The Carnival Killer

666 Routes and only one is where I'm headed

666 Routes and only one is where I'm headed

"Catch me when you can." - Jack the Ripper

I finally stopped in a small town called Wineville that was only fifty miles from Lincoln. It was the exact definition of a "s**t hole". After a quick breakfast I got out of town and headed east. A few road blocks caused me to drift a little north and before I knew it I was in Iowa. Des Moines was a beautiful city, unlike most of the cities I've been too. I continued to go north and found a small town named Greenfield, apparently because they have green fields everywhere. It was dark but all I could make out were fields of grass in every direction. The town was small, which I like, I couldn't even find the police station, it was as if they didn't even have one. As the sun went down and the moon crept up all the lights of the town were ignored because of the light spectacle that was a carnival.

It was like Christmas in July. My last kill was a disaster and the heat is finally starting to die down. I need to make up for my last mistakes. I'll make this one the best yet. A perfect end of the season.

Troy appeared in my motel room as I entered it. I threw my bag on the bed closest to the door and told Troy to go away. He refused, "I'm going to help you pick this one out."

"No, your not, I'm going alone and I'm picking the kill," I snapped.

"You two stop arguing or we're going back home and neither of ya are going to the carnival," our mom said as she came out of the bathroom drying her hands with a towel. "Now both of you clean up and change out of your play clothes, this is a special occasion.

I couldn't argue with her, I simply smiled and did what she told me to. After my shower I put on clean clothes and we all went to the carnival, just like when Troy and I were kids. Our family vacations were always to a carnival, we couldn't afford anything else. This night will be a night to remember.

Less than an hour later I was surrounded by happy families, cotton candy, and bright lights that covered the rides and game and food booths. This was a large carnival, and their was a large area on one side of the field for farmers to show their crops and livestock. It seemed to be the main attraction for the adults, which will make the kids a easier target. I'll try to pick a teenager but sometimes opportunities come in mysterious ways. I walked the grounds while I ate a funnel cake. I played a game or two, waiting for the right moment to strike.

I decided to ride the Fair Wheel, so to get a better look at this abnormally large carnival. Once I made it to the top, Troy appeared in the bucket with me. "Let me pick, your taking too long," he begged me.

I simply ignored him and scanned the people below. No one seemed right from this angle. Troy continued to annoy me, "How about that fat lady, it should be a crime to weight that much and stuff your face with two foot-long hotdogs; or that man over there watching that teenage girl. He looks like a total creeper, he's probably going to stalk and r**e that girl tonight, we could stop him."

I looked over at the man, he did seem odd...like me. I hate r****t and molesters. If it wouldn't show a pattern I would kill nothing but r****t and molesters. "C'mon just pick someone!" Troy screamed at me.

Once I was back on the ground I walked to the portable bathrooms and there was a long line for each porta-poddy. I walked behind a few truck trailers to clear my head. I needed to get away from Troy. As soon as he disappeared my mother walked around the corner.

"You two got along so well when you were a child. You have to understand he can't age, he's still a kid. Let your brother help you make your decision, you are taking longer than usual." My mom could always make me feel like I was so small. Almost undeserving of anything she gave me. "Troy will never have a life as an adult, the least you could do is let him help you, he just wants to be involved with your work."

"I know but I always let him pick, and when he doesn't you usually do. I never get to pick my victims and I'm taking all the risk," I countered.

"Haven't you noticed Murphy, every time you try to pick someone you can't. You need us to make that final decision for you. You always have, and you always will. The truth is, you don't have enough strength to actually go through with a kill all on your own. You need us there to help you in every aspect of the kill."

Her words made my bones roll and my blood boil. She was right, I couldn't do it alone. As much as I hated to admit it, my mother was right. I don't have the f*****g balls to take a life by myself. I'm almost as bad as "The Son of Sam" who needed a dog to name his victims.

"You realize I'm right," she said.

"Yes," I answered.

"Yes, what?" she snapped.

"Yes ma'am," I rolled my eyes.

"I didn't raise a disrespectful brat, did I?" she asked.

"No ma'am," I replied.

"Good, now let your brother pick out your victim and get it over with," she demanded.

I leaned up against the trailer and lost myself staring into a puddle. "Am I really a killer?" I thought, "Can I kill someone on my own?"

I looked up at my mother who stood staring at me with a disgusted look on her face.

"I'm not doing this anymore, I can still live a normal life and grow old with someone at my side." Before I could say more Troy appeared behind me.

"What do you mean your not doing this anymore? You have to do this...for me," he said.

"No...I don't," I snapped back. "This is my life, I'll do what I want to do with it."

Troy looked at our mother almost in tears, then he looked back at me. "You can't do this to us, you killed me! It was your fault! I hate you!" He yelled at me.

"Apologize to your brother!" My mother shouted at me.

"No!" I shouted back.

Suddenly a unfamiliar voice came from behind me. "Are you okay, sir?"

"I'm fine, go back to your family little girl." I replied.

"I'm not a girl, I'm a boy and my name is Michael," he introduced himself.

"Kill him!" Troy and my mother both growled at me. "Do it now! No one is around to witness it," they added.

"No!" I snapped back.

"Mister are you sure your okay?" Michael asked.

"No Michael, I'm not." Were the last words he heard in his short life. At that moment I wanted to take my own life.