The Butcher and the Wren

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses graphic violence and potentially disturbing themes related to a serial killer and his crimes.

Jeremy listens to screaming through the vents as he finishes his nightly shower routine. He’s hated loud noises since he was a child, and the continuing screams begin to bother him, distracting him from the otherwise peaceful sounds of the Louisiana bayou. He meditates on his own depravity and compares himself to the seemingly innocuous corpse flower, which only blooms once every 10 years and smells like rotting flesh. 

He is excited that the next day is Thursday, since he has Fridays off from his classes at Tulane medical school, and he spends his three-day weekends accommodating his “houseguests” (5). He plans to kidnap Emily, his classmate, and reveals his knowledge of her living conditions and habits. He thinks back to how he kidnapped the couple, Matt and Katie, from a bar; they are now kept in his basement. He goes down to see them and warns Katie, who he finds physically unremarkable, to remember that she is in his house and to be “respectful” like Matt, who is unconscious from the torture. He checks Katie’s IV bag, turns on music, and rips out Katie’s thumbnail, promising to rip out her teeth if she doesn’t stop screaming.