Silent thoughts
Chris Thompson grinded his teeth together in frustration the training field seemed like the most quite place to go, but as competitions were only around the corner he was proven wrong. The library was stacked with students rather than books and the café was filled up to the brim. Students weren’t allowed to leave campus until the interrogations with the police were over. The body count had risen astoundingly in the last few weeks and all the attacks were centred around the university .The murders were odd, Chris recalled the details in the numerous newspaper stories on the Animal Serial killer. The killer always varied on victims and style of execution but always seemed to leave a animal craving on the victims forehead. A shiver ran down Chris’s spine as he thought of Mary Silver. The polices prime suspect. Mary Never blinked, never .She had a duck tattoo on her forehead and kept to her. She ticked all the right boxes and fit the profile of the psychopath they had on the loose .Chris shook out the disturbing thoughts and walked to his dorm.

Silent thoughts

Cassie Ward was a winner. She never lost, ever. She saw Jackie approaching in her eye line and she pushed herself. She saw the white line and Coach Harley holding a stopwatch in the distance. She tasted the odd blood/metallic taste as it filled her mouth. She tightly closed her eyes and sprinted. She didn’t open them or slow down until she heard that whistle. She squatted down, her head between her knees and looked at coach Harleys face. Coach Harley eyes gleamed in approval and Cassie smiled to herself. RESULT. After a quick breather the Nationals track team list was put up. She walked with her head held high to the notice board. As she tried to glance at the list Jackie hunter stepped in her way. Jackie turned gracefully and smirked. ” Looks like I’m Team Leader again Cassandra” The girls around them laughed gleefully. Cassie still body filled with utter bitterness and hatred so powerful that within the next few seconds Jackie walked away Cassie swore vengeance .Cassie was fed up with Jackie Hunter getting her way just because she was dating Dean Smith’s son Scott Smith. The only work she ever had to do was look pretty and smile as the promising girlfriend. Cassie filled with green envy from head to toe .She marched away violently kicking a near by bin with robust strength. Coach Harley recklessly stepped onto her warpath. Not a clever move. Counting to ten to stay sane she looked up .Coach Harley continued to stare at her with disconcerting emerald eyes. She pulled Cassie aside.”Cassandra calm down”. On the edge of exploding Cassie blocked out the sincere whispers of regret and understanding coming from her coach .Cassie clomped her gob shut and nodded till she was done, cursing the old horrid ,hairy ,hormonal crone as she finally walked away. Cassie fumed silently and stormed off to her dorm.

Silent thoughts
Chris watched Jackie as she girlishly gossiped with her perfect, pleasant, popular posse who sat obligingly around her . His pale grey eyes watched every hair flick, every giggle. She had it all the perfect guy, her own Jackie wannabees and Chris a bright A+ English literature student in a lovesick magic trance. Chris had vowed the moment he laid eyes on her that he would strike a conversation with Jackie before graduation. But he had failed to do so. With graduation closing in fast Chris just lost the nerve .He was a coward. Filling with distress and fury he gathered his things. He had to get away. Chris walked past unnoticed tucking his curly blond hair under his hoody.

Silent thoughts

THEY all watched her; she didn’t like the pointless questions .The murky lifeless room suffocated her. It’s dull dark dusky colours made her feel as if she was in a tight-fisted grip unable to budge. The questions came at her with such an astonishing speed that the fog once again began to completely conceal her gloomy mind. The pulsing pain returning with the haunting hunger .He would be the next one .He seemed filling. Tonight she would feast .All the blood. The blood.

Silent Thoughts
Cassie felt like screaming as she searched through Jackie’s dorm room. Nothing. She walked to the dresser by the window and saw Jackie leaving campus. No one was to leave campus whatever the hour. Scott smith’s girlfriend or not those were the new rules. Cassandra smiled as she knew the modern technology she loved so much would get her the number Uno spot on the team for nationals. She raced to follow clueless Jackie whipping out her i-phone at the same time. Jackie Hunter only had Cassandra Ward to worry about not some serial killer with freakish animal obsessions .It was time Jackie received a dose of her own foul medicine.

Silent Thoughts
The ground spring in Colorado National park would’ve been a hot spot for tourist if the town of Gloaky, Colorado USA hadn’t kept it a century old secret. Chris soaked in the warm water and let himself go as the relaxation set in. Slowly he began to unwind peacefully in the tranquil still stream.
Cassie muttered angrily to herself after she followed Jackie to the entrance of Colorado’s national park. She began to lose sight of her then lost track of her altogether and to make matters worse she went in too far and became lost herself. “Cassandra breath everything will be just fine” she reassured herself and tied her flaming red hair into a tight bun in a businesslike manner and headed east.
The pounding began to quicken similar to her hasty steps. Images flickered of the barn in her dark mind. THE BARN. “Dinners on the way papa”
Cassie was unfocused as she kept going over her plans to sabotage Jackie. The loss in focus made her ankle twist and she tripped. Cassie tried to get up again but tumbled when she tried to do so. All she saw was the approaching heaps of rock then it went black.

Silent Thoughts Chris’s damp hair fell over his eyes while he hurried to go to the aid of Cassandra ward and dress at the same time. Her eyelids fluttered as he kept repeating her name. Finally her ocean blue eyes stared up at him in puzzlement. “Cassie” she replied weakly. “Everybody calls me Cassie”.Chris smiled in relief. ”Why are you all wet?” She questioned “The spring, I was swimming when I saw you tumble “. She looked around as she tried to sit up. “Can you stand?” Chris asked. Cassie refused to grunt in pain as she stood on her two feet. The effort proved too much for Cassie as she began sway weakly .Chris grabbed hold of her.“Here let me help” Chris offered.Cassie frowned and replied “How do I know you’re not the Animal KILLER Chris? That’s your name right?” Chris studied her face, her frown lines made her look cute and stubborn, a deadly combination just like his German Sheppard Yappy Chris thought and he chuckled. “Maybe because I would’ve killed you by now” he answered Chris laughed and saw Cassie grin in return. Ignoring her protest he lifted her and brought her over to a big broken branch. While she sat, Chris retrieved his book bag. Walking back towards her a book fell out. As it was in her reach Cassie picked it up. “Marley King?, you read Marley King Books!” “I thought Boys thought romance novels were for pu**y’s?” Cassie exclaimed “Yeah but anyone who reads Marley King books will know that they’re mistaken for romances but are really just excellent mysteries” Chris replied “True” Cassie laughed Chris decided he liked her laugh and smiled at her.

Silent Thoughts
Behind the blooming relationship stood an old ruin. The remains of a captivating, exquisite and colossal castle in the middle of Colorado national park. Its walls covered in ivy. It was picturesque in a medieval Gothic way .In this ruin stood the cold blooded killer .Watching. She cocked her head to the side and stared into the darkness. It had to be done. For papa.

Silent Thoughts
As they chatted and laughed Cassie realised that Chris was not what she expected. The blip on her phone brought them back to reality.”I’ve got a signal” Cassie told Chris .Cassie stared at his dumbfounded expression; he seemed fixated on something in the distance. She turned to look.“Jackie?”.Silence. “What are you doing here Jackie?”Silence.Cassie froze as she realised something was different. Jackie Hunter was strange not elegant and glamorous but dark and ominous. She glimpse back at Chris and turned to see what he was still staring at .It was then when she saw the gun.Cassies veins turned to ice. She clutched Chris’s hand in terror. “Sit beside her boy” Jackie ordered in a real monotone type voice with a country twang. Her sweet cheery voice was gone replaced by this cold, modal, southern type voice. Chris sat by her and held her tight.

Silent Thoughts
She had them right where she wanted them. She stood in front of them not aiming the gun but watching. Like he used to. She was next to a lavender bush. The scent of the flower became overpowering and the memories of the papa’s lavender bushes at the farm and the farm started to flash back. Memories of a different life, a past life. She cocked her head to the side and remembered. “Jackie go stand by your brothers and sister or you’ll be getting more spanks young lady! You here me girlie?” Mr Hunter shouted sternly. Jackie would hurry to undress and stand still like she was told and the clicking would begin. The clicking of papa’s camera. The last and only existing copy which was brought by a muscled retired army sergeant and his wife who had a passion for calculators. Jackie found the other photos and burnt them. She also dealt with papa snapped his neck like a chicken, Like a chicken

Silent Thoughts
Cassie watched shocked as Jackie recalled her twisted childhood and started clucking. In between the clucking Jackie repeatedly would say “Have to kill, the buzz has to go” and begin clucking once more . In their dire situation all Cassie wanted to do was laugh. The thought of laughter made a snort escape from Cassie .Cassie began to laugh hysterically till tears ran down her face. Jackie halted her frantic pacing. All was still. “Jackie your crazy. You grew up down the street from me. Your dad is a retired army sergeant and your moms an accountant .You’re a sinister, spoilt, selfish only child”. Jackie started to list of random animals and Cassie began to laugh uncontrollably. Jackie raised the gun and pointed it towards Chris and pulled the trigger .Red specks filled the left side of Cassies stunned face. The silence dragged on till moments later when Jackie began clucking again. Cassandra filled with instant loss and dread. Jackie turned the gun on her and as the shot was fired the last thing Cassie heard was Jackie singing “Old Mc Donald”.

Silent Thoughts
Cassandra Ward awoke from her coma five months later with retrograde amnesia .Cassie became the Gloaky town miracle .Surviving a gun shot wound to the head and escaping from the grasps of the ANIMAL serial killer Chris Thompson who shot himself after he tried to kill her .Cassie is believed to be blessed as upon awakening she suffered no major brain injury .She recited the lyrics to “Old Mc Donald” the farm song nursery. As Cassie ward recovers she is watched over by her track team buddy and best friend Jackie Hunter.