Chapter 3-Mass Murder-

It was the summer of 2005 when Keiran first started observing Adriana. She was the growing age of eighteen, a woman in the minds of humans. She was her parents’ dream- valedictorian of her class, a National Honors Society member, heading off to an ivy- league college in the fall. She was in the prime of her life… she would have never conceived that her walls would come careening downwards.

Keiran frequently visited her home at night, setting himself up far above the ground on the smooth branch of an evergreen. He was silent and stealthy, piercing eyes never straying from Adriana’s slender figure. He noted her mannerisms, style, movements, connection with her family members. For a while, Adriana was all that he saw, all that he knew. Then there was the task of the family.

He watched each member of the family for the same time period, mentally finding the times when they were alone. He observed them for days, weeks, months. It was practically time for Adriana to head to college before Keiran decided he was ready enough to execute the task at hand.

He planned his moves carefully, taking about a week to work everything out. Her father would be the easiest- he went off to work everyday. Next he planned to off Adriana’s sister, since she no longer resided in the house with the rest of the family. She lived off in her own apartment… Keiran would have to do some snooping, but he could find out the exact address within the day, he figured. Then there was her brother, and last was her mother. A strategy clouded Keiran’s mind.

“Time for a little game,” he whispered to himself, a dark smirk slipping over his handsome features.

It was just another Wednesday morning in the Davidson residence. Before the rest of the family had even dreamed of stumbling out of bed, Adriana’s father was up getting ready for work. He took his morning shower, dressed in some nice clothes, shaved, and made sure he was generally presentable. After he had concluded that he was fit for work, he headed downstairs to grab some breakfast. Normally, no one was up to see him off. He was happily surprised to see Adriana rubbing her eyes in the doorway. She smiled at him sleepily as she saw that he had half a bagel lodged in his mouth and his briefcase in his hand.

“Morning, Daddy. I just wanted to see you off to work,” she voiced.

“Oh, well thank you, Sweetheart. Let’s see, if I could just find my keys… ah, there they are. I’m off.”

Her father took the bagel out of his mouth to kiss her forehead in mid-pace. Before she knew it, he was out the door, and she could hear his car starting. She moved to the door and waved at him, then decided to return to bed. It was strange of her to get up and greet him, but somehow, today was different. She could feel it.

As he got into his silver SUV, Adriana’s father took a bite out of his bagel. He set his briefcase down on the passenger seat in the front, making mental notes to himself about a business deal that was happening today. He started up his car, listening to the engine rumble. He slowly backed out of the driveway, his mind only halfway on his driving. Shifting into drive, he turned out into the street, then onto the highway. To relieve a little pre-deal jitters, he decided to listen to some music. His fingers brushed the volume, turning it’s dial clockwise until it suited his tastes. He sang along to one of his favorite songs, bouncing slightly in the front seat. By this time he had already eaten his bagel, some reminiscent crumbs still clinging to his chin.

The brake lights of his car lit up as he slowed to a crawl.

“Traffic. Wonderful,” he mumbled to himself as he searched for an escape route.

He swiveled his car into the other lane, deciding to take a few back roads and detours to get to work this morning. He thought he would enjoy the fresh air and the change in route. His blue eyes scanned the scenery, noticing that the trees were in full bloom. He admired their beauty for only a brief moment before his car turned onto a dusty back road. The radio was still on, but he didn’t know the song, so he only listened. It was peaceful, really.

Keiran made his move.

He used his powerful leg muscles to leap straight in front of the car. It swerved, the dust of the road billowing in clouds from his tires. They screeched and slid on the loose gravel. Keiran’s piercing gaze met those of the driver. Panic was evident on his face as he maneuvered the wheel sharply to the left, trying to avoid the figure in the middle of the road. He desperately tried to keep control of the car, but the gravel was too loose and the tires could not grip the road properly. He lost control of his silver SUV, the momentum of his speed sending his car tumbling, rolling twice before smashing into a nearby tree. The sound of breaking glass and bending metal was deafening.

Then there was silence. The wheels of the car spun sadly, smoke rising into the clear blue sky. The dust from the road eventually cleared, the gravel eventually settled. The tree stood, unaffected, tall in the crystalline sky. It was in bloom, its bright flowers reaching towards the warm sun. A few of its petals fell on the crushed metal frame in gentle reminiscence. Keiran was nowhere to be found, having left the scene as soon as possible, making sure to cover his tracks. But before the car was completely out of his sight, he had turned his gaze backwards over his shoulder to drink in the tragedy. A small shake of his thin face was given before he continued walking onwards.