‘What have I done?’

Nicholas sits in a motel room all alone, with one lamp beside his bed flickering as he contemplates. ‘Why do I feel this way?’

“Hi, I’m Annalise Smith,” Ann says as calmly as possible as a handsome man moves into the apartment next to hers. Nicholas looks at her and can only think one thing.

‘This one will be so easy.’

“Hi Anna,” Nicholas replies with his charm on.

“No, it’s Ann,” she says in a soft voice.

‘She’s trying to hide her shyness, how cute.’ Nicholas is well aware of his good looks and knows what he can do.

“I am so sorry Ann,” Nicholas replies stepping forward as he stretches out his hand. “You can call me Nick, Nicholas Fisher, I am a journalist.” Ann takes his hand as he looks at her with his dashing eyes. As she introduces herself, Nicholas had already understood the type of person she is and now he did what he knew best.

Nicholas then began to talk to her kindly every chance he got, playing to what he knew she wanted.

“You are so passionate about psychology,” Nicholas says complimenting her.

“Yes,” Annalise says. “It’s so interesting. Actually I think you’ve noticed I.”

‘Listen to her, she really is convinced I care.’ Nicholas thought mockingly as he looks at her like he is taking note of her every word.

“I really love to help others. I might not be the most qualified yet but I want to do my best.”

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

‘How sweet.’ Nicholas thinks as they finish their conversation. ‘She’s nice, too nice and naïve. Maybe I shouldn’t.’ Nicholas stops for a moment, alarmed.

‘Why would I think that? It’s nothing personal right? And besides she’s a psychology student, shouldn’t she see someone like me coming a mile away.’ Nicholas says brushing off his concerns but this was something he never thought off before. He has never felt guilt for using anyone, he felt it was because they deserved it because they were stupid enough to believe him. At least, that’s what he wanted to think. Despite such thoughts, he brushed them aside every time as he ensured Ann would fall for him. Portraying himself to be the man she has dreamed of having, it was soon obvious she has feelings for him.

For a few months, Nicholas took time to settle in, even made a quick friend in Hugh Tompkins Jr., who trusted him quite easily. Then again who wouldn’t trust Nicholas, the deceivingly handsome and charming gentleman, who moved to town not too long ago. Things were going smoothly, Nicholas had settled in, everything was in place and now, he finally took a job, his real job.

Of course killing was his real job, moving from town to town, starting a new life and eventually disappearing. That was his life, why he did this, sometimes even he didn’t know. How all of this started was quite simple, a young orphan boy needed money. Someone heard about what he did and offered to pay him.

‘You already have blood on your hands, you can do this for me right. I’ll pay you, besides the cops can’t do anything to you. Your too young.’ This sounded so frightening at first, especially to a young boy who lost his family in one frightening incident. But eventually with some convincing he couldn’t deny the truth, he had no money. About to drop out of school and constantly being told this, he agrees. He didn’t enjoy what he did, but he had no choice is what he thought. He could now pay his school tuition fee, but something was wrong, he couldn’t stay there any longer. And so one day, he packed up and left, knowing no one would come looking for him. Thus, Nicholas found himself walking down a terrible road, eventually learning to kill as a profession.

Thinking back, Nicholas thought killing Scarlet was just another job. And of course soon he would leave town and never return. He just needed to make sure he would never be suspected and what better way to do that than with a romantic alibi.

“I would love to go out with you.”

It was lucky for him, the timing, Ann asked him out at the perfect time. Though Nicholas didn’t expect her to make the first move, he didn’t think too much of it. The real shock came however, when he realised Ann knew Benjamin.