didn’t notice as I crept up alongside the house, footsteps blending with the increased frequency of the raindrops on the roof over her head; didn’t have time to react as the needle found its place next to the birthmark on her neck.
There would be no scuffle tonight.
The street was quiet once again.