It was on August 12th, 1996 when I thought I met my true lover, my other half, my soul mate, the one I shall be with till I die. I was right, for the most part anyway. The last person I saw, while I was alive, was him. I thought he loved me, but I was wrong. I was just a pawn on his game boared, one that could be sacrificed. Why am I telling you this now? How about I start at the beginning, shall I?
******

It was my junior year when I first saw him, every thing slowed down to an almost stop, like one of those action parts in a movie, so I could capture every detail of him. His beautiful stormy gray eyes twinkling with knowledge that we would never know, the slight upward curve of his lips as if he found something humorous, a joke we wouldn't understand, even the sway of his body, like he owned the world, made every girl lust on him. Every girl wanted him to go to prom with them, though we all knew who he would go down the grand march with, slow dance with, and offer to get punch for, Stacey Walker, the world's biggest slut.

"Ethan, it was nice of you to join us, now sit down," Mrs. Hopkins commanded, "I don't know how your last school was with people being tardy, but here it is unacceptable. Don't do it again!"

Ethan, I thought, what a sweet name. I sighed with the longing I felt for Ethan. Once he sat down everyone went quiet, though I didn't realize this because I was in such deep thought about HIM. Once I came to my senses, I noticed everyone was looking straight at me.

"What?" I asked the entire class. Then I realized why they were looking at me. "Oh, that’s what." I blush a deep crimson red, because Ethan Hammer was sitting right next to ME. Oh but I loved it. Not only because he was sitting next to me, but because I could feel everyone's jealousy, even Stacey's.

"Hello. I'm Ethan Hammer."

"Heh…hello." I stuttered, "I'm Kayla Olsen."

During that whole class I could feel his eyes watching me, though I doubted at times that they were on me. Come to find out that his eyes actually were, when I dared a glance over at him. I blushed, naturally. I was the worst flirt in history! I blame it all on my fricken shyness. I would probably BE Stacey if it weren’t for the shyness. I have the looks, the body, but it's just the shyness that stops me in my tracks and run in the opposite direction when I see a hot guy!

As the week progressed, Ethan started talking to me more, hanging around me more, we ate lunch together, and you know what? I talked back, without stuttering and making a complete fool of myself. Everything was only looking up from here, nothing could stop me, nothing.
******
Months later:

It was at lunch when the first real ping of jealousy hit me. I saw Stacey sitting on Ethan's lap and toying with his hair, as if he was her little lost puppy. Although his face showed much displeasure, I still hated her for trying to woe him. He smiled ever so sweetly at her and said something that I couldn't make out. She got off his lap with the look of disgust plainly showing on her face and looked my way as if to say "How dare you!" He walked over to me and entwined his fingers with mine, which made Stacey even madder.

Later that day Ethan pulled me aside in the hallway.

"Kayla, MY Kayla," he said to me.

MY Kayla, what the heck is he talking about? He can't call me HIS Kayla! I'm not HIS property! He has no right to call me his! He can't just…

"Kayla, I was wondering, this might sound stupid but, would you like to, umm, be my girlfriend?"

MY Kayla, sounded so sweet coming out of his mouth, the way his eyes glimmered with hope, the way he stood as if he was sure of himself, I couldn't resist to say anything but yes.

"Ethan, I'm sorry to tell you this," his eyes looked so sad when I said this, "I would love to." With this, he looked so happy, as if he just won a major lottery.

The word spread quickly through out the school that Ethan had a girl, but who? They didn't know it was me. The rumors that started to spread were that Ethan's girl was Stacey, and she let them believe they were true. As if, he loved her, cared for her, wanted her forever. She sat next to him, talked, and flirted with him whenever she got the chance. So her lies were pretty convincing. Until he made the announcement, that day, at lunch that Kayla Olsen was his girlfriend.

They all stopped and gaped at me. All around people whispered, "The Shy girl?", "Why would he want a girl who doesn't talk?", "I would give him so much more than what that worthless chick could give him." and so on. But it was Stacey that angered me. She walked over to Ethan. Today she was wearing a pink, very low cut V neck shirt that it barely even covered her nipples, a black skirt that was maybe four inches long, with black stilettos.

"Ethan? Why is it that no matter how much attention I give you, you never notice me?" She asked in a seductive voice as she ran her fingers down the length of his chest, "I could give you anything you ever desire, everything you desire." While she said this, she ran he fingers down the crevice of her breast.

"Stacey, I do notice you, your just, I don't know, a slut. You really think I would date a girl who would probably sleep with every single guy in the school and not understand why I get mad?" He stepped away from her and walked over to my side."Now, Kayla here, I know she would NEVER do that to me."

After that day, Stacey never messed with me again. People respected me. For whom I was. Not for the person I was dating.
******
One year later:

It was our one year anniversary. I felt amazing. I had the guy of my dreams, many friends who cared for me, a loving family. I had everything I could ever want.
"Kayla, since today we have been together for one whole year, I want to show you something. I want to show you, our place."
"Really?!" I shrieked, "Oh I can't wait lets go now! I want to see! I want to see!"
"You'll just have to wait love. At least until 8:00 tonight."
"But…But why? Why not now?"
"If I show it to you now, it won't be as special."
"Fine. I can wait, I guess."
He kissed me good-bye. We have been kissing for a few months now but this kiss was different. It made me want ALL of him.
That whole day I wondered what I was waiting for. Is he taking me to dinner? A party? Club? A dance, concert, WHERE? I couldn't stand the anticipation. Every minute felt like an hour, every hour felt like a week.
5:00.
6:00.
7:00. One hour to go.
RING! RING!
"Hello?" I asked.
"Hey, Love." It was Ethan. I sighed at the sound of his voice in my ear.
"Ethan, your killing me here! I can't wait to know what this surprise is. Can you give me a hint or something? Please!" I said this all in one breath.
"No hints. But I can tell you to go to your door. There's a (a pause) pre-gift for you. I hope you like it love. Oh! Hey umm I have to go get ready, okay?"
"Yha sure, I still have to get ready as well. Bye!"
"Bye Love."
"I love you."
Click.
I walked to the door and opened it. There's a blue box with green ribbon wrapped around it. I picked it up and found it was somewhat light. I took the box up to my room, put it on my bed and opened the gift. I found a beautiful strapless cream colored dress with brown embroidery on it. The back was corseted with a brown silk ribbon.
Once I put the dress, it had a weird feeling to it. As if more other girls have worn the dress, other than just me. But I just waved the thought away. I did my hair and make up slowly to pass time. By the time I was done getting ready I heard a knock on the door. So, I rushed to the door as fast as I could without running.
"Ready?" he asked as he offered me his arm.
"Yes I am." In the most confident voice I could manage, and took his arm.
Once we made it to an empty parking lot, Ethan stopped the car and got out. He walked over to my side of the car and helped me out. It was dark, except for the full moon and the twinkling of the stars. He led me towards a sidewalk at the edge of a wooded area that I had not seen.
"Um, Ethan? Are we even allowed to be here?" I asked rather nervously.
"Look at me Love. Do you think I would take you where we would get in trouble or where you would get hurt? No. So just relax and trust me."
After about five minutes of walking through the dark woods, we came to a dimly lit grove. There were flowers every ware, instead of grass there was moss, it was just like a Disney grove where a princess would dance and sing her heart out. We also had the most beautiful display of the stars above us.
"This is my place, I have never shared it with anyone." He now turns to face me, "You are the only one I thought would appreciate this place for what it truly is."
"What is its name? The grove I mean?"
"This grove has been here as long as I can remember. It's a place I come to forget my worries and problems. To be what I want to be. Not what everyone WANTS me to be." He sighed. "I didn't know what to name it till I met you. You became my inspiration. After a lot of thought put into it, I decided to call this grove The Wishing Place."
"It's beautiful here."
The next thing I knew, he was right behind me. He put his hands on my waist, slowly turning me to face him.
"Just like you."
He moved his face toward mine slowly, ever so slowly. Then his lips touched mine. One of those kisses that made me want every single inch of his body. As we stood there, he started to untie and loosen the dress' ribbon, once he had achieved this, the dress slipped off my body and on to the mossy floor in one graceful motion.
The next thing I knew we are both on the ground. I can feel the wait on him on top of me. He whispered sweet nothings in my ear the entire time he was inside of me. As we made love, we became one soul. We moved together, breathed together. Everything we did was together.
Once we were done with the deed, we lay there naked in each others arms looking up at the brilliant display of the stars. We laid there for quite some time before either of us spoke.
"Kayla?" He asked.
"Hmm?" Was all could manage after every thing I had just experience.
"I have told you all my secrets, all my dreams, passions. All except for one." His was becoming someone who I have never seen before. "I believe tonight is the right time to tell you." He stood up and helped me up onto my feet as well.
"Yes? I'm listening." I asked just for his comfort, really truly, I didn't care about his secret.

"I NEVER loved you. That dress has seen exactly 1,000 bodies, including yours. I have stolen 1,000 girl's virginities here in this grove."

I stood shock still as I watched him circle me with hungry eyes. I tried to shrink into the smallest size I could manage.

"Oh! And Kayla!", in a sing-song voice. "I haven't even told you the best part of my secret! Do you no longer want to know?"

I shook my head vigorously. "No, I don't want to know."

"Then I won't. I will just simply show you then." While he said this, he was walking towards me, with a dagger in his hand.

I turned to run, but he was already at my side. He pushed my bare body up against the tree, he and said two simple words.

"Good bye." Those were the last words I heard.

His hand with the dagger came down upon my chest, piercing my heart. Once the dagger was dug into my skin all the way up to the handle, he turned it in a 90 degree angle and left.


Soon after he left I started to black out. I slid to the ground and just drifted of to sleep. When I woke up I was in a bed. Not a particularly comfortable bed but hey. Once I got the strength to sit up I noticed the bed was made out of wood. As I looked around at my surrounding, there were a lot a people. All crying, then it hit me, I was dead.

There was no heaven, for me anyways, and all the other girls he killed. We got to watch him do the same thing to hundreds of other girls that he did to us. We all tried to warn them, the other girls I mean, but just like me, they were oblivious to the warnings. The last girl he tried to kill, he was caught in the act. The police arrested him and sentenced him to death. But, now that he’s dead, what are we supposed to do. We have no one to warn of his secret, no one to follow, and watch.

I have tried to “go to the other side” but so far, there is nothing out there for me to look forward to. I’m stuck here like a dog in a cage, unable to do anything but beg and plead to be let out. Is it possible to die again, to commit suicide? Once, again no such luck. So if you ever need someone to talk to, just call my name and I will be there listening to your problems, hopes, dreams, even if you can’t see me.