Let me kill you

I stood at the sink, scrubbing the dirt off my face, trying to wash away the exhaustion. Our hostel's bathroom was a dingy, cramped space, but it was home for now. I glanced up, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes looked tired, my hair messy from another sleepless night.

Just then, the door swung open, and a new student walked in. He looked out of place among our rough-around-the-edges crowd, with his neat clothes and confident stride. I watched as he made his way to the sink next to mine, his eyes scanning the room like he owned the place.

"Hey," he said, catching my gaze in the mirror. "I'm Jake."

I nodded, unsure what to make of him. "Alex."

Later that day, I was summoned to the hostel administrator's office. I found Jake already seated in the office.

"Ah, Alex, good, you're here," the administrator said. "We've had a last-minute room assignment change. Jake here needs a new roommate, and I thought of you, Alex."

Jake spoke up. "Sounds good to me, sir."

The administrator nodded. "Great! You two will get along just fine. Room 304, you can head up there now."

As we left the office, Jake turned to me with a hint of a smile. "Guess we're stuck together now, Alex."

We trudged up the stairs, our footsteps echoing in the hallway. When we reached Room 304, we found our bags already moved in, our names on the door in bold letters.

"Home sweet home," Jake said, dropping his bag on the floor.

I raised an eyebrow. "You're awfully cheerful for a guy who just got transferred to a new school."

Jake's smile faltered for a moment, and I glimpsed something else in his eyes – something guarded, something hidden.

But then, his mask slipped back into place. "Just trying to make the best of it, Alex. You know how it is."

Jake's eyes scanned the space, his gaze lingering on every detail. I could tell he was already thinking about how to organize everything.

"Alright, let's get settled," Jake said, his voice crisp and efficient. "I'll take the bed near the window, and you can have the other one."

I shrugged, dropping my bag on the floor. "Sounds good to me."

But as I began to unpack, Jake started rearranging my stuff. "Hey, what are you doing?" I asked, feeling a twinge of annoyance.

"Just helping you get organized," Jake replied, his eyes fixed on the neat stacks he was creating. "We should have a system for our clothes, and our desks should face the same direction..."

I raised an eyebrow. "Dude, relax. It's just a room."

But Jake didn't seem to hear me. He was too busy aligning our books on the shelf, his fingers twitching as he adjusted the spines. I watched, fascinated, as he worked his magic.

When he finished, our room looked like a showroom. Everything was spotless, every item in its designated place. I felt a pang of unease, realizing I'd have to maintain this level of tidiness.

"Wow, you're... quite the organizer," I said, trying to sound casual.

Jake smiled, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "I like things a certain way. It helps me focus."

I nodded, starting to understand. "You're, uh, a bit of a perfectionist, huh?"

Jake's smile faltered for a moment, and I glimpsed a hint of vulnerability. "Let's just say I have high standards."

We both jumped, startled, as a loud bell clanged through the hallway, shattering the silence.

"Supper," I said, standing up. "Let's go."

Jake nodded, and we headed out of our room, down the stairs, and into the dining hall. The room buzzed with chatter and the clinking of silverware.

As we walked in, a hush fell over the tables. Heads turned, and eyes fixed on Jake. I followed his gaze, noticing the girls staring at him, their whispers and giggles filling the air.

"Wow, who's the new guy?" someone whispered.

"OMG, look at his eyes! They're so perfect!"

"I know, right? He's like a model or something!"

Jake's face remained calm, but I sensed a hint of discomfort. I nudged him forward, trying to shield him from the attention.

"Come on, let's get in line," I said, trying to sound casual.

As we waited for our turn, the whispers continued. Jake's eyes scanned the room, his expression unreadable. I wondered what he was thinking, but his mask remained firmly in place.

When we reached the front of the line, Jake loaded up his plate with precision, his movements economical and controlled. I watched, fascinated, as he constructed the perfect meal.

As we found a table and sat down, the whispers continued. Jake ignored them, focusing on his food. I tried to follow his lead, but I couldn't help sneaking glances at the girls, who were still staring at Jake with a mix of fascination and admiration.

Jake's gaze fixed intently on his plate, his eyes scanning every morsel of food. He picked up his fork, his movements precise and calculated.

He speared a piece of chicken, his eyes locked onto the meat as he raised it to his mouth. He chewed slowly, deliberately, his jaw working in a steady rhythm.

Next, he selected a grain of rice, his fork hovering above the plate as he examined it. Satisfied, he brought it to his mouth, his lips closing around the fork with a soft click.

I watched, transfixed, as Jake continued to eat with the same intense focus. His eyes never left his plate, his attention consumed by the food in front of him.

It was as if he was in a trance, his OCD tendencies taking over as he sought to control every aspect of his meal. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realized the depth of his fixation.

The whispers and giggles around us faded into the background as I became mesmerized by Jake's eating ritual. It was both captivating and unsettling, a glimpse into a world where control and precision reigned supreme.

As Jake finished his meal, his eyes finally lifted from his plate, his gaze sweeping the room with a hint of wariness. I sensed a glimmer of vulnerability behind his mask, a fleeting moment of uncertainty before his composure slipped back into place.

The room was silent, the only sound the soft hum of the fluorescent lights.

And then, a scream pierced the air.

I turned to see the petite blonde girl, who had been staring at Jake with such intensity, now lying on the ground. A knife protruded from her chest, her white shirt stained crimson with blood.

The room erupted into chaos, students scrambling to get away from the scene. I felt like I was in a nightmare, unable to move or look away.

Jake's eyes were fixed on the girl, his expression unreadable. His fork still hovered above his plate, his meal forgotten.

The girls who had been sitting with the blonde girl were now standing, their faces frozen

The darkness was illuminated by the soft glow of light bulbs, casting eerie shadows on the buildings of Greenwood College.

I found myself standing near the entrance of the school, my heart still racing from the chaos. Jake was nowhere to be seen, but I spotted him a moment later, his figure illuminated by a nearby light bulb.

He was standing alone, his eyes fixed on something in the distance. I followed his gaze, but saw nothing but the darkness of the night.

The compound was filled with the murmur of voices, students huddled together in small

The flashing lights of the vehicles cast an eerie glow over the scene.

The corpse of the blonde girl was carefully placed in a bag and carried on a stretcher, the lights from the vehicles blinding as they moved. A detective stepped forward, holding a megaphone.

"Attention, students! Please return to your dorms immediately. This is not a drill."

The students slowly began to disperse, their faces filled with worry and fear. Ashley, the blonde girl's roomie, was seen crying profusely, being comforted by her friends.

As the students settled into their dorm rooms, the sound of giggles and chattering could still be heard, a stark contrast to the horror that had just unfolded.

Jake, however, was unshaken, his expression calm and collected as he lay in bed.

The night wore on, the darkness outside slowly giving way to the early hours of the morning. It was around 2am when Jake suddenly jolted up from sleep, his body drenched in sweat.

He looked around the room, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. The other students were fast asleep, but Jake's eyes were wide awake, his mind racing with thoughts he couldn't quite comprehend.