“The stars sure are bright tonight,” I said to no one in particular as I watched passersby from my position on the park bench. The night was dark; though there were stars out, the moon had failed to show up. This made my penchant for people-watching a little difficult, but that was half the fun, wasn’t it?

            One woman in particular had caught my eye, when nobody else was around. She was such a pretty little thing—Asian, by the looks of her—and she wore some sort of white outfit that seemed to fit her perfectly. Not just her body, but her entire being, her attitude, the way she carried herself. The legs billowed softly in the breeze.

            Suddenly, I was distracted by a noise behind me. Bushes rustling, branches snapping. Panting. A jolt of adrenaline rushed through my veins, and anticipation stiffened my spine. Out from the forest stepped…

            A man. Disheveled from head to toe, clad all in black. He was bloody. Sweaty. Bone weary. It looked as if he had spent the past week out in the wild. He glanced my way and headed towards me.

            Though he came nearer, I did not give him the satisfaction of showing any fear. Instead, I quickly prepared to defend myself. To my surprise, however, the man rounded the bench and continued on towards the woman. I watched the apprehension grow on the young woman’s face as the man stumbled closer.

            “Have we met?” the man rasped.

            “No, I’m afraid we haven’t,” the woman said as she picked up her pace.

            “Do I know you? How do I know your face?”

            “I’m sorry; you must have me confused with someone else. I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

            “Please,” the man begged, clawing the woman’s shirt and forcing them both to a stop, “please. Just tell me where I’ve seen you before. I know you, I swear it!”

            The woman tore free and ran ahead a few paces. Then she turned around and confronted the man. They stared each other down for several long seconds.

            My heart rate continued to rise as I watched the couple. I could clearly see the recognition in the man’s face as he eyed the woman, and the terror that was quickly mounting in the woman’s as she stared back. My heart skipped a beat—and another—when I realized that both members of the pair were completely oblivious to my presence.

            “Look, you creep. I don’t know who you think you are—or who you think I am, for that matter—but if you say one more word to me, I swear I’ll—”

            It happened almost too quickly for me to see. The man’s expression changed suddenly, as if he had just remembered something. Then he took two steps toward the woman, grabbed her head with his hands, and twisted. Sharply. Her body crumpled to the ground, neck broken, her final words dying on her lips.

            “I remember now,” I heard the man whisper to the mass of white at his feet. “I was supposed to kill you.”

            I stared down at the once-beautiful creature, now hideously ugly with its dead eyes staring back at me. And I smiled.

            “Good,” I said. “Now dispose of her body in the woods.”

            Unable to resist my orders, my servant and his latest victim disappeared into the forest.

            Occasionally, some of my subjects do tend to resist. This one has obeyed me for quite awhile now—I’m surprised he hasn’t already tried to refuse. Such is the weakness of man, I suppose. I’m not greatly concerned, however; servants are easily disposed of as another is easily gained. Once under my spell, it is best just to obey my commands—for a hypnotist always has the last word.

            As another woman came into view around the bend, I resumed my old position. Conjuring her image in my mind, I focused my energies again and said:

“The stars sure are bright tonight."