It’s going to be quite difficult to write this because of the scraping and banging in my apartment, but I think I can make it through. You can call me Rick. So, everything started in high school. You know, during all my life I was a very shy person and that didn’t really bother me for the most part, except when I wanted to know someone better. And this someone was Sara. She was beautiful, not exceptionally so, but she still was, with long, blonde hair. Not knowing how to approach her, I simply texted her one day, and, to my surprise, she was quite nice. From then on, we started talking a bit more, but only a little in school. Eventually, I took a radical measure and declared my love. As you may or may not expect, it didn’t have its desired effect. I mean, she was by no means rude about it, but it still hurt very much.
The next few days were pretty difficult for me. I was so madly in love with her that I couldn’t imagine someone else being loved by her other than me. Not proud to say that, but there are some feelings which speak louder than reason. Either way, something needed to be done and, from the back of my head, I remembered something. While searching for some exercises online, I often came across an occultist website that advertised many rituals, some for getting a person to love you. After hesitating for a week, I finally gave it a try. Very skeptical of it, I thought: “Why not give it a shot?”. It was very simple to use. You just had to fill it with the name of your loved one and say some prayers. That was it. I did it and nothing happened. I had no goosebumps or felt some presence or anything like that. Honestly, I thought it hadn’t worked and just went on with my night, but there still remained hope that it would have some effect.
The next day came along and everything was normal at first. However, during break, Sara came along and said she liked my new hair (I had let it grow a bit). Very surprised, I thanked her but kept it to that. My optimistic section was enthusiastic, thinking it had worked, while my inner pessimist, always prevalent, thought it was some kind of prank. As Earth completed another rotation, I was even more flabbergasted when she decided to seat next to me the whole day. We got to talk quite a bit. It was then that I really convinced myself it had truly worked and, indeed, it had. After a month, I found myself a girlfriend, something unthinkable just a little prior. And things were good. I believe those may have been my happiest days. I truly felt that I was to spend my whole life with her and she believed the same. We were the perfect stereotypical couple and I had absolutely no regrets. Throughout all high school, things were splendid and I can’t highlight it enough.
Then, another chapter started in my life: I was going to college. Sara didn’t go to the same institution. Even though she wanted to go to mine, she had only been called to another one, in another town. It was not so far and we still met every week and video chated every day. Our relationship stood strong as ever despite these boundaries. However, this would not be the case for long. Elizabeth was from my class and I think most wouldn’t find her as attractive as Sara. Despite this, she had something, an essence, so to speak, that ensnared me. Soon, I was completely enamored. I didn’t feel the same for Sara anymore but was reluctant to cut my ties. Even though things were no longer the same, I still really liked her. Plus, I would feel very guilty to break her heart like that, and, trust me, I tried to fight off my growing infatuation with Elizabeth, but my attempts were futile.
It was not long until I started making my first moves. Liz (as I will call her from now) was very receptive and I was careful not to commit the same mistakes from before. I talked to her both online and on-site. Soon, I asked her out on a nightly date and she accepted. That same evening I was supposed to make a video call with Sara and I completely forgot it. When she texted me during the middle of the date, I said I was sorry and that, being very tired, I had completely forgotten, even committing some intentional mistakes to make a convincing impression of someone who had just woken up. I resumed my encounter with Liz and the rest of the night was just wonderful. Not sure why I’m saying this, but I think part of Liz’s charm was her eyes, they were like glossy obsidians in the snow, wrapping me in an authentic hypnosis.
From there, my relationship with Liz skyrocketed and my dilemma grew more intense day after day. I know I sound like a complete asshole, but, trust me, when you are in a situation like this there is no good escape. On one hand, you want to “preserve” a person and, on the other, you just want to give in to passion, and live a great love like no other. Suffice to say, I kept seeing them both, adjusting my schedules to fill the needs of each one. I could notice Sara was getting increasingly different. I can’t exactly pinpoint how, but I could sense something wasn’t right. This bothered me greatly because I hadn’t given any indication I was in another relationship. I had taken a lot of care to ensure I wasn’t acting different with her and tried keeping on the “façade” of our early days. Concomitantly, Liz started acting differently too. I asked her about it and she opened up about it.
“I feel like I’m being watched, Rick. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. I don’t know what to do about it…”
At that moment, my heart went cold. Someone watching her? I was filled with both fear and rage. But an especially nefarious possibility crossed my mind, one which I just ignored and chose to suppress. I was so stunned I believe I zoned out since Liz started calling my name quite loudly.
'’Sorry, darling. It’s just that I love you so much, I can’t imagine anything happening with you. Let’s go to the police right now.”
“And what will we say? You can stay calm. I know how to look after myself. Everything will be all right. I promise.”
I silently agreed. She was right. What would we say to the cops? She only felt like she was being watched overall, it was nothing concrete. Even so, things were not the same after the incident. I became a nervous wreck, in a constant state of paranoia. It didn’t take long for me to start lagging off with my studies, something Liz took note of. Once again, she reassured me there was nothing to worry about and that she didn’t even feel watched anymore. I appreciated her caring attitude but knew better. There definitely was something wrong. As such, I started to take some measures.
Now, Liz truly had a watcher. As often as I could, I would keep an eye on her, trying desperately to keep her safe from whoever else was doing this to her. And, for the most part, to my pleasant surprise, there weren’t many things out of order. Sometimes, I would fix my view on some distant car only to discover it was just parked by someone waiting for another person. The new lifestyle was taking a toll on me and Sara noticed it too. She even suggested interrupting her course to move over with me, but I said it wasn’t worth it, and that she shouldn’t jeopardize her life just because I was having some trouble with insomnia.
More weeks passed by and I was starting to consider calling off my operation. Liz had never mentioned the feeling again and I frankly was starting to think it maybe really was just a product of her imagination. Still, one latent conviction kept creeping around the corners of my mind. I refused to believe in it, even though it was the only thing keeping me from returning to my normal life. For one final time, I brushed it off and finally took Liz’s advice: stop worrying. To be honest, I’m not even sure how she never noticed me, since I don’t see myself as a particularly stealthy guy, but who cares, right?
Once again, I became the top of my class and things were looking up. I was still on the tightrope between Liz and Sara, but I had managed to devote enough attention to both without making any acknowledge the other. On a Saturday, I invited Liz to hang out in my apartment and she said she would be coming at about 7 PM. When 30 minutes passed and there were no signs of her, I found it very strange (seeing as she was never late) and started getting into a sort of anxiety-induced frenzy. I would call her several times only to end in voicemail and send her various texts, which she would never receive. At half past eight, my doorbell rang and I frantically ran to open it only to be greeted by a cardboard box with a post-it note on top of it. “Sorry for arriving late” was written on it coupled with a little smiley face. Extremely on edge, I looked around the empty corridor of my floor and got back into my apartment.
With shaky hands, I opened the box only to find a pair of ripped-out eyes. Shrieking in terror, I let the wicked package fall, with the two slimy spheres falling on the floor, sending drops of blood and other fluids. It was only now that I noticed that, on the bottom of the lid, “How do you like your obsidians now?” was sloppily written with blood. I think I passed out because I can remember getting up from the floor as my door rattled violently with various knocks in quick succession. I took a look through the peephole and came eye to eye with Sara, which already was looking through the optic apparatus. Feebly, I opened the door. She stormed in, not even paying attention to the mess on my living room floor. Startled, I confronted her about the whole situation, not giving a shit about my past secrets:
“Are you involved with this, Sara? Did you know anything about Liz?”
“Oh, darling, I know you aren’t that slow-witted! Did you really think I would never find out about this little bitch of yours which you call Liz? Come on, you knew all along that I was the one watching her, didn’t you? I was always your prime suspect, wasn’t I? But don’t worry, darling, ‘cause now you are all mine and I’m all yours, as I will forever be!”
As she said this, she slumped over to my arms and I, incredibly repulsed, threw her on the ground, shouting words I can’t even remember. The next few moments were a blur, but I recall grabbing the fire extinguisher I had in my kitchen and hitting Sara’s head with it. I know that’s sick, I know that’s evil, I know all of that, but no one can even imagine what I was feeling then, alright? Don’t ask me why, but I decided to put her body in my closet and lock it until I thought of something better to do. But I didn’t think of anything. And, you know, I think I deserve what’s coming for me. For any of you who find yourself infatuated with someone, just remember that love, true love lasts beyond the grave.