C5 Who doesn't know Damien Culhane?

It was late noon by the time Céline got back home. She was so grateful that she had come out of the den that John now called home alive. That psychopath scared the shit out of her, but she refused to show it, refused to give him that satisfaction.

She felt good to be home. She was in her living room with the TV on, though she was not giving it any of her attention. The last thing on her mind was whatever was showing on the TV. She was too distracted to know the station it was on. Her thoughts were on her encounter with John and their conversation.

She had no idea where to get such a sum of money John demanded. Even if she saved up her salary for a whole year, she still would not be able to realize such an amount. The truth was Céline did not have any idea how to get it.

She had just made a deal with John so she would be able to come out in one piece. If Céline had not made that deal, John would not have hesitated to kill her. She could not accept giving her body either because she did not want to sleep with a psychopath like John. She was a virgin, and that was not how she planned on losing her virginity.

Sighing, she laid down on the couch. She regretted ever deciding to see John. That was a stupid plan which she had not thought through. She had jumped into it out of the excitement of finally being able to come up with something. Now, she was stuck.

She knew she could not ignore John. If she did, he would come for her. She wondered if she should turn him in and get over with this. That was what was on her mind as she walked out of John, but she knew she could not. She could not, not when he was her last option of finally avenging her parents. She needed to come up with something, and soon enough. So many thoughts were on her mind as she drifted off to sleep.

The sound of the front door closing shut woke Céline up. She sat up on the couch and turned to look at who it was. It was her aunt. Not like she was expecting someone else. She lives with only her aunt, Elizabeth. It was dark now. She looked at the wall clock hung in a corner in front of the television. It was 10:00 pm. She must have overslept, losing track of time. She was exhausted after that encounter with John. Just looking at him was enough to sap all her energy from her, not to talk of actually talking to him.

"You did not seem so comfortable sleeping there like that." Her aunt said, walking over to the couch. She took a seat beside her. She was holding a bunch of newspapers and magazines, which she must have bought on her way back from work. She had her index finger placed in between the pages of one of the newspapers. She must have been reading it on her way back home in the cab.

Her aunt never missed whatever was happening in town because of her little habit of reading newspapers and magazines. She was always current and never ignorant of any vital information. It was why she found out about John and what he had been up to lately. Not that her aunt knew that the serial killer on the loose was her ex-boyfriend.

"I slept off. How was your day, aunt?" She asked.

"Stressful, but I am alive, am I not?" She replied, smiling at her. "How was yours?"

"It was nice." She was lying about that. Her day was far from it. But she hoped her aunt did not push further.

"What did you do?" She just knew her aunt would want to keep the conversation going. Standing up from the couch and stretching, she replied to her aunt, "Went to visit an old friend."

That was not exactly a lie. John could qualify as an old friend, even though he was more. Her aunt did not need all those details. She could imagine the look on her face if she told her that the old friend in question is the wanted serial killer going about killing pregnant women.

"Ok." her aunt replied. Thankfully she did not push further. She just opened the newspaper to where her index finger was placed and continued to read.

Céline sat down back. She picked up the remote from beside her, where she sat down and switched off the TV.

"Oh, you do not need to switch it off if you were watching that." Her aunt spoke, looking up from the newspaper to look at her. "I was just about to head to my room."

"No need. I had not been watching. You can stay." She replied sharply before her aunt could stand up.

"All right. If you say so."

"Sure." She replied. Her aunt returned to reading the newspaper while Céline just sat and watched her.

Céline watched as her expressions changed as she read. It made her wonder what the news she was reading was about this time. Was it another case recently of activity by her psycho ex? She could not help but wonder.

When she heard about all he had been doing, it just did not sit well with her. She could not imagine John, who was once her boyfriend as a serial killer on the loose. But she knew even then that she could not deny it. The signs were there. All of them pointed to him. Seeing John today, with the memory of his cravings she knew in the past flooding back, helped to put things into focus. She had no doubt now.

The sight of him was enough to convince her. He looked like a complete deranged psychopath who was out killing pregnant women. She felt sympathetic for all the pregnant women in town. They must be scared out of their wit. The police advised all pregnant women to stay indoors or risk becoming the next victim. She could call the cops on him right now and end this, but she did not want to for selfish reasons. She would deal with the guilt later.

"Céline, is there something you want to tell me?" her aunt brought her out of her thoughts.

"No, why?"

"You have been staring at me. If there is something on your mind you want to talk about, you can talk to me."

"No, nothing. Just wondering what the news is saying this time," Céline replied. "Any more news on the killings?"

"The one of some unknown guy killing pregnant women?" Her aunt asked.

"Yes, that one."

"Have not heard anything recently." Her aunt said, sighing and turning her full attention to her.

"Seems he is running out of victims. All pregnant women are hiding out in their homes."

"It is the smart thing for them to do," Céline added. She was glad she never told her aunt much about John when they dated. If she did, her aunt would have been able to recognize that it was him because it was hard not to miss.

"I just hope the psychopath does not start breaking into homes." She could see her aunt shiver slightly. She was frightened by the thought of it.

"I hope so too," Céline simply replied. She looked down at the newspaper that her aunt kept on her lap and spoke up immediately, wanting to change the subject. "So what is the news saying?" She asked.

"The news these days seems to be so much interested in the personal lives of people." Her aunt replied, irritated by whatever she must have been reading.

"What do you mean?" Céline asked, laughing out.

"Well, do you know Damien Culhane?" Her aunt asked, returning her attention to the newspaper.

"That rich guy Olivia is obsessed with?" Olivia was her best friend from college. The bond they shared never broke, and somehow they were still in touch. She got to know about Damien Culhane from Olivia, who was obsessed with him probably because he was rich or his looks. She did not know which in particular.

"I do not know which guy Olivia is obsessed with, but he is rich. A billionaire or millionaire, whatever you call it." Her aunt said, picking up a magazine from the pile she held. She flipped through the pages, stopped at a particular page, then handed it over to Céline.

"Here he is." Her aunt said. "Seems the news is obsessed with him too. He's everywhere on the papers. His personal life included."

"He is handsome." Céline breathed out, using her hand to trace his picture in the magazine. "Olivia has these magazines too. He was the front cover on some of them."

Her aunt chuckled at that.

"I have just seen him a couple of times in her magazines, never really been interested. So what is the news saying?"

"Something about his mother looking for a wife for him." Her aunt said and kissed her teeth.

"Young men these days are so into money they forget the necessities of life. I mean, the man cannot even get a wife for himself."

Céline laughed out. "He is probably not even interested. How did the media get to know about that?"

"I wonder. The press is always busy poking into your business." Her aunt replied, sighing and flipping through the pages of the newspaper. "Poor woman, she wants to see her grandchildren."