By the time you were worried you'd said too much I'd already found you.
People love sharing little details about who they are, their life, their day to day. Tiny fractions of themselves they hope will form a bond, but still redacted enough to keep themselves safe. So while a person wont tell you their address, they'll share the city they live in, or maybe the closest big one. I've been guilty of that myself. There's that hope we live somewhere close, or close enough. It's always such a letdown to learn you're nowhere nearby. A trip that would take days by car. Nothing feasible for either one of us.
You never imagined I'd lie about that.
The trick is you need to be patient. Those tiny details that get shared will paint a clear enough picture given time.
I found where you take your coffee. Not that cute little place you bragged you'd take me, but where you stop every morning before work. I'm sitting in the booth next to your usual spot. The waitress you were swooning over a week ago sure is cute. What was her name again?
Did you know she lists her workplace on her public socials?
Don't worry, she was just for confirmation. Don't you remember that cute little selfie you sent me? You didn't know it at the time, but you left several clues in frame. I knew you weren't within city limits, they don't allow billboards. You had to be in one of the northern regions, those lampposts are fairly rare the further south you go. Oh and that house behind you? What a unique roof.
About 30 minutes. That's how long it took me.
Do you think people will have sympathy for you when they learn the truth?
I warned you I was a predator.
Did you think I was joking?
From the start of our game you knew there were real stakes. I warned you time and time again my brain would not let a hunt go. That I would ruthlessly follow your tracks until I won my prize. I warned you. I need you to understand this isn't my fault. I warned you how obsessive I would become.
Maybe you didn't comprehend there were teeth behind my growl.
I would have shut that part of my brain down for you.
In an early conversation you bragged your gym was within walking distance of your home. What a delight that turned out to be. Watching you emerge into the chilled night, your face still red, your body damp with sweat. From the smile on your face it must have been a good workout. You were still catching your breath most of the way home. I was so focused on listening to the soft whine of your breathing, tracing the lines of your back with my eyes, that I almost gave the game away.
We could have gotten coffee. It would have been so romantic. Instead I'm taking another trophy tonight.
Another. You weren't the first. I have a few trophies. One I was particularly proud of and I shared it with you on a whim. I'd already found you, so I wasn't worried about losing the trail. The game was over and you were just starting to realize you weren't getting away.
You weren't quick enough closing the front door behind you. Were you confused when you saw my smiling face emerge from the dark? How quickly did that confusion turn to panic. Was it when I smothered my hand over your mouth to silence the yelp of a scream?
The trick is to know when the time to be patient has passed. Once contact has been established, you need to move quickly before your prey can come to her senses. Quickly. Brutally. Force her down and make her realize she has lost all control.
I'm always curious what's going through their heads as all this happens.
Are you still in denial that this is happening?
Are you ashamed of how excited you are?
Do you regret putting your fingers past the bars of my enclosure yet?
You'll wake up to a pillow still wet from your tears, a pit of shame hot in your stomach, only later realizing what I took from you on my way out the door.
Was it a necklace maybe? A gift from a friend or loved one. Maybe your favorite sweater. The one you've had for years that's so soft and fits you perfectly. Will you look for it in pictures of me, ashamed at the disappointment when you don't see me with it?