Copycat
Chapter 2
The duo retired to their usual spot for the night. The park was unusually quiet and cold, even the crickets were oddly silent. The lack of noise didn't sit well with a certain serial killer, however. Zack groaned, turning over for what must've been the millionth time. Finally fed up, he sat up with an exasperated huff. "Ugh, I can't sleep! I wanna kill that bastard already! I wanna do it so freakin' bad, I can't stand it!"
The urge to kill was driving him insane and keeping him from obtaining any rest. Abandoning any hope for sleep, Zack moved to sit leaned up against the wall of the covered bridge, his legs loosely drawn up to his body. He was curled into himself and let out an exasperated groan. His bandaged hand fisted his hair in pent up frustration.
Ray sat up as well, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Well then, why don't you?" She said softly, her voice strangely having a soothing effect on him. She pulled her blanket around her shoulders, huddling into it for warmth. Despite its heaviness, it wasn't all that effective against the harsh chill. The small blonde scooted back to join him and sat beside him against the cold wall, noticeably shivering. There was a familiar murderous gleam in his wild eyes, but it suddenly ebbed away.
Be blinked at her, a little taken off-guard. He instantly felt a little calmer. "What?" he questioned in mild surprise, "But, how would we find him?" Zack straightened up a little, sulking. He allowed his arms to lazily droop over his knees in a much more laidback manner, forcing his muscles to relax.
"Lure him out, I guess." She answered simply, as if it were obvious. The cold was keeping her from sleeping anyway so she might as well humor her troubled companion. "We need to learn as much as we can about this guy. I can stop by the library tomorrow and use their computers to search some information on him." she wondered aloud, "His murders seem random like yours, but... something tells me he wants attention or else he wouldn't have send that letter to the police. I wonder what it said."
"It still sounds like kind of a long shot to me." Zack grumbled poutily, "If it was that easy to catch this guy, the cops woulda found him already don't ya think?" Ray raised an eyebrow at his surprisingly valid logic.
"What?!" he said defensively.
"That's true." she agreed, "But, we know things the police don't. We have an advantage."
"Oh yeah? How's that?" He sounded skeptical.
"Well, we have you. You're the real Isaac Foster, right? So if anybody should know how or where to catch you, it's you."
"Hm," he seemed to ponder her words for a minute, not fully convinced.
"He's trying to be like you, but he doesn't actually know you, so... He can only base his behavior off of public knowledge and records. He'll probably be lurking in alleys, looking for victims." A particularly violent shudder rushed through her body when a breeze rushed by.
The urge to kill was driving him insane and keeping him from obtaining any rest. Abandoning any hope for sleep, Zack moved to sit leaned up against the wall of the covered bridge, his legs loosely drawn up to his body. He was curled into himself and let out an exasperated groan. His bandaged hand fisted his hair in pent up frustration.
Ray sat up as well, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Well then, why don't you?" She said softly, her voice strangely having a soothing effect on him. She pulled her blanket around her shoulders, huddling into it for warmth. Despite its heaviness, it wasn't all that effective against the harsh chill. The small blonde scooted back to join him and sat beside him against the cold wall, noticeably shivering. There was a familiar murderous gleam in his wild eyes, but it suddenly ebbed away.
Be blinked at her, a little taken off-guard. He instantly felt a little calmer. "What?" he questioned in mild surprise, "But, how would we find him?" Zack straightened up a little, sulking. He allowed his arms to lazily droop over his knees in a much more laidback manner, forcing his muscles to relax.
"Lure him out, I guess." She answered simply, as if it were obvious. The cold was keeping her from sleeping anyway so she might as well humor her troubled companion. "We need to learn as much as we can about this guy. I can stop by the library tomorrow and use their computers to search some information on him." she wondered aloud, "His murders seem random like yours, but... something tells me he wants attention or else he wouldn't have send that letter to the police. I wonder what it said."
"It still sounds like kind of a long shot to me." Zack grumbled poutily, "If it was that easy to catch this guy, the cops woulda found him already don't ya think?" Ray raised an eyebrow at his surprisingly valid logic.
"What?!" he said defensively.
"That's true." she agreed, "But, we know things the police don't. We have an advantage."
"Oh yeah? How's that?" He sounded skeptical.
"Well, we have you. You're the real Isaac Foster, right? So if anybody should know how or where to catch you, it's you."
"Hm," he seemed to ponder her words for a minute, not fully convinced.
"He's trying to be like you, but he doesn't actually know you, so... He can only base his behavior off of public knowledge and records. He'll probably be lurking in alleys, looking for victims." A particularly violent shudder rushed through her body when a breeze rushed by.
Noticing her discomfort, Zack mentally decided it was getting too cold for her to stay in the park another night. He'd need to find somewhere warmer for Ray to sleep. She already looked dead enough without adding sleep deprivation to the mix.
"Come here, Ray," he casually ordered, unzipping his jacket.
She stared at him, a slight tip of her brow indicating her confusion at his request.
"Geeze, hurry up would ya?" he noisily complained, "Dun got all night."
Slowly, she scooted closer, unsure of what he wanted. When she was within reach, he jerkily pulled her into his lap and the sudden movement earned a small squeak from her in surprise. He closed the fabric and re-zipped his jacket around them both. She marveled at how much body heat he produced, feeling heat radiating off of his body and invading her own. It actually felt nice and pleasantly comforting.
Her skin was ice, a stark contrast to his. Her body shivered against his and she shifted around to lean into him a little more. She felt so tiny and fragile compared to him. "Jesus Ray, you're freezing," he noted, sounding shocked, "Why didn't you say something?" He shouldn't have been surprised, Rachel never really complained about anything.
She only shrugged in response, feeling her cheeks flush. She could feel his firm bandaged chest under her fingertips.
"We'll find someplace warmer to sleep tomorrow night," he told her. "I'm getting tired of this park anyway." She didn't respond but he felt her cold face huddle into his shoulder. Her body was flush against him and he stiffened, as if just realizing that allowing her so close to him was a huge mistake. He tried to ignore the pleasantly soft cushion of her chest pressed against his.
"Q-quit squirming," he muttered, a little weirded out by his own involuntary reaction. His pants were starting to feel a little constricting.
After a few minutes, she managed to relax and settled against him more comfortably. He wrapped his arms around her despite himself, mentally making the excuse that it was to keep her from moving around too much.
With Zack's warmth, she found that it was already going to be much easier to sleep now. Still, she struggled to silence her over-active mind. Suddenly a thought struck her and she broke the silence. "Hey Zack, everyone believes that guy is you."
"Yeah... So? What about it?" he urged her to get to the point. She really had a knack for stating the obvious sometimes.
"If he dies, then everyone will think you're dead, right? You realize that nobody would be looking for you anymore because they will think you're already dead."
His eyes lit up when he caught on. "Hey, I like the way you think, Ray."
"But Zack, we have to make sure nobody realizes that the fake Isaac was killed by the real one. It has to look like he died some other way. That means you can't just slash him up in an alley like usual or it will indicate that there's another back-alley murderer."
"Aw man, seriously?" he complained, looking disappointed that his fantasy of slicing and dicing his impostor was off the table. "That's no fun. Ya always gotta make things complicated, doncha?" he responded wryly.
Rachel didn't answer.
"Well, even if I hate it, you do have a point." he yielded, "Alright genius, guess you'll be callin' the shots when we find him. Happy? Now go to sleep." He pulled his hood up over his head and decided to give sleep another chance too.
She yawned cutely, her mouth fell agape to inhale deeply and stretch her tired lungs. She exhaled with a huff. She then obeyed and obediently rested her head back down on his warm chest, finally letting sleep take her tired mind.
"Come here, Ray," he casually ordered, unzipping his jacket.
She stared at him, a slight tip of her brow indicating her confusion at his request.
"Geeze, hurry up would ya?" he noisily complained, "Dun got all night."
Slowly, she scooted closer, unsure of what he wanted. When she was within reach, he jerkily pulled her into his lap and the sudden movement earned a small squeak from her in surprise. He closed the fabric and re-zipped his jacket around them both. She marveled at how much body heat he produced, feeling heat radiating off of his body and invading her own. It actually felt nice and pleasantly comforting.
Her skin was ice, a stark contrast to his. Her body shivered against his and she shifted around to lean into him a little more. She felt so tiny and fragile compared to him. "Jesus Ray, you're freezing," he noted, sounding shocked, "Why didn't you say something?" He shouldn't have been surprised, Rachel never really complained about anything.
She only shrugged in response, feeling her cheeks flush. She could feel his firm bandaged chest under her fingertips.
"We'll find someplace warmer to sleep tomorrow night," he told her. "I'm getting tired of this park anyway." She didn't respond but he felt her cold face huddle into his shoulder. Her body was flush against him and he stiffened, as if just realizing that allowing her so close to him was a huge mistake. He tried to ignore the pleasantly soft cushion of her chest pressed against his.
"Q-quit squirming," he muttered, a little weirded out by his own involuntary reaction. His pants were starting to feel a little constricting.
After a few minutes, she managed to relax and settled against him more comfortably. He wrapped his arms around her despite himself, mentally making the excuse that it was to keep her from moving around too much.
With Zack's warmth, she found that it was already going to be much easier to sleep now. Still, she struggled to silence her over-active mind. Suddenly a thought struck her and she broke the silence. "Hey Zack, everyone believes that guy is you."
"Yeah... So? What about it?" he urged her to get to the point. She really had a knack for stating the obvious sometimes.
"If he dies, then everyone will think you're dead, right? You realize that nobody would be looking for you anymore because they will think you're already dead."
His eyes lit up when he caught on. "Hey, I like the way you think, Ray."
"But Zack, we have to make sure nobody realizes that the fake Isaac was killed by the real one. It has to look like he died some other way. That means you can't just slash him up in an alley like usual or it will indicate that there's another back-alley murderer."
"Aw man, seriously?" he complained, looking disappointed that his fantasy of slicing and dicing his impostor was off the table. "That's no fun. Ya always gotta make things complicated, doncha?" he responded wryly.
Rachel didn't answer.
"Well, even if I hate it, you do have a point." he yielded, "Alright genius, guess you'll be callin' the shots when we find him. Happy? Now go to sleep." He pulled his hood up over his head and decided to give sleep another chance too.
She yawned cutely, her mouth fell agape to inhale deeply and stretch her tired lungs. She exhaled with a huff. She then obeyed and obediently rested her head back down on his warm chest, finally letting sleep take her tired mind.