Joseph touched his shaved chin and looked at himself in the mirror. Tonight he was better than ever before, his smile was innocent but had a lure that touched his eye with a twinkle that promised passion. With a body that looked like a marble statue, and rich full hair he knew that he would add to his collection tonight.
Before going he had to feed his animal within, and bending down he opened the floorboard that covered his treasurers. He knew that the items had always meant something for them:
The ring that had belonged to Suzy’s grandmother, the brassiere Amy had worked a whole summer to be able to buy and the mobile phone containing Ellen’s life of childish poetry and dreams.
The concrete in the basement covered their remains, and the knowledge that they would never leave him filled him with joy. He was the master and their lord.
When the awaited knock came he chuckled, returned the floorboard and smiled at the mirror one more time before opening the door.
Laura had changed her attire completely which unsettled him slightly. But her smile honeyed the slightly menacing look of black leather and he let her in.
“I will end this today”
Joseph just smiled, they always reached a point when balance between conscience and lust was at the breaking point. It was expected, and he caressed the blade in his pocket.
“I will end it, I said”
“I know you don’t want to, you can’t get enough of me”
He bent down to kiss her.
Laura sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck. Joseph felt a prickling sting from a stud in her leather-jacket.
He gasped for air and she let him drop to the floor. With blurred vision he saw her smiling.
“I read Ellen’s poems” she said “the rest was easy”
He twitched and turned, realizing that his end was near, he smiled joyously. He saw the lust in Laura’s eyes.
She had became the animal.
—
Apollo by Michelangelo
This week’s word in Trifecta is animal in the meaning:
3 : a human being considered chiefly as physical or nonrational; also : this nature –
My animals turned a little beastly, but this week I had promised it had to fiction and not poetry. What’s more I have used all my 333 words.
—
September 23, 2013
Björn Rudbergs writings 
it’s wrong to find this sexy, but I do. I like the undoing of him, she becomes his undoing. That is sexy and telling. Bjorn, you made me blush, your words simmered to a lustful boil.
Bravo.
I guess that the stories about serial killers have a certain allure… 🙂
well I don’t like that he’s a serial killer, maybe I just like her having the last word. That is what is alluring to me, that she sees him for who he is and ends it.
True… yes … killing the beast… but then turning beast yourself
Enjoyed it. My only question was how did she get to the poems? Found his hiding spot?
They were on her phone… but of course also on her blog 🙂 as a matter of fact she had a wordpress account 🙂
Oh shit…….
Chilling and sexy, Bjorn! “he saw the lust in Laura’s eyes” – ties it all together 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Nice twist at the end!
Twist is always needed 😉
This is eerily creepy and I loved it!
Thank you 🙂
I love the twist at the end – the prey becomes the hunter.
Yes.. and so on 🙂
dang…nice twist man….ha….and karma comes to yet another….as does the disease to her…
Writing fiction is a good combo to poetry… and 333 words is a perfect length.
Superbly tight writing, and paced so well. I liked the twist very much as I did not see him becoming the victim – is a great study of human nature through this tale of murder and lust.
It’s been a while since I provided a twist… I hope it’s not too real — Laura is smitten and might be even worse (maybe a sequel).
Wonderful how you took us so swiftly into Joseph’s world, then deftly took him out of it! Laura gave me a flash of Olivia Newton-John in Grease (in a good way). Such an elegant, evil twist!
[A few small grammatical things: look “at” himself in the mirror; smiled “at” the mirror; and no comma after ‘But her smile’.]
Thank you for the correction… still at 333 words 🙂 Better be right.
This is creepy. I’m dreaming up all sorts of back stories and Laura’s future endeavors. Love how she turned the tables on him.
One note: in the third paragraph I think the word you want is “brassiere,” unless he is keeping a (very tiny) French restaurant under his floorboard. That gave me a chuckle. 🙂
That would be fun… but my spellchecker said ok… hehe…
Nice revenge.
I like how she did him in. I guess his collection was complete (I hope she’s not starting her own… :))
The victim becomes the master…good one!
There will always be an animal… that’s for sure.. one begets another. Your evil genius shines through, bjorn.. you’re very good at it. 🙂
A great story Björn. Loved the twist at the end.
I like that his animal behavior was turned back on him. Great twisted ending.
I love the turning of tables. Great story.
I thought he had it coming to him. He was just too cocky. Killers make mistakes when they’re overconfident. Nice story.
A chilling title-and so true.When I read the line about his collection,I knew it was going to get dark-a sinister twist in the plot at the end,-loved the subtle way you have created those “moments” where the pieces of the puzzle start falling into place and you gasp at the whole picture–awesome Bjorn:-)
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This is a haunting story. Well written.