The nightmares would come of that I was certain.

But I was compelled to kill again and again. The thrill of finding a new victim was overwhelming.

I tried not to sleep. The visions and the voices in my head were strongest during sleep.

In the morning I knew what I had to do.
I saw her in the market. Her hair so golden. Her eyes so blue.
I followed her as she did her errands. I learned she had a daughter, that she picked up after school at three.

I followed her for a week. I knew her habits would not deviate. She was a creature of habit.

In broad daylight I approached her.

“Oh, you gave me a fright,” she squealed.

“I am delighted to hear you say that,” I grinned, and thrust the knife into her stomach.

Her eyes grew large. Blood trickled out of her mouth. I gently placed her lifeless body on the ground and slowly walked away.

My heart was pounding in my chest. The thrill, the excitement. I never felt more alive then when I took an innocent life.
I could live with the nightmares.