Stories By Matt

  Author's note: This story follows a character that is not a good person, and has done some really, really bad things. Trigger warning for murder and stalking. Ted watched from a distance as the raven-haired woman left the gas station. “Oh, Heather, finally,” he muttered to himself, a twisted smile curling on his lips. “Please, do hurry. Tonight is the big night, and I can hardly wait.” "Heather" wasn’t her real name, but he enjoyed giving his victims pet names in his twisted game of cat and mouse. Ted’s fingers traced the faded tattoos of names on his left arm—each one a former mouse. Eight in total with a spot picked out for a ninth. Some took souvenirs, but these tattoos were his keepsake, a way to keep his victims close to his heart long after their lives had been snuffed out. It seemed to take an eternity before Heather finished filling her gas tank and got back into her car. “Now, you’re going to check your phone. It’ll take two minutes, then you’ll leave,” Ted whi

  Robin stepped out of her car and took a deep breath of the crisp, early morning mountain air. "You just can’t get that in the city," she sighed happily, pulling her backpack out of the trunk. Behind her lay a small town—a modest collection of houses barely larger than a suburban neighborhood, with a few shops and businesses scattered throughout. But before her stood towering mountains, dense forests, and the promise of adventure. "Hmmm... only two bottles of water and a couple of granola bars. I swore I restocked this after my last hike," she muttered to herself as she rifled through her backpack. Slinging it over her shoulder, she headed into town. Most of the businesses were closed, but soon she stumbled upon a tiny general store. As she stepped inside, her eyes were immediately drawn—not to the shelves of snacks and water she was looking for—but to an odd sculpture in the back of the store. The creature depicted was definitely canine but didn’t quite resemble a