NOVEL SIMPLE 0052 – Creepy Smile of a Serial Killer
Zoe Carter dragged her suitcase as she walked toward the direction of Wingsgone Tomb Hill.
After leaving home and walking for more than thirty minutes, she found a hole in the wall that hadn't been sealed off. Hidden under a cluster of overgrown weeds, it looked inconspicuous. However, the grass inside the hole showed faint traces of a path, indicating frequent use.
After confirming with Transparent World 2.0 that there were no people or surveillance cameras around, Zoe bent slightly and squeezed through the hole with her suitcase.
Instead of following the faint path on the grass, she deliberately chose to head in the opposite direction. Wingsgone Tomb Hill wasn't fully open to tourists; some remote areas were off-limits to outsiders.
Zoe ventured into one of these secluded spots and found a two-meter-high iron fence, a simple barrier set up by the park. The fence was covered in vines, clearly aged. There was no surveillance around. Installing enough cameras in such a vast forest park wasn't feasible.
Zoe hesitated for a moment, looking at her suitcase worth six to seven hundred euros, before opening it. She casually tossed the shovel and the box containing the dead white mice over the fence. Then, with what seemed like minimal effort, she jumped, clearing the two-meter-high fence with ease, akin to having springs in her legs. This was a world-record-level high jump, and it wasn't even her limit.
After landing, Zoe picked up the shovel and the box of white mice and headed deeper into the forest. Upon finding a large, mature tree, she nodded in satisfaction.
"Buried here, you'll become one with the tree. I'll even set up a gravestone for you as a token of appreciation for your contribution to my evolution," she murmured. With a few swift movements, she dug a hole beside the tree and ceremoniously buried the box of white mice.
After filling the hole, she placed a large stone on top as a makeshift gravestone. It wasn't out of guilt. One of the reasons she chose white mice as test subjects was that their deaths wouldn't evoke much ethical or moral concern. This was more a matter of personal whimsy.
In simpler terms, it was because she felt like it.
With that done, Zoe picked up the empty box and shovel, easily leapt back over the iron fence, and packed everything back into her suitcase. She prepared to return the way she came.
However, as the sounds of countless insects filled her ears, she glanced up at the particularly brilliant starry sky that night. A faint smile curved her lips. She paused, absorbing the vast, boundless nature around her. A feeling of grandeur and passion welled up inside her, a sudden urge to embrace nature fully.
In the next moment, the killing intent she had been suppressing until now was fully unleashed. Her powerful killing intent swept through the surroundings like an ultimate exterminator, more effective than any insecticide. Instantly, the buzzing of insects ceased, and numerous insect corpses drifted down from the trees. Zoe felt a sense of relief. She hadn't meant to kill the insects, just wanted to release her pent-up energy.
It was akin to someone shouting into an empty valley to release their frustration or simply out of boredom.
"Feeling bored? Time to train!" she murmured, flipping into a handstand and starting one-finger push-ups as a warm-up.
Exercising in this semi-wild environment, Zoe felt her energy levels rise. Not only did she feel compelled to unleash her killing intent, but she also wanted to have a good workout to expend her energy. It was as if she had broken free from restraints. With this thought, Zoe increased her training pace, pushing herself even harder.
At one in the morning, Zoe, having exercised to her heart's content, made her way out of the Wingsgone Tomb Hill scenic area through the hole she had used earlier. Not far from there was the entrance to the Wingsgone Tomb Hill Station on Line 4, a place she frequently visited since it was near her home.
With only a few steps, she arrived at the station. The subway had already stopped running. The place was deserted, and the lights were off. Zoe, dragging her suitcase, casually avoided the nearby surveillance cameras.
It wasn’t that she had done anything particularly suspicious; after all, she had only buried some dead mice in the mountains. Avoiding the cameras was more out of habit, and partially because she bringing only a suitcase.
Earlier, she had been so absorbed in her workout that she had ended up breaking a tree and tearing her shirt. If not for this, she might have continued exercising for a while longer, invigorated by the mountain air. There was something inexplicably refreshing about working out in the mountains. She even considered trying a more remote forest next time.
As she pondered these thoughts, a loud argument erupted nearby, pulling her from her reverie. Zoe frowned and looked in the direction of the commotion. Under a streetlight at the intersection, a young man was sitting in the passenger seat of a taxi, arguing heatedly with the driver. Their voices grew louder and more agitated.
Listening for a moment, Zoe quickly understood the situation. The driver, an unlicensed cabbie, was trying to overcharge the young man. The youth was upset about the unexpected fare hike, and the argument had escalated. Remembering her own near-miss with a dishonest driver that morning, Zoe took in the now silent, deserted surroundings.
Slowly, she walked over.
The driver and the young man were in the midst of their argument.
"I told you, that's the price. Are you paying or not?" the driver barked, his face contorting into a sneer. His expression turned sinister. The young man outside the passenger door seemed even more intimidated and hesitant.
The driver smirked inwardly. Spotting the timid demeanor of the young man earlier, he couldn't resist the urge to gouge him. Now, it seemed, the young man was easy prey.
"You! You!!!" the young man stammered, anger flickering in his eyes, but he didn’t dare raise his voice. Given the late hour and the driver’s menacing appearance, he considered just swallowing his pride and paying the extra sixty euros.
Suddenly, he froze, staring past the driver. This unexpected behavior made the driver frown and turn his head to look behind him.
At that moment, his eyes met Zoe's. Time seemed to stand still. The driver was rooted to the spot, a sense of terror emanating from the woman outside the window. The sight of Zoe’s creepy evil smile made the driver fear that this woman could do something beyond his imagination.
A smile like that of a serial killer.
Though Zoe hadn’t moved, a cold sweat broke out on the driver’s neck. She hurriedly rolled down the window slightly and forced a smile. "Sir, can I help you?"
As she spoke, the driver’s eyes flicked to the suitcase by Zoe’s side, hiss expression growing even more obsequious. An inexplicable intuition told him that if he didn’t speak carefully, he might end up in that suitcase.
It was common knowledge: if a suitcase wasn’t carrying luggage, it was either filled with money or bodies.
"It's late. Don't you think the neighbors deserve some peace?" Zoe's tone was calm, but her presence was overpowering.
The driver felt as if a hand was gripping his heart. Zoe’s unspoken threat made him tremble with fear.
