Don’t ask me how it happened. It just did. I couldn’t help it! Please…don’t judge me for this. I’m not a bad person, I swear! I can’t help who I fall in love with!
It was summertime with I first met him many years ago. I was walking home from the supermarket, completely unaware that my life was about to change forever. I strolled along, and was about to open up that day’s newspaper when he caught my eye.
I saw him leaning against a tree, eating a red apple. He was very tall and looked quite strong. Now, I’m not one for love at first sight, but my heart fluttered as I watched his dark hair fall gently in front of his jade green eyes. As he shook it out of his face, I placed a hand on my heart, sure I was about to faint clean away.
And then he saw me. Had I known then what I do know, I might have seen the evil glint in his eyes, the malice in his smile. At the time, though, all I could focus on was the perfection of his gleaming white teeth as he beamed at me.
I decided to talk to him. I took a deep breath, and walked up, smiling – a move that years later I would regret more than life itself.
“Hey”, he said, smiling at me charmingly.
“Hi”, I said, smiling like a dope. Think, I told myself. Engage in conversation! “Good apple?” I asked, nodding towards the fruit in his hand. My inner self rolled its eyes at the dumb question, but at least it was something.
“Sure”, he said.
“Best time of year for apples”.
“You should have seen where it came from. Beautiful orchid – absolutely amazing. Although, if you’ll excuse me for being so straightforward, not nearly as beautiful as you”.
I blushed furiously. I was ecstatic, of course – he had called me beautiful! By this point, I was so infatuated that there was no turning around. We talked for a little bit longer. And then a little bit longer. And then a lot longer. We stayed in that park, walking and talking together until the sun went down. When we finally parted, I couldn’t stop grinning. I was literally drunk on love –it had taken over my mind. I continued my walk home, leaving my newspaper abandoned on the side of the road, having not even glanced at the front page.
The next morning, I was woken by the doorbell at 5 AM. I stumbled down the hall, still in my pajamas – who would call at this hour? The sun wasn’t even up yet.
“London City Police Department, ma’am”, the officer at my door introduced himself, showing me his badge. “I understand you have been associating with a criminal”.
I was so shocked, I didn’t know what to say. Me? Associating with a criminal? Never! I was the girl who in high school called the parents of anyone I caught drinking. I was the girl who had declined dating until my parents gave me permission at age 16. I was the girl who would literally pluck cigarettes from the mouths of underage people and stamp them out. How on earth could I have ever associated with a criminal?
“Oh my heavens! Who?”
“This man”, the officer said, showing me a photo. When I saw it, I stopped breathing. My eyes didn’t blink, and instead stared in horror. For the photograph was of me and that beautiful man, holding hands while walking in the park just that previous evening. “He has been convicted of the murder of 10 people over the last decade – 4 of which were under the age of 18”.
My mind screamed at me to deny it, but I knew I couldn’t. My lover was a criminal. And I was his next victim.
It was summertime with I first met him many years ago. I was walking home from the supermarket, completely unaware that my life was about to change forever. I strolled along, and was about to open up that day’s newspaper when he caught my eye.
I saw him leaning against a tree, eating a red apple. He was very tall and looked quite strong. Now, I’m not one for love at first sight, but my heart fluttered as I watched his dark hair fall gently in front of his jade green eyes. As he shook it out of his face, I placed a hand on my heart, sure I was about to faint clean away.
And then he saw me. Had I known then what I do know, I might have seen the evil glint in his eyes, the malice in his smile. At the time, though, all I could focus on was the perfection of his gleaming white teeth as he beamed at me.
I decided to talk to him. I took a deep breath, and walked up, smiling – a move that years later I would regret more than life itself.
“Hey”, he said, smiling at me charmingly.
“Hi”, I said, smiling like a dope. Think, I told myself. Engage in conversation! “Good apple?” I asked, nodding towards the fruit in his hand. My inner self rolled its eyes at the dumb question, but at least it was something.
“Sure”, he said.
“Best time of year for apples”.
“You should have seen where it came from. Beautiful orchid – absolutely amazing. Although, if you’ll excuse me for being so straightforward, not nearly as beautiful as you”.
I blushed furiously. I was ecstatic, of course – he had called me beautiful! By this point, I was so infatuated that there was no turning around. We talked for a little bit longer. And then a little bit longer. And then a lot longer. We stayed in that park, walking and talking together until the sun went down. When we finally parted, I couldn’t stop grinning. I was literally drunk on love –it had taken over my mind. I continued my walk home, leaving my newspaper abandoned on the side of the road, having not even glanced at the front page.
The next morning, I was woken by the doorbell at 5 AM. I stumbled down the hall, still in my pajamas – who would call at this hour? The sun wasn’t even up yet.
“London City Police Department, ma’am”, the officer at my door introduced himself, showing me his badge. “I understand you have been associating with a criminal”.
I was so shocked, I didn’t know what to say. Me? Associating with a criminal? Never! I was the girl who in high school called the parents of anyone I caught drinking. I was the girl who had declined dating until my parents gave me permission at age 16. I was the girl who would literally pluck cigarettes from the mouths of underage people and stamp them out. How on earth could I have ever associated with a criminal?
“Oh my heavens! Who?”
“This man”, the officer said, showing me a photo. When I saw it, I stopped breathing. My eyes didn’t blink, and instead stared in horror. For the photograph was of me and that beautiful man, holding hands while walking in the park just that previous evening. “He has been convicted of the murder of 10 people over the last decade – 4 of which were under the age of 18”.
My mind screamed at me to deny it, but I knew I couldn’t. My lover was a criminal. And I was his next victim.
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