For days afterward I walked around every inch of her property, devising a way to get in unnoticed. Meanwhile, I was talking to her in public, helping her with groceries, doing anything I could to get close to her. I read from Poe that you are always closest to someone right before you kill them. One day I helped her carry groceries to her home. She showed me around and I learned every creak and squeak of the house.

The next week on Tuesday at midnight I was ready. I had been preparing for months for this. I weaved my way through her front yard and through her house. I expertly avoided all loose floorboards as I made my way upstairs to her bedroom. I sat for a bit and listened to her sleep. Then it was time.