Prologue

     Dark. Catharine could only see darkness after she tried to open her eyes. From that point, she knew her body including both her hands and feet were bounded to a chair, eyes and mouth were covered with thick cloth. She dozed. She tried to use her other senses. She heard chirping, cricket sounds, and other animals she's certain that lived in the forest. Thereafter Catharine concluded she was in a forest probably one she had been into because one thing she's sure of, the criminal had been head over heels for her in a way that it knows all her background information; what she liked, what places she went and such.

     The person is twisted. Its belief was rooted to its ancestor: Satan. An hour or so from now, she was faced by the same Satan she suspected. Laughing, the mastermind had welcomed her, eyes were devoid of sympathy for the victims.

     A spasm of pain jolted her arms and body when she struggled to free herself from the tie bounded to her and a wooden chair. There was a slim chance of escape when she knew she couldn't even see a slightest glimpse of the surroundings. What she only know was the place is an old building judging from the way the chair slightly moved from a small hole to another when she tried to yank herself from it.

     Footsteps. She heard heavy footsteps and a door creaked open. One. Two. Three. Four steps before she heard the other person talk. "How does it feel to be bounded and deprived of the right to speak?" The person asked. Damn, you stupid or what? Catharine thought.

     "Ow, sorry. My bad. I should've removed those clothes." It said before Catharine felt a tinge of pain in her left side of the cheek. Obviously it used a knife to remove the cloth. Her eyes adjusted with the surroundings. The lights were momentarily blinding her vision until she got a clear view of the psycho she'd put to mind to dispose later.

     "Hi, again. You miss me?" It asked while smiling from ear to ear. She would love see those smiles being wiped away.

     Catharine replied with the smile leveling the person's. Surprisingly, she spit on its face. "How about you go to hell and meet your father?" She suggested. It didn't respond but wiped the saliva from its face.

     "I remembered Jennifer from you. She pretended to be brave but ended being killed. Now that I've said it, you two have quite the resemblance. Only that she was younger than you. Wanna hear her tragic story that led her death?" Catharine did not respond but the person continued anyway. "Like you, she investigated me behind the shadows. She did not ask any assistance from the police nor have she shared it to her mother which is a good part on me because I thought they can't trace what she's investigating about. Bravely, like you, she tried to lure me. But one question, out of all places why did you chose to meet me at the stupid one where she was murdered? Save your answer for later." The person smirked and stared at the knife it used to cut the cloth. "Going on, she told me I am a psychopath. Nah, that's a poor definition of what I am. You all must call me an 'advocate of change.' That's what I am. I love to bring the town into peace and harmony.

     Catharine wondered where this person is getting the idea of it. "Let me repeat, you call yourself an ADVOCATE OF CHANGE? You sure looked an idiot to me. An airhead trying to pretend you know everything of this town. Why don't you stop looking from your own perspective huh? Cause how I see it, you need a lot of mental care." She retorted.

     The killer did not care to reply to her rants. "So this Jennifer, I burnt all her files I suspected that contains all the information she could use against my organization but I did it secretly so as not to be noticed by her roommate. I don't want to scare other residents. You know how I respect other people's emotional state. So after burning all her files, I return to the building where I found her dozing off to sleep. It might be that I've drugged her. I thought that was the best time to mercilessly kill her. And by mercilessly, I meant what you investigated with her death." The killer smiled proudly. "You see, she got this knife before going to the building. Along with it was a gun which I confiscated later." The killer showed her the knife after using it to slash her arms. Catharine fought the urge to groan.

     "So, how would you like your death to be, Miss Maximo?" It asked her, eyes twinkling with excitement.

     "I would like it to happen after yours."

     "Ah, you don't have to answer that anyway. At first I thought finishing you with the same strategy I used with Jennifer might be a good idea but that would be boring. I need another tactic. Don't worry, I'll be back." It said before standing and making its way outside the room.

     Catharine turned her gaze, looking for possible exits. She does not know what lies if she opened the only door the criminal had made its exit. She realized she was placed in the middle of the room. As she looked up on her left side, there was a small window she estimated to be 20 by 20 inches which is located almost six feet from the floor. That could help only if there's another equipment she can stand next to.  She sure would fit there because of her thin posture.

     She heard footsteps again. The devil has returned. As she turn her gaze to meet her killer, she was greeted by the most horrifying weapon used to kill someone.

     "I bet you like it. Let's start, shall we? Worry not, this would be a good death." She wished she could laugh with the oxymoron used but the figure of the weapon had made her queasy. It was a chainsaw.