He crept softly across the starlit lawn in the shadows of the overgrown hedge. Foolish of them to let it grow so high, he thought. Blocks the house from view all around. Not that anyone would have seen him anyway. The gleam of moonlight on the metal in his hand caused his pulse to quicken. Anticipation building. The anxiousness tightening his chest, urging him to hurry. He would not rush this. He would not ruin the moment. This moment. The final breath before the plunge. This was his second favorite part.