AND NOW BACK TO THE MUSIC

By

Betsy Jorgensen

"...According to the new report from the Albert Lea police department,another body has been found in the woods around Albert Lea. This brings the total up to three. Two teenagers are still missing, and are presumed dead. The police still have no leads to the whereabouts of the murderer. The murderer is known to take the victim out into the woods, where he strangles them them and mutilates the corpse. There is also a rumor of a small red heart beings placed in the right hand of the victim. We will keep you updated. Now back to the music..."

Mary turned off the radio. She looked across the car to the drivers seat, where her date sat. Justin was very quite tonight, but he looked strangely happy. She passed her hand through her sand colored hair, wishing she could do the same with Justin's.
They hand just had a wonderful time at the movie in the drive-in. It was Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". The movie was even more unsettling with the murderer on the lose, and Mary wondered why the movie people showed it. But on the other hand, the lot had never been more full. Mary had been a bit skeptical about going, but Justin had insisted they see something "fitting". He had also insisted they go driving in the woods...
"So," said Mary, trying to hide her nervousness of her first date. "Where are we going out here?"
"Oh, I thought we go to a special campsite by the river," said Justin, in his deep soothing voice. "Of course, unless you don't want to. I can always drive you home."
"No, that's ok," quickly reassured Mary. What would her friends say if she came home EARLY from her first date??
"Good," said Justin, returning his gaze to the dark road.
Mary wanted to turn the radio, just to break the silence. She looked into the rearview mirror and saw the road turn into a barely beaten path behind her. She sat up in her seat, and saw a strange looking picnic basket sitting in the back seat, the handles wrapped with thin wire, barely covered with a lace-like blanket. In fact, the blanket seemed to be made of little red hearts.
"What's the basket for?" she asked, brushing a stray hair away from her violet eyes.
"That's a surprise for when we get there," said Justin, looking over and smirking. "You would want to ruin the surprise, would you?"
"Oh, no," said Mary.
"That's good," said Justin. "Because we're here."
Justin turned off the car and ran around to open the door for Mary. He took her arm and gently lead her to sit on a cool rock He then went back to the car and grabbed the basket and the blanket, and laid them in the middle of the clearing. Before looking up, he untwisted the wire from the handle of the basket and placed it in his back pocket. He then looked up at Mary. Mary was well and truly scared at the look in his eyes.
"You want to know why I wanted to bring you out here?" asked Justin, slinking closer to Mary.
"I don't know," Mary said, wanted to move away from him. "I guess I'm special."
"Your partially right," said Justin, sitting next to Mary and placing his arm around her shoulder. "You are special. You're one of three people that I have brought up here for a special night."
"What kind of special night?" asked Mary. Justin went on like he didn't hear her.
"I knew when I saw the way that other people in our school treated you, you wouldn't be missed," said Justin, retrieving the wire and twisting it around his hands. "But I knew it was your time, when I looked to the moon and it told me it was time."
"Time for what?" squeaked Mary.
"Time for you to die, just like Becca and Jaimie," replied Justin. Then, he lunged at her.
Mary dodged left, but Justin grabbed the hem of her long skirt and made her trip. She could hear him giggling maniacally, but the sound was being quickly drowned out by the sound of blood rushing to her ears. She felt her hand curling into paws as Justin landed on her back. As he landed, he was immediately thrown into a tree just ahead of him by the force of the mounds of fur growing from her back. As he lay there dazed, her nails grew into huge sharp claws. The sandy hair on her head flowed around her face, and her button nose grew into a snout. As Justin's head cleared enough to see the wolf sitting in the remains of Mary's dress, he saw her tail grow and start waging in anticipation of a meal.
Justin suddenly realized the answer to the question he had been asking himself all night. The radio announcer had said there were three bodies.
He only had two victims.

"...the two teenagers were found visiting a relitave, and are now considered safe. In another interesting development in the Animal Mass-Murders, it has just been released that the suspected murderer's body has been found in the woods around Albert Lea. His body was found next to a picnic basket, filled with pictures of himself with two of the victims before and after the murders. Also, the wire and murder weapon believed used, were found near by. The only mystery now is, who killed the killer? The police are investigating, but suspect a wild animal attack, even though not one has been seen in thirty years. Now, back to the music..."