Ripter

By Jon Broeke

Rebecca Carmian thinks she going crazy. It's been a year since her boyfriend, who turned out to be a serial killer, was shot and killed, and she knows that, but now she thinks she's seeing him, and that's not all, strange occurrences in in the school bathroom and in her bedroom have left her very confused. Then people start dying and she realises that she may not be crazy at all. Her boyfriend might be back, and he might be out for revenge, or maybe more if what the red haired witch who shows up on her door step tells her is true. Soon she, and her friends Ryan and Stacey, are on the run, but in a small mining town there's only so far you can run.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jon Broeke
• Release date: Jun 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370243945

Jon Broeke

Jon Broeke (Born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in 1981) started his writing career at the tender age of 18 when he enrolled in the Writer's Write course to learn how to become a fiction novelist. Through some trials and tribulations his first novel, Ripter, a teen horror, was published in 2009 through various self-publishing platforms, eventually ending up on Amazon.com. After a foray into the romance genre, Jon now focuses on Young Adult novels, and his first series, The WitchWood Academy Novels, are selling like hot cakes on Amazon and receiving praise all over the place. Jon now works as a full time author, working on his books all hours of the day and night, as well as working on stage productions, dance shows, his other love, and screenplays for films.

Book preview

Prologue

He was as good as dead. He knew it. He knew there was no escape from the barrage of bullets that would no doubt come through the door at any moment. And he loved it.

He has never felt so alive in all his life. Not even the killings gave him this kind of rush. He wasn’t afraid of death. He’d made too many deals with the devil to still be scared of death. Death was merely a stepping stone to something else. Something better.

Something bigger. He smiled. This thought made the corners of his mouth curl up like horns. He‘d be back. No matter what they did.

He tightened his grip around the little girl’s throat, and looked down at her face. She was terrified. He’d seen it many times before. In all the faces of all the kids he has sacrificed for the greater good.

HIS greater good.

His lord demanded sacrifice. He was only too happy to provide it.

He has been providing it for little over a year now.

Until Rebecca.

Of all the people in the world she was the one he thought he could trust with anything. The one person he thought would love him in spite of what he had done. That’s why he gave it to her in the first place - for her love.

And then she betrayed him. Betrayed his trust, betrayed their love. He knew it wasn’t her fault though. It was the others’ fault. Her father, her friend, even his friends. He blamed them.

But they would pay… All of them would pay.

But he first had to deal with now…

He turned the girl around to face the door. He wrapped his arm tightly around her neck and lifting her slight frame against himself, he charged towards the door. She screamed as they crashed into it. It swung open, exposing five of the police cars that surrounded the barn. There were four cops to every car, and every one of them had a gun pointed at the door. He looked at their faces, and saw the fear and panic in their eyes. Their bewilderment was almost tangible.

They always knew that he had a hostage, but the sight of it still shocked them visibly. This made an indescribable glee bubble up inside of him. He was having the time of his life.

He tightened his grip around the girl’s neck and touched the point of the bowie knife to her cheek. She whimpered softly. The sound delighted him in a way words couldn’t express.

One of the policemen shouted something at him through a loudspeaker. He didn’t recognise the words, only who they came from. It was Rebecca’s father, Police Superintendent of this sunny little piece of heaven they called home. Only now it was a little less heavenly. Thanks to him. He smiled again. The same cruel, malicious smile from before.

Send Rebecca my love! he shouted to the Superintendent. Tell her I’ll see her soon! The Superintendent’s eyes widened. The loudspeaker dropped from his lips as he realized what was about to happen. What this blade-wielding monster was about to do.

The Superintendent’s jaw dropped, but it was too late. The malicious maniac smiled again, then slung back his head and screamed. Not even death can stop me!

He tore the blade viciously across the little girls’ throat.

Blood gushed from the open wound. It felt warm and sticky as it pored all over him.

The girls’ body collapsed and as she fell forward onto her knees, he began to laugh. The next moment his body started convulsing, and shook uncontrollably as the bullets from the policemen’s guns ruptured through his entire body. There wasn’t a body part that didn’t feel the policemen’s vengeance of the girl.

He fell.

He saw the cops run out from behind the cars towards the girl. She was dead, he was certain of it. He’d done it often enough to know. More glee… Then, nothing.

Chapter 1

Tomorrow. It was the day. Exactly one year. Rebecca had been dreading today since the day it happened. Totally dreading it. Lying in her bed, under the soft, familiar covers, she felt no comfort. She didn’t want to sleep, but her eyelids became heavier and heavier until sheer gravity forced them closed and she drifted into a deep sleep. No sooner had her eyes shut than a shadowed figure stepped out from the darkness, drawn out by the onset of her sleep. He looked closely at her. The only sound in the room the mixture of her breath and his. She was his. His Angel of Destruction, and it would not be long now…

*

Rebecca Carmian looked out of the car window as the 4x4 came to a stop at its destination. Most of the time she didn’t mind attending Golden Plains High School, but today was a bad day. A really bad day.

Her father released his seat belt and shifted in his seat, turning towards her, as she sat in the passenger seat. She didn’t look back, though part of her wanted to. She knew he understood what this day meant to her, how it made her feel. She could tell he felt it too. Justin had been like a son to him. Right up until the end.

He sighed deeply.

She knew it was an attempt to get her attention, a trying-to-not-be-too-subtle, not–too-obvious attempt. She turned in her seat and looked at the middle-aged balding man sitting behind the steering wheel. Superintendent Carmian smiled at his daughter. A comforting smile. Rebecca tried to smile back, but her heart wasn’t in it. He could tell.

You could stay home today, he said, the concern transparent in his voice. No one would think, or say anything about it.

Rebecca looked back at the school. At the other kids going about their business, oblivious of what day it was… of what it meant. For a second she seriously considered her father’s offer, but then she pushed it out of head.

No, she said. She brushed a loose strand of her golden blonde hair back with her fingertips, tucking it behind her ear, before turning back to him. I can’t let this thing control my life. Not anymore.

He simply nodded. She knew he understood. It controlled both of their lives for a long time. He lent forward and kissed her on the forehead. She felt safe, protected. As if nothing and no one could hurt her. She knew however, that as soon as she opened the door of the police-issue 4x4 she was sitting in, that feeling would vanish.

She was right.

She released the seat belt holding her in the car, opened the door and stepped onto the sidewalk. Some of the kids who were walking towards the school looked at her sideways. Some hushed what they were saying as they hurried passed her onto the school grounds. They did it in such a way that she could tell they hoped she didn’t notice, but she did. A few months ago it would have really bothered her, but she’d got used to it. She guessed a few of them did know what today was after all. She pretended not to notice, moving to the back door of the 4x4 and opening it. She took her suitcase from the back seat and put it down next to her on the pavement. She reached back into the car, grabbed the black blazer and slipped it on over her white button-down school shirt and bright canary-yellow skirt. She looked up and saw that her father had moved around the car. He had his arms crossed and was leaning back against the car, a pose he’d perfected after years of practise. It made him look like a TV series cop, but the concern was still obvious on his face.

Rebecca wanted to say something to make him feel better, anything to comfort him, and in doing so maybe comfort herself. She was sure that he wanted to say something to her too, but the words didn’t come to either of them. Instead she reached out with her arms, wrapping them around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close. They stood that way for a few seconds, until they heard the bell ring.

Rebecca and her father let go of each other. She smiled up at him, not sure if she was trying to reassure him or herself. She then picked up her suitcase and ran through the gate into the school grounds, not looking back as she did. She didn’t have the strength to. She was afraid that if she did she would respond to the uncontrollable need deep inside her gut to run back into her father’s arms. To hide from this day. From the memories that raced through her head. She so desperately wanted to do that, but she knew it wouldn’t solve anything. In fact, she knew it would make things worse.

That, however, was about the only thing she thought she knew for sure. She felt as if she was back at the beginning. Back at the time just after Justin’s death. Like none of the therapy had ever happened. God, how many therapy and counselling sessions has she been in? How many conversations has she had to endure? Everyone gave their advice – whether asked for or not – and left her with a hundred different methods that would help her deal with her pain, her anguish. But none of these made a difference, none of them helped. At least, not at first. At first her denial was too great. All she could think about was the time she had spent with Justin. The good times… Like that night in her bedroom…

Chapter 2

Rebecca flipped over a page of the teen magazine she was reading. Another story about some Hollywood film star leaving his wife for a younger actress he met on a film shoot. She smiled, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly to the dreams passing through her mind. Like so many young girls, she dreamed and delighted in the fantasy of moving to Hollywood to become a famous actress. She flopped back onto the big, pink, fluffy pillows that inhabited her bed and closed her eyes. She imagined a rich, handsome film star falling head over heels for her and sweeping her off her feet. Her smile grew as the fantasy progressed.

Tap.

Her eyes snapped open at the sound. She shot up to a sitting position and looked around the room for its origin, but saw nothing. She sat in silence for a second.

Tap.

It was at the window. Tapping at the window. Her whole body relaxed. Only one person was stupid and crazy enough to risk the climb up to her window. And he was about as dangerous as a two day old puppy. Rebecca’s smile returned. This time with a hint of excitement. A hint of Anticipation.

She bit her lower lip, jumped off the bed, and ran over to the thick pink curtains hanging in front of the window. She flung them open and saw the face of the boy she’d hoped to see. His dusty blonde hair was gelled up into a thousand spikes, like it always was, and he was wearing a black T-shirt tucked into a pair of blue jeans.

Justin was by far the best looking guy at high school. He was smart, funny, and popular. Rebecca felt like she had to pinch herself every time she remembered that he was her boyfriend. He smiled at her. His whole face lit up as she pushed open the window.

Hey babe he said, leaning in through the open window.

Hey, she said, feeling her breath get caught right in the back of her throat, the way it always did when she talked to Justin. It was silly, she’s been his girlfriend for three months already, but she still felt the same way she had felt on their first date every time he came near her. She was in love with him. She was young, only fifteen, but she knew that this was love. What else could it be?

Justin slipped into the room with familiar ease, moved past Rebecca and sat on the bed next to the magazine she was reading before looking back at her

She felt as if his bright blue eyes could pierce her clothes, her skin, and her very soul. She felt completely naked and vulnerable. She pulled the thin, nearly see-through pink robe tightly around her body, crossing her arms over her chest and looking anywhere but in his eyes. He smiled his crooked smile at her before he looked down at the magazine.

Still dreaming about Hollywood? he reached down, picked up the magazine and looked at the front cover. A small smile returned to Rebecca’s lips as she began to feel more comfortable. She moved closer to the bed and gently took the magazine from her boyfriend’s hand. She looked down at the cover and thought about the dream she’d been having. Her smile deepened.

Got to have dreams, right? she said. She looked at Justin. He was looking directly at her. There was a strange look on his face, kind of like awe mixed with a smile. She looked away again. She wasn’t uncomfortable anymore, actually rather embarrassed. She looked back at him out the corner of her eye. He was still looking at her in the same way.

What?! she exclaimed. His smile grew.

You’re amazing he said, his eyes not leaving her face.

Her heart began to beat a hundred beats faster, so fast she thought it might burst right out of her chest. Her face became so hot it felt as if her ears might catch fire, but Justin just sat there, not taking his eyes off her face. Again she bit her lower lip, only this time it was out of nervousness at being so close to him. Slowly Justin stood from the bed, standing inches from Rebecca. He put his hand behind her neck and pulled her towards him. Their lips touched. Rebecca felt electricity pass through her entire body. It was their first kiss. Their first real kiss. When he pulled away he took all her breath with him. She thought that she was going to faint, but it felt kind of nice. Actually, it felt incredible. It took her a second to regain her composure, and then she looked straight into Justin’s eyes, afraid that if she turned away again he might disappear and she might find that it had all been a dream.

But this time he looked away, turning his eyes towards the ground. Rebecca suddenly got the feeling that there was something wrong, something hidden behind the brilliant blue of his eyes.

What’s the matter? she asked. He looked back at her, a smile on his face, but it was a different kind of smile to the one he’d given her earlier. It was somehow superficial. The feeling inside her grew stronger.

What is it? Rebecca asked again.

Justin watched her for a moment. She thought maybe he was going to say something, like there was something on the tip of his tongue and if he’d only opened his mouth it would have leapt out and made itself known, but she didn’t. He shook his head and looked down at the floor again.

Nothing he replied. He flopped back onto the bed, landing on the magazine and leant back onto his elbows. The feeling that there was something wrong lingered with her, but she didn’t push it. Their relationship was too young for her to expect him to confide huge secrets in her, she knew that. Instead she moved away and leant against the vanity table on the other side of the room. She watched Justin the whole time. For a moment she