• I tried to sleep, but the rain and thoughts pelted the roof over my head. My mind was being controlled like some marionette. . . a puppet in a live show. The lights flashing between each part of the stage, the announcer releasing his new act, 'The Mind that could be controlled. . .' It wasn't long until I sat up in my bed.

    The door was slightly open, so I peeked out to see if my 'roommate' was asleep. I didn't know much about him, except the fact that he goes to college with me. . . and that's basically it. Every time I tried to talk to him, he'd mumble something and act as if I never said a word.

    Its been three hours since his apartment was burned down. He stared out the window in deep thought, not even paying attention to the things around him. Why did I allow him to stay in my home? He was practically a stranger to me!

    That was when I decided to go up and ask some rather personal questions. Questions he probably didn't want to answer, but I would keep asking, until he did answer. . . I was always the one to pester about something that wanted to be kept and thrown away.

    My hand trembled as I opened the door to my bedroom wide and stepped into the living room. Once my foot landed on the cold wooden floor, his head flashed towards me. My feet didn't even make a sound and yet. . . he was able to hear.

    "Are you alright?" I asked nervously, he seemed like the one to stare at me until I melt due to the pressure of replying to his smart remark. I inhaled deeply and walked closer, "I just wanted to see if you needed anything."

    "I don't need anything, thanks." His reply was blunt and quick, as if he wanted to avoid this rather critical discussion. He was trying to keep me back, but I just kept on going forward with my planned intentions, "Are you sure?" I asked again,

    "I'm sure, please, leave me be."

    He wasn't this rude before! I huffed and ran to him this time, "Listen! I want you to tell me the truth! If there's something you're hiding, I want to know if you're going to live in this house!"

    He stood up quickly to my outburst, he had an advantage in height. . . I loved him so much, even though I never really talked to him. It was. . . a love at first sight. I promised myself that I would love him no matter what. His wet clothes, his sarcastic personality. . . everything.

    That was when he sighed and replied, "If you want to know the truth. . ."

    "Yes! Yes I do! I want to know the reason you had blood on your shirt when I saw you, are you sick?"

    "My shirt was drenched in blood because I just murdered two people!" The anger in his tone. . . it made me so scared, defenseless. . . I was currently living with the Serial Killer that everyone was talking about. On the news, at school. . . everywhere. And I made that stupid promise to love him no matter what. . . Was he going to kill me now? Just because I know his dirty little secret?

    . . .

    Out of impulse, I wrapped my arms around his waist tightly and never released him. He was surprised that I would act this way.

    "Why would you be so easy with this?" He asked with curiosity in his tone, "I'm. . . a murderer, do you want me around? Knowing I've destroyed many lives and loved ones?"

    Of course, the only people he killed were those snotty rich celebrity people. . . I didn't really care about them. I replied to his question with tears in my eyes, "I'll keep chasing you. No matter what, even if you're a killer, even if you're a criminal. . . I'll run with you if I ever manage to keep up. . ."

    "Do you really want that on your world, Aerin?"

    "I do, Travis. . ."