What am I going to do? I lay down, shutting my eyes I try to figure how I'm going to convince the world that I'm not a killer. Slowly I drift into a deep sleep after coming up with no solution.

   BANG, BANG, BANG. With blurry eyes I saw an old red washed out door with a rich brown frame. Someone's pounding at the old wooden door. I can see the door slightly bend with each strike. If they keep this up they'll end up breaking the door down. Fear over takes my body, And a sharp pain shot through my entire left arm. I look down to see what was causing the pain. My arm was broken in three places and all of my fingers were smashed on my left hand. Looking at my destroyed arm I could feel hot tears starting to rush down my cheeks. I stare at the door once again. They must've done this to me. Who are they?

   Suddenly, my eyes jerk open. It was a dream? It felt so real. I sit up. My clothes are drenched in sweat. I can feel something cold and wet dripping down my cheek. Slowly I reach up and touch my cheek. The tip of my finger is coated in what appears to be a tear. I must've cried in my sleep. It's not the first time I've cried in my sleep. Ever since I was little I've often had nightmares. But recently they've started to feel real, sometimes it's hard for me to tell dreams from reality. I sometimes wonder if they are real. The way they make me feel isn't anything like my other dreams.

   I turn to look at my alarm clock, it reads 6:30 am. Of course I wake up thirty minutes before I'm supposed to wake up. Today is Friday which means today I have to go back to school for another day of being hated by everybody. Since I'm already wide awake I might as well go ahead and get ready for school.

   After I finished getting dressed and eating breakfast I grabbed my backpack and started heading for the bus stop. While walking down the road the boy who just moved into the house across from mine caught up to me.

"Hey, I'm Damon. What's your name?" He asked in a friendly tone.

"I'm Lux, It's nice to meet you Damon." I said in response trying not to scare him off.

   He gave me a warm smile and we continued down the street in silence. After we arrived at school we parted ways for first period. He had Spanish and I had art. When second period rolls around I start heading to science class. When I got there I sat in the same seat as yesterday, And just like yesterday I didn't expect anybody to sit next to me. So I stared down at the table waiting for class to start.

Then Damon plopped down in the seat next to mine and said, "Finally a class that has at least one person I know in it." a cheerful smile spread across his face as I turned to look at him. "Well Lux would you like to be my friend? I've been trying to make friends all day but I seem to be failing miserably."

"You do realize you'll have a harder time trying to make friends if you're friends with me, right?" I asked looking at him blankly.

"Why's that?"

"Because everyone thinks I'm a murderer."

"Are you a murderer?"

"No."

"Then I don't care if people think you're a murderer. If you aren't one then that's all that matters." He said those words as if they were nothing.

Surprised I stared at him for a second. "Why would you still want to be my friend? Everyone would end up treating you the way they treat me."

"Because I need a friend and you seem nice. Is it fine with you if we become friends?"

"Yeah okay, I'll be your friend."

   Throughout the rest of the class period we talked and got to know one another a bit better. Then after school he met with me in the bus lot so we could walk home together. We decided to walk since our bus was running late. He and I walked a few minutes before we decided to run the rest of the way.

   I started to zone out. My mind focusing only on the thumping of our feet against the pavement. When we reached the neighborhood we slowed down to a walk. We talked for a little about how he felt moving from Ohio all the way here. He was born in Ohio and moved here because his dad got a good job offer here. He told me he has a little sister named Mary who's seven. And he proceeded to tell me a little bit about her. After we talked for a bit we reached our houses and parted ways.

   The next day I woke up exhausted. I got dressed and ate a little breakfast. Five minutes until twelve. Stepping out of the front door I walked to the end of my driveway to wait. Realizing that I might die today the anxiety hit me. He said he wouldn't kill me but I can't trust that. I gripped the pocket knife in my pocket.

   Then the same black car from the other night pulled up in front of me. As long as we stay in public he can't kill me. As I thought this I stepped inside and put on my seatbelt. The instant I shut my door he immediately sped down the street. Soon we arrived at this little coffee shop with very few people inside. We took our orders and sat down at a table in the corner of the coffee shop. I only got a cup of ice water. I've never really had a taste for coffee. Holding his cup of steaming hot coffee he took a sip. While staring at me intently.

"Why am I here?" I asked hesitantly.

"You're here to help me of course." He sipped at his coffee once more. "Now lets start with what you'll be doing for me. I want you to be my official little helper. You will be meeting with me here once every two weeks and I will then tell you what I need you to do for me. But before any of that I need you to complete one simple task."

"What do you want me to do?" I asked knowing already it was something I wouldn't want to do.

"You will help me steal a book from a woman named Kerry Simone." Saying this he pulled out a picture of a young woman in her early twenties. And a piece of paper with an address and time on it. "Next Friday night you and I will be going to her house to pick up a book of mine she has. You will be there to assure that nothing goes wrong."

"Why does she have your book?"

"She took it as leverage against me. She's a little angry with me that's all."

"Will she be home?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to kill her?" I asked this hoping he'd say no. But I could already tell she knew something he didn't want her to know. I already knew his answer.

"Yes, I am." He said this with an expressionless face as if her life meant nothing to him.

I stared down at the table for a moment, fear and anger spreading throughout my body, heating up each of my limbs. I can't be part of a woman's murder. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I was. I can't go through with what he wants me to. "What if I refuse? What if I go to the police?"

He looked at me as if I was stupid then said, "If you went to the police they'd arrest you. They do think you're the Midnight Murderer after all.".

He doesn't know that for sure. They might listen to what I have to say. But to be safe I'll act like I'm going along with his little plan. "I guess you're right." I said trying to look like I meant the words spouting out of my mouth.

"Okay then meet me here at 6:30 pm next Friday night." After saying those words he stood up and started heading for the door. I followed after him.

   After we got into the car he drove me home. When we arrived in front of my house I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the car hastily, trying to get away from the situation as best I could. As I shut the car door his voice suddenly rang out. Stopping me in my tracks. "Oh and Lux! Remember, I have big plans for you. So don't fuck it up." I could hear the malice in his voice. The temperature in my body began to rise quickly from both fear and anger. I quickly spit out, "Okay." in response.

   I walked inside and waited a few minutes. I'm not going to be his little puppet. When I was sure he was gone I went into the garage and grabbed my old bike. I sat down on the seat and started pedaling down the road to the police station. It's about three by the time I make it there.

I go inside of the station and the very second I step inside everyone's eyes turn to me. Nervous all of a sudden I walk up to one of the officers. "Hello can I speak to someone about the Midnight Murderer case?"

"Yes you can speak to me about it, I'm the one in charge of the case. What do you have to tell me Ms. Abano?" The serious expression on his face made me even more nervous. But against my gut instincts I began to speak.

"Well the murderer wants me to help him-" Suddenly I was interrupted by one of the other officers cuffing my hands from behind.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in the court of law." The officer behind me said in an intimidating tone of voice. I could feel his eyes burning a hole in my back.

"No, I'm not the killer!" My voice began to wobble.

   As I was escorted to the holding cell I passed a room with the door wide open. Inside there was a clipboard with the pictures of some of the most recent victims including a picture of me. Below my picture it read, "main suspect- while in asylum: no new victims". Right then I realized he's the reason everyone thinks I'm the Midnight Murderer. He's been framing me all along. Suddenly everything started to make sense. He wanted me in the insane asylum to frame me. So whenever I had that strange unexplainable drowsiness before I was taken to the insane asylum. Was he the one behind it? Did he drug me? Are these the big plans he had for me?

   The officer forcefully shoved me into the holding cell. I stumbled forward, my legs weak from the shock forced me to sit in that very spot on the floor. I stared at the wall. No he can't do this to me. I could feel tears threatening to fall. "No Lux don't cry. You can't let him win." I mumbled to myself. Trying to hold them in, they fell anyways. Hot tears rolled down my cheeks falling two at a time. I looked down clenching my fists.

I hate him.
And I don't even know the name of the man that I hate most.