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Description
Justin inhaled the scent of the steaming cup of coffee.  A smile crossed his lips as the smell alone calmed his nerves.  He sat down in his favorite chair and prepared to unwind from the day with a good book.

It was a quiet evening, a peaceful one.  Justin glanced out the window as the last traces of the sunset sank below the horizon and faded into night.  He sighed contently, returning to his coffee and book.

Had his gaze stayed on the window, he would have had a better warning of what was coming in the darkness.

-----------

Jeff stalked the darkness, a silent killer.  His pale face gleamed in the light of the moon.  His startling eyes darted in the shadows.  There was only one thing on his mind.  His hands gripped two coldly gleaming knives.  His sanity had gone long ago and all that was left was the desire to kill, to hear a victim's last scream of fear, feel the fresh blood flow over his hands.

The night was cool, just enough that he needed to wear the white, yet slightly bloodstained, sweatshirt.  He kept to the shadows, moving undetected through the neighborhood.

A lit window caught his attention.  Jeff turned his head and saw his next victim.  A young man sat in a chair reading a book.  He looked happy.  Too happy.  The scene was so happy and peaceful it was almost nauseating.

He crept to the window and glanced inside.  There was a hallway on the far wall, which was the only way into the room.  Jeff figured he might be able to corner him in there.

But first he had to get inside.   The window he looked into twas too obvious, and his prey would be able to run into that hallway.  He silently moved around the house until he found the front door.  He attempted to open it, but found it locked.

He looked to his left and his smile, already widened by slicing his cheeks, grew wider.  An easily climbable tree grew next to a second story window.

Jeff climbed the tree and opened the window with ease.  He slipped inside the house undetected and crept across the empty bedroom to the door.  A small door across the hall marked the location of a fuse box.

------------

The lights suddenly went off, causing Justin to jump.  What had happened?  The street lights outside were still on as well as the lights in his neighbors' houses.  Only his power had gone out.  Justin sighed.  So much for a peaceful night.

He stood up and groped along the wall until he found a small table.  He opened a drawer and pulled out a small flash light.  When he turned to the door to discover what the problem was his heart skilled a beat and he nearly dropped the flashlight.

A man stood in the shaky light.  His clothes were stained with blood that Justin could only guess the age of.  Black hair bordered the most terrifying face Justin had ever seen.

His skin was completely white and leathery.  His cheeks had been sliced so that his mouth had been fixed into a permanent smile.  His eyes were wide with madness.  The eyelids had been burned off, leaving black rings where they had been.

The man stood in his doorway, trapping Justin in the room.  His heart pounded even more when he saw a knife in each hand.  A chill went down his spine when the gruesome intruder began to giggle.

"Wha--what do you want?" Justin managed to say, his voice shaking as much as his flashlight.

"Go to sleep," the man replied, his voice mirroring the insanity in his eyes.

Justin didn't have time to react before the man charged at him.  The flashlight dropped out of his hand as he dove to the side, tripping over his coffee table and sliding across it to the floor.

Jeff was on top of Justin in a moment, catching the victim before he could get to his feet.  He nearly plunged his knives into the chest, but Justin grabbed both wrists.  The two struggled for a moment until Justin finally rolled hard enough to knock his attacker off of him.  Justin wasted no time in bolting for the door.  He had to get out of this house.  Where he would go after that he didn't know.

He heard heavy footsteps behind him and quickened his pace down the hall.  He nearly ran into the front door as it appeared in the darkness.  His hand gripped the knob and he realized he'd locked it.

Justin didn't have time to undo the bolt before Jeff caught up with him.  He barely turned around in time to dodge a striking knife, which buried itself in the door.

Jeff sliced at him with the other knife, but Justin slipped past and took off down the hallway again.  He had to find a hiding place.  Then while Jeff was looking for him he would make his escape.

Justin made it to the kitchen and moved a table in front of the door to barricade it.  Almost immediately Jeff began banging on the door.  Heart pounding, Justin found a place to hide.

The barricade was not hard to get past, but by the time Jeff made it through Justin was nowhere to be seen.  Justin watched his intruder from a cabinet under the sink.  He was just skinny enough that he could fit and no one knew he was capable of doing so.  It was his favorite hiding place.  He tried to breathe quietly as his heart pounded in his ears.

Jeff walked into the kitchen, looking around slowly for his prey.  He was short a knife, but that was okay.  He only needed one to spill blood.  And blood would indeed spill, the hiding man could be sure of that.

He giggled again at this thought.  He had no doubt in his mind that he would find his target.  It might have slowed him down slightly, but what was a hunt without the thrill of the chase?

His lidless eyes fell on the sink.  Next to it was a block with a set of knives tucked neatly inside.  The smile widened again as he approached the block.

Justin began to tremble as the man came his way.  How had he known?  Had Justin not been careful enough?  He closed his eyes, not wishing to see what was in store for him.

After a moment, when nothing happened, Justin opened his eyes.  In the small crack in the door he could see Jeff's leg.  He hadn't been found after all.  Jeff was simply looking at something.  He felt a burst of joy.  Perhaps he would survive after all!

After deciding against any of the knives in the block, Jeff grumbled something unintelligible and left the room.  Now for the waiting game.  His quarry wouldn't come out of his hiding place as long as he was around.  All he had to do was wait until he heard a noise, then the chase would begin again.

Justin waited a moment after the psycho killer had left before daring to leave the cabinet.  He didn't know how much time he had before Jeff returned, but he had to move quickly if he was going to make it out of this alive.

He crept silently through the kitchen to the back door.  He was so close.  He just had to make it through and he was home free.  Just a few more steps...

He felt a hand on his shoulder.  There was a sudden pain as a knife went into his back and through his chest.  Justin stared in horror at the dripping metal sticking out of his chest.  His own blood soaked through his shirt.

"Sweet dreams," Jeff's voice whispered in his ear.

Everything went black.

Justin's body fell to the floor.  Jeff let out a long, maniacal laugh as he pulled the knife from the corpse.  That had been perfect.  The victim had almost gotten out and died within steps of safety!  He couldn't have timed that better if he had planned it.

Leaving the body to bleed on the kitchen floor, Jeff exited through the back door and stalked off into the night.

Description
Justin inhaled the scent of the steaming cup of coffee.  A smile crossed his lips as the smell alone calmed his nerves.  He sat down in his favorite chair and prepared to unwind from the day with a good book.

It was a quiet evening, a peaceful one.  Justin glanced out the window as the last traces of the sunset sank below the horizon and faded into night.  He sighed contently, returning to his coffee and book.

Had his gaze stayed on the window, he would have had a better warning of what was coming in the darkness.

-----------

Jeff stalked the darkness, a silent killer.  His pale face gleamed in the light of the moon.  His startling eyes darted in the shadows.  There was only one thing on his mind.  His hands gripped two coldly gleaming knives.  His sanity had gone long ago and all that was left was the desire to kill, to hear a victim's last scream of fear, feel the fresh blood flow over his hands.

The night was cool, just enough that he needed to wear the white, yet slightly bloodstained, sweatshirt.  He kept to the shadows, moving undetected through the neighborhood.

A lit window caught his attention.  Jeff turned his head and saw his next victim.  A young man sat in a chair reading a book.  He looked happy.  Too happy.  The scene was so happy and peaceful it was almost nauseating.

He crept to the window and glanced inside.  There was a hallway on the far wall, which was the only way into the room.  Jeff figured he might be able to corner him in there.

But first he had to get inside.   The window he looked into twas too obvious, and his prey would be able to run into that hallway.  He silently moved around the house until he found the front door.  He attempted to open it, but found it locked.

He looked to his left and his smile, already widened by slicing his cheeks, grew wider.  An easily climbable tree grew next to a second story window.

Jeff climbed the tree and opened the window with ease.  He slipped inside the house undetected and crept across the empty bedroom to the door.  A small door across the hall marked the location of a fuse box.

------------

The lights suddenly went off, causing Justin to jump.  What had happened?  The street lights outside were still on as well as the lights in his neighbors' houses.  Only his power had gone out.  Justin sighed.  So much for a peaceful night.

He stood up and groped along the wall until he found a small table.  He opened a drawer and pulled out a small flash light.  When he turned to the door to discover what the problem was his heart skilled a beat and he nearly dropped the flashlight.

A man stood in the shaky light.  His clothes were stained with blood that Justin could only guess the age of.  Black hair bordered the most terrifying face Justin had ever seen.

His skin was completely white and leathery.  His cheeks had been sliced so that his mouth had been fixed into a permanent smile.  His eyes were wide with madness.  The eyelids had been burned off, leaving black rings where they had been.

The man stood in his doorway, trapping Justin in the room.  His heart pounded even more when he saw a knife in each hand.  A chill went down his spine when the gruesome intruder began to giggle.

"Wha--what do you want?" Justin managed to say, his voice shaking as much as his flashlight.

"Go to sleep," the man replied, his voice mirroring the insanity in his eyes.

Justin didn't have time to react before the man charged at him.  The flashlight dropped out of his hand as he dove to the side, tripping over his coffee table and sliding across it to the floor.

Jeff was on top of Justin in a moment, catching the victim before he could get to his feet.  He nearly plunged his knives into the chest, but Justin grabbed both wrists.  The two struggled for a moment until Justin finally rolled hard enough to knock his attacker off of him.  Justin wasted no time in bolting for the door.  He had to get out of this house.  Where he would go after that he didn't know.

He heard heavy footsteps behind him and quickened his pace down the hall.  He nearly ran into the front door as it appeared in the darkness.  His hand gripped the knob and he realized he'd locked it.

Justin didn't have time to undo the bolt before Jeff caught up with him.  He barely turned around in time to dodge a striking knife, which buried itself in the door.

Jeff sliced at him with the other knife, but Justin slipped past and took off down the hallway again.  He had to find a hiding place.  Then while Jeff was looking for him he would make his escape.

Justin made it to the kitchen and moved a table in front of the door to barricade it.  Almost immediately Jeff began banging on the door.  Heart pounding, Justin found a place to hide.

The barricade was not hard to get past, but by the time Jeff made it through Justin was nowhere to be seen.  Justin watched his intruder from a cabinet under the sink.  He was just skinny enough that he could fit and no one knew he was capable of doing so.  It was his favorite hiding place.  He tried to breathe quietly as his heart pounded in his ears.

Jeff walked into the kitchen, looking around slowly for his prey.  He was short a knife, but that was okay.  He only needed one to spill blood.  And blood would indeed spill, the hiding man could be sure of that.

He giggled again at this thought.  He had no doubt in his mind that he would find his target.  It might have slowed him down slightly, but what was a hunt without the thrill of the chase?

His lidless eyes fell on the sink.  Next to it was a block with a set of knives tucked neatly inside.  The smile widened again as he approached the block.

Justin began to tremble as the man came his way.  How had he known?  Had Justin not been careful enough?  He closed his eyes, not wishing to see what was in store for him.

After a moment, when nothing happened, Justin opened his eyes.  In the small crack in the door he could see Jeff's leg.  He hadn't been found after all.  Jeff was simply looking at something.  He felt a burst of joy.  Perhaps he would survive after all!

After deciding against any of the knives in the block, Jeff grumbled something unintelligible and left the room.  Now for the waiting game.  His quarry wouldn't come out of his hiding place as long as he was around.  All he had to do was wait until he heard a noise, then the chase would begin again.

Justin waited a moment after the psycho killer had left before daring to leave the cabinet.  He didn't know how much time he had before Jeff returned, but he had to move quickly if he was going to make it out of this alive.

He crept silently through the kitchen to the back door.  He was so close.  He just had to make it through and he was home free.  Just a few more steps...

He felt a hand on his shoulder.  There was a sudden pain as a knife went into his back and through his chest.  Justin stared in horror at the dripping metal sticking out of his chest.  His own blood soaked through his shirt.

"Sweet dreams," Jeff's voice whispered in his ear.

Everything went black.

Justin's body fell to the floor.  Jeff let out a long, maniacal laugh as he pulled the knife from the corpse.  That had been perfect.  The victim had almost gotten out and died within steps of safety!  He couldn't have timed that better if he had planned it.

Leaving the body to bleed on the kitchen floor, Jeff exited through the back door and stalked off into the night.