My Daddy, The Serial Killer: A Psychological Thriller

By Cindy Kovacik

Katelyn Deason was naïve and innocent at six years old. But she made the mistake of descending those cellar steps . . . the residence of horror.

You see, her father wasn’t who she thought he was. He wasn’t the loving, “normal” daddy all the other kids had. He was different. Katelyn soon realizes just how different as the years pass and unspeakable things begin to happen.

“This is more than the typical psychological thriller, horror, or serial killer novel. This book follows the story of the daughter— not the serial killer. It travels alongside her, witnessing what she goes through with her father and how it shapes her life.” —Cindy Kovacik

This book is intended for readers 18+.

• Language: English
• Publisher: TouchPoint Press
• Release date: Oct 25, 2022
• ISBN: 1956851569

Book preview

Chapter One

At the sound of the drill, euphoria pulsed through his body. With a smile spreading across his face, Daddy turned away from the work bench. Drill in hand, he took small steps toward his victim. The woman shook violently in the chair but the chains that bound her hands and feet forbid her any chance of escape. Daddy’s smile widened at the woman’s struggle. He pushed the button on the drill one more time.

This is going to hurt a lot.

The woman’s screams were muffled by the dirty rag tied and stuffed in her mouth.

Do you want to say something?

The woman tried to scream again. Daddy sighed.

Oh, all right.

Turning back towards the work bench, Daddy set the drill down. He moved to the woman and, using both hands, removed the rag from her mouth enough so she could speak.

"Please, please, let me go. I’ll give you whatever you want, whatever you need. Do you want money? I can get you money. I’ll get you as much as you want, I promise. Please let me go and I will get it for you. I won’t tell anyone, I swear. I’ll get you whatever you want. What do you want?"

Daddy leaned in front of the woman’s face. He stared into her eyes for a brief moment and both of them were silent.

I want to hurt you, Daddy whispered.

The woman’s eyes closed and Daddy stood tall in front of her. Lowering her chin to her chest, the woman whimpered like a child.

Are you crying?

The woman raised her head. Tears fell from beneath her black-rimmed glasses. Daddy smiled.

Good, I like that.

Why are you doing this? I’ll do whatever you want. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it. What do you want me to do? Beads of sweat ran down her forehead.

Yes, beg. I like that, too. Daddy moved back towards the drill.

No, help me! Help!

Daddy placed the rag back into her mouth. He shook his finger back and forth in front of the woman’s face.

No, no, no, I do not like that. Grabbing the drill, Daddy turned towards his victim and watched as she shook her body back and forth. If you hold still, I believe this will hurt a lot less.

The woman instantly quit moving. Daddy grabbed her left arm and placed the drill tip to her shoulder. The woman’s breath came in quick, heavy lurches. Her white shirt was soaked with sweat that seeped from her body. Daddy hit the button on the drill and held on tight as it pierced the skin easily. The woman screamed. Blood splattered onto Daddy’s face and arm and his smile returned. He pulled the drill out after a few seconds and watched the blood stream down her arm and onto the floor below. The woman’s muffled cries slowed to near-silent moans. He walked behind his victim and grabbed the other shoulder. This time the woman did not stay still and Daddy had to grasp her tightly to get the drill to pierce her flesh. After another successful hole had been made, he faced her and admired the work he had done so far. The woman cried and screamed behind the rag.

No ma’am, we’re not done yet. Daddy knelt before her and pointed the drill towards her right knee. He watched her face turn red as the woman screamed even louder. Yes, this will hurt considerably more.

He pushed the button on the drill and held it steady as it penetrated her knee cap. This scream was different. It sounded like a wild rabbit caught in a trap. Daddy’s body twitched slightly as her scream continued when he pulled the drill free from the bone. He moved swiftly towards the other knee cap, watching the woman’s face as he drilled. He took deep breaths in and out. After the drill was removed, the woman’s head fell forward, her chin resting on her chest. The color was gone from her face.

Daddy walked back to his work bench and placed the drill down carefully before turning around slowly. Look at me.

There was no movement, so Daddy kicked one of her knee caps. Screams erupted and her head flung upward. She screamed over and over, her eyes bulging and wild. Daddy smiled at her.

Thank you. He smiled as he petted her blood-splattered hair. Beautiful. He stood there as the minutes ticked by and watched his helpless victim, looking closely at the holes he had drilled and the blood as it dripped off her body and to the floor. Before long, he bent forward again so they were face to face. Rest now. I want you to feel everything. But don’t worry. I will be back soon to end your pain.

Daddy rested his hand on the woman’s head for a brief moment in a sick sort of comfort, grabbed a black cloak and covered her. Humming softly, he walked up the stairs and out of the cellar door, leaving his victim in misery.

Chapter Two

Katelyn was six years old the first time she saw a woman chained in her cellar. She passed by the cellar often every day and the door was always locked, but for some reason that evening, it was wide open. She couldn’t help but take a peek. Muddy footprints led down the steps. She stared into the dark, holding the giant orange and pink beach ball Daddy had given her that morning for her birthday.

Daddy had always told her to never, ever go into the cellar. He said she could get hurt. Can you obey Daddy?

Yes, Daddy, she told him, beaming at the man she loved and adored. At the time, she meant it. She wanted to be a good girl, and tried not to listen to the secret thing that called to her from the darkness of the cellar. She took a small step back. She didn’t want to get caught by Daddy and be punished.

He could take you away, she said, looking at her ball.

Seeing what lie in the darkness below wasn’t worth the risk. She went back to playing. After a while, she tripped over Darcy, her cat, and the ball bounced through the cellar door. Katelyn watched it disappear down the dark steps, not sure what to do. On the one hand, there was Daddy’s warning. On the other hand, she loved that ball more than any other toy she owned. She ran through the house, searching for any sign Daddy was near. When she didn’t find him she returned to the cellar door and listened intently. Was Daddy down there? She didn’t hear anything.

I can’t leave my ball there.

Her decision made, a smile crossed her lips. She giggled. She now had a reason to disobey Daddy’s order. It was a good reason. Katelyn noticed how dark it was and flipped the light switch. A dim stream of light appeared below, making the basement unexpectedly creepier than before. The muddy footprints continued down the steps all the way to the bottom. Was Daddy there waiting to catch her doing something wrong? Her pink jelly shoes made hardly any noise as she took each step carefully. When she made it to the bottom, she scanned the room, momentarily forgetting about her lost beach ball. The hair on the back of her neck stood as she looked around. There were cracks in the dirty white walls, and the floor had huge stains on it. A wooden work bench extended along two walls and was covered with shiny tools. She wanted to touch some of them, but knew Daddy would be extra angry if he caught her with his tools, so she left them alone. There were a few other things in the room she glanced over, growing quickly bored once she remembered why she had come in the first place. Her eyes lit and a grin crossed her lips as she spotted her bright plastic ball underneath the work bench.

There you are. She picked it up and made her way to the stairs. As her foot hit the first step, something jerked in a corner, and she jumped backwards, frightened. She whipped around and squinted into the dark. All she could make out was something large on the floor with some sort of black sheet covering it. Her heart raced. The black shape shook again and Katelyn let out a small scream. She covered her mouth with one of her hands.

Oh no! What if Daddy hears me? But her fear of Daddy wasn’t greater than her fear of this hidden figure and the curiosity growing inside of her. Katelyn squared her shoulders and stood tall. I’ll take a quick peek.

She tiptoed slowly towards the figure, ready to bolt if she needed to. When she reached it, she stood there breathing heavily, her excitement and fear crashing together as one. Holding her beach ball under one arm, she reached out for the black sheet. She grabbed the thick material and pulled, taking a few steps backward like a magician revealing his trick. She blinked over and over again, confused. What was that?

A woman sat hunched in a chair with wheels on the bottom. Katelyn’s breathing became quicker and quicker as she focused on this woman. Dark red stains covered her white shirt, which clung to her body. Her blonde hair was speckled with small red polka dots. Her nose was huge and swollen. A dirty cloth was wrapped around her mouth. Her hands were behind her back, wrapped with a thick chain that had a padlock on it like the one used on the cellar door. Her feet were tied like her hands, and the chain was wrapped around the chair.

Katelyn’s head felt funny. It was good that this was just a lady and not a monster, right? She held her breath and stared. Blinking rapidly, she cocked her head to one side, confused. The woman’s chest rose and fell slightly. Relieved, she stood quietly for a long time as her mind raced with questions of what she should do. Maybe I should wake her. Maybe she’ll tell me who she is and why she’s tied in my cellar.

She took a tiny step forward, her body trembling slightly, and clung to her beach ball as if someone was going to yank it from her at any moment. One more step and she was face to face with the unknown woman. She tried to swallow but her mouth was dry. As she reluctantly inched a hand slowly toward the dirty cloth in the woman’s mouth, her head jerked and her eyes flew open wide. She let out a loud muffled yell. Panic-stricken, Katelyn screamed and stumbled backward, picked herself up quickly and ran for the cellar steps, fearful not only of this woman but that Daddy had heard her. As her foot hit the top step, Daddy called out to her from around the corner.

Katelyn?

Her breath caught in her throat and she looked for a place to hide. She decided the kitchen was best so she ran and hid behind the small island in the center of the room. Daddy’s footsteps were heavy as he got closer, and then stopped. He was at the cellar door and she tapped her foot nervously as she waited. Once she heard him going down the steps, she stood. Turning to exit the kitchen, her beach ball hit a large plastic cup on the counter. It fell to the floor and bounced noisily towards the hall. Katelyn gasped and froze.

Sweetie? Daddy called from the cellar steps. His footsteps were loud as they got closer and closer to the top of the stairs. Katelyn ran for the dining room and turned circles, looking for a place to hide. When Daddy appeared in the hallway, she raced towards the front of the house and stopped at the stairs, her body shaking. If he finds me, he’ll punish me. Just like her.

Katelyn? He was in the dining room. She didn’t have much time. Katelyn raced up the stairs and ran for her bedroom, closing the door as quietly as she could. She sat on her bed and stared straight ahead. Her heart pounded and it was hard to breathe. After a couple of minutes, she realized she was still holding the beach ball and threw it with all of her might across the room. It bounced off the wall and rolled back to her feet. It reminded her of the strange woman in the cellar, and she wanted to get rid of it. Katelyn groaned and looked around for something to pop it with. Her green plastic scissors would work. She fell to her knees and stuck the scissors into it again and again.

Why did you make me go down there? she whined. Why did you make me disobey Daddy?

After she made several holes in the ball, she jumped on it, up and down, flattening it to the ground. By the time she stopped, a single sweat bead rolled down the side of her cheek. Her fear returned. Will Daddy find out I disobeyed him? Will he punish me? Why is the woman in the cellar being punished?

Katelyn shook her head back and forth roughly to get rid of the picture of the woman. She jumped into her bed and pulled the covers tight around her. Lying still for what seemed like forever, she waited for Daddy to come and check on her. When he finally did, she closed her eyes tight and pretended to be asleep. The bed sank as he sat beside her. She tried to keep her eyes closed and still. She waited and waited for him to do or say something, but nothing happened. Why is he sitting there? Does he know I was in the cellar? Am I going to be in trouble?

Daddy sat there for what seemed like forever before he kissed her forehead softly. She relaxed a little, and had almost fallen asleep when he spoke softly to her.

Katelyn? What happened to your ball, sweetie?

Katelyn didn’t move or even open her eyes. It’s dead, Daddy. You need to bury it.

And then she fell asleep.

Chapter Three

The next morning, Katelyn stretched as she woke, with no thoughts about last night. But as she swung her feet over the bed and looked at the floor, she remembered her beach ball and noticed it was no longer in the spot she had left it.

Oh no, Daddy knows what I did to the ball. I hope he’s not mad. I hope I don’t get punished.

She trembled as she made her way downstairs and tried to hold back the tears. After searching several of the rooms she came upon the door to the cellar and stopped. The big white door was shut and she stared at the scary padlock. Relieved, she shook her head and closed her eyes.

Maybe he doesn’t know. Maybe it’ll be okay. She continued her search and found him in the backyard, digging. She saw her beach ball lying on the ground and thought of the punished, chained woman.

Katelyn, come here. Now. He didn’t even look up from his digging.

She licked her dry lips and slowly made her way towards him. He rushed toward her and shoved