Shadows

~Part One~

Text message from Nova:
-hey babe 😘-

Text message from Ryu:
-Up, Kitty?-

Text message from Nova:
-where are you? You were supposed to be at my house a half hour ago 😣-

Text message from Ryu:
-Crap…yeah not ganna work, caught up in work.  Tomarrow?

Text message from Nova:
-I can’t I have ballet practice.  How about Wednesday???-

Text message from Ryu:
-Mmm I could just watch you practice… ;)-

Text message from Nova:
-Mrs. Faung won’t let anyone in during practice, you know this.-

Text message from Ryu:
-I know, I know.  I’ll pick you up from school on Wednesday.-

Text message from Nova:
-Ok that’ll work 🤗-

Text message from Ryu:
-Maybe make a stop at the cliff on the way home?-

Text message from Nova:
-Mmm idk… You know I’m afraid of heights.  And bad things always happen at the cliff….-

Text message from Ryu:
-We can stay in the car…Have some fun.-

Text message from Nova:
-Idk…-

Text message from Ryu:
-Alright, fine.  I got to go back to work now.  Bye Kitty, Love you.-

Text message from Nova:
-I love you too honey bear.  Don’t overwork yourself! Bye 🤗

~Part Two~

12:45 A.M.

Text message from Unknown:
-Nova-

Text message from Nova:
-Who is this?-

Text message from Unknown:
-I got by many names, but for you I’ll be anything-

Text message from Nova:
-How’d you get my number??-

Text message from Unknown:
-Little research on social media, might want to be careful.  Someone creepy could come along…You never know.-

Text message from Nova:
-Who is this?!-

Text message from Unknown:
-If you really want a name for me, call me shadow.-

-That is if you don’t want to choose a name for me…up to you, Nova.-

Text message from Nova:
-How do you know my name?!-

Text message from Unknown:
-Like I said social media… besides… I’ve been watching you.-

Text message from Nova:
-Leave me alone you creep!  My dad’s a cop!-

Text message from Unknown:
-I know, I won’t hurt you, Lovely.-

-Too bad daddy’s away on a buisness trip.  He can’t stop me.  No one can.-

-Maybe your boyfriend… What’s his name again?  Oh wait, Ryu, maybe he could protect you?  But you won’t see him till Wednesday, right?-

Text message from Nova:
-Leave me alone you creep!-

Text message from Unknown:
-Look outside your window.-

Text message from Nova:
-No!  Go away you creep!  I’m calling the cops!-

Text message from Unknown:
-I see you…-

Text message from Nova:
-Go away!-

~Part Three~

1:24 A.M.

Text message from Nova:
-Babe-

-There’s someone watching me-

-They won’t leave me alone!-

Text message from Ryu:
-What?! What do they look like?!-

Text message from Nova:
-I don’t know I couldn’t see their face!-

-They started texting me with Unknown!-

-They told me to look out my window and I did but all I saw was a black figure!-

-Their not there anymore now… What should I do?!

Text message from Ryu:
-Do you want me to come over?  Comfort you?-

Text message from Nova:
-Yes please!-

Text message from Ryu:
-Alright I’ll be there in 15.  Stay where you are lock the doors and windows.-

Text message from Nova:
-OK!-

-Please hurry!-

Text message from Ryu:
-I’m in the car driving to you.  Did you lock the doors and windows?-

Text message from Nova:
-Yes, they’re all locked.-

Text message from Ryu:
-Good pulling into the driveway.-

Text message from Nova:
-Okay I’ll come unlock the door-

Nova and Ryu spend the night together.  At 7:45 A.M. Ryu drops Nova off at school then heads back to his house.

~Part Four~

Text message from Unknown:
-How is school Nova?-

-Education is important.-

Text message from Nova:
-What do you want?-

Text message from Unknown:
-You-

-But you already know that right?-

Text message from Nova:
-What do you want with me????-

Text message from Unknown:
-Your heart.-

Text message from Nova:
-Why???-

Text message from Unknown:
-because…-

-…-

-I love you-

Text message from Nova:
– You don’t even know me you creep!-

-The cops are involved and are tracking you as we speak. The more you talk to me the better chance there is of finding you-

Text message from Unknown:
-Lie-

-I can’t be tracked.-

– I’m careful not to be careless silly girl.-

Text message from Nova:
-I’m not lieing their tracking you.  And when they do, you’re going to prison for a long time.-

Text message from Unknown:
-Meet me.  Let’s meet up.-

Text message from Nova:
-That’s pretty dumb of you, but sure let’s meet up and my father can take you away-

Text message from Unknown:
-You’re cute.-

-I can’t wait to get my hands on you.-

Text message from Nova:
-You’re not laying a single finger on me.-

Text message from Unknown:
-I already have.-

– … while you sleep-

-Your skin is so soft-

Text message from Nova:
-You’re such a creep!-

Text message from Unknown:
-Thank you-

Text message from Nova:
-It’s not a compliment-

Text message from Unknown:
-After school.  Meet me behind the school.-

Text message from Nova:
-Fine.-

3:10 P.M.

Text message from Nova:
-Where are you? The only people here are my boyfriend and the cops-

Text message from Unknown:
-Exactly, I’m here looking at you-

-And you see me-

Text message from Nova:
-Come out of the bushes like a man you creep-

Text message from Ryu:
It’s me baby, I’m the shadow, now come here, my love.

~Part Five~

10:41 A.M.

October 31, 5 months after Nova Prescott’s murder

Location: Police department

Recorded interview

Woman Interviewer:
“Interview 1 of the Nova case.
Emily Roberts here with Ryu Rodriguez. Ryu, what was your relation with the victim?”

Ryu:
“I was her boyfriend.”

Woman Interviewer:
“Where did you meet the victim?”

Ryu:
“I was a senior at her high school while she was a junior. We met in physics class, she was my partner in that class.”

Woman Interviewer:
“Approximately how long would you say you knew the victim?”

Ryu:
“About a year.”

Woman Interviewer:
“What made you hate her after you became friends? Or have you hated her from the start?”

Ryu:
“I never hated her. I love her so much.”

Woman Interviewer:
“Then why did you kill her if you “loved” her?”

Ryu:
“Because I want her to always be mine… and now she is.  Forever.”

Woman Interviewer:
“Was her being alive not enough for you?”

Ryu:
“Hah.  Being alive she was in the sight of other men.  Now she belongs to me and only me.  Besides killing is my hobby. To see the light fade from a persons eyes is the best feeling in the world.”

Woman Interviewer:
“So you’re saying you’ve killed other people before?”

Ryu:
“Of course not.  She’s my first.”

Woman Interviewer:
“So you’re saying you’ve only killed one person, yet you like killing?  So you’ve killed animals then?”

Ryu:
“Exactly.  I started off with rats then hamsters eventually I started killing cats and dogs.  Ripping their fur from their body and slicing them up.  Their cute whines and whimpers were like music to my ears.”

Woman Interviewer:
“How did you kill Nova? The same way you did with animals?”

Ryu:
“I grabbed her hair in my hand that night. Picked her up and she screamed, kicked and even bit me once.  I felt her all over her body  as well, took her sweet virginity. I dug my nails into her skin scraping her up.  I bit her neck and bathed into her blood with skin in my mouth.  That’s when her heart stopped. After that I chopped her up into smaller and smaller pieces that’s when the police came.”

Woman Interviewer:
“Where did you do this?”

Ryu:
“Behind her school.”

Woman Interviewer:
“Why did you choose to text her with an unknown number?”

Ryu:
“To allow her fear to build up and build up and to see the expression on her face when she found out it was me.  I love it.  I love her.”

Woman Interviewer:
“Why did you kill her behind her school? Why not in the woods or somewhere secretive where there wouldn’t be any witnesses?”

Ryu:
“So I can be thrown in jail then commit  suicide”

Woman Interviewer:
“I’m sure the guards won’t allow you to do that”

Ryu:
“I will find a way.”

12:00 A.M. Next day
Ryu Rodriguez pronounced dead in his cell hanging from the ceiling.