Lipstick Killer

WARNING: CONTAINS SOME VIOLENCE.

Walking down the main street of the market, all five of Karina’s senses were in pure heaven. Hearing the sizzle of grills throughout the food market seemed almost to be a beautiful symphony. Her eyes felt blessed by the sight of vendors selling all of her favorite foods, from the sweetest funnel cake to the spiciest of dumplings. A divine smell filled her nose as she breathed in the cool New York City air, the smell of Chinese, American, Italian, and all kinds of other foods were floating around in the breeze. As Karina held her purchased kebob she felt the heat from the grilled meats and vegetables warm up her hand. Most important of all, the taste was all she needed to know that she planned on stopping by tomorrow as well. Taking her lunch break at the street food market instead of at the publishing building she worked at was her best idea yet. 

Karina continued eating her kebob as she strolled up and down the market, scouting for what she could eat next. She couldn’t decide what she wanted, something sweet or something savory. Or maybe something spicy. Suddenly someone who was passing by in a hurry knocked her arm and her precious kebob went flying and landed on the dirty street. Though she was disappointed and angry she wasn’t shocked. This market was quite popular, hundreds of people came to eat here every day. In fact, this wasn’t the first time someone had bumped her today but the fourth. She picked up her now inedible kebob and tossed it into a nearby trashcan before turning around to go get another one.

Before she could continue on her path, Karina’s body froze and her blood ran cold. Among the crowd of New Yorkers bustling around each other, stood a figure in a solid white mask with only eyeholes. And sloppily drawn on lipstick. Blood red lipstick. This suspicious person dressed in all black caught her attention alone. Though Karina had seen a lot of strange things in New York, this was different. Something was wrong, she could feel it. To her absolute terror, the person started walking rather calmly, hands in pockets, towards her. Karina was still frozen in fear, she commanded her feet to move but they had betrayed her. She was helpless as the person made their way to just a few inches from her. The person tilted their head to one side looking at her with what she saw were blue eyes. Before Karina could say anything she felt something sharp. Something sharp right on her stomach. She slowly turned her eyes downward to see a kitchen knife in her stomach. The stranger’s hand was still on the knife’s handle. Before walking away the stranger gave her a nod almost as if they were saying goodbye. Karina heard a shriek. Then a second one. Then a third. One of them might have been her own, she wasn’t sure anymore. Those shrieks were the last thing she heard before everything went black.

“And that’s when I woke up…” Karina finished hugging the pillow she was holding even more tightly. 

“That’s quite a dream. And you said this was the third one like it this week? All with the same masked figure?”

“Yes, but they were different. The other dreams took place at my office and a grocery store. But Dr. Parsons, that’s not just it. I feel like I’m being watched. That someone’s eyes are always on me.”

“Your paranoia could be from your lack of sleep, or your pre-existing anxiety disorder amplifying the emotions found with these dreams. I’m afraid that’s all the time we have for today, but I will see you for your appointment next Thursday.”

Karina had been experiencing these dreams for a week and it was already taking a toll on her. She jumped when her coworker started speaking loudly. She thought someone had broken into her apartment when her husband came home early from work. She nearly screamed every time her phone rang. Karina was living on edge and she couldn’t take it anymore. Something had to give and she was hoping it wouldn’t be her.

“Your appointment for next week has been moved to Friday. I hope that’s alright!” the receptionist said with a pep in her voice.

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

Karina shoved her hands into her warm winter coat and looked one more time over her shoulder before leaving. The receptionist whose name tag read Nora was a rather pretty woman with blonde hair and perfectly done makeup. She was also wearing lipstick. Blood red lipstick. She couldn’t help but be reminded of the masked figure and felt a shiver down her spine. 

Karina walked back to her apartment and found her husband, Leo, standing near their entrance when she opened the door.

“Should I throw a book at your head? You seem to like that kind of greeting a lot.” Leo said jokingly.

“ Yeah, sorry about that. But you were fine, you big baby I didn’t even throw it that hard” Karina smiled as she slipped her scarf off her neck.

“Are you going to be ready to go soon?” Leo questioned. 

“What do you mean, I just got home?”

“Mark and Kelley’s engagement party remember? I asked you to go with me.”

“When did you ask me that?” 

“I’ll ask you again right now.” Leo cleared his throat and bent down, holding her hands. “Mrs. Vaughn will you let me have the honor of being your date this fine evening?”

“I’d love to Mr.Vaughn” Karina giggled as she placed a kiss on his forehead. 

An hour later she found herself in her best party attire, a purple sequined dress, and in a room full of people she had never met. 

“I’m going to go say hi to a few people. Come with me?”

“I’ll pass. I’m going to get us some drinks.”

“Suit yourself,” Leo said as he walked off without her. Karina Instantly regretted saying no. She’s never been great at parties ever since she threw up all over her high school boyfriend the first and last time she got drunk. It was safe to say their relationship didn’t work out. Karina wandered around like a lost puppy, feeling anxiety swelling up inside her. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe. Every breath she took, she choked on. She ran up to the nearest party guest and hurriedly asked where the bathroom was. Karina dashed down the hall and threw open the door. The woman in there who was putting on red lipstick gave her a dirty look. 

“Ever heard of knocking?” The woman said, bumping her shoulder lightly on the way out. She was too overwhelmed to care or feel embarrassed. She splashed cold water on her face and looked into the mirror, seeing how pale she was. 

“You're losing it Karina” she whispered to herself. She took a deep breath and managed to put a phony smile on her face. She thanked Mark and Kelly for inviting her and even gave Kelly some recommendations for bridal shops. She still felt the anxiety in her stomach, almost as vividly as she felt the knife in her dream. It felt about the same. Leo caught sight of her talking to the happy couple and made his way over to them. He took one look at Karina’s pale face and sat his drink down on the nearest table. 

“Thanks for the party guys, but we need to be going.” he smiled.

“What? But you just got here?” Mark said, looking disappointed. 

“Come on, Karina,” Leo said as he held his hand out to hers. She gladly accepted it and Leo put both their hands in his coat pocket. They walked silently out the door and continued to walk home on a dark and desolate road. 

“You’re not crazy, Karina. Just have a little faith in yourself.” Leo said breaking their silence. Karina looked up into his eyes and beamed with joy.

“That’s just what I needed to hear. I’m glad I married you. You always know what to say.”

“Well, I’m glad you married me too,” Leo said lovingly and he bent down and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. 

“We’re going to be just fine, I know it.” 

Leo had given her a little hope. For the first time in a while, she truly believed it. She was going to be fine.

Karina’s newfound hope only lasted for about ten minutes. She felt any hope she had left leave her body when someone walked out into the road and blocked her and Leo’s path. They were wearing a white mask. With Lipstick. Leo took a step forward and shouted to the stranger,

“Hey, Buddy! You’re looking great but you do know Halloween is still a few months away right?” 

Leo started to take another step forward but Karina grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He looked into her eyes and saw she was terrified. Her fear suddenly became contagious and he felt it as well. 

“What do you want?” he shouted out to the person, hiding his fear from leaking into the sound of his voice. The stranger started quickening their pace until they were running. They stopped right before the couple, staring at Leo’s face. 

“You,” they said. The stranger pushed Karina down onto the road, causing her to scratch her forehead and bleed. Leo wasn’t just scared now, he was angry. He punched the stranger right in the mask, and at the same time, they slashed a kitchen knife at his shoulder. Karina wasn’t the only one bleeding now, Leo was too. Karina saw that when Leo had punched them, he cracked their mask. The stranger slowly moved their hand up to the mask and pulled it off along with their black hood. Karina’s eyes widened and she gasped. She recognized their long blonde hair and stylish make-up look. She turned her head to Leo and shouted,

“She’s Dr. Parsons’ receptionist!”

Leo seemed to recognize her too because he looked like he had seen a ghost. His face was as white as snow. 

“...Nora?” he whispered, his voice breaking as he said her name. 

“Wow, you remember my name! You have no idea how happy that makes me Leo! It makes me feel all tingly inside.” Nora said blushing wildly while smiling eerily at him. Nora started walking toward him. Still on the ground, Karina swept her feet under Nora, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground, her knife clattering as it fell inches away from Karina. She dived for the knife but Nora was faster. She grabbed her knife, and pulled Karina up at the same time, wrapping both arms around her neck tightly. 

“You ruined me and Leo’s romantic reunion! You’ll pay for that!” she shouted in Karina’s ear. 

“Get your hands off my wife!” Leo screamed. Nora’s hands fell to her side and a tear rolled down her cheek.

“You’re cheating on me, Leo?! How could you do this to us?” she wept. 

“There is no us, you psycho!”

“ Well, We’ll just have to fix that shall we?” Nora said, her expression turning to stone. She hit the back of Leo’s neck, and he hit the ground. Nora turned back to her and wrapped her perfectly manicured hands around her throat squeezing tighter by the second. Karina fought using all she knew how to do. Which was nothing, so she scratched and bit. Karina knew. Karina knew she was going to die, then and there. But that didn’t happen. That’s what would have happened if Karina hadn’t seen red and blue flashing lights rounding the corner. 

“Put your hands in the air!” a man shouted his gun pointed at Nora. That was the last thing she heard before everything went black for real this time.

“She’ll be alright, but just make sure she takes it easy for a while.” the nurse who was standing over Karina said. Then she heard another voice this one was familiar to her.

“ I’ll make sure of it, thanks for all your help,” Leo said. Karina slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room.

“Where am I?” she said to Leo in a faint voice. 

“You’re in the hospital, everything is going to be okay. Don’t worry.” Leo said with tears in his eyes as he stroked her hair. 

“Leo…that woman…who was she?”

“We…dated. In high school for a short time. She asked me out junior year and…I felt so bad for her she didn’t have any friends, so I said yes.” 

“What happened between you two?” 

“ We broke up after only dating for a month. She brought a knife to school and cut my lab partner. As security dragged her away she kept screaming that she had tried to seduce me. She was admitted to a mental institution and I never heard from her again.”

Karina reached her hand out and covered his hand with hers. 

“I’m sorry. That must have been hard” she said.

Karina stayed in the hospital for two more nights before she was discharged to go home. But before she could, the police came to talk to her. The officer who met with her and Leo pulled up a metal folding chair near the hospital bed.

“I’m Sergeant Howard, it’s nice to meet you.” He said as he shook both their hands. 

“Though I’m sure this has been quite traumatic for you, I would like to thank you for your help in identifying the Lipstick Killer.” 

“The Lipstick Killer?” Karina questioned, widening her eyes. 

“Yes. After Nora Wilson escaped from Serenity Peaks Mental Health Institute, she went on to commit a series of murders in which all the victims were found with red lipstick drawn on them. We’ve been trying to get her for years.”

Karina was so shocked that when she tried to say something, no sound came out.

“ I know all of this is very unsettling Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn, but there’s something else you need to know. We found evidence in Ms. Wilson’s apartment that suggests she’s been following you, Mrs. Vaughn, for several weeks.”

While she was horrified, she also was relieved. Karina thought she’d been losing her mind for weeks, feeling like someone was watching her. She was so glad to know she wasn’t the crazy one. 

“Nora Wilson will be given a fair trial and convicted. I can promise you that.” Sergeant Howard said confidently. After a few questions, the police left and Karina was free to go home. She and Leo ate lunch at the hospital cafeteria, which to her surprise, wasn’t too bad. They stopped at the giftshop also before leaving, and Leo bought her a stuffed Teddy bear. As they approached the hospital entrance, Karina grabbed Leo’s hand and smiled at him.

“Let’s go home.”

Karina would continue to have nightmares for a few months after the incident. But after that, she never had another nightmare again.