My thoughts changed as the man woke me up. "We're here, ma'am." I stepped outside into the chilly air and saw a nice house at the edge of the city.

"This is where I'll be leaving you, miss. I'll see you every day, though. Daily checkups, you know? Well, see you tomorrow!" He smiled, and drove off. I walked up to the door of the house and rang the doorbell. Immediately, a somehow familiar cheerful woman answered.

"Hello, there! You must be Alice! So nice to meet you! I'm your new mother, Theodora!" You're not my mother. She disregarded my frown, probably not even looking at my face, and hugged me. She pulled away and looked at me, then gasped. "Y-you......JOHN!" She shouted into the house, and a man appeared by her side. His face turned nearly......fearful. I didn't know what was wrong.

"D-dear......me, and my husband, we're.....we're Theodora and John Litwick." I suddenly recognized her.

"Did you kill my son?" The man suddenly shouted, shaking me by the shoulders.

"No! No! I'm another victim of his! My mo---" My voice broke.

"What? What is it, dear?" Theodora asked me.

"He killed my mother." I whispered. "Last night. At the city hall Christmas Ball."

The woman's hands went over her mouth. "Oh, you poor thing! Come inside, we'll show you to your room." She said, sounding genuinely kind. I followed her and her husband. "Here. This used to be Mike's room before he........" Her voice faded. I knew the feeling. I thanked her, and my bag fell onto the floor. The room was small, and it looked so bare.......I went to work, though. I put the clothes in my closet, and hung the pictures up. After all of this, I finally went to sleep again.

John woke me up. "It's time for breakfast, Alice." He said, in a quiet, but considerate voice, then left the room. I crept in some direction, and found the kitchen. Theodora was there, cooking, by the looks of it, sausages.

"Hello there! How are you feeling, Alice?" I didn't answer. I didn't want a new family........."Well, I can't expect you to be feeling that good. I know it's hard to lose a family member."

She doesn't know your suffering, Alice.

"That's why I'll try to be a wonderful mother for you!" You can't replace my mother. Don't think that for a second. I glanced at the kitchen knife on the counter, but looked away at once. I couldn't......."And you'll also have John! I bet you'll get along great!" No one will ever replace Dad! I started staring at the knife......It could be so easy to kill her.....right now....... "We might be an even better family for you!"

Make her suffer, Alice. No one will ever replace your family, will they?

I agreed with the voice. Before she could react, I grabbed the knife and stabbed her. She died instantly.

"Is breakfast ready?" John asked, then came into the kitchen to the horrible sight. "I KNEW I SHOULDN'T TRUST YOU!" He shouted. I couldn't let him do anything. I killed him, too, then glanced at the two dead people on the kitchen floor. Oh god. I just.....did I just.......did I just kill these people? No.....I couldn't have.........

I heard a knock on the front door, and had no idea what to do. The door opened, and someone rushed inside.

"Hello?" They asked. I foolishly answered

"There's no one home!"

The person ran into the kitchen, and gasped. "A-alice.....did you kill them?" I didn't want the burden of death on my hands.......no!

"I did! I killed them! I'm so sorry!" I began crying hysterically. He reached out for me, but I didn't let him near me. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" I yelled at him. I began screaming, my eyes shut tight, when I felt something being jabbed into my shoulder. I fell onto the floor, but all I heard before I lost consciousness was him.

"She's completely lost her mind! We need mental transport right now!"