I met Gretchen a few days after I moved into my new apartment in the city. New to me at least, the apartment building itself has been standing for a long time. Two hundred and twenty-two years to be exact. It’s a four story, twenty-eight unit, gothic built in the early-mid eighteenth century with an off white (probably due to sun bleaching) brick exterior with black accents on the doors, balconies, and window frames. The one thing that really drew me to the building, though, were the gargoyles that’s were perched at the top.
There were eight of them in total, two on each corner on all four sides of the square building. Each one was unique in their own right. Many of them looked like hybrids between different animals but there was one that was distinctly wolf/dog like, a menacing looking dragon, a typical goblin looking gargoyle, and finally, a griffin. Griffin’s are mythological creatures with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle with wings, very majestical looking things, really. They’re also my favorite and I have a tattoo of one on my back left shoulder. My favorite part was that I could admire it from the comfort of my balcony since I had the unit next to the corner apartment on the third floor. Basically meaning that it was a prime spot to admire the architecture.
I’m sure many of you know what a gargoyle is but for those who don’t, gargoyles have an architectural/structural and mythological/spiritual duality to them.
Gargoyles are specifically used in gothic architecture. There’s a reason for why it’s beak is carved open and looks like the griffin is screaming some sort of battle cry. When it rains, the water falling off the roof lands in the trough cut into the gargoyles back and the water exits the open mouth, directed away from the sides of the building. This way the rainwater won’t run down the masonry walls and erode the mortar between- essentially keeping the building’s structural integrity. Some gargoyles look elongated as well, since the farther away the spout is from the building the better. Though typically gargoyles are seen hunched and sitting down, the griffin was standing up, wings stretched, and in a kind of prideful stance. Architects typically used more than one gargoyle to divide the flow of rainwater off the roof in order to keep potential damages at an all time low- hence why there were eight of them on the building.
Mythologically speaking, despite their monstrous appearances, gargoyles are guardians that are known to protect buildings from evil spirits and other supernatural creatures. They also bring no harm to humans. The reason why you can find so many gargoyles on medieval Christian churches is since the churches were on holy ground, the gargoyles helped ward off the devil and evil spirits. Gargoyles were also used to scare people into going to church, saying that the gargoyles would drag their souls down to hell if they didn’t come to worship.
During the day they are stone but at night they shed and come to life. At night those with wings fly around and battle other creatures, only returning to their posts as the sun rises. Their two weaknesses are the sunlight, obviously, and proximity to the building their post is at. Despite this, Gargoyles are somewhat immortal, can shape-shift into a human form, turn other beings they touch into stone, and are invincible and impenetrable at night.
Said to be, anyway, because you know… they aren’t actually real?
Yes, there’s the whole suspended disbelief thing but really? A piece of sculptured stone coming to life at night, how absurd!
At least that’s what I would’ve thought three months ago, before finding out the truth about Gretchen.
I’m a huge nerd, hence the rant about Gargoyles and architecture. Which is good for me since it’s the reason why I got a job as an assistant to the head architect at a prominent firm. The only thing was that I had to relocate from the small town a few hours away I used to live in, to the heart of the city where the firm is located. Which was no problem for me.
Now, I’d never lived in the city before so I knew absolutely nobody and had no idea what I was doing. But hey, at least I got a steal for a studio apartment in a beautifully built building.
It was only the second week I’d been in the city when some of my new co-workers invited me out for drinks. They were all so nice and giddy, so I’d have felt bad if I said anything else but yes. I’m more of an introverted stay at home type of gal, but I figured I’d let loose for one night and make some new friends.
After clocking out of work that day, I made the journey back to my apartment. The first thing I did after returning home was step out onto my balcony and smoke a cigarette, just immersing myself in the hustle and bustle of city life sound. My ass found its way to a cheap lawn chair I’d bought from a sketchy convenience store down the way. I crossed my legs, relaxed, and inhaled as my gaze found the griffin gargoyle. It truly was a remarkable piece of architecture.
I smashed the cigarette butt out in my black plastic ashtray before re-entering my apartment.
I released my long wavy brown hair from the tight bun I’d worn to work before chucking my white button up blouse and short black pencil skirt in my ever so growing pile of dirty work casual clothes. I rubbed the thin layer of makeup on my face off as steam started to fill the bathroom from the hot shower I’d started to run.
After thoroughly cleaning the dirt from work off my body and washing the gel and hairspray off my hair, I dried off, then stepped out of the shower and towards my closet.
That night I decided to go for a simple black noodle strapped dress that went just above my knees pairing the look with some silver heels. I also kept the makeup simple, and my hair simple as well. The last thing I wanted to do was stand out.
And I didn’t, at first.
I met up with my co-workers at a local dive bar. We all greeted one another before heading in to the dimly lit establishment. At first things went ok, us just chatting up about current work stuff, but when they started to reminisce and bring up old inside jokes, I was promptly excluded and then shut out.
I felt a little crummy at first, but then decided it was for the better. Besides, if I wanted to stay here, being invisible was what I needed to be.
I had just finished what I’d decided to be my last cheap beer of the night before going home, when I noticed a very hot, tall, and muscular woman sitting just to my right, staring at me. She had pale skin, long curly black hair, and the most dazzling pair of emerald green eyes I’d ever seen.
Our eyes met for the longest second before my cheeks went red hot and my gaze moved down to the empty brown bottle in my hands. When I looked back up, the very beautiful stranger was no longer in her seat and instead, was making her way towards the very conveniently empty seat right next to me.
I tried my hardest not to stare at her beautifully sculpted physique, but it was basically all I could do considering she was merely wearing a black sports bra and very tight fitting bike shorts. She reminded me of She-Hulk a little bit.
So much for not standing out if I caught the eye of someone like her.
“What’s your name?” She asked in a medium velvety smooth voice as she took a seat next to me. She motioned to the bartender to get her another drink.
“M-Mavis. Mavis Ames.” I stuttered out, dumbly, fighting the drool that threatened to fall out of my mouth.
She let out a chuckle, and I didn’t know if it was the beer or not, but the sudden closeness of the chiseled lady made me very warm.
“And you’re…?” I asked after a long silence.
“Gretchen.”
“Just Gretchen?”
She chuckled before downing the shot of tequila she ordered,” just Gretchen.”
“So, just Gretchen,” I began, warring with myself if I should flirt with her or not,” how old are you?”
“Getting right to it, aren’t ya?! I’m at the crisp, ripe old age of twenty-two. How about yourself?” She answered.
“Twenty-one.”
“That explains the beer!” She laughed. “Only inexperienced drinkers would drink that cardboard tasting shit.”
“Or broke drinkers…” I said to myself. If she heard my comment she ignored it.
“So I saw you came in with those bunch of assholes.” Gretchen said after ordering two rum and cokes for us. She pointed to the group of co-workers I’d came in with who were in the middle of leaving the bar, without me.
“Yeah… they kinda invited me out but then ended up ghosting me.” I replied lamely, rubbing my arm nervously.
“Well fuck em!” She cheered as the bartender handed us our drinks. “What do you do for work anyway?”
“I’m an assistant for the head architect at some firm. Nothing special for now, but hopefully I can work my way up.”
Gretchen shot me a crooked, approving, smile before taking a sip of her rum and Coke, which prompted me to take a sip of mine as well.
“You?” I asked back, trying to shoot the shit with her.
“Oh, me? I’m just a security guard.”
“Oh cool! Where?” I asked, genuinely intrigued.
“Meh, it’s kinda freelance work. Wherever I’m needed.”
“So, that griffin tattoo peeking out from under your dress there,” she added,” any significance?”
“Oh,” I chuckled nervously as I turned in my chair, and lowered my dress strap so she could see it better,” well it’s my first and only tattoo so far. I got it right after I turned eighteen. I dunno why I got it, I just really like griffin’s.” I explained.
“Well, Griffin’s do symbolize courage, and you mighty lion, seem to have a lot of it.”
I blushed, hard, at the compliment. “I guess I’ve never thought about it like that. Hard times it was then. Still are I suppose.”
I took another sip of my rum and Coke, coughed like an idiot when it went down the wrong pipe, and then downed the rest of it like a real woman. Gretchen chuckled to herself and we sat there for a bit, not saying a word. A little bit of awkward tension formed in the air between us.
“C’mon have a shot with me!” She suddenly shouted, breaking the tension and putting a firm arm around my neck, cheering me on to join her.
“I-I’d rather not.” I replied nervously, gently moving her arm off me. “I don’t trust myself when I’m drunk.” I was already dangerously tipsy at that point, feeling a warm buzz come over me.
“Why?” Gretchen asked slyly, as she rested her chin on her hand and smiled this amazing smile at me.
“Because I’d do something like this-“ I said before leaning in and kissing her, all logic flying out the window as my desires overtook me.
Instead of her pulling back, like Becky Meyers did when I tried to kiss her back in ninth grade, Gretchen kissed me back after her initial moment of shock. Things got pretty heated after that, and we hailed a cab back over to my place.
Best. Sex. Of. My. Life.
“You just move in?” Gretchen asked the next morning, taking a sip of the dark roast I’d brewed for her. I woke up at four thirty in the morning to her trying to sneak out of my apartment. She explained that she had to go to work, but I convinced her to stay and have breakfast with me for a little while.
Her assumption was correct, besides some cheap furniture I’d bought and unpacked boxes staked in the corner of my living room/bedroom, the apartment was practically empty.
“Yup.” I answered as I cracked an egg into a pan. “The move was pretty spontaneous so I couldn’t really bring much. Not that I had a lot anyway.” I’d confessed.
“What did you do before this job?” She asked in between sips.
I cracked two more eggs into the pan before starting to scramble them with the spatula I was using. I then took a piece of recently fried bacon and stuck it in my mouth. “Just some freelance temp work. Kind of like you. I just went where I was needed.”
“Don’t you think it’s kind of dangerous living alone like this in the city?” Gretchen asked spontaneously after I’d set down a plate of bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast in front of her. “Especially since you’re so young?”
“You’re only a year older than I am.” I retorted back defensively.
“Right…” she muttered to herself before taking a bite out of her toast. “But I have roommates, and you’re all alone.”
“Well, not that it’s any of your business, but I’m perfectly fine all on my own. It’s been me, myself, and I ever since I was sixteen.” I said annoyed. I don’t know why, but something deep inside me told me I could trust Gretchen with that last bit of information.
“I- I didn’t mean it like that!” She said, waving her hands frantically.
I sighed. “I know you didn’t. It’s just a sore subject for me.”
“You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.”
That’s the problem. I’d only known her for a few hours, but I wanted to spill all my guts out to the girl. I was so enamored with her, it was like I was a fly stuck on a sexy spider’s web.
“My mom threw me out after I came out to her.” I admitted. “Well, actually I was outed by the girl I thought had feelings for me too. That same sorrowful and pitiful look crossed her face and I found myself pissed off. Everyone always gave me that look when I told them.
“Tensions were ever growing between us then anyway, so it was only a matter of time before I left.” I said quickly, waving it off. “You know how small towns are and everything when it comes to these things.” I blurted out after a moment of awkward silence.
“That sucks, and I’m truly sorry.” Gretchen said after finishing her food. She then gave me a hug from behind and kissed my cheek. “Moms are overrated anyway.”
“Yeah.” I chuckled. “Except for your mom, she did an excellent job with you.”
Gretchen then left a trail of sweet kisses down my check and onto my neck before bringing them back up and kissing me on the lips.
“C’mon why don’t you call out or something? It’s Saturday and we can spend the whole day in bed.”
Gretchen seemed to consider the idea before rubbing my shoulders gently. “I wish I could, but I can’t. Maybe another day.”
“At least stay to watch the sunrise with me.” I pleaded, motioning to the first golden rays peeking above the horizon outside.
“Ah shit, the time!” She shouted suddenly. She then ran by the door and started shoving her tennis shoes on. “I gotta go… or I’ll be late for work!”
“Will I at least see you again?” I asked dramatically, like we were in some rom-com or something.
“I know where you live!” She shouted back before promptly closing my door behind her. A second later a text notification pinged on my phone;
Plus I put your number in my phone ;)
I spent that whole Saturday thinking of Gretchen and our time together that night. God it was like I was in high school again.
Gretchen showed up at my door the next night wanting to take me on a date. She took me out to a restaurant and wore this beautiful red sequined dress with a slit on the upper thigh. It went extremely well and I got to know a little bit more about her. She didn’t tell me too much about her personal life, but I think that air of mystique surrounding her is what drew me in.
She rooms with her three best friends she met in high school and they all pay rent for a decent sized apartment where she has her own space and everything. She loves to workout and keep her muscular physique, which I also do happen to love, and she’s always been interested in protecting and helping people so she became a security guard.
I, on the other hand, couldn’t help but tell her my tragic and depressing life story, which I think soured the mood. My dad killed himself after I was born and my mom blames me for it. I was always the black sheep of the family, could never be the daughter my mother never wanted, which was especially true when she found out about my sexuality. She was so ashamed to have a lesbian daughter she kicked me out the second Becky told everyone I’d tried to kiss her. That bitch was in it for the long con. Everywhere I went bad things seemed to follow and bad people wanted to ruin my life, which is why I never stayed in one particular place for long. I didn’t even mention my dating life to her because that in and of itself was a crazy whirlwind nobody wants to hear about.
Truth be told, I was envious of Gretchen. She had everything; a job she loved, beauty, brawn, she was smart and had amazing friends, with a family that supported her.
I didn’t have an education past the tenth grade, I’m not skull crushingly beautiful like Gretchen, and I was all alone. Hell I got ditched by the people who invited me out drinking that one night!
Although every fiber of my being was telling me that Gretchen was far out of my league, I couldn’t help but continue to persue a relationship with her. It was like Becky all over again. I had convinced myself nothing would go wrong this time, and that maybe I’d finally found the one to spend the rest of my life with.
Just one more teeny-weeny relationship. Nothing would happen this time, right? Famous last words.
Gretchen and I went through that honeymoon phase every couple goes through. We went on a lot of dates, hung out at night, and had amazing sex. Gretchen even took me to the dive bar we met at and introduced me to her friends/roommates.
I swear to god all of them looked like chiseled Greek Gods and Goddesses. There was Brody, he had short blonde hair and blue eyes. I could definitely tell he was the golden retriever of the group. He was super kind to me. Then there was Fantasia. She was the shortest out of the rest of them and had short layered black hair. She was of East Asian descent and seemed to be the edgy goth girl of the group. Then, finally there was Evan. He had long shaggy dark brown hair and didn’t say much to me. I feel like he didn’t really like me.
I felt a lot of anxiety that night. I wanted Gretchen’s friends to like me because I had developed some pretty serious feelings for her at that point. I was thinking of staying for a lot longer than I’d planned to, which is something I don’t do often. While Brody and Fantasia seemed to tolerate me, Evan was a different story. I resolved myself to believing he would come around one day, he just needed to warm up to me.
And alas, as all good things do, the honeymoon period ended.
The thing that really annoyed me was that Gretchen only texted me at night and ignored me during the day. Of course her excuse was because of her job, but security guards sit on their asses most of their shift (that’s what I think anyway) so she shouldn’t be that tired in the morning when she gets off of work. She could’ve at the most reacted to some of the memes I’d sent her, but no, complete and utter radio silence.
That’s another thing, we only ever went on dates or hung out at night. Never during the day, especially on my off days when I wanted to spend them with her.
Well, now of course I know why, but back then I didn’t.
And then things started to happen, things I was afraid of.
First, it was the calls and texts. I ignored her, and cursed at her for somehow getting my new phone number (I didn’t keep in contact with anyone from where I previously lived). Then it was the letters showing up in my mailbox. When I came home from work one day and found a pink envelope had been slid under my front door, I almost passed out.
I started to distance myself from Gretchen then. Whenever she swung by I’d start petty little arguments.
I fucking accused her of cheating on me when my landlord came by one night when Gretchen was with me. He got upset with her being there and I was amazed that my landlord even knew her.
Even though she was upset with me for accusing her like that, she actively kept trying to make it up to me. I feel like an ass looking back on it. But I had my reasons and I thought to put the wedge between us for her own good.
Everything crescendoed last night when I was followed home from work. Ever since the pink love letters started showing up underneath my door, I’d grown very paranoid, looking over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure I was safe.
I’d stayed late to help my boss with some blueprints he’d gotten behind on. The sky was dark and cloudy, which heightened my paranoia. I refused the offer for a ride home from my boss and instead opted to walk home.
I knew, I just knew some shit was going to go down and I didn’t want to drag anybody else into my drama.
It was the sound of those godforsaken heels click clacking against the pavement that clued me in. I’d got her them as a Christmas present the previous year and she wore them all the time. A dark pit formed in my stomach as I walked on, pretending to be oblivious.
Even though semi-covered by a gray hood, I recognized the familiar blonde bouncy hair of my ex-girlfriend, Marney, bobbing up and down as I caught her walking a distance behind me when pretending to take a picture with my phone. A sinister look was plastered all over her face.
I hastened my pace ever so slightly so she wouldn’t catch on that I knew she was following me. I eventually made it to my apartment building, and felt oodles better when I made it to the safety of the lobby. Marney probably wouldn’t try anything in public.
I took the stairs up to my floor and immediately went to the balcony, after tucking a knife into my sleeve. I already knew she knew where I lived so all I could really do was wait for her to show up.
It took a second for my hands to stop shaking enough for me to light a cigarette. My anxiety slowly mellowed out as the butt of my cigarette got smaller and smaller. It was dreary and getting dark outside. Everything felt like shit, and yet, somehow looking at that griffin gargoyle made me feel safer, like it would come to life like in the legends and protect me from any harm that would come my way.
Thunder rumbled in the distance as rain started falling from the almost night sky.
“Please little griffin,” I said, looking up at it as a waterfall had started to trickle out of its mouth, squashing my cigarette out in the ashtray,” won’t you come save me?” I then sighed a deep sigh, stood in the rain for a second, and then went inside.
A few minutes later a knock came at my front door.
“This is it.” I said to myself as I readied the knife in my sleeve.
Instead of coming face to face with yet another stalker ex of mine, it was Gretchen at the door. Her hair was soaking wet and her clothes were drenched too. She wore a plain white T-shirt with a pair of black sweatpants.
“Gretchen?” I asked, a little relieved, as she took a step into my apartment, making herself at home. “What are you doing here? Look! You’re all wet, let me get you a towel.”
“We made plans to hang out, remember?” She said, wrapping the fresh towel I’d given her around her hair. I’d put the knife down inconspicuously by then.
“Did we?” I asked, combing the files in my brain for this information. “I must’ve forgotten.”
“Yeah, and I forgot to bring an umbrella. We’re two forgetful sons of bitches aren’t we?”
“Mhm.” I answered despondently. I got real quiet then.
“Something on your mind, Mavis?” Gretchen asked, concerned as she took a seat next to me on my bed, putting her hand on mine.
“Listen, Gretchen, I love you,” I started, already feeling the tears welling up in my eyes. Gretchen’s eyes lit up in surprise.
“I love you too Mave!” She whispered excitedly.
“But-“ I continued,” we should break up.”
“W-why would you suggest something like that?” Gretchen asked, shocked, dazed, and confused.
“Because I was stupid enough to let myself have you, to believe someone like me and someone like you could ever be in a relationship together.”
“Mavis-“
“Not only that, but I really don’t know you.”
“Yes you do, don’t say that!” She shouted, grabbing onto my hands. I quickly ripped mine away from hers. “You’ve met my friends, you know my job, you know me Mavis! You know me!”
“I’ve never been to your apartment!” I countered. “I’ve never met your parents! You never talk about them. I don’t even know where you grew up, your family, where you went to high school, I don’t even know your friends, Gretch!”
“Then, I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you everything, just please don’t do this…” she begged as tears started falling from her eyes.
“You never even talk to me during the day! You literally ghost me every single day. It’s like you’re a vampire or something!” I told her.
“It’s because I’m sleeping, then Mavis. That’s not fair! You know I work the night shift and sleep during the day!”
“Well, I don’t care, Gretchen! I’m done. We’re over and that’s final.”
“Mavis-“ she said weakly.
“It’s for your own good, anyway.” I whispered as I fell to my knees and started sobbing. Gretchen rushed to my side and stayed there even after my attempts to swat her away. “My mother was right, I am cursed!”
“No, no you’re not, Mavis.” Gretchen whispered into my ear as she rubbed my arm.” You’re just human with human problems… If anybody’s cursed, it’s me.”
I found it in myself to bring my gaze to hers. I looked up into her teary eyes and tried to tell her she wasn’t cursed without the words leaving my mouth. I tried to tell her that she was perfect in every single way and I didn’t deserve her. Our breaths grew heavier as our faces grew closer. Our lips were almost embraced in a kiss.
Suddenly the sound of glass shattering filled my apartment. Loud wind gushed in as cold rain fell in through the broken window. A bright flash of lightning lit up the sky as an earth shattering thunder followed quickly behind it. The power to my apartment suddenly cut out.
A maniacal giggle came from the crouched figure covered in glass that sat in the middle of my living room. As if in an anime, Marney turned her face towards me and it was like her eyes had gone pure black. In her hand was a gun.
I felt Gretchen’s body uncover me as she took up a protective stance in front of me, sheltering me from Marney, who too stood up and got in a fighting stance. I felt a shiver run through me, there’s no way Gretchen could beat a gun.
“You think you’re safe hiding behind this cheating bitch?” Marney yelled crazily. “You’re mine, Mavis! You’ll always be mine! And if I can’t have you, nobody can!”
My worst fears had come to fruition. My crazy ex-girlfriend was here to kill me.
As Marney raised the gun and readied it, Gretchen looked behind her and down at me,” I told you I’d tell you everything, babe.”
“Gretchen, No!” I screamed, reaching an arm out to her, after the loud bang of the gun sounded off.
Marney laughed crazily, but her laughs quickly subsided as she stared at Gretchen confused.
Instead of hearing a wet squelch coming from Gretchen’s flesh as the bullet pierced it, I heard dulled thwack and saw the bullet fall to the floor.
“What- the? How is this possible?” Marney yelled.
I quickly got off the ground behind Gretchen and slowly inched my way towards my kitchen. Marney was too focused on the scene in front of her to point the gun at me. The sound of rocks rubbing against each other echoes through my studio apartment as I finally got a good front view of Gretchen.
She was looking at me, like she was relieved to show me her self, her true self. I brought my hand up to my mouth as stone manifested itself from nowhere onto Gretchen’s skin. Suddenly two large stone wings emerged from out of her back as her facial features morphed into those of a stone eagle. Gretchen’s clothes were ripped to shreds as her lower body’s physical makeup changed into that of a lion. She looked like a griffin. A familiar looking griffin.
As the large stone behemoth in front of me let out a loud roar directed towards Marney, I slipped outside onto the balcony quickly to look at the griffin gargoyle’s perch. My heart sank down to my stomach. The perch was empty, in fact all the perches were empty!
“What the hell?” I murmured to myself as I slipped back into my apartment. I rubbed my eyes and pinched myself to see if I was dreaming, but no, the griffin gargoyle was there in the middle of my living room.
Marney was screaming her head off waving the gun around and firing it randomly at Gretchen, “Die, fucker, die!!”
The burnt smell of gunpowder filled my apartment as the bullets hit against Gretchen’s stone skin. They didn’t even penetrate the stone or ricochet off it, the bullets simply folded in on themselves and fell to the floor.
I quickly grabbed the knife from earlier and slowly made my way up behind Marney. At the same time Gretchen closed the gap between her and my ex.
I readied the knife as Gretchen roared once more. Another lightning strike lit up the night sky. In the darkness that followed I struck, pressing deep and dragging the blade’s serrated edge across the skin on Marney’s throat.
The gun fell to the floor as Marney’s hands went limp. Blood spattered everywhere as the terrible sound of her choking on her own blood filled the empty space in my apartment. Marney’s body fell to the floor as she breathed her last gurgling breaths, before wasting away there on my floor.
As if the nightmare was over, the lights to my apartment came back on. Gretchen, still a gargoyle, began eating the remains of my ex-girlfriend and even lapped up all the blood that spilt on the floor. In seconds the evidence of my crime was destroyed.
The knife still in hand, I fell to the ground and Gretchen looked at me in all her gargoyle-ness. I scooted back, still in shock and still a little scared.
Seconds later the stone receded and Gretchen the Griffin Gargoyle was just human Gretchen.
She stood there, naked and covered in blood, just staring at me awkwardly.
“A fucking security guard, huh?” I breathlessly laughed out a moment later. Gretchen laughed too and I stood up and ran over to her, embracing her into a hug. She squeezed back tightly and I think one of my ribs cracked.
“You’re a gargoyle?” I asked, incredulously.
“Y-yeah. I wanted to tell you but you know-“ Gretch admitted.
“That actually makes a lot of sense, thinking back on it.” I giggled.
“I knew there was something about you that made me want to hold you tight and protect you.” Gretchen admitted as she walked over to my closet and put some of my comfy clothes on (they didn’t really fit her though).
“Well I guess that is in your nature, but what do you mean?” I questioned, sitting on her lap and holding her hands, even more in love with her than ever before.
“You were right. You were cursed. That poor girl was possessed by an evil love spirit. It must’ve been following you your whole life.” Gretchen said, her gaze not leaving mine.
“That would explain all the crazy ex-girlfriends stalking and trying to kill me. She’s the reason why I had to leave my last place and come here. I thought I could escape and avoid her, but obviously that didn’t work out.”
“Well it’s all over now, Mavis. I’ve taken care of that pesky spirit, so you’re free now. And you set that girl free too.” I smiled as it felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Gretchen then kissed me and it was a long and tender one. I wanted it to go on forever.
“God, I still can’t believe you’re a gargoyle.” I said after she pulled her lips away from mine.
“I can’t believe you actually killed her.” Gretchen laughed, matching my energy. “It looked like you’ve done it before.”
“Well, there was a reason I had to leave my previous place before I met Marney. I always tried to run away from them when they got crazy to avoid all this,” I motioned to my broken window and messy apartment,” but they always seem to find me. There was only one way to escape them. Plus, I couldn’t let the cops catch on to me.” I confessed.
“God, I fucking love you.” Gretchen said as she kissed my forehead, cradling me like a baby.
“I fucking love you too, babe.” I said before kissing her again.
We made sweet sweet love last night, and needlessly to say we didn’t break up. Everything is actually pretty amazing right now between us.
So, uh, yeah, I guess my girlfriend is a gargoyle.