Part 3: The Origins

James woke up, bright and early, not stuttering to wake, as he always did. He smiled softly, as he sat up in his bed, and scratched his head. He was so used to having to tail Jennifer from dawn to dusk, that he didn’t feel so constricted by his own schedule for once. He had some free time forced on him. He slid out of bed, and stretched some, before heading to the kitchen, to make him self a decent meal. He’d always restock his fridge with fresh foods, in case someone came into his house and checked his fridge, so he’d look normal, like he actually lived at home, rather than being gone constantly.

James started to think back. Where had all this started? Well, it was, originally, a little thing in High School. He had been one of the normal kids, nobody really cared about him, he was just a background character. Jennifer had been one of the popular kids, always mentioned about by the not-so popular kids. She was the most beautiful girl in school; yet, she had not ever been asked out for a dance or a prom, all the other kids were afraid of rejection. Well, James had been a more ambitious guy back then. He asked her out to senior prom… and she’d agreed.

James finished his breakfast, and set the dishes down on the counter, and washed them, before going to his bedroom. He hadn’t dressed in anything less formal than a business suit in years, on the account of the buildings he’d trailed her in, and the crowds he had to blend with… he grabbed some clothes for comfort, grabbing a pair of very baggy Tripp pants, a simple pair without all the decorations. He wanted to look casual, but not be a walking chorus of metallic clicks and jingles. He put on an average black t-shirt to match the pants, and he pulled a black hoodie sweater over his t-shirt. He walked back out to the living room, and grabbed his car keys, pocketing his gun, and heading for the car.

James had been so excited when Jennifer had said yes to let him take her to prom. He’d been a spaz the whole day before, and on the day of the prom, he’d hung out with her the entire day. They had had a wonderful night, and he’d even gotten his first kiss from here there. He gave her his phone number, so she could call him, and they could spend more time together. She promised she’d call him. She never did. Even to this day, he hasn’t changed cell phone numbers, hoping she’d call him one day. After the prom was over, she’d gone out, and gotten a new boyfriend, and just left James in the dust. He’d been obsessed with her, ever since. He didn’t have one of those weird shrines, or anything, but he recorded everything she’d ever done, and put it all in a file cabinet. For five whole years, he’d watched her, and analyzed her schedule for a point that he could get into her life, and try to get her back… to no avail, of course.

Jack got into his car, and started it up, revving it a couple times, before he pushed the gas softly, and he drove away. His first stop was at the gun shop, where he bought a couple of cases of bullets for the gun, and two more clips for them. When he’d asked the gun dealer for a suppressor, the gun dealer refused to sell one. “I’m sorry, sir, but gun suppressors aren’t something I’m allowed to sell to the general population. If I did that, do you know what kind of problems that would cause? I’m not even supposed to have gun suppressors in stock; I could get in serious trouble for having them! They are government issue tools.” The man said. James tried several more times, before admitting defeat to the gun dealer, and he left.

James, over the time he’d been watching over Jennifer, had done some things for her… he made sure he knew exactly what she was doing every day, and what she needed for that day… if she forgot a set of papers at home, he snuck into her house, and got them for her, and ran up to her, pretending like she’d dropped them on her way walking into the business building. He was like a guardian angel, in some ways, and a silent spectator in others. When she’d been sad over heartbreak or a dead relative on the other side of the country, he’d go into the same bar she was in, and he’d comfort her, and be that stranger that liked to see people smile… though she was the only people to him.

James waited outside, across the street, when the gun store closed down. He watched the gun dealer left, and locked up. He tapped his chin, and waited a moment, before he got out of his car, and went across the street. He pulled out a metal stick on a key tip. He pushed it into the keyhole in the center, and pressed a button. He waited a moment, then pulled the stick out. It was now in the shape of the key the gun dealer used. He smiled, and pushed it back in, turning the knob, and opening the door. He had a thing for technology, and these new, improved universal keys were great… he was even ahead of the special police force. He walked across the room, and went through the dealer’s counter.

James went to the security system pad. He had a minute to get the code right. He closed his eyes, then opened, and squinted. There were four numbers more faded than the others. He took in a breath, and then typed them in. 7, 4, 5, 2. The combination registered for a mere second, before a confirmation appeared, and he smiled. Humans were predictable. They often chose codes that were either words significant to their lives, or a number sequence. The gun dealer was simplistic, so he assumed it would be a number sequence reading top left to bottom right. He, after watching Jennifer, and getting to know her habits in comparison to who she was, was an expert on relating human behaviors to their personality. He then reset the universal key, and stuck it into the lock for the storage room. He initiated it again, and pulled it out, before sticking it back in, and opening the door.

He headed into the storage room, and searched the shelves. There wasn’t much, and he found what he was looking for pretty soon. .9 mm Beretta suppressors. He took two. He then looked around for other things he might enjoy having, and smiled a little at all the things. He took nothing more. He left, locking the doors back up, and re-engaging the security system on his way out. All traces that he’d been there went up into ash, such as his footprints, and fingerprints.

James, back in high school, had once broken into the school at night, and rewired the PA system to make the principal sound like a squeaky mouse. It was one of the most hilarious things he’d done with his life. Everyone who knew he was going to do it loved him for it, and everyone else loved what he’d done. He had sharp eyes, and had practice with breaking and entering various places. He got into his car, and started it up, before he headed off to go home, once again. He’d start monitoring the priest tomorrow. When he got home, he went to the kitchen, and made himself something to eat, a sandwich of some sort. Then he popped some popcorn, and turned on the T.V. and sat down.

He had tons of movies he’d bought over the years, but never watched a single one. If any time was the time, now was it. He put in a movie to his DVD player, and watched at least two movies, a romance, and an action, before he went to bed once more. He dreamt of the day when he’d finally have Jennifer, like he’d always wanted.