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Adrenaline

   Heavy panting.

  Jed was out of breath as he rushed towards the two-story house, desperate to get there in time. The modulator made the breaths sound like hollow sighs, something along the lines of a whispered white noise. The noise was barely discernable above the wind in the trees, blowing the fringe of Ghostface's cloak behind him. If anyone had been awake to see the sight, they would have thought they had witnessed a spirit drifting across the mortal plains.

  Jed was focused tonight. The night was cold, the wind chill providing no relief. The leather on his cloak shielded most of the chill, along with the mask adorned on his face. The cold left an ache in his broken nose, the bruises on his back supplying incessant pain. 

  He huffed in aggravation. How the hell had Y/n gotten the upper hand on him? He had taken down people, whole bodies heavier and full feet bigger. What was so special about this random person? Why were they able to live when all others had perished under him?

  Jed slowed down as he approached the building, observing the windows and doors. Only two lights were on inside the house; one in the master, the other in the upstairs loft. He had figured out the layout in the first three days of watching his current victim. The man was Michael Bach, the owner of the pizzeria down the street from the coffee shop. The coffee shop that Jed had run into Y/n earlier. Why was Y/n everywhere?

  Jed shook his head, regaining his focus on the task ahead. He stalked up to the trellis leading up to the balcony below the loft window. He stuck his hand in the first grip and continued up, slowly climbing to ensure that he isn't heard. Although he had tracked Michael's movements down to perfection, he couldn't risk a sudden change in plans. When he reached the ledge of the balcony, he took a calculated leap. He swung his hands off the trellis as he pushed with his feet, gripping his hands onto the polished railing. He skillfully vaulted over the metal bar, quietly landing on the balls of his feet. 

  He pulled the latch of the door, easily sliding it open. The serial killer had to be grateful that nobody bothered to lock their doors out in the country.  He slipped inside and slowly closed the door behind him, ensuring that it wouldn't squeak or slam. Jed walked inside until Michael's approaching footsteps caused him to stop in his place. Jed quickly walked across the room to a reading nook encased in shadow. He walked behind the big reading chair and crouched down, concealing his figure in the dark area.

  Michael walked in with a book in his hands. His reading glasses were perched on the tip of his nose, giving him the appearance of a cartoon character. Michael picked a bookmark up off of the coffee table directly in front of the chair. He closed the book and pushed it into the bookcase's empty slot, presumably where the book had been retrieved from. Michael exited the room, clicking the last lamp off as he left.

  Jed stood up after Michael had walked back down the hallway towards his room. With any luck, Jed may be able to sneak up on Michael when his back was turned. He leaned out of the doorway to observe what Michael was doing. A smile crept onto Jed's face as Michael followed his typical nighttime routine. First, Michael would slowly unmake his bed, shuffling the pillows around to his satisfaction. Then, he would walk downstairs with his dog, Piper, hot on his heels. He would let Piper outside to use the bathroom for the last time of the night, then they would go upstairs to fall asleep. Unfortunately tonight, they weren't going to be following that routine. 

  The murderer pulled the leather of his cloak to grab the camera out of its holster. Jed brought the camera up to his eye and pointed the lens at the man across from him. He quickly snapped a few photos before moving back into the dark solace of the room. Michael whistled at Piper, patting his leg for her to follow him. Jed pulled the camera up and snapped another photo before putting the camera back into its carrier. It was showtime.