I watched you from a distance, knowing. Knowing that I couldn’t reveal myself, even though I wanted to caress you, so bad. There would be a perfect time in the future where I would come up to meet you, but for now, I stood there; waiting, watching. As of right now, I was standing right across from the street you were standing on, Jackson Street. I was the guy you thought was watching you, the shadow that flitted through your mind as you became paranoid. Your hair looked soft, the glittery gold of your locks shining in the light of the sun, the way that you retracted your frown into a white smile, the way your eyes glimmered with happiness, you don’t know how lovely you are. I was in listening distance from you, so I decided to listen in on your conversation with that neighbor of yours. I knew, oh I knew that you weren’t just “neighbors”. There was something more and I knew it.

             “...I’m doing good, how are you, Terry?” your voice had an innocent ring to it, but I knew you were just trying to get him in your bed. He wasn’t even worth it. I was worth it. He didn’t care about you as I did. He didn’t watch over you, make sure you were safe. He just wasn’t me.

           “I’m doing pretty good. Grad school is just a little rough so I haven’t gotten much sleep because of all the fast deadlines,” Terry states with a bored yet stressed tone. Don’t you dare say it, don’t you dare.

           “Well, maybe I could help you?” Your tone was so suggestive, I just wanted to bash Terry’s head in with this giant edged-rock that was only two feet away from me. No one ever said this would be so hard. Watching you was the hardest thing I had ever done. But, it was a challenge, and I loved the rush of adrenaline I received from this thrill of keeping track of your every move. When he replied to your question, I was livid with his answer. Yes? NO. As soon as you two exchanged numbers, in which I already had yours, including the phone you had lost about three weeks ago. It still had all of your information, contacts, everything on it. I peered my head around the trees that I was casually hiding behind, only to reveal you were no longer there. I panicked. I had to find you. I searched and searched for you, I was running in circles, yet you were nowhere.

          “Where did you go~” The dangerously sly tone in my voice could be heard as I slightly sing-songed the end of “go”. I will find you, for you always come back to me. It would be such a shame for us to part. I noticed that I was now between Garret Avenue and Potter Avenue. Your apartment complex was on the edge of town, along the roads of this busy city in Vermont. I walked as casually as I could, all the while I was scoping out the area for you. Finally, I had found you. The windows of your apartment stretched far and wide along the wall that showcased you standing there. When I peered in, I could see the entire apartment. Come on, tell me your secrets. What do you have to hide?

          While I studied you from a safe distance, I had watched as a red car had pulled up, right in front of your apartment. The driver turned off the engine and stepped out, only to reveal Terry. My anger skyrocketed. I just could not believe. After everything that I had done for you? After saving you from all those people who threatened you, this is the thanks that I get? You sleeping with another man? My heart thumped dangerously fast as I observed him walking up the steps that led to your door, skipping a step every time until he made it to your oakwood door. The way you smiled at him when you answered the door made me go insane. That smile should only be reserved for me. But soon you will realize that my actions are out of love and that they do not speak as loud as my heart.

                                                                      ******

         Four hours had passed as I stood outside, freezing as I waited for him to leave. To just get out so I could come in. My mood had turned sour as I watched you and Terry laugh at whatever inaudible joke he had told you as you sipped your red wine. Taking ou your old phone that I used to only protect you, I looked over Terry’s information. Last name, Lane. Searching him up from my own phone, I had found some very intense and outrageous photos. I blocked my number and sent you the pictures. I immediately knew when you had received the pictures because as soon as you got your notification, you flew out of your chair, pulled him out of his, and walked him out the door. You forgot to slam it, sweetheart. Well, that was my cue.  I approached your steps with adrenaline rushing through my veins. This was the moment that I would tell you everything. What I had done to protect you. This was the finale. I would make you mine.

          It only took a few hard knocks before you answered your door, looking at me with absolute confusion.

         “Hi, my name is Harry and I had recently found this phone, and it had an address on it so I was wondering if you had lost this by any chance?” I smiled brightly, trying to come off as casually as I could. Your eyes narrowed as you stared me down, analyzing me. Then suddenly, you gasped. What happened?

           “Oh my god. Oh my god. You were the one that was following me today. Who in the hell are you?” Oh, no. This wasn’t going as I had planned. Not at all. Your eyes were wide with fear and all I wanted to do was tell you I’m sorry. But my heart took over. With brute strength, I pushed you back into your apartment and slammed the door shut behind me, locking the door. I didn’t care that I would be caught. I just wanted to show you how much I loved you. And I did. I approached you slowly like a predator would stalk its prey. You cower away from me as though I would harm you. Why would you think that? I had to tell you that I need you. I gripped your beautiful golden strands in my hand and pulled you with me as I searched for some rope. As soon as I found what I was looking for, I tied you up tightly. So beautiful.

           “What are you going to do to me?” The way your voice quivered and stuttered, shattered my entire existence. No, you weren’t supposed to fear me, but love me. I walked into your closet and rummaged around for what I had found in here previously a week ago; the steel bat. As if your eyes couldn’t get any wider, they did. You were so beautiful that day. Tears staining your eyes. Hair tangled and messy from my hand. Then it hit you. Literally. I swung with tremendous force all the while aiming at your face. You reeled back in your chair and let out a bloodcurdling scream. It didn’t bother me because your bedroom walls were soundproof.

           “Please, Julie. Please tell me you love me.” My eyes were just as pleading as my voice was. If she told me what I wanted to hear, I would let her go and we would be together forever. What you said changed my mind about you.

            “No! You’re a sick freak, who stalks people in public. You are insane! You are a fricken psycho!” Your eyes grew wild and untameable. You began to thrash about, screaming profanities at me and trying to escape. But I would never let you leave me. Even if you were to die, I would find some way for you to come back and haunt me. I then struck you with the bat again, this time I aimed at your side. You hollowed beautifully out in pain. Then again, and again, and again, I struck you. Each swing stronger than the next. Your face was bashed in, your hair; caked in blood, and your skin was beginning to split from the impact of this steel coming into contact your soft pale flesh.

           “Tell me you love me, tell me you love me, tell me you love me! Say it! Say it now!” I could only see red as of now. I chanted those exact words repeatedly as I continuously bashed your face in with the steel bat. I kept going, tears escaping my eyes as I watched your body flail. It took me a couple of hours to realize you were dead. It also took me a couple of hours to realize that the neighbors heard your screams and called the cops. They took me from you. I’m going back to the start.