PEEPING TOM

CHAPTER NINE

6 months later... Students formed in the hallways of St. Cyr High, flooding it almost unbreathable levels. People bumping into one another and stepping on each other's shoes every few steps. The occasional fight or shoving match. The hall's silence shattered by the overlap of gossip, side conversations, main conversations, and mumbled whispers of ridicule. The seniors on the third floor of the large suburban school feel in line single file to the new guidance counselor's office for schedules. They were divided into two groups to equalize the workload for the two guidance counselor's that were assigned to the seniors.

One of the counselor's, a tall man with blonde hair and icy blue eyes (Mr. Garrison). Who was approaching the end of his long contract with the school. His retirement plan a foregone conclusion. The kids in his line thanked him and exchanged parting words of positivity. The second counselor, Tom Tennyson (Mr. Schumer). Now with stylishly unkempt hair (dyed brown), natural brown colored contacts, and large 70s style glasses. Mr. Schumer is the swede's replacement, a cheaper third party contractor who had enough skills and a degree to justify his hastey hiring. A growing number of the girls in the senior class were taking a romantic liking to the new guidance counselor, believing him "cute". Some of them smiled at him in passing as they took their schedules, Mr. Schumer met them with a smile in reply each time. Extending it to the males as well to cover his tracks through firm handshakes to add razzle dazzle.

When school broke, Tom stood outside across the street smoking a cigarette. Watching the students who walked home pair up into groups. He casually walked along the sidewalk towards the convenience store up the street, where most of the stragglers who are walking by themselves go for snacks on the road, or tobacco purchases to sneak into their homes. Tom went in to buy a cigarillo, a skinny cigar the kids bought a lot to roll blunts with. Tom had observed a couple of them smoking weed behind the store.

"What can I get for you, sir?"

"A pack of swisher sweets. Regular one is fine."

"One forty-nine please. May I see your ID?"

Tom flashed his fake ID, the cashier gave him his change and the pack.

"Enjoy the rest of your day, sir."

"Likewise."

Tom smoked one of the cigars out behind the store. Two girls smoking a joint saw him and started to quickly put it away, but Tom assured them otherwise.

"I didn't see a thing." he said, with a grin

The girls giggled, walking over beside him and resuming their smoke session.

"You know those things are bad for you." one of them said

"Unlike you, I don't care what's bad for me." he said, laughing a little

They shared his laugh with him. One of them extended her hand

"Want a hit?"

Tom grinned, taking the joint and giving a few puffs before handing it back. The mist quickly shot inside her mouth as she opened it to take a hit. Then travelled to her friend, wrapping itself around her leg until she got ready to hit the roach a few more times before tossing it. They both blushed.

"You two okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fin-"

"I seriously just got super fucking horny outta nowhere, oh my God." one of them blurted, laughing

"Oh my God, same!" her friend exclaimed

They both laughed and looked Tom up and down.

"Is that right? Now what are we going to do about that?"

The girls bit their lips.

⌣

"Where are we going to put them?"

"In a dumpster. By the school. The fear will lead them in a flock. Right to us."

"You don't shit where you eat."

"Hiding them will bring more attention than being under their noses."

"Why should we hide them at all?"

"You wish to be caught, child?"

"Let's stack 'em in the basement. Use them for later. When they go bad, we'll dump 'em somewhere."

"Brilliant, Tom. You're impressing me."

It had been hours later into the day, Tom walked in apparent upbeat dancy fashion. He stopped on the empty block to light a cigarette, glancing up at an apartment building behind him. He surveyed it out of habit. But found a light on in one of the second floor windows. A woman came into view (her upper body nude except for a towel) Tom's face formed a sinister grin. He finished his cigarette first, then calmly walked into the building.

⌣

The disappearance of the two girls had spread rather quickly on social media. Within a short span of a week, tweets with the two young girl's pictures had gone locally viral. The school reacted in a knee jerk pace. Almost reacting along with it's students, the administration funneled students who expressed feelings of depression to Tom's office. He comforted them lovingly, as if they were his daughters. He took a special liking to the ones with old slits on their wrist. Large surgery marks where an IV was onced placed. Asmodeus found it easier to latch onto them given the history of low self-esteem and clinical depression. For months, Tom and Asmo plucked fruit from the high school and its neighboring schools. Panic began to arise with parents. PTA's soon shifted from open discussions on how to prevent such atrocities, to full fledged hostility.

Tom was present for it all. Keeping his eyes watchful of those who attempted scratching the surface. But none ever did, the mothers predominantly felt the reason behind the influx of missing girls was a result of some passerby sex offender hiding amongst them. While most of the fathers were of the belief that both teenage adolescence had ravaged their children, leading them to run away from home. Confident they maintained that their missing children would see the better of reality and eventually return home. A viewpoint that infuriated most of everyone else. The PTA ended the same way it usually had in the past couple of months with the mothers screaming at the fathers and accusations of non-desirables being thrown around. Tom strolled home, feeling happier than ever. Wondering which body he and Asmo would have tonight.

⌣

Tom opened the door. Switching on the light in the living room. He walked over by his arm chair, something felt wrong.

"Tom Tennyson." a voice said plainly

Tom whipped around, Asmo was beginning to take control. A hushed sound came and went like a bolt of lightning. Then another, followed by three more. Tom collapsed onto the ground, not realizing he was shot until the pain crept through his body and he felt the warmth of his blood drench his clothes. He looked up at the man, who was tall, with dreadlocs and skin like caramel. Asmo rushed out, but quickly protruded back in, the man wore a cross pendant over his all black attire. Without a word, the man shot Tom twice more in the groin. He opened his mouth to scream. But made not a sound as the final whizzing bullet went through his head. Everything was a whirl, then blackness.

"I don't want to die, Asmo. Please."

"Do not fear death. It was inevitable."

"I'm scared."

"I will keep you where you belong, Tom. Sleep now. Our fun has ended for now."

Asmo left Tom's body like a wind whirling from a breeze. The man didn't notice. His eyes fixed on the body of his sister's murderer keeping him in a trance. Victoria's brother retrieved a note from his pocket and placed it neatly on his body. Then left.