"I first saw him on the bus.

It was a casual meeting. I sat next to him because all the other seats were taken.  He smiled at me as I sat down, the kind of smile a host would give when welcoming you to his 'humble abode.' I smiled back and took out my book. I was reading 'In Cold Blood' by Truman Capote for my English Literature class and he showed a genuine interest. He began to ask about the books I had read, what my favourites were, who my favourite authors were... you know...generic student talk. I thought nothing of it. Plus, he was really cute. He had short black hair, hidden under a baseball cap and the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. He seemed to be about my height, if not a little bit taller, and slim in his build. Just the way I liked them. He asked me if I had a profile on a certain networking website. I gave him the URL to my profile, along with my phone number, and then I got off the bus.

     That was all on a Friday, by the way. I got on the bus at ten past four in the afternoon and got off again at about twenty to five. I hate half-hour bus rides. Anyway, about an hour after I arrived home he must have, because my phone rang and he was on the other end. He asked me if I wanted to go out Saturday night and, of course, I said yes. I was so excited; I called my friend, Sarah, and told her. She was happy I had finally got myself a 'fella' as she so eloquently put it.

     That Saturday Night, I was in a nice dress, waiting outside an Italian restaurant for him. He arrived in a suit, looking gorgeous, and said he'd found a better place for us to go along the way. He said the food was better quality and that he enjoyed it better there. He walked me down the street, dragged me into an alley and attacked me. His soothing voice whispered in my ear, 'I'll kill you and eat you, like I did all those other pretty girls,' and I felt a burning pain on my cheek. He had produced a knife and was slicing my skin off. I managed to break away and I ran into the street. The lad chased me but ran in the opposite direction when a man got out of his car, took me in and drove me here."

     She began to cry. The memory was too much for her. I watched the tears fall down her bandaged face and shook my head.

"Thank you, Miss. Turner. We'll call you if we find him." Miss. Turner nodded and I left her hospital bed, vowing to catch the murderer that mutilated the girl I wanted to marry, the beautiful girl I had been following for so long.