The Crimson Ghost

Tessa had never enjoyed being around people. She wasn’t shy. She simply preferred silence. Every morning, she arrived at college wearing an oversized black hoodie, her hands buried inside the pockets. A pair of earphones always rested in her ears, shutting the world out as slow, melancholic songs played quietly. She rarely spoke during lectures. She never stayed after class. The moment the final bell rang, she went straight home. Books were the only escape she needed. Not fairy tales. Not sweet romance. Dark romance. Obsessive love. Morally grey men. Villains who were terrifying… yet strangely unforgettable. That was her favorite kind of story. About a month ago… Every television channel was covering the same terrifying case. A serial killer. No fingerprints. No DNA. No witnesses. Nobody had ever seen his real face. The only clue investigators had was a white Ghost Mask. But what frightened people even more… Was his signature. Beside every victim… Drawn carefully in blood… Was a simple smiley face. :) The media gave him a name. The Crimson Ghost. No one knew why he left the smile. No one knew what it meant. Tessa watched the report quietly. She wasn’t scared. Just… Uncomfortable. Something about that blood-red smile stayed in her mind long after she turned the television off. ⸻ Weeks passed. The news slowly became quieter. People stopped talking about the murders. Life felt normal again. Or… At least everyone pretended it was. One Monday morning… Tessa sat alone inside the college library. An iced coffee rested beside her favorite novel. Devil’s Love. She had been waiting weeks to borrow it. Coincidentally… It was the library’s last copy. The silence inside the library felt comforting. Until voices from the next table reached her ears. “…They say The Crimson Ghost is in our city now.” “My cousin said another body was found yesterday.” “They found that bloody smiley again.” “The police still have no suspect.” Tessa looked up for barely a second. Rumors. College students loved exaggerating everything. She put one earbud back in and continued reading. The story had reached her favorite scene. The villain had trapped the heroine against a wall. His voice was soft. Dangerously calm. “I love you.” “Anyone who tries to take you away from me…” ”…will regret it.” A small smile appeared on Tessa’s face. She had always preferred fictional villains over perfect heroes. Not because they were good. Because they were interesting. A shadow suddenly fell across the page. “Excuse me.” Tessa slowly looked up. Standing beside her table was a tall stranger. Black hoodie. Black jeans. A black surgical mask covered the lower half of his face. Dark hair rested over his forehead, partially hiding his eyes. The scent of expensive cologne lingered around him. His eyes met hers. Calm. Unreadable. “Yes?” she asked. He glanced at the novel. “Devil’s Love?” Tessa nodded. “It took me weeks to find that book,” he said. “The library only has one copy.” “I know.” “I was lucky enough to get here first.” A faint smile reached his eyes. “I guess you were.” Silence settled between them. Then he asked, “So…” “You enjoy dark romance?” “I do.” “What makes you like those stories?” Tessa closed the book. “They’re different.” “The villains are always more interesting than the heroes.” For a brief second… Neither of them spoke. Then he quietly said, “Interesting.” He gave a small nod and turned to leave. No warning. No creepy smile. No dramatic words. Just before disappearing between the bookshelves, he stopped for a moment. Without looking back, he said, “Let’s hope fiction stays fiction.” Then… He walked away. Tessa watched him disappear among the shelves. For some reason… That simple sentence lingered in her mind longer than it should have. Outside the library window… Dark clouds slowly gathered over the city.