The Deep End

 

 

The frozen lake cracked beneath his feet. It’s the moment in time when everything ceases to exist. Fear seizes you and claims your last breath. You wonder, what happens now? Do you turn and run or do you just allow yourself to fall. But he understood that the danger was only in his mind, the real danger was coming down the aisle. The most beautiful woman in the world, walked toward him holding a bouquet of white flowers and a white veil that hid her face. When two people commit to each other it is because of mutual attraction, followed by a show of loyalty, relationship then marriage. But us? We were probably that rare couple that shouldn’t be. Can evil breed love? How did a man like me, with a predilection for prostitutes end up waiting at the end of an aisle for his soon to be wife. Easy, he meets a woman like her. Relationships were never in the plans for me only paying for the attention and the affection I wanted. And when I didn’t? I sent them back where they belong. But with Reesie, I couldn’t do that with her. She saw me at my worst and not only accepted me, but she made me better. She helped me perfect my craft and now we are better together. For a long time, I followed her. I learned her routines, the places she liked to go, where she lived, shopped and of course the places she liked to pick up her “dates”. “Are you following me,” were the first words she spoke to me. I was so flabbergasted that she caught me in the act that I forgot to speak. “You are, you’re following me, why?” I introduced myself as Simon, but it wasn’t my real name. I chose that name because whoever met me had to do whatever Simon said. My real name is Michael. “I just wanted to get to know you, but I didn’t think you would be interested,” I told her. Not a complete lie but also not the full truth. She looked at me with a quizzical look at first and said, “You do know that any man that I date has to pay me in advance, right?” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a bundle of hundreds and handed it to her. I let the money speak so I didn’t have to. The less words I said the better. She dropped the money in the bag and asked, “Its real right?” I said “Yes,” and left it at that. “Okay, so what did you have in mind,” she asked? I told her I wanted the complete girlfriend experience. Dinner, a movie, a walk on the beach, after dinner drinks and of course her specialty, where I would then send her on her way never to see her again. “Easy money, right?” “Yeah, we can do that,” she said. She seemed hesitant at first, but I reassured her it would be the best day of her life. And it was, it was even the best day of my life. We did everything I asked her to do with me. We even stopped unexpectedly at a small carnival, and I won her a purple hippo. It was incredible, but the night had to end. I brought her back to my house and directed her to the bedroom. I gave her a little twirl and said “Theres a small gift on the bed for you to change into. I’ll be there in a moment.” She giggled and ran off. We really were having a good time, weren’t we? I pulled me two quick shots and rolled my sleeves up. “Any safe words,” I asked her? She ran over to me, glee written all over her. “No,” she said smiling. “No,” I asked, while massaging her neck and shoulders? “No,” she said again. “What about any last words,” I asked my hands wrapped tightly around her neck. The familiar look of pure terror, the look I couldn’t get enough of was etched all over her face. Eyes bulging, veins pulsating, desperate gasps for air as she struggled to get away. It warmed flesh like a full body blush. Seconds, just a few more seconds. What I didn’t expect was a kick to the groin and a stab to my left abdomen. I fell on my back, and she fell on top of me but not for long. She started trying to crawl away, but I was always prepared for anything like a boy scout. I pulled her back by her leg, locked hand cuffs to the bed post and one to her arm. “I’m sorry,” I said as I returned from cleaning my wound in the bathroom. She looked at me with fear and astonishment but didn’t reply. We stayed like this until the sun came up the next day. “Can I explain,” I asked but she still said nothing? For the first time ever the remorseless side of me broke down and cried. I told her everything about the demon that lived in me that I tried to control until I couldn’t anymore. “I stalk women, I get to know them, I give them the best day of their life and then I snuff it out. There is something about holding someone’s last breath in your hands, literally. The dates ease my guilt, allow them to let their guard down and give them a good last day, like a prisoner choosing their last meal. When people took notice of the missing women, I chose women no one would miss, prostitutes.” To my surprise she wasn’t angry, she grabbed my hand and said, “I guess I know what its like to live with demons.” “I really did enjoy my time with you, that wasn’t an act.” “You know,” she said “the greatest achievements came from those who worked as a team, even couples. The Curies, The Kings.” “I lifted her veil; evil could breed love.