Chapter 1
834 words · 4/22/2026
After serial killer
Charles Linden
was apprehended, his demeanor was eerily calm as he recounted his crimes to the authorities, admitting to those he could still remember. His heinous acts defied all sense of humanity and morality.
Linden confessed that he would strike whenever the time and place were "right," with one notable exception. On Christmas of 1998, he spared a young woman, then just 19 years old. Now, 18 years later, she would be approaching middle age.
Realizing that this moment of "conscience" wouldn't sway his death sentence, Linden offered no further details, dismissively noting, "It was Christmas. Suddenly, I didn't want to kill."
Following Linden's execution, rumors about this singular act of mercy swirled, centering on an art teacher from a local college,
Hazel Carter
, thrusting her into an unwelcome spotlight.
Clearly, a psychopath like Linden wouldn't spare someone just because "it was Christmas, and suddenly I didn't feel like it" without a deeper reason.