Dr. Creepen's Dungeon - S3 Ep139: Episode 140: Nightmare Relationship Horror Stories

Episode Date: September 21, 2023

We start tonight with ‘My Date With a Hello Kitty Girl’, an original work by the wonderfully talented Weird Bryce Guy, kindly shared with me so that I could narrate it here for you all, with the author’s express permission. https://www.reddit.com/user/WeirdBryceGuy/    Today’s second story is ‘I Over Heard My Best Friend Hiring A Stranger To Kill His Wife’ by 02321, kindly shared with me via my subreddit for the express purpose of having me narrate it here for you all: https://www.reddit.com/user/02321/ Our final tale of the weird and macabre is ‘My girlfriend is a psychopath and she’s ruining my life’, a wonderful story By rikndikndakn123, kindly shared with me via NoSleep and narrated here for you all with the author’s express permission: https://www.reddit.com/user/rikndikndakn123/ You can buy his books here: https://www.amazon.com/Boris-Bacic/e/B0843WFMN6/  Also, please check out his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBorisBacic/

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The scariest thing a person in a relationship can do is to engage in behavior that is harmful, abusive, or emotionally damaging to their partner. Other relationships are built on trust, respect, and mutual support. Any actions that violate these principles can be deeply unsettling and frightening, as we will see. and tonight's three tales of terror. Now as ever before we begin a word of caution. Tonight's stories may contain strong language as well as descriptions of violence and horrific imagery. If that sounds like your kind of thing, then let's begin. My date with a hello kitty girl by weird bright sky.

I stared down at my pale, exanguinated corpse at its deflated, fractured skull. She'd left it on a slab of white rock in the room. rubble-strewn belly of a quarry. There's a threat, a promise, flirtation. I picked through the pockets scavenging what I could. I was so hungry, I'd needn in days. There hadn't been anything on the last body, though I didn't spend much time looking at that one, given the abominable stator. Washed ashore on that absurd, nightmarish beach, with its inexplicably vibrating sand. The corpse had been bloated and ugly, the mortal flesh teeming with ravenous, a aquatic parasite. How could I have spent more than a few moments in its unwholesome presence?

Using a shovel I'd found in a derelict shack atop the quarry's ridge, I dug a shallow grave and pitched the bloodless corpse inside. I didn't want the thing being consumed by whatever carrion vermin subsisted in the dusty biolm. At least not while I still roamed about the air. I was sure that sounds of tearing flesh and blood slurping would reach me, no matter how far I travel. Once I completed my sepulchral duty, I set out again, following her lingering scent, ever consistent, neither mounting nor diminishing, the artificially sweet yet also earthy tones and alluring reminder of her somewhat libertine hygiene. She bathed but with no formal regularity. She wouldn't have gone too far ahead, wouldn't have utterly abandoned me in this harsh domain

of her design, this willfully induced foli adieu. Punured by her perverse sense of playfulness and cognizance, she'd imprisoned me in a metaphysical mind realm, new level to what had been an ever-increasing yet initially harmless progression of sexual experimentation. Now physically exhausted and mentally strained from having come across corpse after corpse, or bearing my image, I wanted only to find her and end the horror, even if it meant prematurely ending, or at least sterilizing our intimacy. The date had gone on long enough. I followed a winding path through low yet indescribably menacing vegetation,

bushes and hedges which somehow intimated an aura of malignancy, as if evil or thoughts of such a nature, hoarsely emanated from the flora itself. The sun, if you could call the pathetic, salo sphere hanging in the sky's such a thing, barely managed to penetrate the dim umbrage of the shoulder-high shrubbery, a one glowne, auguring not just night, but something more ominous. Eventually I reached the next corpse, singularly crucified in a vast moonlit desert. Despite the chill which had arisen without my conscious notice, yet nonetheless felt at once intolerable, the corpse appeared to glow with a soft warmth.

Drawing closer, I felt an actual emission of heat from its starkly naked form. Tentatively, more than the more. more so out of a desire to warm myself than any want for contact. I touched the bare chest. The whole corpse then burst into flames, and I recoiled in horror at seeing the once-closed eyes flash open in sightless reanimation. Jaw went slack, unhinging down to the chest, and a roar of unrelatable agony erupted from the revenant's throat.

Then the corpse started to thrash about, spasmodically yet uselessly, The detaining nails solidly affixed to the perdurable wood. It was a darkly savoury aroma of cooking meat, and I was reminded of the pork chops I'd had a few days prior. I waited for it to end, sickened beyond thought. But the dead body heaved and struggled tirelessly, and the flames burned on as if the flesh were perfect kindling,

ever replenishing or simply inexhaustible. Finally, after hours of this grisly animacy, my shock subsided and the horror of the moment transformed into a more manageable disgust. Bracing myself against the desert's daunting vastness, a paradoxical cold, I continued my journey. I found her in the middle of a murder. As I summited a June, I came to find her standing over a simulacrum of meat, which she'd made to kneel before her. She held a black trident overhead, poised to impale my doppelganger through his chest. My trek through the desert had ruined me, had diminished my spirit to something less than a man, and any sense of identical kinship that might have compelled me to come to his age was utterly absent.

The trident shone brilliantly, though my eyes couldn't tell if the light was lunar or solar in origin. Nonplussed I watched her drive the weapon, shaped out of some obsidian-like stone, into his body. The crunch of it sounded too normal, like something you'd hear during dinner. There was no auditory gravity to the penetration of the chest by that triple-bladed tool. And I felt nothing beyond what one might feel upon seeing one's place of work at the start of yet another dismally monotonous day. The dread was there, but it had long ago become digestible, suppressible, nearly inert. She wrenched the trident free, letting the body roll away from her like a shoe she'd kicked off. It came to a stop facing me, and for a moment of exhaustion,

induced disassociation, I thought that I was the one who'd been stabbed and it was finally time for me to rest. But her voice recalled me from that freedom-promising delirium, and I flick my eyes up to meet her. You've lasted so long. Are you ready to finish? Well, I'd been ready to finish ages ago. Cycles passed. Weekly, barely possessing the energy to perform the gesture, I nodded my hand. The whole environment. Hazily, erratically sunlit, like a madman's deranged rendition of a summer prairie, seemed to tremble with the motions, and I stumbled a bit, even though I hadn't moved my feet. She smiled and clapped her hands together.

A breeze blew through the field, briefly lifting her sable hat and giving a greater view of her pale, lightly freckled cheeks. I saw streaks of dried tears on them, wondered if they'd been for any of the corpses, or at the idea that I'd never reach her. I didn't notice that I'd been teetering until I fell. She rushed to catch me just before I hit the ground. Bradled in her arms, I knew that I was safe,

that my voyage through those twisted, cataclysm-wrecked realms was over. Here in the peaceful, yet nonetheless, uncanny field, I would finally be allowed to finish, and finally experience what I've been promised since first speaking with her. Carefully, still holding me with one powerful arm, she undid and discarded her bra, and I was allowed to know. There was a faint bubbling sound, which my mind knew to be the sudden and impossibly rapid decomposition of the impaled corpse. My thoughts, if thoughts they could even be called, were totally focused on other matters.

The wind threw out another breeze, helpfully carrying away any olfactory evidence of the corpse's putrefaction. I inhaled, nasally, basking in the fragrant musk of her. body and as if on cue I felt her hand probed downward to do away with my tension and stress afterwards we sat together on the field and watched the world unmake itself great blooming geysers of flame burst through the earth sending cyclonic conflagrations across the land incinerating plants animals and man-made structures indiscriminately dragons or her headless weirdly amphibian interpretations of such was struck by golden lightning streaks mid-flight and plunged lifelessly landward, cratering the earth with their titanic bolts.

Anthropathagic beastmen, gleaning some bestial sense of their imminent demise, turned on each other, devouring friend, foe, and family alike. It was also absurdly chaotic and fantastical that I barely even cared. We rested in each other's arms, limbs entangled, bodies pulsing to a single heart's rhythm. though I couldn't have said whose. When the sun sent a solar flare coursing through the region, perhaps refusing to be outdone in exhibitions of world-endent destruction, I was already gone mentally.

I had already joined her in a far-flung, telepathic abysm, wherein naught but our love existed. Our bodies, summarily abandoned, burned along with the earth, drifted amidst the ashen rubble in sidereal space, anonymous as ever. Begrudgingly, I opened my eyes to the ceiling, whereon were plastered various anime and bodybuilding posters. Hello Kitty paraphernalia, some of it distinctly knew,

stared at me from a top crowded showers. The bed shuffled, and she hopped out before I could turn to her. My eyes tracked her liveliness as she rounded the bed heading into the bathroom. It felt weak, depleted, and had I not promised to meet with friends after, I probably would have fallen asleep. My body still somehow ached from the weeks-long exertion through the dreamscape. The Eldritch experience, neither entirely imaginary nor fully real, but having happened in some indefinable state betwixt the two potentialities. Flesh and spirit couldn't tell the difference. She returned from the bathroom with a bottle of ointment.

For a terror-flush second, I suspected the worst in a mundane sense. She'd been harboring something and hadn't told me. But then I remembered the multi-triangular sigil she'd branded on my chest with her witch magic at the beginning of our date. Lastly, I let her apply the burn ointments. Her fingers traced the inflammation tenderly, flicking away black specks where the flesh had been charred by the sorceress branding. As she soothed my flesh, she murmured in cantory lyrics

in some time forgotten and profane-sounding language. my mind swooned almost to mental dormancy by the outre hymnal verses once fully applied she withdrew a bandage from her nightstand i was too tired to wonder at its peculiar presence there and gently patched up her work i was hers now had been claimed as her lover and more she drove me back to my home it was basically catatotech though my friends were waiting to meet me. Seeing me in such a physically sapped state, they crowded around me and cast resentful glances toward her, but a waved away their burgeoning animosity. She'd done me no wrong, no matter what harm would come to my fled. She left me in their care, promising to again summon me to her home

sometime soon. She'd been a demoness at some point in the early periods of antimundane time, had dwelt among hayden flame forms and feral incubide in a sweltering furnace of some proto hell. Millennia after that, a swamp-sired witch who brood and concocted blasphemous victuals for dumb or merely short-sighted peasant folk. And now, she's a goth, mamma, waifled, and hello kitty girl, all rolled into one ridiculous, ridiculously hot amalgam. He terrifies me, but I love her. I overheard my best friend hiring a stranger to kill his wife.

I've always lived in a town with fewer than 20,000 people in it. I never realized how small a place I like that could be until I went to a nearby city of 300,000 for shopping. My world felt so enclosed after that trip. I couldn't even wrap my mind around cities with a million or more people. I may need to move away from this small town of mine for a good, well, pretty soon, though. I can't look at anything here without being reminded. of what true horrors humans and monsters can commit.

About three years ago a new couple moved next door, gave them a friendly wave whenever I took the trash out at the same time as them or when we bumped into each other in town. The town so small, that started to happen pretty often. Jared warmed to me, and soon we became pretty good friends. He worked at home, doing coding, I think. He enjoyed having a person nearby he could talk to besides his wife. his job had pretty limited to human interactions and it drove him a little stir crazy at times

Sandra was also very nice but we didn't have too many of the same interests so we rarely spoke with each other they appeared to be the perfect pair and Sandra started to work as a teacher and everyone loved her I honestly never saw another person so accepted in the town so quickly before it helped that she did a lot of volunteer work yeah Sandra made herself very easy to get along with, it always made me wonder why I never felt the need to talk with her more often. On the way home one day, I saw Jared at the bottom of the path that led off the bridge. I saw him before he saw me. Now, if I crossed the bridge and walked along the half-moon-shaped path, I'd reach where he stood.

From where I was, I saw him clearly, but once I got on the path, I would lose sight of him due to the large bushes and trees that grew beside the trail. who was speaking with someone I didn't recognise. Now in a town this small, everyone didn't exactly know everyone else, but people tended to have seen each other at least once. The man speaking with my neighbour gave me weird vibes. I only stopped walking to turn the other way, but I needed to get by them to get home,

so I started to walk towards the other end of the bridge. I wondered if I'd call down to them, or if Jared noticed me if things might have come. turned out different from that. Well, I got closer, the bushes blocking my view of them, but I smelled the odd man smoking and heard their voices, and their words make me freeze in my tracks. Can he make it painless? I do still love her after all. Jared spoke, and he sounded to be in so much pain. Oh, how sweet are you to still love your cheating wife? Well, I suppose I can do such a thing. I may not be able to get it for another week, though.

I do have other clients. The other man spoke in a deep smoker's voice without any enthusiasm. Wait, what? Sandra? Cheating? I just couldn't picture that. Those two looked to be so much in love with each other, more so than any other couple I'd come across.

Jared would step in front of her bus to save his wife if needy. Even if she did cheat, he was the type to forgive her and not well. Well, what were they talking about here? Was this man some sort of divorce lawyer? It's who she's been with. That's what I can't forgive. Please, you know what my payment is?

If you can make it soon, I just can't live with the thought of her still being around to just keep doing it. Jared trailed off then, his voice cracking. I took a step back and winced at the noise they were making. For a moment I thought they'd heard me. from the pause in their conversation, but the other man had just been lighting up another cigarette.

I saw a part of the stranger through the leaves. He was hunched over with a wrinkled grey suit jacket. Some wrinkles by his eyes and messy grey hair pushed back. His shoes had once been a nice pair, made of shanty black leather, but now with scuffs covering the front. His eyes darted away from Jared, and I could have sworn we made eye contact. A slight smile came over his forehead,

but he soon returned his attention back to the one in front of him, he didn't bring up the fact that someone had overheard their conversation. I finally clued into what I'd been hearing. When they both said their parting words, I quickly hid inside the bushes, expecting one of them to walk by and confront me about what I'd just heard. Thankfully, neither of them walked my way. Jared kept walking towards Hope, and the man walked off in the other direction when he hit the end of the trail.

I just couldn't understand what had just happened. My best friend had just hired someone to kill his wife. I mean, cheating or not, this was too far. My stomach turned and disgust. I trusted, Jared, I thought the world of him. This simply didn't make sense. I didn't know what to do. In front him about it.

Would he turn his hired help on me because I knew the truth? This was out of my hands. I did the reasonable thing, and reported it to the police. Our town had a small station. I was distantly related to one of the main detectives, and I saw him once a while on the rare family gatherings. He sat down with me and I told him what I'd heard and asked him to have a look into it.

He also agreed that this didn't make much sense. I mean, as far as anyone could see, Jared and Sandra weren't having relationship problems or money issues. I doubted Jared would have killed. her for some sort of life insurance, and he did say she was cheating when talking to the strange man. I gave a description of the hired killer and felt terrible I didn't have much else to help with the case. The detective told me to act normally around them if Jarrett spoke with him. He didn't want me poking around trying to get information and tipping him off that I knew something.

Well, he thanked me for coming over, so he'd have someone looking into this right away. before I left he asked if I was going to go to our grandmother's birthday party at the end of the month I told him I was thinking about it we then spent a few minutes trying to work out how we were related exactly we figured he was an uncle-in-law and left it at that

in small towns everyone was related to everyone in a distant sort of way I found it pretty hard to sleep knowing a plot against Sandra was going on next door would Jared really wait until the hitman did his job or take matters into his own hands. Was he being cruel to her? Did I really do anything else to help? All these questions nearly drove me crazy. I stayed in my house, worried I might run across Jared, and he'd find out that I knew his plan just by looking at me. After three days, the station

called, asking me to go in and answer some more questions. While I walked in and was guided into a small interrogation. My stomach sank. I asked if Sandra was all right. Yeah, they said she was fine, and they treated me fairly well. They weren't accusing me of any crime. They just wanted to see if I knew anything else I might not have told my distant uncle when I came in last.

Have you ever used their computer? Just borrowed it for a second to look something up, or their phones. Did you notice anything odd in the search history? A female officer asked. I shook my head. I didn't have a clue what she was talking about. They have a pool, right? Did they have parties with younger teens before?

Any kids you think they weren't related to? Well, she pressed, expecting some sort of answers. I sank in my chair, thinking back to the summers they spent after they moved here. Yes, they did have some pool parties, but I always assumed those kids were relatives. I never really saw the kids, just heard them from my backyard. I didn't even look to see if the same kids came back. the next year. Yeah, they had younger teens old.

I'm not sure of their ages. From the sound of the things, no one was over 16, but I never really looked. I just heard the parties. Hey, what's this about? Did Jared... I asked, but couldn't finish my sentence. Did Jared have those kids over for a reason?

Did Sandra know, threaten to turn him in? He hired someone to take care of her. He might have been like. to the hitman about the reason he was asking for his services. I shook my head, feeling sick and the world now spinning. This wasn't right. I mean, I knew these two. Jared wouldn't hurt a fly.

He was so quiet and gentle with everyone. Hell, if you raised your voice at him, he backed down. If he did the things they were suggesting, he wouldn't be able to keep it hidden for long. He'd turn himself in. Then again, I didn't think you'd ever hire someone to kill his wife. He spoke for another hour, and I didn't help at all, at least I didn't think I did. A knock came to the door and I nearly jumped out of my seat by the side of the man who came inside.

I stared right into the face of the man who'd been hired to kill Sandra. His outfit now a black crisp suit and hair neatly fixed. The officer noticed my reaction and then looked towards the man not knowing who he was. I sputtered out he was the hired killer, but he took out of the man. a badge to hand to the officer. I'm Agent Graves. We'll be looking into this case. If you're finished with him, could I borrow Mr. Wells in the lobby for a moment? He spoke, and even his voice sounded more professional than before. I shook my head, and at least the officer took the man outside and ran his badge before handing it back over. She confirmed he was who he said he was

and needed to release me over to the agent. I couldn't keep up with this new turn of events. was this man undercover pretending to be a higher killer? It was what the hell kind of trouble did my neighbours get into? I followed the man to the front of the station, still confused about what was going on. I didn't even know what kind of question to ask or why he wanted me out in the lobby. He just kept walking, saying he'd rather talk outside by his car, and that's when a new pair came through the door. Our eyes met, and I froze. Jared came inside with a different officer.

He saw me in his face fell. The officer looked confused on who the agent standing next to me could be. He didn't press Jared to keep walking, and he wasn't in cuffs. I mean, he wasn't arrested. Seriously, then, what was going on? How much do you know? Jared asked me in a voice that sounded if he was crying. were you the one who asked the police to look into us?

God, we could have taken care of this quietly, but now he had the nerve to appear hurts. The man who put a hit out on his wife. Oh, and the man police were asking about any underage teens being at his house for some reason. Oh, I anger flared at how he acted so betrayed. I know you asked this man to kill your wife. What the hell are you trying to do? What are you hiding?

I demanded, getting into his face, feeling so upset that the man I trusted had done all these things. He backed up, eyes red and wet with tears. This wasn't the face of a man who committed the axe to the police assumed. Or maybe he looked like this because he knew he'd been caught. You had to ruin things by shouting that in the middle of the lobby. This is why I wanted to get you out of here, Agent Graves said, and we both looked over to him.

To my shock, the darkness started to feel. fade from his suit until it looked like the wrinkled grey jacket from before. The sounds of the busy office disappeared, and I looked away from Jared to see the officer that came in with him had now gone. I shook my head, trying to clear it. My eyes darted around, seeing the entire office empty besides the three of us. I opened my mouth to speak but found no words. The smile that came over the force agent's face unnerved me more than the odd disappearances her. Your wife is in one of the

holy rooms. I can take care of her now and get this over with. Graves offered, and I shouted in shock over the offer. No, you can't just... What's going on?

I demanded. I didn't want you to find out about this. I didn't want anyone to find out. This should have gone over silently. I don't know how you knew, but please, please just let us deal with all of this. Jarrett pleaded. deal with what killing your wife did she find out something you don't want to admit but you had teens

over at your place for god knows what and you lied to them saying that she was cheating on you i said body shaking from rage i don't know where everyone went but i'm going to find someone to arrest both of you i stormed over to the door seeing that the glass was oddly frosted making it impossible to see outside I hadn't remembered it ever looking like that before. I wouldn't do that if I were you, Grave said in a half-hearted manner. I have my mouth to say something, but the moment my hand touched the handle, something banged against the glass making me jump. I let out a scream seeing what stared back from the other side.

The skull of some sort of animal was pressed hard against the door, flesh clinging to the bone and the glowing white eye meeting my own and another rotten creature came something that looked to be a large bird soon so many of these dead animals were looking inside and they were all fighting for space the sounds of their dead bodies moving together and the cries coming from the run throats came from outside surrounding the entire building i fell to my knees fear overtaking all my senses hurry up and get this dumbass out I don't like using this much power for too long Graves spoke and then poured out a cigarette He lit it with a pink disposable lighter Looked down at me with such an amused expression It nearly made me sick

I didn't lie to him about Sandra cheating with me Jared admitted his body shaking as much as my own Ah, she was sleeping with someone from work Graves added with a cruel laugh "'God, that's a disgusting way to put it,' Jared scolded the man. "'What?' I asked slowly. Then everything started to fall into place. I completely ignored what Jared had said to the man before,

that he couldn't forgive her for who she'd been with. Not the fact she'd cheated, he could forgive that, but not if the one she slept with was a minor. I forced back bile, my face draining with colour. I'd assume Jarrett to be the one the police were after on those kind of charges. I never even considered Sandra would be the one to do such a thing. She was... Students?

I barely got out. At least one. I didn't want to believe it because I love her, but everything made sense. I've been so blind to it. I don't know. how many or how long this has gone on for. I should have seen the show here because I was only 15 when we started dating. I did the math in my head.

I always assumed Jared looked a bit too young for his age. He'd been lying and adding a few years all this time. Sandra had been 20 when they started dating. I wasn't dating. That was a crime. I understood why he'd go so far as to hire an actual monster to take care of the problem. Because I asked the police to look into the... all of this had come to light.

Just how many victims of Sandra were out there. I made it to my feet, with so many things running through my head. What, you're just going to kill her? What about all the other victims, don't they get a say? I asked, unsure of what else to say. Not thought came to the force agent's eyes, as if he was just about to see an amusing play. He looked over at Jared, waiting for his response.

my friend's cheeks turned red, unable to deal with what I'd asked. He got into our business when you don't know anything about it. I told you we could have dealt with this silently. I don't think the one she's hurt want to be dragged into all this. They could have gone on with their lives, knowing the one that... He stopped his rant, unable to say what the wife he loved had done to her students. They don't need to go through people talking about it. It's better just to do it this way.

"'You think it's better. "'You don't know how the others feel. "'She should be punished by the law, shouldn't she? "'And even if everyone agrees that she should be killed, "'you shouldn't be the one to burden this. "'You can't live your entire life dealing with the fact that you had Sandra killed. "'You still love her. "'There's nothing wrong with that,' I pointed out,

"'well aware I really didn't have any right speaking in this matter. "'Jarrid was the victim, him. "'He'd been one for years, but I... I didn't mean he needed to be weighed down with the aftermath of Sandra's crimes. He would suffer greatly knowing he'd been the one that caused her death. Hey, look, I won't live much longer after the deed is done. That's my payment. A mad dog is always hungry, so I agreed to let graves take my life after he's killed my wife.

Jared admitted this in such a calm tone. It frightened me more than anything else that had happened. My eyes went to the man listening to us. his pupils were glowing a bright white and his mouth was in a wide smile he was amused by at all i hated him whatever he was a demon or something else the kind person on my friend didn't deserve to have come across a monster lightly i went over to jarrid wanted to punch some sense into it i took his hand tightly in my own he tried pulling away but i grabbed his other hand to keep him still It ain't always been a pusher of her after all. Don't you dare. I'll admit I have no right to say if Sandra should be killed for what she did or not.

I'm not the one she heard, but you're not taking the easy way out. That's selfish and you know it. There are too many people who care about you to let you do such a thing. We'll think of something else to pay this master with, if that's the road you want to go down. I told him. He shook his head, but didn't try taking his hands away. His face was on the verge of breaking down into tears.

I'd never seen anyone he introduced his family and didn't really know of any other friends. Did he have people in his life that cared besides his wife and myself? He answered that unspoken question right away. You're the only one who'd miss me. I'll be selfish of you to make me stay, he said in a soft voice. Well, then I get to be selfish.

You're not letting this master eat you and that's my final offer, mister. I even managed a small weak laugh after I spoke. Well, I was being unreasonable. Anyone could see that. The monster wearing a human face watched us, as if he was seeing an entertaining movie. I swear he just needed a bucket of popcorn.

I stared at him, trying to figure out what to offer him in exchange for killing Sandra. I didn't want to do so in the slightest, but I doubted at this point we could talk ourselves out of the situation. Someone was going to die today, and I wanted to limit it to only the one person who committed the crimes. A, would my arm be enough, or a leg, I offered in a cracked voice. Jared pulled his hands away and grabbed my shoulders, trying to talk me out of my offer. He shook me until I needed to look directly at his distraught face.

You can't do this. You can't give up anything for us. This is. This is a little. You can't give up anything for us. our problem and I cut him off saying the first thing that came to mind I love you man not in a romantic sense but I don't think that lessens how I feel if you think it's best she dies for what she did and we'll commit that crime you'll always be suffering with or without her let me take the burden of the payment you're already carrying it now the silence came over us only filled by the noises from the dead creature still lurking outside. My friend was at a loss for words, so the monster he'd hired broke the tension.

He started to snicker and made an attempt to cover it for a second. Soon he was laughing so hard he needed to put his hands on his knees, the laughs turning into a coughing fit. I felt a bit offended by this scene, but I took it. I stood in front of Jared, and the man straightened up, rubbing the tears of laughter from his eyes. Did you have a cough drop or something? I hurt my throat from laughing so hard. Geez, when I think I know humans, he dropped funny shit like that, Grave said.

His voice hauls. I didn't want to give him anything, but Jared being the kind person he was, found a hard candy in his pocket and handed it over. I pushed Jared back behind me, trying to protect him from this creature. I didn't even know how, these two could have met. I think Graves sensed Jarrett's problem and swooped in to take advantage of

it. Well, which is it? What do you want from me in order to finish Jerry's request? I asked, staring down Graves. No, you're not going to get hurt because of me. It's not right, my friend protested. I move my head to look at my friend, and in that brief second, Grave got inches away from my face. He hunched over, nearly grinning from ear to ear. I stepped back, taking Jared with me. Hurting others is what death does. Death is pain no matter how the person dies. It's a false of nature that deserves respect.

That woman's going to die because you hired me to do so. People are going to be harmed from that action. You cannot back out of all this after getting this far. Grave said, his tone low and dangerous. I tensed, waiting to hear what the price might might be able to be. what the price might be for this request. Jared came from behind me, trying his best to talk Graves out of the whole thing one last time. Please, take whatever you want from me.

I'll just walk away. I can't let my only friend get hurt from my mistake, he begged. Graves stood back up and shook his head. He held out the wrapper of the hard candy between two fingers, the shiny foil catching the light. Jared looked confused, but my stomach dropped. when I realized it was far too late to stop graves from killing Sandra. You just paid me for the job. I never said I'd accept your life as payment.

Our hard candy's good enough for me. Your friend is right about you taking the easy way out. I decided I like the idea of you suffering much better. Now, I'll go finish my job. Let's hope you two never have a reason to come across me again. We both started to speak, begging him to stop and listen. And in a blink of an eye, the police station returned to normal and graves had disappeared. We looked around confused, and the officer that brought Jared in didn't seem to remember that the three of us had been somewhere else for a while.

To him, there was no agent a second ago, we'd always just been standing there with him. Before we could start asking the officer questions, the station started going into motion. A voice called out, asking for an ambulance to be called. Jared's face turned pale and he fell to his knees. I stayed beside him and let the officers rush around. I got him into a plastic chair in the lobby. I was unable to speak with him. So we just sat silently and waited for the news we already knew.

They'd already arrested Sandra when both of us were brought in. When an officer left the room to get her a drink, she suffered a massive heart attack from a medical condition no one knew about. I overheard that they thought something else. else had happened to her, because her face was twisted in such a fearful expression it looked as if she'd been scared to death. After her death, the news of what she'd done over the years started to get out. I'd horrified parents, and I kept Jared at my place to protect him from the town's rough. Soon I needed to stay with my sister for a while, and take him along to avoid the

heat. I didn't want to know all the details, or how many crimes there had been, and I just wanted to support my friend and keep an eye on him. I knew this whole thing weighed down on him more than anyone else. Once people found out his real age and pieced things together about how he'd also been a victim, some started to back off, though. But we haven't returned home just yet. My sister had moved out to near a beach. When it's out of season, but I felt taking walks by the ocean would help my friend think things over.

After a few weeks, he started to work again, which was a good sign. I never asked him how he'd found out. what his wife was doing, or how that monster came across him to offer him such a deal. In time, and when he's ready, he'll tell me. Right now he just needs someone nearby being patient. I hope the people Sandra Hurt could deal after knowing about her debt. I didn't know if Jared would ever let his wound fully close. I always remember making a deal with a monster and trading his wife's life for so little. On positive, that's what Graves wanted. for us to carry that memory with us for years to come.

Taking Jared's offer of his life truly would have been the nicer option, and that monster wasn't the kindest creature around. I'm not sure Graves really made Sandra's death as painless as he could have. And secretly, I was glad that he didn't. I met her at a party my friend Matt had organised last year. Although the party was big with lots of people there, she stood out from the crowd immediately. Red hair, blue eyes, full lips of a lupuous figure.

She was mesmerizing in an otherworldly manner which I can't explain. I couldn't take my eyes off her, and soon she noticed my voracious glances and returned them. At the time I hadn't even thought about approaching her. With her amazing looks, she had a lot of wooers around her, but seemed bemused by every single one of them. That's why, when I grabbed a beer and took her, turned around to see her standing right in front of me. I was so startled, I almost spilled my beer all over myself. Hi, she said with a curious smile, ignoring my clumsiness.

Um, high back, I said, trying my best not to stare at her cleavage. You're a friend of Matt's. I haven't seen you before. I am. My name's Jake. Maria, she replied, and we shook hands. At the time the only thing I could think of was What in the whole of hell was wrong with her That she decided to talk to me of all people at the party You want to drink I gesture to the plethora of booze on the table No, I don't drink

I'll take a Coke Zero though She jovily said As she bent forward unnaturally to reach the Coke can on the table Making her breasts even more prominent in that position I remember wondering at that point if she did that on purpose to tease me, or if she was completely oblivious to the sight she was displaying. My bet was on the first one, and it invigorated me to strike up a conversation with her further.

So, what about you? How do you know, Matt? I asked, my brain desperately trying to conjure up some smooth lines, but only sputtering out the most basic sentences. Oh, he and I used to be neighbours when we were kids, and played together almost every day during summer. We just kind of stayed in touch over the years, as improbable as that sounds. Wow, I can't believe he's never told me about you all these years. I tried to be more daring, the beer taking more control than I was. Now, Matt and I used to hang out a lot more frequently before, but he never told me about Maria. He did have a lot of friends though, and it's not like we sat around talking about his friends all day. She smiled and took a sip of her coat,

maintaining eye contact with me the whole time. Just then, a new song started playing, and Maria gasped with a grin on her face. Oh, I love this song. Want to dance? She winked, gesturing with her head for me to follow. My testosterone was already out of control by then from being in the proximity of a woman of such appearance, so I didn't need to be asked twice. Grabbed her by the hand and took her to the middle of the room, among the other drunken guests.

Maria and I dance for hours, which takes a lot about me because I absolutely hate dancing. I remember in my intoxicated state, seeing Matt give me a weird glance with his eyebrows raised when he saw me with her death. After a while, things got heated, and Maria and I began making out and grinding on the dance floor. They continued drinking along the way, with my lack of self-control over booze. I guess I blacked out at some point. I woke up in the morning. I woke up in the morning. with a throbbing headache, the sunlight coming through the window, blinding me. Grunted and opened my eyes with great difficulty, observing my surroundings. I was in the bedroom of my apartment.

There was a note on the nightstand, written with almost perfect handwriting. See you soon, Maria. There was a lipstick imprint in the shape of lips under that. I flipped the note over, for a number, or a way to contact her, but there was nothing else. I cursed loudly for not remembering anything about the fiery night last night that I'd probably had with Maria or having any way to contact her back. But at the time, my biggest concern was my throbbing head. I spent most of that day laying in bed, and around 4pm I got a call from an unknown number. Hello? I answered, expecting a call from a marketing or insurance agency.

Aege. A playful female voice resounded on the other side. Um, hi, I said. trying not to give away my confusion. It's Maria. Remember me? She asked playfully again. Maria, hi. Yeah, of course I remember you. How was the party for you? The party was okay. The after party was amazing, she giggled. I laughed awkwardly. Say, did Matt give you my number? I asked. Oh, I got it myself. While you were sleeping, I used your phone to call myself. Oh, okay.

I wish I could say that this raised some red flags. But the pile of me which was into Maria decided to ignore such a creepy fact. More so, I was glad she'd call me. Hey, Jake, do you want to go out somewhere tonight? She asked. Oh, tonight. I was taken aback by this, but still a pleasant surprise.

Yeah, sure. Um, how about we go to a quieter place tonight? That's a great idea. I could hear the excitement in her voice over the phone. Um, Boss Cafe, 8pm. Yeah, sure. Um, do you want me to pick you up somewhere or... No, it's okay.

See you soon, Jakey. Can't wait. I dressed up fancier than last night and put on an expensive perfume to make up for the intoxicated state I was in at the party. Maria was already seated at a table in the restaurant. looking even more enthralling than last night. She wore a tight, fancy red dress that matched her hair and brought her bodily features to expression. I felt my temperature going up right away

and it wasn't from the restaurant's heating. She and I hit it off right pretty well from the start. After just a few minutes of talking, I realized she wasn't just a pretty face and a hot body, but also a font of knowledge that possessed the intellect of someone who could put a scholar to shame. I honestly started to feel a bit intimidated by this point. She was a psychologist in high school who planned to start her own business,

and in spare time she enjoyed painting, joining book club meetings, and going to acting classes twice a week. And then, it was me, a half-ambitious accountant, whose only goal was to make it to Friday so I could go drinking. She didn't seem to mind my lack of hobbies, though, and was genuinely interested in everything I had to say, gleefully hanging on to every word I uttered. After dinner we went back to my place,

and I think started getting heated. She stopped me. She seemed genuinely worried, so I asked her what was wrong. She told me that she's not the kind of person to sleep around, but that she likes me and wants to try something more serious with me. Most of my thinking capabilities were then drained from staring at her breasts, but he used my remaining brainpower to tell her I understood what she meant, and the feeling was mutual.

At that, she seemed relieved. We took things further in the bedroom. Luckily, this time I remembered every single detail. We officially started dating after that, and things went smoothly for a while. We saw each other every day, and she'd often sleep over. Frankly, I was beginning to think that she was the one that had already started picturing our future together, even though we'd only been dating for a month.

And then, one day, everything James. We were on a date in Boss Cafe, and she was telling me about her day. I carefully listened and agreed with her that the 15-year-old girl from school that she was talking to was spoiled. My phone vibrated, and I unlocked it. I forgot I have to meet up with Federica later, I said. Who?

Maria asked as she took a sip of her coffee. My friend, Federica, she and I agreed to catch up this week. "'Excuse me?' "'Maria's face contorted into a grimace of anger. "'I'd never seen her make this facial expression, "'so I instantly assumed this was bad. "'Yeah, I mean, Federica and I have known each other over ten years.' "'So?'

"'It's not right for someone in a relationship to have any lady friends, Jake. "'I don't have any guy friends, either.' "'What? Come on. "'Fedricca's like a sister to me, and I mean, you hang out with Matt too, right? No, I don't. I blocked him on all my social media when you and I started dating. Men and women can't be friends.

There's always a chance for something more to happen between them. Are you serious? I'm not forbidding you from hanging out with guys. It's perfectly normal to have friends of the opposite sex, as long as you're just friends. Well, I don't agree with you. She crossed her arms, fuming. I'm sorry, Jake, but...

You're going to have to choose, me or her. Maria, come on. Don't be like this. Federica's just a friend. I'm not going to cut off a friend I've known for ten years, over someone I've known for a month, that please don't make me choose. If you won't cut her off,

and I want to be with you every time you hang out with her. No, I said sternly, but you'll get to meet her, but I can't drag you to death. Before I managed to finish my sentence, Maria stood up and threw her coffee in my face. The nearby guests of the restaurant glanced in our direction as Maria stormed out, furiously stomping her feet.

I wiped my face and shirt futilely with a napkin, trying to pretend like everything was okay. I asked for the check from the waiter. I tried to keep a straight face and politely excuse myself out of it. I'd probably not be going back there any time soon. An hour later, I was at Federica's place and we were catching up, talking about old times when my phone burst. I unlocked it and saw that I'd got a message from Maria. It said, How can you be so selfish?

I replied, I'm sorry if I hurt you, but try to understand my side. We'll talk about it later. I continued chatting with Federica when my phone buzzed again. It was Maria again. No, we will not. I won't change my stance on this. Is everything okay? Federica asked, possibly noticing my frustrated facial expression.

Yeah, everything's fine, I said, turning off my vibration and putting my phone in my pocket. I did my best to put my argument with Maria to the back of my mind and enjoy my time with Federica, but she could sense my frustration, so we agreed to meet again another time. when I arrived home pulled out my phone and loudly said what the when I saw the countless notifications on my phone

I'd miss calls and messages on every social media website where I was active every single notification was from Maria I skimmed through them in horror seeing new ones pop up along the way the messages started accusatory

saying things like you fucking asshole I can't believe you're so cruel. I bet you're fucking all right now, aren't you? Then they transitioned into guilt-tripping, saying things like, I'm crying right now. I'll just swallow my sweeping pills to take my mind off you.

I can't believe you'd hurt me like this, and so on. Then they started to change to rationalising, telling me she loves me too much and only wants to protect me that she's too afraid to lose me. In between her messages, there were remarks like,

Hello, are you there? Quickly followed by more of her rants. Something clicked in my mind, and I realised right there and then that things wouldn't work out for us. This was too much of an issue to be pushed under the rug. I hated the idea of doing it this way, but I sent her a message.

I think we should break up. She called me immediately, asking me why, with a quivering voice. I explained and she began crying, begging me not to leave her, promising to change and even let me be friends with Federica. I told her that it wouldn't work, and she began guilt-tripping me again, telling me that she loved me that she was going to kill herself if I leave her. When I told her that those threats wouldn't work, she became aggressive.

The last sentence she screamed into the phone before hanging up was, You regret leaving me, you bastard. I'll make your life a living hell. You're going to beg me to take you back. Well, it was the most surreal experience I've had within the span of four hours, and although I really liked her, I couldn't go over this sort of thing. Her behaviour reminded me of those posts which I used to see online about the cringy overweight guys with fedoras who orbit around women and incessantly hound their inboxes.

If Maria got this psychotic over a visit with a long-time female friend, I didn't even want to think about what she would do when we moved in together or got married. I assume that she was the type to stalk her ex. so I preemptively blocked to her all media just to be on the safe side. Everything went fine for a while. I even met another girl, a friend of Federicus. She and I went on a date and everything was fine at first. She was super into me. We were already making plans for our next date when she decided to add me on Facebook so we could chat more easily. I told her my name she decided to check out my profile a little while we

waited for our food to arrive. She was amused by my pictures of the food I cooked, as well as my workout videos. And all of a sudden, a smile dropped, and her mouth contorted into an expression that looked like she'd just eaten a lemon. I asked her if everything was okay, and she uttered a week, with invisibly forced smile. From that point, she avoided my gaze the entire time and seemed completely uninterested in the conversation. Well, the date went on for about 20 minutes When she said she just remembered something she needed to take care of And had to go, saying, oh, we'll be in touch

Or more perplexed than disappointed I connected the dots that she may have seen something on my profile Which wasn't to her liking But before I could finish that sentence I got a call from my mum Hello? I asked Jake She sounded distressed which instantly put me on edge

What is that picture you posted on face? book. Aunt Amy had to see it. What were you thinking? I was, of course, confused by this because I had no idea what video she was talking about. I immediately logged in to see for myself what could have possibly caused such an eruptive reaction. Boy, was there something to be seen there? The most recent posts were normal, but when I scrolled down a little bit, I started to see occasional shares of weird links, videos and pictures, like furry porn and sexual artwork which I don't even want to begin to describe. There was even a post where I apparently wrote something extremely racist and homophobic. The funny thing is that for each link or post I shared, there was a

follow-up text of my own, which eerily looked like something I would write with the typical emojis I use and so on. It made it less likely to other people that I'd been hacked, or more that I'd had a mental breakdown. What was even strange was the fact that there were some likes and comments on it, but I'd never been notified. Upon closer investigation, I realised that the notifications had been turned off. They immediately made a post in which I apologised publicly to everyone who'd seen such abominal things and informed them that I was hacked.

The damage was already done, though, and by then a lot of people had already booted me out of their friends' lives. I contemplated deleting my Facebook, but running away from it after such a disaster would only make me look guilty. Two days later, at work, my boss called me into his office. I was expecting a promotion around that time, and everyone in the office already knew that I was the best candidate. Even the boss had hinted at me getting the role, so it's pretty much a public secret by then. "'Hey, how's it going, Mike?' I asked when I strode inside and sat in front of his desk. Michael stared at his computer screen with a grievous expression on his face.

He furiously clicked for a minute or so while I sat in silence, feeling like I was being judged for some reason. Jake, he finally said, turning to me and crossing his fingers. You've been a valuable asset to the company thus far. He stared at his hands while fidgeting with his fingers. you were the perfect man for the promotion were i thought to myself starting to sweat bullets instant mike looked up at me with the expression of a disappointed parent he said that's why i don't understand why you'd do something like this

why focus on small cash when you could have made it big mike what are you talking about what's going on Mike opened his drawer and pulled out a stack of papers. We slammed them against the desk and said, The client who you've been working with on the previous project contacted us and told us you were willing to sell him some sensitive information for a price. My eyes widened, my heart practically thudding against my chest at this point. The paper showed screenshots of my secret communication with the client where I clearly offered to leak information in exchange for money. The papers also have proof that I did it because the emails were apparently sent from the location of the office

from my computer. What is this? Mike, I'd never do such a thing. Give me a chance to at least explain... I tried to say before Mike interrupted me. Jake, don't make this hard on yourself. Now you can leave either with a severance package or without it, which already took a lot of strings to pull. Hell, you're lucky that I managed to convince the higher-ups not to bring.

pressed charges against you. The choice was clear here, and there was no use arguing. He had strong evidence to go against my claim. I agreed to Mike's terms, and by the end of the day I was out of the office, followed by the contemptuous glances and hush whispers of my co-workers. I wish that's where everything ended, but when I got home, I had an even bigger surprise. I opened my front door to find my apartment completely ransacked. Furniture was ripped. with sponges strewn all over the place. Dishes were smashed on the floor. The TV and other objects were overturned.

It looked like there'd been an earthquake in there. I called the cops immediately, and they shut up within minutes. After a brief search, I realized that nothing of value was missing, and they'd found no signs of forced entry. Do you have any idea who might have done this? One of the officers asked. I thought for a moment, and the idea occurred to me that Maria could have been responsible. but I had no clear evidence to assume she would go to such extreme lengths,

despite being as crazy as she was. It made sense that she would do it, though. She'd vowed to make my life a living hell. In the past few days had been a string of unexplained incidents. I was about to give the office the name of a potential suspect, when the other police officer emerged from the bathroom. Turn around, put your hands behind your head, he said. What? What's going on? I asked.

The officer raised a small transparent bag with little green lumps up to his face. You're under arrest from marijuana possession, he said. Wait, that's not mine. Sir, don't make this hard on yourself. We can do this in two ways. You don't want to be charged with a resisting arrest. I complied, my brain spinning a million miles an hour. As they escorted me out of my apartment,

my gaze fell on a tiny note. in the front of the entrance. A note with an all-too-familiar lipstick imprint of it. See you soon. Maria. This couldn't be happening, I kept telling myself, as I was put in the back of the cruiser and taken to the police station.

It took a week until I had my court hearing, and I was granted bail of $3,000. Well, it would have been a misdemeanor charge, but the amount of marijuana exceeded it just by a little, and I was sure that whoever framed me had calculated it scrutinously. At the time I didn't have such money, so I called Matt to help me out. I felt bad for calling in like this, especially given the fact that he and I had only spoken

once briefly since the party, but he was more than happy to help me. When he finally arrived to pick me up, he shook his head but smiled. Dude, having fun without me. Why don't you consider your shit better? he asked. That wasn't mine, I said. Matt laughed. Yeah, innocent man, I get it. I totally don't don't have some on me right now, he winked. I'm serious, Matt. I was set up by Maria. Who?

Your friend, Maria. You know, the one I hooked up with at the party and dated for a month. Matt frowned for a moment, before snapping his fingers and saying, Oh, right, the redhead. That chick was hot, man. Two bad things didn't work out for you two. Hey, one mind giving me a number so I can try and charm, right? I mean, you guys are through, so you don't mind, right?

I stared at Matt in bewilderment. Something was very wrong here. I said, Matt, she said that she was your childhood friend. Matt shook his head. No, I thought she was your friend, man. My head started to spin again.

Who the hell was this girl, and what did she want for me? How the hell did she manage to sneak into the party without anyone noticing, especially with her prominent features? I thank Matt for everything. he'd done and promised to pay him back as soon as I had the money. As soon as I got home, I unblocked Maria's number and texted her.

Well, you done now, you're freaking psycho. But you embarrassed me in front of my friends and family, got me fired and arrested and ransacked my apartment. Leave me the fuck alone, you bitch. It felt good sending that text, although I wanted to say it to her face even more. Her reply came through in a manner of minutes. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me.

feel uneasy. See you soon, it simply said. I spent the next two days cleaning up my apartment and looking for a new job. It was inevitable that I would need to move out, especially now that I was jobless, so I wasn't too concerned with Maria finding me. One day during the week, I went for a walk in the park to clear my head and get my mind off things. It was a nice day and the park was tranquil, with people walking their dogs or taking a stroll with their kids. I sat down on a bench, closed my eyes and enjoyed the pleasant breeze and silence. Hey, Jakey, I heard an all too familiar voice to my left. I jerked my head in the direction of the voice, and there she wants, standing right in front of me, with a wide smile on her face.

Maria! I stood up, feeling my heart beginning to race faster. What the hell do you want for me? What do you want? Nothing. was passing and just wanted to say hi well see you around she said in a nonchalant way waving her fingers at me before turning around this made me mad to ruin my life like that and then just pretend like everything was okay filled me with boiling rage i stood up and grabbed her by her wrist violently don't walk away from me you bitch she turned around to face me giving me a suspiciously seductive glance before saying Careful, Jake.

Careful. There are people around here. You wouldn't want the judge to receive a video of you violating your temporary restraining order, would you? Her eyes widened and a smile drowned, expressing palpable fear on her face. She tried breaking free as she screamed. Let me go. Please, don't hurt me! I let her go instantly, as if being burned. The nearby people glanced in our direction with confusion,

and I could see some of them reaching for their phones, curiously observing the situation. Restraining, what are you talking about? I asked, keeping my distance from her. She smiled again, making me want to strangle her. The judge was so cooperative. When I came to him with tears in my eyes, and I showed him all the texts of threats she'd been making towards me,

he immediately took pity. She giggled and twirled her hair around her finger playfully, before saying, you still have a chance to make it up to me. Despite causing me so much pain and suffering, I still love you, Jake. I'm willing to take you back. You're freaking crazy, I said, and turned around.

Stop, Jake. She said so sternly that I felt compelled to turn around and face her. She said, You don't want to leave, trust me, because if you do, you're going to be charged with rape. I was about to interject, but no words came out. She continued. If I go to the judge and tell him you rape me,

do you think they'll take my word, right? She pursed her lips, staring at me. What if they found some evidence, say, some injuries, say, DNA? What do you think would happen then? I opened my mouth, defunded, and found it. I couldn't describe what I felt at that point. I was a mixture of scared and angry at the same time I felt like I could stomp Maria's head over and over

until all that remained of her body was a bloody mess that she had me by the box she took a step closer and put her hand on my cheek Jakey she said I told you that you begged me to take you back so get on your knees and start begging I looked around futilely searching for a familiar face to help me But most of the people were already gone by then.

It was only Maria and I, with an occasional pass-abide. I had no doubt that she was ready to do everything she mentioned in order to get what she wants. Jakey, don't make me ask twice. She crossed her arms. I felt tears streaming down my face at this point, so I slowly lowered myself to my knees and looked up at Maria's stern face. Forgive me, I said. What was that? I can't hear you, she said, leaning in and looking like she could hardly contain her laughter. Please forgive me.

And, she said, her face very close to mine now, her lips contorting into a conniving smile. Please forgive me and take me back, I said, sobbing. Stand up. Look at me. Look at me, Jane. She said, and I obeyed immediately. Do you love me? She asked. Yes, I said, moving my gaze away, too humiliated to look at her. Hey, I didn't say you could look away, she said.

I looked back and she smiled. It was that same smile from the night when we met. A heartwarming illusion of a smile that could lure any man into Maria's deadly trap. Do you promise to always love me and do as I ask? and never have any female friends again. I promise, I said. She hung her arms around my neck and kissed me, then hug me and whispered into my ear.

It's okay. I forgive you, Jakey. We're going to be so happy together. I met with Maria in our usual cafe the following day at her request. I didn't even try to make an excuse and dodge coming because I knew she'd find a way to blackmail. When I arrived, she was already there, scrolling on her phone. She wore a crop pink top and jeans, and upon seeing me,

she smiled wildly and stood up to meet me. She passionately kissed me and whispered. I missed you, Jakey. Did you miss me? Yes, I answered, like a docile animal, too afraid to hesitate. Had this been a time when we just started dating, I would have been absolutely stunned by her gorgeous appearance. but now, as I looked at her deceptive smile and dishonest eyes, I felt disgust. I could hardly even stomach the thought of being in her presence,

little alone being intimate with her, but it had to be her way. How was your day, sweetie? she asked. It was good. I didn't really do anything special, I said, glancing around the place, trying to catch the attention of the waiter. her. Aren't you going to ask me about my day? She said, tapping her fingernails on the table, producing a hollow sound with each tap. I haven't been with her for a full minute, and already I'd managed to piss her off. How the hell was I going to survive a relationship with this psychopath?

Yes, I'm sorry, how was your day, baby? I smiled and asked, to which her tapping stopped. Well, just another typical day at school, you know. I had one kid, scheduled for a conversation, but he never showed up. I'll have to contact him to make sure he's okay, though. I'm really worried about him, since he's feeling depressed. She raised her eyebrows in a sorrowful manner. Oh, you lying two-faced, bitch. It was all I could think to myself, as I nodded and agreed with her, encouraging her to leave the kid alone until he felt comfortable to talk about his situation. Normally I would have advised differently, but right now being depressed sounded way better than being near this lunatic.

So, are you looking for a new job? She pompously asked, taking a sip of coffee. I stared at her for a moment in confusion, and when she saw that, she put her mug down and said, you know, because you got fired from your old job. It's such a shame. You really seem to enjoy working there. But I believe you're going to make up for the mistake you made at your old job.

I believe in you, and I'll support you until the end, Jackie, because that's what good girlfriends do. She smiled and reached across the table, putting her hand on mine. I smiled back, holding within me the urge to shout at her. We spent another 20 or so agonizing minutes talking about random things when my phone buzzed on the table. I picked it up to read the message and noticed Maria greedily glancing at the screen. When I saw who the message was from, I silently started praying that Maria hadn't seen it, but my hope sank when she spoke up again. Jake, I thought we'd been through this already.

When I looked at her, she had her arms crossed and was frowning at me. What do you mean? I played dumb, closing the message and putting the phone in my pocket. You know what I mean. We agreed that having friends of the opposite sex is not right for someone who's in a relationship. And last time I checked, Federica was a girl. Maria, please. Federica has always been a good friend of mine.

I can't just ditch her after all these years. Jake, I'm trying to be supportive. I really am, but it's so hard to do so when you're constantly hurting me like this. Tears started welling in her eyes and her voice started to quiver, gradually becoming louder. I can't be supportive of it when all I can think of was that day when you left me to be with her. how am I supposed to believe you wouldn't do it again? She was practically screaming at this point, tears streaming down her face,

marched to the bewildered glances of the other guests. She buried her face in her hands and started sobbing. Please stop. No, I won't stop, she said between sobs, before slightly calming down and continuing. If you won't do anything about it, then we'll just have to go our own ways, Jake. But I'm not sure what your path would have to.

entail. She stood up, picked up her purse and put it over her shoulder. Maria, wait, or do whatever you want. Please, I said. She looked at me with hesitation, wiping the tears and ruined makeup off her face, before sitting down and leaning on the table. She said, Call her now. What? Call her and tell her never to contact you again. Maria, call her or I'm leaving. I glanced around the restaurant, realizing that most of the people were sneaking glances in our direction, moving their gages away when they met with mine.

Well, Maria's unrelenting gaze was on me so intently that I felt that it would burn a hole in my head. I brought out my phone and died Frederica's number with trembling hands. After two rings, she picked up. up. Hey, Jay, she said jovially. Hi, Federica. My somber greeting contrasted hers. Is everything okay, Jay? She could immediately sense that something was wrong. Of course she could. Even after a long time of not talking, she knew me better than I knew myself. Jake, you're still there? she asked when I failed to respond. Maria incessantly stared at me, slowly tapping her fingernails on the table again.

"'We... "'We can't be friends anymore, Federica.' "'I spat out as quickly as I could, "'feeling uncomfortable with the words. "'What? Jake, I don't understand. "'Don't ever call me again,' I said and hung up, "'before she could respond. "'I put my phone in my lap and stared at it

"'as it started to ring with Federica's name on the display. "'Block her,' Maria sternly said, "'still staring at me with her piercing look. her lips stiffening into a thin line. I declined Federica's call and did as Maria asked. I also blocked her on all social media, and once it was done, I gently placed my phone on the table and looked Maria in the eye.

Her expression shifted entirely from an angry one to compassionate. She stared at me with what looked like pity, and she put her hand on mine again and said, I know this was hard, baby, but it was the only right thing to do. do. You only need me in your life. No one else. I'll make you happy, I promise. She tightened the grip on my hand and I returned it, giving her a vague smile. A moment later, she pulled back and leaned in on her chair, as she said, now that we've got that vermin out of the

way, I wanted to talk to you about a more serious matter. Her face flashed with a wide grin, as she cheerily said. "'Jakey, I think I should move in with you.' "'I opened my mouth to say something. "'But I frankly didn't know what I should do, object, find an excuse, or agree.' "'What do you think?' "'She said as she took another sip from her mug. "'Well, I don't know.

"'I mean, maybe it's not such a good idea right now. "'I'm jobless, after all, when the landlord sees what you did to the apartment.' "'I thought you'd be happy about us living. together. Well, I would. I mean, I am, I awkwardly said. Good, and it's settled. I'll bring my stuff around tomorrow. She'd another sip of her coffee. Oh, and please try to clean up the apartment. The last time I came to your place, it was a mess, and I don't want to be welcome with things that need cleaning. I smiled, imagining, pummeling her over and over. I'm so excited, Jackie, Maria exclaimed.

Sure as shit, Maria was there the next day. I'd started cleaning, she was less than happy to see that the apartment was still a mess, despite the majority of it being taken care of. She was frustrated and started taking it out on me, calling me an incompetent half-man, but I ignored her remarks. This sort of life was not going to work.

I had to find a way to turn the table. Having Maria move in was agonizing. Not only did we spend a lot more time together, but I had to be careful about leaving my laptop unlocked, since I was sure she'd go snooping around. Living with her was utterly unpredictable too. Some day she'd come back home in a great mood that would shower me with love and attention. While other days she'd be irritated, scolding me and shouting over anything I did wrong. As much as I hated any kind of contact with her, I preferred the first option. The only good thing that came out of this was, well, the sex. I was a lot rougher with her than usually, and even though this was good for both my mental and sexual frustration, it was even better that Maria enjoyed it too, so she couldn't tell that it was my way of channeling anger.

Or maybe she could, and she just didn't care. Either way, the first few days of her moving in, I barely had any time to spend alone and think about things, but as the days went by and she mentally started exhausting me, I started to consider ways to end all of this. One day, we went to the movies and decided we'd grab dinner afterwards. While I was buying the tickets and popcorn, Maria sat in the back at a table drinking soda. Jake, is that you?

The young lady who worked there asked. I immediately recognised her as Helena, my high school classmate. Helena, hi, so good to see you, I smiled. I didn't realize you were back in town. Yeah, just worked. working in between before I got back on the next cruise, you know? She juggled. Oh, good for you.

I always working on a cruise ship anyway. Great. Lots of work, but I like it. Plus, it really helps because my little sister needs to have college funded. Since our parents are gone, she shrugged. Sorry to hear about that. What about you? Is that your girlfriend back there?

She shot Maria a glance and smiled. Um, yeah, I said. dodging a lengthier discussion about my psycho girlfriend. Well, hey, I'd love to talk more, but I've got other people waiting here. How about we catch up soon? she asked. I nodded, took my popcorn and went back. I noticed Maria staring in my direction intently with a serious expression on her face. You sure took your time talking to that girl, she said.

That's Helena. She and I went to high school, I said. She actually works as a waitress on a cruise. ship, but takes a break between talks. Sounds boring, Maria said, while staring at her phone. Yeah, but it pays well. She wants to pay for her sister's college. Whatever, can we go see the movie now? I sense Maria's aggression, since she was rarely subtle when she got angry. I knew we'd have a problem with this later, and unsurprisingly, while we were in the restaurant eating dinner, Maria spoke up after being quiet for over an hour. "'Jakey? Do you love me?'

"'Of course I love you, Maria,' I said, reaching across the table to take her hand. "'And are you planning on hurting me in any way?' she asked, ignoring my hand. "'I brought my hand back and frowned, saying, "'What?' "'No. Why would you say something like that?' "'All right, good,' she said as she took a bite of her food, "'because you know, if something were to ever happen to me, it would be a bad thing.

For you, I mean. I really can't stand the thought of you getting hurt, Baden. I pretended to pay attention to the content on my plate, while slicing my steak. I chose not to respond, and we spent the remainder of the dinner in silence. I had a horrible gut feeling the whole night, and the following morning when Maria left for work. But I couldn't really tell why. It just kept nagging at me, warning me about something.

Maria came home later than usual that day and was in an unexpectedly good mood I tried to stay on her good side for the remainder of the night the next morning I almost threw up my breakfast when I read the news movie theatre employee found dead there was a picture of Helena on the headline although the details were not disclosed it was stated in the article that Helena had been found dead near her apartment

and that the police are actively searching for the killer my first thought was God, it must have been Maria Who else? Was she really capable of doing such a thing? Was she really going to such extreme lengths with her jealousy that she'd kill anyone

who even made mere small talk with me even if it was a high school friend? Tears welled up in my eyes when I thought of Helena's younger sister who was already without her parents and had now lost her sister. It really was a case of the stakes having been raised.

and I had to up the ante myself if I wanted to have even a slight chance of making it out of this hell of a relationship. I spent the following days in cafes, pretending to look for work while actually devising a plan to get Maria off my back. She was obviously smart

and thought this through to the end step by step. I knew that the only way for me to compete in any way was to play her game. But how could I do such a thing? I didn't have the mind of a psychopath I didn't even know where to begin to set her up. The one thing I could do was bide my time and build trust with her

until she fell into a false sense of security. But what then? I could use a recorder to try and get her to confess everything, but my recording in court would be weak at best, against her DNA proof or whatever else she had in store. I spent hours every day planning and came up with nothing. So I go home and wallow it myself, This one day I came a little earlier from the cafe, around 2pm and still wasn't home, since she usually doesn't arrive until about four.

I was about to make lunch when I heard the doorbell ring. I opened it, and my eyes widened when I saw who was standing in front of me. Hi, Jake. Federica, grinned shyly. Federico, what are you doing here? I told you not to contact me again. Jake, you need to talk to me. "'What's going on?'

"'Listen. You have to leave right now,' I urged her. "' Jake, we've known each other long enough for me to know when you're in serious trouble. "'I'm not going until you tell me what's going on.' I hesitated for a moment, afraid that Maria may be lurking right around the corner. Eventually I gestured for her to come in. She complied and we went into the living room. She stopped in the middle of the room and spun around to face me

with a look of judgment on her face. So, what is it? she asked. I sighed and looked down, shaking my head. I really can't talk about it. Hey, look at me. She took a step forward and put her hand on my cheek. The gesture disgusted me, as it painfully reminded me of something Maria would do.

We've known each other for years, we've been through hell and high water. Whatever it is, I'll help you, I promise, she said. I sighed once more and looked her in the eye. God, I really need to tell someone. I've been bottling it out for so long. Oh, it's Maria, I said.

What about her? She stepped back and looked at me curiously. She's blackmailing me. She's got evidence against me for crimes I didn't even commit. I mean, yeah, she framed me and got me arrested a while back for drug possession. The girl's a psycho. "'Gees,' Federica said, "'now staring at me with wide eyes.'

"'I have to do everything she tells me,' I shrugged. "'Well, Jake, we can't just sit on it and let her have her own way. "'We have to find a way to—' "'Federeika started, and her eyes trail behind me, "'growing even wider. "'You have to find a way to what?' "'A female voice came from behind me. "'I spun around and there stood my girl.

friend. She had a disturbing grin on her face, stretched from ear to ear, and she stared directly at Federica, with her shoulders tense. Jackie, what is she doing here? Maria asked her a grin, turning her gaze towards me. Maria, I can explain. Federica had nothing to do with this, I said, holding out my hand in a stop sign. Just then, my eyes fell on a glint in Maria's hand. She was holding a knife. Maria, baby, let's just calm down here, all right. I stepped back in front of Federica. Maria took a daunting step forward, still grinning like a crazy person. As she did so, her step turned into a walk. I told you to cut all ties with her, Jane. Hey, Jake and I are leaving, Federica said, as she stood next to me, and we're calling the police. Maria raised the

knife and rushed at Federica while screaming. She fell on top of her, knocking over the coffee table and the decorations on top of it. Maria, stop! I rushed and grabbed her from behind. She swung her knife and cut my forearm, making me recoil in pain. As I did so, I tripped on something, fell, hitting my head on the wall in the process. My vision got blurry and I struggled to regain my composure. Through my blurred vision, I saw Federica and Maria thrashing against each, other, both screaming, and then it suddenly stopped. Federica gasped loudly in horror, and it took me a moment to realize that the knife had made its way into her chest.

I told you to leave him alone. He's mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! With each sentence, Maria drove the blade into Federica's stomach. Each new stab spraying blood all over the place. Maria, no! No, I shouted, slowly propping myself from trying to stand up, but losing balance. Federica desperately tried to hold Maria back, but her strength was waning with each stab. In a matter of seconds, she stopped resisting altogether.

Her arms fell limply next to her body, and her head turned in my direction. Her eyes staring vacantly as blood slid from her mouth. That didn't stop Maria, though, as she continued stabbing over. over and over with screams, making Federica's now lifeless body twitch at each stab. I rushed to Maria and tackled her. She screamed hysterically, demanding that I let her go so that she could finish the whore. Stop, just stop, God damn it, I shouted, and she seemed to break out of hysteria, ceasing all struggle and staring at me while panting.

I took the knife from her limp hand and stood up, turning to face Federica. It was even worse than I assumed. My friend had so many stab wounds, but it was impossible to even count. Some of them even going into her neck. A large pool of blood already formed around her body. I grabbed my head with both hands, panic overtaking me. Oh, God, no!

I said over and over. Look what you did, Jake. Maria said in a calm tongue. I turned to face her and saw her. covered in blood from head to toe. She had a menacing look in her eye as she stared directly at me. Look where your selfishness got your friend. This is your fault. Why did you make me do it, Jake? Why? She became hysterical again, her mad look turning into a desperate one as she started crying. We have to go to the police, I said, panting myself.

Oh really? Maria suddenly stopped sobbing. Your fingerprints are on that knife, and you're covered in blood, Jake. If you go now, there's going to be enough evidence to convict you for life. Marijuana possession, then breaking your temporary restraining order, raping me and killing your friend. You really think it's a good idea to go to the police? You stupid fucking idiot. I looked at the knife, and then at Federica's lifeless body once more.

Tears formed in my eyes at the sight of my best friend being gone in an instant, just like that. "'Well, Jay,' Maria demanded, "'if you want, I can call the police. "'I can easily pretend to cry.' "'She buried her face in her hands and said, while weeping, "'it was horrible, officer. "'I tried to stop him, and he pushed me away,

"'just continued stabbing and stabbing and stabbing, "'oh, he's hit me before, "'and I was too afraid to leave "'because I didn't know what he was capable of.' "'She sobbed violently for a moment, "'before stopping and looking up at me "'with a satisfied grin on her face. "'So, what do you want to do, Jake?' she asked calmly.

I closed my eyes and dropped the knife. The rest of the day was a blur. Maria and I spent a long time cleaning the apartment until it was seemingly spotless. I left the living room at one point to wash my hands, and when I came back, the knife was gone. It was foolish of me to leave it with her, because now she just had extra evidence to use against me. As for Federica, Maria took care of her.

She carried the dead body into the bathroom and brought a hacksaw. After what felt like hours of listening to agonizing hacking and snapping, Maria left the apartment with a few full trashbacks and was gone for hours. I was pretty much an autopilot by then, just cleaning the remainder of the meth. When Maria came back, she hugged me and said, Sh, everything will be all right, Jake. We'll get through. this. We only need each other. Why don't you sit down and relax? I complied and slumped onto the sofa,

exhausted physically and mentally. I threw my head backwards and closed my eyes, while Maria sat on the floor next to me, stroking my hand gently. Oh, that was so tired. I know you didn't mean to help me, Jackie, she said. I know you love me, but I still have to punish you. I felt unimely. I felt imaginably sharp, burning pain on my hand, and I screamed, instantly opening my eyes and pulling away from Maria. What I saw made me scream even more, not so much in pain, but in terror. The little finger on my left hand was missing, blood running from the stump. I looked at Maria and saw her holding my bloodied finger in one hand, and in the other a pair of kitchen shears stained with blood. I stood up, holding my hand. The pain only now starting to fully get to me.

What did you do? I shouted, taking a step back. Jake, don't move. You'll get blood everywhere again, and we just finished cleaning. God, call an ambulance. I was in full-blown panic now, but Maria seemed unfazed by the whole situation. You knew this was going to happen, she said calmly. They told you to cease all of contact with Federica, but you wouldn't listen. We need to call an ambulance, I said, panting and already covered in blood all the way down to my elbows. They might still be able to reattach it. Maria seemed to get pissed off even more at this, but a moment later she shrugged and said, Okay, Jake, you're right. Maybe they can reattach it. Go and take it there. She opened the

window and chucked my finger out, much to my horror. She sat down on the sofa and pulled her cell phone out of her pockets, as if nothing had happened. So I took the opportunity to run outside and look for my missing finger. After an hour of unsuccessful searching, I started to get dizzy and decided to visit the hospital instead. The whole time while I was being treated by the doctors, my desperation was turning into boiling hot anger. I was beyond mad and wanted revenge. I wanted revenge for Federica, for Helena, for my mother. my finger. If there was one thing Maria had that could be used against her, it was her short

temper. I had to use that to my advantage, and an idea started to clearly form in my mind. We were at home eating dinner. I clumsily fumbled with my fork, trying to hold it steadily with my mutilated hands. Getting used to living without a little finger, not seem like a big deal, but it impacts your life more than you'd think. Not to mention that your grip becomes a lot weaker without the finger. I was going through bouts of depression daily, but I kept my eyes on one thing, destroying Maria. It fueled me and motivated me to continue living until she was either dead or in prison. Whichever one it was, it would happen tonight. So I have something to tell you, she said, as she took a bite of her food. Oh yeah? What's that? I asked, staring at my plane.

She put down her fork and knife and inhaled deeply. She said, I know you're probably not ready for this, but, um... But what? I asked, getting a little impatient. My initial thought was that she was going to demand that we get married. I may be pregnant, she said, awaiting my response. I swallowed, trying not to show any distress. Oh, she was messing with me. I was sure of it.

Did she sense what I was about. about to do. I couldn't let her fuck with my head. Well, that's too bad, I said, taking another bite of my food, as if she just told me the most mundane thing ever. I looked up at her, and her expression of curiosity turned into a frown. "'Excuse me,' she said with a raised tone. "'Yeah, it's a shame, "'because I've got something to tell you, too.' I laid down my silver and said, looking at her in the eye, I, um, yeah, I met a girl. She stood up, knocking over the chair, she was sitting on and said, Maria, calm down. Getting hysterical won't help here.

What do you mean, calm down? Tell me the name of this girl so I can kill her. What, you mean like you killed Federica, and Helena? I picked up my silverware once more and took another bite of my food. What, you think I didn't know about that? you killed an innocent woman just because she happened to talk to me while I was buying popcorn she was working to put her little sister through college you murdering bitch i raised my tone at the last sentence feeling the rage taking over me once more Maria looked at me with white eyes before continuing they deserve to die and i'll do it to every woman that comes close to you you're mine jake mine

I know I can't be signed I know that's why on the night you killed Federica I went to the police her eyes widened even more but I continued yeah

told them everything how you blackmailed me with false accusations of rape how you killed Federica and probably Helena and how you cut off my finger they're listening to us right now I unbuttoned my shirt and revealed the wire which the police officers could attach to me.

The door burst open with a loud bang and armed officers rushed inside. Freeze. Get on the ground and put your hands behind your head, they shouted. Maria spun around to look at them and then faced me with a glint of such anger and hatred that it actually made me feel palpable fear. She grabbed the knife and overturn the table with a loud scream. I'm wanting you to stop, one of the cops shouted. But Maria ignored them. She ran right at me, and as she was about to stab me,

I jumped on the ground and covered my head as a series of loud bangs filled the air, with ear-splitting amplitude. Zees fire, one of the officers shouted, and I dared to look up. Maria was on the ground next to me, strewn sideways, riddled with bullets. Her eyes were wide and her mouth agape,

as blood drawled out. you promise she barely managed to utter before letting out a gasp and ceasing all movement entirely hey you okay the police officers helped me up and the rest of the night was a blur of being interrogated in the police station the night i went to the station i told them about everything and even though i was initially a suspect they wanted to kill two birds with one stone so i agreed to cooperate and help them convict Maria. They wired me and monitored me closely in the following days. The officers got enough evidence from the recording to confirm everything I said was true,

and they let me go. The autopsy performed on Maria revealed that she was indeed pregnant, but I felt no pity for that baby. For a while I expected some evidence to turn up in the police station, which would accuse me of rape, like Maria swore, but that never happened. which got me to the conclusion that she was probably bluffing the whole time. I still have PTSD to this day, and often wake up seeing Maria with a knife or kitchen shears standing over my bed.

I stopped dating too, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to get back into it. With the immense guilt I felt for allowing Federica and Helena to die, I turned to the bottle and stop looking for a job altogether. So one thing is for sure. Maria is gone, but I'll never be the same again. And so once again, we reach the end of tonight's podcast. My thanks as always to the authors of those wonderful stories and to you for taking the time to listen.

Now, I'd ask one small favor of you. Wherever you get your podcast from, please write a few nice words and leave a five-star review as it really helps the podcast. That's it for this week, but I'll be back again, same time, same place, and I do so hope you'll join you. me once more. Until next time, sweet dreams and bye-bye.