Would you mind explaining a little further what you mean in the second sentence (love the bear):

The actual ending is really well done. It's a hard thing to convey in fiction, not something I have got to grips with yet, although I have tried and missed it a couple of times, so I am hoping you will bear with me

I'm so very happy that you were able to pick up on the external-internal factors happening here. I wasn't sure if that was coming across as I had hoped being that it was a monolog, which I've been wanting to try for quite some time.

I think part of how I achieved this is by listening to "The Last Podcast on the Left" for the last couple of years. I'm not really a horror type of person, although I have liked learning about serial killers in the fun and interesting ways this podcast speaks about them. I've noticed that some of my own thinking tends to parallel the psychopaths at times, especially when I'm being extremely hard on myself for things done in the past that I'm not proud of or I'm on an emotional downswing, as I do tend to be a self-harmer. - I, also, used to question if I was a psychopath heavily, but, no I'm not. I just have no compulsion and/or desired to take people's lives. I'll take myself out first before that happens.

You're close to what I had in my head. Let me attempt to clear that up.

From what I've come to understand about some serial killers is that they often times will have split personalities do to trauma from childhood, brain injuries, and the like. The picture I had in my head was that he was fighting this internal voice throughout the scene. Some serial killers will not touch their families - leaving people in awe and shock when they come to find out about the monster who fooled them into thinking they were a great person. Unfortunately for Terry, he was targeted but saved only because of this internal voice that held his Uncle at bay.

Where the external woman comes in is where I pictured a real person somehow getting free from bondage somewhere inside of the house/castle/hotel and then taking the time to finish him off as a way to keep him coming for her later on.

May I have your ...

haha!!!