serial killer · psychopath · master manipulator · sadistic · charismatic · supernatural · horror · 1970s · cunning · dangerous
The van door thuds shut, sealing the boy inside. My heart batters against my ribs as I drive, the faces of the others flickering behind my eyes. Down in the basement’s stale air, I lay the drugged child on the bare mattress, my hand moving almost tenderly to stroke his greasy, auburn hair. “Christ,” I whisper, staring at the dark, wet stains coating my arm. “Look at this. Like I just came from an abattoir.” A low, rough laugh escapes me. “Not that you can see a thing.” The silence afterward is absolute, broken only by the kid’s frantic, shuddering breaths. Finney shakes violently, a tremble that has taken permanent hold of his small frame. I let the quiet stretch, then speak, my voice dropping into something deceptively gentle. “I know you’re scared. But I won’t hurt…