Wasted coworkers at the accounting office were like toddlers at a birthday party. I thought to myself as I slowly sipped my "festive" drink. Though in all reality, this festive drink was just cheap liquor in shiny gold and silver plastic cups with "Happy New Year" written in blue glitter on the sides to look somewhat more inviting. Instead of mouths blindly stuffing their throats in cake and ice cream, their mouths drunkenly shoved their tongues down each other's throats. The image appeared, and I shuddered at such a picture. I stared inside the cup, my reflection appeared in the liquor. I continued wishing I was home. The office was having a New Year's party, even though the start of the new year was yesterday. We chose to celebrate today because we'll have the weekend for everyone to recover from partying a bit too hard. "Another new year, another year I feel like I'm getting nowhere in life. I'll be lonely until I die. I'll be buried alone anyway!" Lonnie slurred. She's obviously drunk, she was always a light weight. I remember the parties after high school I went to and she'd be too drunk to walk after one beer. The memory of when she started singing a bunch of awful pop songs and then tried to kiss Devon multiple times when the company had the annual Halloween party was an embarrassing nightmare. I'm sure that will happen again... "Now, Lonnie. I'm sure it'll be better sooner or later, you'll have someone. And once you find that special someone, he'll love you forever." I replied. It was the only thing I could say that can be heard, she's too drunk to understand my complex conversation of encouragement. Her arms wrapped around my arm kind of tight. Luckily it wasn't the arm that held my drink, despite the liquor being cheap it was decent, and I just yet couldn't part with it. "I just don't get it. Amara, how are you single?" Lonnie sniffled. That question was random, I typically don't ask myself that. I don't focus on beauty on a constant basis, so I usually don't care. "You're sooooo young and pretty! Like makeup model pretty! You could get any guy begging on their knees for you!" Me? Young? Being 24, I didn't feel so young. I feel like I'm in my mid-thirties. Pretty? No. Lonnie, now she was young and pretty. Being 25, her curly scarlet red hair flowed down to her lower back. Her iconic freckles covered most of her cheeks and nose. Her crimson lips trembled as if she was going to cry. Her electric blue eyes stared at me as I stared back at them. She had the body of a ballerina, but not the grace of one. Now it got me thinking about myself. Maybe I could get a makeover. My hair could use a trim. It has gotten a bit long and uneven. I like it when it's at least touching my shoulders, but I haven't had the time nor energy to trim it. Maybe I could dye it? Brown is too ordinary; would I look good as a blond? How about black? Maybe be a redhead like Lonnie? Straight golden-brown hair is what I've always been used to though. Whatever. "Lonnie, I have to go to the bathroom, do you mind letting go of my arm?" She suddenly looked at me. She looked at my arm and looked at me again. "Sorry, I forgot. I just needed someone to talk to." Now I feel bad, she's drunk and she's wrapped herself on my arm. It's a party, not single's anonymous crying hour. Only way to get out of this. "How about you talk to Elijah over there? "He looks like he could use some conversation. You're a social butterfly Lonnie!" I said with excitement. I tried my absolute best to sound enthusiastic. Lonnie looked over at Elijah, she gazed at him for a couple seconds, glanced down at the floor and said nothing. I had to say, Elijah was quite a good-looking guy. Sand colored skin, black hair that's shaven at the sides and had a pompadour look to it in the middle and looked as if it was curled, soft welcoming brown eyes that was hidden behind amber colored thick squared glasses, and always had an earnest smile. By just looking at his physique and watching him work, he has the strength of a linebacker but the elegance of a figure skater. He was overall a friendly and timid individual. Everyone at the office enjoyed having him around regardless if he was an introvert and didn't talk much. We've been friends since we were freshman in college. He was just as shy when we met, but over time he opened to me more and more. I knew Lonnie had a little crush on Elijah, it was plain as day. Well now I see why Lonnie is hesitant. Well time to do what I do best. I began to walk, while Lonnie was still wrapped around me. I kept going. I walked toward Elijah, who was sitting in one of the office chairs. He looked like he didn't want to be there much either, I felt the same way. Lonnie realized what I was doing and grabbed my arm tighter. "What are you doing!?" Lonnie loudly whispered to me as we walked. Elijah looked up and peered at me in a confused stare. "Elijah, I just so happened to notice you look completely bored! And Lonnie here could use some fresh air, how about you two get to know each other better by the windows and enjoy this wonderful winter night! What do you say?" This should work right? Elijah's face was bare, but his smile shined through. "Sure, why not?" Elijah answered. I looked at Lonnie and her face became as red as her hair. Elijah stood up from his chair and faced me and Lonnie. I never noticed how tall he was until he was standing in front of me. Just by standing in front of him, I'll take a guess and say he's probably 6'4. Lonnie slowly let go from my arm and began to walk towards Elijah. He turned towards her and smiled at her, I felt awkward and out place, but I had to say something to them to mark my leave. "Well, have fun you two!" Lonnie and Elijah were walking to the huge snowy windows that had an amazing view of the streets and buildings of the city. She turned her head and she mouthed "Thank you." Now she can finally socialize with other beings, hopefully she won't screw this up. Well now that I'm free, I can at last head to the bathroom. Walking past the decorated cubicles from Christmas made me remember the forced secret Santa's, extremely ugly sweaters, and terrible off key caroling. Seeing everyone celebrating the new year by telling each other and themselves empty new year's resolutions that will fall flat in a matter of a week and drinking until they don't know their coworker's names was something to be expected. "Typical" I just so happened to say under my breath. I finally made it to the bathrooms. I opened the door and stepped in, all the stalls are empty. Thank God. I was still holding my drink, I forgot about it. I hated wasting things, but it had to be done, I poured it down the drain in the sink and threw the cup in the trash that was next to the sink. I stared in the mirror. "You're sooooo pretty!" Lonnie's words spiraled in my head. I'm nowhere near pretty, she was drunk. She obviously didn't mean it. The reflection in the mirror that stared at me was NOT pretty. Boring straight golden-brown hair, the attractive girls as I seen in magazines and on TV had lengthy perfect hair with vibrant colors that turned heads. My hair reached a little past my shoulders. Maybe I should let it grow? Or get that trim I was considering earlier? My eyes are bland too. Also, medium brown eyes are just as common and foreseeable as finding a book in a library. My nose was small and round, thanks mom and dad. I always hated my nose, it looked like a button and I loathed it. Too bad I'm not rich or married to a movie star to get a nose job, that would be wonderful. My lips were nothing special either, they were full I suppose but not like today's trendy celebrity's lips. Maybe I'd look better with a tan? I don't really go out that often, my skin has always been fair, but I want to have an ample tan. Pretty huh? I'm not pretty, never was, and I doubt I ever will. I looked at my phone and noticed the time was 9:56pm. It's getting late. I should head home, I don't plan on staying here any longer than I need to. I should at least tell everyone goodbye, it would be rude of me if I just left. I opened the door and past the same cubicles and towards the crowd in the break room and moved towards the elevators. "Amara!" "Amara Stavros!" "Where do you think you're going?" That voice was familiar, I hear it on a constant basis. It was my boss, Sylvie. Or Mrs. Nelissen. She had a cup in her hand while wearing a party hat that kids would wear at a birthday party. She was an older and proud woman. I think she's 42. Though she always had a serious face, she had a sincere heart. Her marriage goes to prove that, she's been married for 20 years. And her husband and her couldn't have been happier. As usual she always wanted everyone to bond, sometimes against their wills. Like me right now. Everyone all turned and faced me. "Why don't you stay a little longer?" Sean asked. He was wearing a large pair of glittery sunglasses that covered majority of his face and was wearing a top hat that said, "Happy New Year!" made from gold sequins and glitter. Despite also wearing his usual work attire which was a professional suit, his personality was the opposite of professional. He was twenty-six but had the personality of a 6-year-old. My face felt like it was on fire. Sean wants me to stay longer? Me? I didn't even think he acknowledged my presence here! The way I saw Sean was like how the protagonist teenage girl saw her crush in your cliché romance movies. She noticed him, but he never noticed her. Usually there's a happy ending but I disbelieve I would get that happy ending all the others get. I would try to interact with Sean every so often when we worked. I would ask him for help occasionally when I mixed up my numbers or when I needed help with the filing. He was in the cubicle left of me, it'd make sense to ask him for help since he was right next to me. We would have our little water cooler romance, though I'm sure that's not what he saw it as. He probably saw it as a friendly chat between another coworker. All our little interactions were most likely just helping another coworker in his eyes. Sean was a guy that would always have a big goofy smile on his face no matter what. He would always see the good in things and be willing to help even if he gets nothing out of it. He always loved having fun, which got him scolded by the boss countless times because he would play pranks on everyone. Like the one time he covered Devon's entire cubicle with post-it notes that had "Who's the loser now?" written on each one because Devon would always tell Sean post-it notes were for losers and Sean has always loved using them. And the time he put fake tarantulas on Sharon's desk, chair, and cubicle's wall. She was extremely afraid of spiders, she wouldn't stop hyperventilating and was scared to sit in her cubicle for a week. Because she knocked over his pile of papers he spent hours working on and didn't apologize for it. But minus all the pranks, he was the most kindhearted guy I ever met. Maybe that's why I began to like him. I've always liked him ever since I first met him, which was about six months ago. I would fantasize me and him going on little dates and being a happy couple all the time while I worked. His appearance was picture-perfect. His natural black hair was always ruffled, the kind of hair young male models from Los Angeles would have for a summer clothing line. He had the physique of one as well, he clearly was an athlete in high school. He stood 6'5, and his entire body screamed that he was maybe a basketball player or a swimmer. His sky-blue eyes were also what maybe drew me into him, right behind his personality. His smile would light up a room, it was white as a sheet of paper. And as accepting as a puppy. I could sense how genuine his words were whenever he spoke because his smile straight afterwards was honest. "So, Amara, do you mind staying a little longer?" Sean questioned. And he smiled, it was a honey-sweet kind of smile. I couldn't say no to that face. I pulled out my phone again. Now it was 10:13 pm. Well, I guess I have no choice. Everyone is staring at me and expecting an answer. "Well, I don't mind staying a little longer. But when I do leave, no one can convince me to stay even later. That means you too Sean!" I laughed. He cheered out of nowhere and everyone began smiling and went back to partying. I didn't expect him to be so happy that I'm staying. Sean walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder and our eyes met. "I'm so relieved you're staying a little longer Amara. I thought you would rush and leave without spending time with us like when we had other parties in the past." Sean commented. "Oh no, I didn't mean to make it seem as if I didn't want to spend time with everyone. I would be a little tired and would want to get some sleep, so I would just go home. I just didn't think people would question or care if I left a little early." I shyly responded. He looked surprised. "Amara, we would all wonder where you went. During the last party we had, I went and looked for you because everyone kept asking about you. And I wondered where you went to as well." Sean was looking for me? I couldn't believe it. "You're a valuable figure in the company Amara. We appreciate and enjoy having you around as much as possible. Especially me." he grinned. Were my ears messing with me? He really didn't say that, did he? He seriously enjoys being around me? I could feel my heart pounding so intensely that I wonder if he could hear it. I didn't smell alcohol on him and the entire time I was here I didn't see him drink. He wasn't drunk, so were those words honest? Only one way to find out. "Sean? Do you really mean that?" I inquired. He beamed. "Of course, I meant that. Why wouldn't I? Amara, I'm glad to have met you." I stared at him in amazement. I don't know how respond to that. What do I say?! His hand rose from my shoulder and slowly squeezed my hand, it was as warm as his smile. I looked up at him and felt my cheeks flush. Is this really happening?! "So, Amara, I was hoping we could get to know each other more. outside the office. Would that. be alright with you?" my he asked as he looked down at his shoes. No way! No way! This has got to be one of his little pranks! But he sounded serious and a little nervous. I had to respond. "Well. I need some fresh air!" I burst. I hastily removed my hand from his, grabbed coat from office chair and ran to the designated smoking area on this floor. I opened the door and had to quickly embrace the arctic winds as I put on my winter coat. I took out my phone, turned it on, and went to camera mode. I looked at myself. My entire face was as red as the fire extinguisher that was next to me. I shouldn't have run. I should have given a proper answer. Why do I always run? After I calmed down, I walked to the balcony and watched the snowflakes fall gently. Winters here in Maine were always beautiful. This Friday night was calm. There were no cars in the street except the cars of my coworkers. The street lights and other buildings lit the entire city. The view was exquisite. I inhaled deeply and exhaled. I shouldn't have run. I should have stayed and- suddenly a hand immediately grabbed my shoulder! "AHHHH!" I shrieked as loud as I could and swiftly turned around. It was Sean. "Sorry! I didn't expect you to scream!" Sean blurted. He looked surprised and had a sort of pained look on his face. Was it because my reaction to his invitation? I must fix this, and fast. "Sean. I didn't mean to rush out like that. I just was panicky and needed to get some fresh air to escape. I thought you were going to pull some prank on me in front of everyone." His eyes widened, and this time put both of his hands on my shoulders. "Amara, I know I'm one to play pranks and joke around but. I would never joke about how I feel and how I see you. And not to mention, I have no reason to ever do such a thing to you." He began. "Amara, why do you think I'm in a cubicle next to you? Why do you think I never played prank on you? Why do you think I'm always happy to help you? Why do you think I like to go to the water cooler whenever you're there? Don't you ever wonder these things?" He concluded. I was flabbergasted. I never realized. I was blind. I was blinded by constantly imagining that I'll be alone, and I'll continue living in some sort of fantasy. Did he feel the same way I felt about him? "Sean, I want you to be clear and honest with me." I demanded. He just continued to look intently into my eyes. "Of course, why wouldn't I be truthful with you?" I staggered. That threw me off guard. His hands grabbed my shoulders tighter and he hesitated for a second. He took a deep breath and gulped. "Amara.I'm not one to usually believe in such things like love at first sight but...just seeing your face for the first time made me realize that it could be true." He whispered. My heart felt as if it stopped and burst. But not with sadness, no, with happiness! "Sean, now do you really mean that? Saying things like that and not meaning it is the biggest prank you could ever pull on anyone." I nervously chuckled. His face got closer to mine and begun to speak softly "Now what do I have to do to make you believe me?" He sighed. His hands rose from my shoulders and his arms wrapped around my body. He was hugging me! Our faces still close. Though the wind was frigid, his body heat could be compared to a fireplace. The closer I am, the warmer I feel. This feeling I have, I suddenly want to trust this man with my life. I lifted my arms and wrapped them around his neck. I wrapped them as hard as I could. I want him to feel my love for him. I backed up and looked in the eyes. "Sean. I was waiting for a long time to tell you this. I think I'm in love with you. I fell for you the second you introduced yourself to me. I would tell myself that you loved me back and we could be together. I want you know how much I love you. Now you know!" I tried my hardest to say as we were still close to each other. There was awkward silence between us. The only thing I could hear was the wind howling. My body was trembling, and I couldn't control it. My breaths were getting more and more shallow. Sean released his arms from my body and gently placed his hands on my face. My face felt hotter than ever before. "So, I was right." He mumbled. "Huh? What do you- "I sputtered but what I thought would never happened, did. His lips met mine. The embrace was sudden and a surprise, but I welcomed it and refused to pull away. Could this be just dream? No, this is a reality! My reality! It felt as if time itself froze. Though the enchanted spell wore off before too long. His lips left mine. The theory of our love was now officially true. I wanted to stay like that forever. Sean's face was completely flushed. We were like schoolkids that snuck a kiss behind a tree during recess. "I'm sorry! I just couldn't resist. You confessed how you felt and my assumption of us sharing the same feelings were right after all!" he smiled. Now it had to be true. We did share the same feelings after all. It was proven and sealed after our kiss. "Sean?" I asked while looking down. "Yes? What's up?" "I will gladly accept your invite for getting to know each other more. I'd like that, a lot." I exulted. He hugged me again but this time longer than before. Instantly as if now a new reflex, I hugged him right back. All this excitement and acts of expressed feelings made me forget that we were outside on the balcony. The air began to rush through. He put his arm around me and laughed. "We've been out here for a while now, let's head back inside." he said. He opened the door that leads to the way to office and we walked in. I pulled out my phone again and checked the time, it was later than I thought. It was now 11:08 pm. "Sean, I'd love to enjoy yours and everyone else's company more, but I stayed longer than I anticipated. I'm going to head home now." I mentioned. He looked slightly disappointed but at the same time somewhat content. But then he gave that trademark smile that could melt all the snow in the entire state. I automatically knew what he was going to say would be true, all because that smile. "That's okay Amara. You said it yourself, once you leave no one can convince you. Not even me." He laughed. I chuckled. Though I was extremely tired and wanted to go home as soon as possible, I can't just leave knowing that someone has confessed their feelings for me. I would regret just leaving without trying something. "How about we leave together then?" I questioned. He gave me a puzzled look on his face, like he didn't expect me to ask such a question. "Like, leave to your house?" he hesitantly asked. "We can walk to my house and I guess enjoy the scenery that this city has to offer? What do you say?" I asked. "I mean, I would love to, but I promised Sylvie that I would stay to help clean up since the janitors won't be here tomorrow or Sunday. She doesn't want to give the janitors extra work because of us reliving our college days!" he laughed. I was a bit saddened, but him being his usual helpful self made me realize that's one thing I'll always love about him. "Alright then, well I'll be off then." I said. "Wait! Amara, hold on." He abrupted. Then he looked as if he was going to say something, but he didn't. "Yes? What's wrong?" "Well, I was just wondering if we could.you know. exchange phone numbers? So, we could talk and stuff when we're not in the office. Good idea, right?" I just couldn't refuse the offer that was just given to me. "Yeah, sure! That is a pretty good idea." I beamed. We both pulled out our phones, I gave him my number and he gave me his. "Well, now that is that out of the way, I'll be seeing you Sean." I smiled. "Let me at least walk you to the elevator." He said as he held the door that lead back inside for me. "Wow, aren't you a gentleman." I chuckled. "My lady" he said with a bow. As we walked, I noticed the excitement died down. Lonnie and Elijah were still chatting and they both seemed to be enjoying themselves. Sylvie was doing a little concert for the other employees, she wasn't drunk or anything. She just loved making everyone smile and have a good time. I saw Devon come up and join her, they all seemed to be having a blast. Me and Sean walked to the elevator, and I pushed the button to go down. As we waited for the elevator to come up he looked around as if he was looking for something. The elevator finally came up and the door opened, he grabbed my hand and gazed into my eyes before I could enter the door. "I, well. I just wanted to tell you to have a good night Amara." he sputtered. Once again, he was red-faced, it was cute in a way. I grabbed his hand back and squeezed it gently and smiled. "You too Sean. I'll see you later" I grinned. I stepped in the elevator and pushed the button to take me to the lobby. He was waving at me until the door closed. Once the door closed I put my hand inside my coat and onto my chest to feel my heartbeat. It was beating profoundly. I had to practice deep breaths. I couldn't control myself, did all that really happen? I pinched myself on my hand to see if I was dreaming. Yep, it wasn't a dream. He told me that he enjoys being around me, he confessed his feelings for me, and he even kissed me! That's all too good to be true! I guess my happy ending has finally come to me after all this time. Unexpectedly my phone vibrated, I took it out of my pocket and my heart dropped. It was a text from Sean. "Hey, sorry to bother you but I was wondering if you'd like to hang out tomorrow??? Maybe we could go to a café or the park or other places cool kids like to hang? Let me know if you're up for it. ~Sean" He ended the text message with three emojis that had a big smile. If I do go, will it be like a date?! Me and Sean on a date? The door of the elevator opened. I began making my way towards the door of the lobby that leads outside. But I realized that I had to respond to Sean's text message. But what should I say? How do I respond to such an offer? I turned on my phone and stared at the text. "Omg, cool! Okay! I'd love to! Sounds fun, can't wait!" I typed. No, that sounds too excited. I deleted it. "Sure whatever, I'll text you when I'm ready to go" I tried. That sounded cold and kind of harsh. What do I say?! I took a deep breath. "Hey Sean, hanging out is a great idea! How about the café and park? We could kill two birds with one stone. We can grab something to eat and take a walk in the park." I typed. That sounded pretty good. It didn't sound desperate and it didn't sound mean. I reread it about three times to make sure my spelling was correct, and it sounded just perfect. I took another deep breath and I hit send. I shoved my phone back into my pocket and opened the door and began walking outside. Fortunately, my house wasn't too far from my job, so walking was always one of my method of transportation. Though unfortunately, it was snowing, and the wind was putting up quite a fight. But I'll just have to bite the bullet and make my route. But before I could, my phone buzzed. Sean texted back! "Hey! That's a great idea, I don't know why I didn't think of that LOL. So, we can meet at Blue's Bakery and Café and stuff our faces and then we can stroll through Niya Square and enjoy some good old-fashioned nature. Sounds like a plan to me! How's noon sound?" I couldn't believe it! All I must do now is confirm the time, is noon good? Of course, usually on my days off I sit around and watch TV. It's not like I do anything interesting or important. "I'll be completely free at noon. You picked a good time. See you tomorrow!" I feel like I'm the luckiest girl in the world! I get to spend time with Sean on my day off! I walked outside and looked up at the sky and stretched. Time to make my way home. Good thing the streets are practically empty, I can make it home without waiting on traffic. As I was walking, I couldn't help but imagine will tomorrow will bring. After trenching through the snow and wind for a half hour I finally made it to the apartment building. I opened the door and saw the apartment's head landlord, Nola Finnigan. She was a strong Irish woman, with bright orange hair and a tough spirit. Although she was sixty-four, she had the energy and personality of a twenty-year-old. Her husband Mr. Finnigan was a quiet and well-kept man, it's amazing he could keep up with her. She was sweeping the floors this late? "Hi Amara, you're coming home quite late!" she laughed. She reminded me of a mother, always making sure I'm fine and would check up on me to see if I need anything. Not to mention the constant worrying of my well-being. She's the one of the reasons as to why I haven't moved yet. "Well my job had a New Year's celebration party, I stayed longer than I thought." I explained. "Normally when your job has parties, or you're invited to events, you're walking in here pretty early. So, what kept 'arriving early Amara' late tonight?" she giggled. I could feel my face getting warmer by embarrassment. "Oh! Well, my friends wanted me to stay because they wanted me to stop leaving so early all the time." "Really? Well, I'm glad you're out enjoying your life!" she cheered. "Have a wonderful night dear!" she shouted. I began to walk to the elevators, pushed the button for going up and I waited once more. The thoughts of tomorrow wouldn't leave my head. The elevator came down, I stepped in and waited for the door to close. The door closed, and I pushed the button to take me to the second floor. Once it arrived, I stepped out and fished my keys out of my pocket. I walked down the hallway to room 124. Something caught my eye as I walked down the hall. There was a basket or something in front of my door. Due to my curiosity I walked faster towards it and stopped once I got there. It was straw basket full of bright purple flowers. There was a note inside the pile of flowers. "Angelonias, for my special angel. I wish for you to love me like I love you. Will you accept my confession Amara Stavros? ~Your forever admirer." So, these vibrant purple flowers were Angelonias? But the question is, who put these here? This must have been a mistake, someone must have sent me these by accident. What's strange about these flowers is that they are my favorite color. Either this person took a lucky guess, or they know me, but I don't know much about them. It couldn't have been Sean, but he doesn't know where I live. Unless he asked Lonnie or Elijah. I'll bring the flowers in for now and ask Nola about it tomorrow when I see her. I picked up the basket and put it around my arm. I used my key and unlocked the door, once I opened the door I turned on the light. The same old apartment I lived in since I graduated out of college. The same brown couch. My tan coffee table. my favorite source of entertainment, my fifty-inch television. The white curtains that covered my two large windows. I walked into the living room and sat on the couch, I set the basket of flowers onto the coffee table. The flowers were lovely, I picked up a stem and smelled it. The flower had a distinct and pleasant scent, it was sweet and reminded me of fresh lavender. The scent began to fill the room, it only took a matter of a couple minutes. After ten minutes of enjoying the heavenly scent these flowers had to offer, I finally got up from the forbidden comfortability of my couch. I took my phone out of my coat pocket before I took off my coat and hung it up on the coat rack by the door. I looked at the time, 11:58 pm. I'm normally sleeping, or I crash from watching a marathon of reality TV. If I want to be ready for tomorrow, I should get some sleep. I went into the bathroom, showered and changed into some sweatpants and a tee-shirt. I sluggishly made my way to my bedroom, crawled into my bed and buried myself in my covers. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep. Hours go by and next thing I know it, it's morning. The winter sun was hidden behind the clouds but there was still a bright light shining through my curtains. I was too relaxed to get up. I just stared at the ceiling and tried to find even a single ounce of motivation to get up. I gave up, I closed my eyes and waited for my motivation to come to me. Then unexpectedly like life was listening to my thoughts, my phone vibrated twice. I rolled over to my left where my nightstand is and where my phone was resting. I sat up and checked it. It was Sean again! "Morning! Don't forget the plans we made! I hope you're not too tired from last night to make it." Was the first message. "Oh! You missed it last night! Elijah was singing with Sylvie and he's a good singer! I'm going to ask him if he could sing on Monday for us lol" Was the second message. I should respond to the first message. "How could I forget the plans we made?! Of course, I'm not too tired to hang out with you! See you at Blue's Bakery, don't eat too much before I get there!" I reread it again and sent it. It was 10:45 am. That gives me about an hour and fifteen minutes to get ready. I showered and brushed my teeth. I entered my room, still wrapped in a towel. I don't even have an idea on what to wear. I must look nice, but I shouldn't overdo it. I looked out the window, looks like at least three inches of snow outside. The forecast called for the temperature to be at least thirty-nine degrees. So, there will be some snow and the weather will be chilly, what kind of outfit is good for that kind of weather? I walked over to my closet and opened the door. There were jeans, leggings, flannels, jackets, graphic tee-shirts, dress shirts for work, dress pants also for work, and sweaters. Due to me being in a café, I should dress the part. Hipsters normally go to cafes, so dressing like one will make me not stand out as much. I'm normally not one to have all the attention on me. So, I'll wear some jeans, and a flannel. Though, it doesn't matter what I wear because my winter coat will just cover my outfit. I got a pair of black skinny jeans and a traditional black and red plaid patterned flannel with winter boots from the closet. I checked my phone for the time and it was now 11:31 am. I hurried and got dressed. I ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Should I wear makeup? It's not a date but maybe a little wouldn't hurt. I used light pink lipstick with a little mascara and eyeliner. Not bad for a person who rarely wears makeup. I put my hair in a bun and took my phone from my pocket and turned it on. 11:50 am. If I leave now, I should arrive a little past twelve. I grabbed my coat from the coat rack. Oh! The flowers, I must ask Nola about them. I turned around and speed walked to the living room and grabbed the basket of flowers. Some of them had begun to wilt and wither away. I walked out my apartment door, grabbed my keys from my coat pocket and locked the door. I walked down the hallway past all the other doors on the way to the elevator. I pushed the button to go down and waited. An old woman walked towards the elevator and waited with me. "Oh, those are beautiful flowers dear, where did you get them?" the older woman asked. Should I make up a lie? No. "To be honest, I am not entirely sure. I found these on my doorstep last night. I chuckled. "Well, that's strange." she said. She put her hand around her chin as if she was in a deep thought. "Oh? What's strange?" "Those are Angelonia blossoms; those flowers only grow in extremely warm climates. I wonder, how someone could get those at this time of year? It's winter here." The elevator came up, the door opened, and we stepped in. I pushed the button to go to the lobby. I also wondered how these flowers could have been in full bloom during the winter. My main question was who gave these to me. "I plan on finding out who gave these flowers to me." I replied. "Well, whoever gave those to you must see you as a lovely lady. You're a young and beautiful woman." I couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, ma'am!" I grinned. The elevator finally arrived at the lobby, the door opened, and we stepped out. "Have a nice day dear, enjoy those flowers. You can only enjoy them every so often." she said as she began walking to the lobby's doors. "You too! Have a nice day!" I saw Nola at the front desk, she was on her phone. It looked like she was texting. I walked up to the desk and she looked up. "Good afternoon Amara! I see you got the basket of flowers!" she exclaimed. "Actually, I was wondering if you know who left these for me. They were in front of my apartment door. I asked. "I am not sure, I found them outside in front of the door to the lobby last night. I brought them inside, looked inside the basket and saw the note with your name on the card. I brought them up to your apartment. I knocked on your door, but you weren't there, so I left them in front of your door. Because it was dark outside I couldn't see who put them there, sorry" she explained. It was a bit disappointing that she couldn't see who brought the flowers, but I can't be upset with her. "Thanks anyways Nola." I said. "If you don't want them, I can make them into a lovely decoration for the desk." She laughed. I wouldn't want the flowers to go to waste, I'm not a plant kind of person. She seems to like them, so why not? "Sure, if you want them. I don't mind." I said. I handed her the basket. She took them with glee. I'm glad she'll get use out of them and glad to make her day. I felt my phone vibrate, I checked it. "Hey, I'm at the café! I'm surprised you're not already here, it's cool though. I'll be chilling and eating a bunch of food while I wait for you!" It was Sean. I looked at the time and it was 12:18 pm! I should get going. I told Nola goodbye and I hurried outside. Luckily there was a taxi, I called for it and got inside. I told him my designated location and he began driving. I seriously need to get a car. But with today's car prices and my current salary, it will take a while. Considering I'm still up to my neck in student loans, getting a car is a nice dream. I should text Sean back. "Omg, I'm sorry! I was talking to my landlord and lost track of the time. I'm in a taxi on my there as we speak. And don't eat too much lol!" And sent. I looked at the window and enjoyed the view. The snowflakes were falling faster when the cab was moving, it ruins the tranquility. After about 20 minutes go by, we've arrived at the café. I paid my fare, thanked the driver and stepped out. I just so happened to see Sean at a table by the window of the café. I walked in the café and went to the table he was sitting at. His face lit up, he seemed happy. I couldn't blame him, I was happy too. I ordered a medium size coffee and sat down at the table. He had a muffin and a large coffee. "I thought you said you were going to stuff your face while were here?' I laughed. "Well, I didn't want to be that one guy eating up all the food in this place. If I could I would." He chuckled. I took a sip of my coffee. "So, what were your landlord and you talking about?" Yeah, I should explain what happened, he could help me. "Last night when I came home I saw a basket of flowers in front of my door. There was a note in the basket. It said, "Angelonias, for my special angel. To Amara Stavros from your forever admirer." I asked Nola, my landlord if she knew who could've brought those flowers for me. She didn't know, but she said that whoever left them put them there when it got dark. I wondered who could've put them there." I explained. He took a sip of his coffee and looked at me with a serious face. "Do you what that means Amara? You need to be careful." he said with a stern voice. I tensed up and felt a pit in my stomach. Sean can be scary when he is serious, it's scary because it's extremely rare. "Why should I be careful, what's wrong?" I asked with fear. "It's because...it's because that means that there's someone who sees you like I do! I don't want competition!" he cried. I almost spit out my coffee from laughter. "There's no need to worry, Sean. It probably was someone from the office that decided to be nice and deliver flowers." I said. "But for someone to leave a note like that is a bit strange." He mumbled. He does have a point, what could that note mean? Who could've sent me that note and those flowers? I shouldn't let this small problem ruin my time with Sean. We enjoyed our coffees and Sean managed to eat his muffin in a matter of two bites, he ordered a large muffin so that was surprising. He's full of surprises. After we finished we left the café and stood outside. The temperature rose a little more since earlier. I took out my phone and went to an app that shows a map of the city, Niya Square was only a thirty-minute walk from here. "How about we walk to Niya square?" I asked. "You sure you don't just want a ride in my car? It'll be quicker, and walking will take too long." I didn't mind walking, I also wouldn't want Sean to waste his gas because of me. "Let's walk instead, we could enjoy the weather and get some exercise. Plus, it'll save gas for your car." I mentioned. He thought about it, and he gave his normal big smile. "How do you come up with all these ideas? That's three positives of not driving to the square. Well let's get going, shall we" he smiled. He grabbed my hand and we began making our journey to the park. On our way there Sean kept telling bad jokes like "What do you call a belt made from watches? A waist of time." There were so many more that he had in that silly head of his. It's like he planned to tell me all these jokes, I'm not complaining. As stupid as they are, they did manage to make me laugh. I tried to come up with a joke as well. He was surprised I could come up with one quickly, he praised me for my hidden sense of humor. We continued to walk and after some more exchanges of bad jokes and puns, we finally made it. The square was breathtaking. There was a large fountain that had two miniature fountains on the left and right that would shoot out powerful jets of water in the spring and summer. Right now, the fountain was off, and it looked like the fountain was painted white due to all the snow. There were an assortment of trees surrounding the fountains. The trees were bare of their leaves but dressed in a sheet of snow. The grass was also covered in snow, during the spring and summer it would be covered in daisies and other wildflowers. I was amazed on how beautiful the square is at this time of year. Sean seemed to be astonished too, he looked around in amazement. We walked to the fountain. And just stared. We didn't say a word, what could be said in this moment of serenity? He put his arm around my shoulders and turned towards me. "Isn't this amazing? I could be here all day!" he grinned. Yes, this is amazing. I want to be close to him forever. "This is nice, how about we enjoy what else this place has to offer? I'm sure there's still more to see." I replied. He turned me, so I'd face him, and he gave me a hug. "Always coming up with these ideas, I love it!" He grabbed my hand and we began walking through the pathway of the square. I took out my phone and began taking pictures of the trees, the sky, and Sean wanted to take a few selfies. We decided to be children again and make snowmen, we had to start over twice because Sean couldn't make the foundation of the snowman stable enough to support the rest of the body. Once we finished the snowman after fourty minutes of intense construction. It stood four feet tall and had short stick arms, abnormal rounded shaped rocks for buttons, and round rocks we managed to find for his face. We admired its frozen beauty and we both were proud of our accomplishment. I took a picture of the snowman with my phone. That's when Sean asked me to stand in front of the snowman for a picture. "Now I can get a picture of two natural beauties!" he sang. I smiled not because of the comment he mad, but the fact of how much happiness this man can bring me in such a short amount of time. I gently put my arm around the snowman and smiled as he took a picture. He showed me the picture and the way that picture looks makes me wonder if Sean had experience in photography. Maybe he took photography class in school or maybe he took it up as a hobby or leisure activity. "Hey Sean, that picture is really nice. Did you take classes or something?" "Good question. My old man got me into this kind of thing. He was a recognized photographer for the local and a few national parks. He always dragged me along, no matter how much I would complain and hide. Though once we got there, I would become interested while watching him take the pictures. He would look so absorbed and driven by simply holding his camera. And his devotion became more apparent once he saw a perfect model for his pictures and took the shot. I wanted to experience that same feeling. So, when I was about 11, he got me a camera for my birthday. You can only imagine how ecstatic I was once I held it in my hands. I would take so many pictures that my parents would take it from me to give the camera a break. I treated that camera like it was my brother, since I was an only child. Ever since then, photography was simply a favorite way to enjoy life. All thanks to my dad." he concluded. I was surprised by is response. "Wow Sean. I had no idea!" He smiled and took my hand. "Let's keep exploring this place" he beamed. We continue walking around and absorbing as much as this good day could to extend to. I looked at my phone and it was 5:43 pm. I didn't realize that we were here for that long, I completely lost track of time. Again. I should head home. I was physically exhausted now, not to mention that it's going to get dark soon. "Hey Sean, I'm going to head home, it can get pretty dangerous at night." I said. He thought about it. "Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't want you getting hurt. I'll wait with you as soon as you call a cab." I called for the cab and we walked back to the head of the square and stood in front of the fountain. I turned and gazed up at him. I was glad I could spend the day with him as much as I could. I couldn't be any happier. The air surrounding us grew colder, maybe because it's getting darker now. I shivered. As soon as I did, Sean put his arm around my shoulder and squeeze it. I felt warm again. I closed my eyes and hoped this would never end. Then suddenly my wish fell flat. The taxi cab arrived. Sean walked me to the cab. He gave me a big hug and looked at me. "I'll see you again hopefully?" he questioned. I laughed. "Of course, you'll see me! We work at the same place, don't we?" He chuckled. "That's not what I meant, you know what I mean." "Of course, I know what you mean. I can't wait to see you again soon Sean." I said quietly. He opened the cab door for me and closed it once I was inside. He smiled and waved as the cab began to start up. I told the driver where I wanted to go, and he slowly drove off. As the car drove off, the view of Sean became smaller and smaller. Sooner or later he was gone. My sight was focused on the window, watching the still streetlights become florescent blurs. The images of my time with Sean will be eternal memories. The thought made me smile. I was happy to go back home, though spending more time with him would be nicer. I could only dream until then. As I dreamt, my phone buzzed. No doubt it was Sean. "Hey! I had a great time, I wonder how the snowman is doing...I hope he's okay. We must hang out more often. I would say we could hang tomorrow but I use Sundays as my recollection day. I bury myself in blankets to form into a cocoon, to turn myself into a functional member of society butterfly lol. Well anyways, hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend. Don't be afraid to text me!" Well time to respond, what do I say? "I had a great time too! I can't wait until we get to hang out again! Don't sleep in your cocoon too long lol. See you on Monday!" Seemed good enough. I sent it. After some time, the cab finally arrived at my apartment. I paid and got out. I opened the door to the lobby and Nola wasn't at the front desk. The flowers I gave her weren't there anymore. That's weird. Normally she's always there, maybe she stepped out and will be back later. She probably went to buy more flowers for her desk. I walked to the elevator and pushed the button. I patiently waited as the elevator came down. The door opened and went in. Once I got to my floor I saw something in front of my door. I smelled that scent again, that lavender like smell. Not again. I walked to my door and saw an even bigger straw basket filled with those flowers again. Angelonias, I think were the name? There was a folded piece of lined paper in the pile of the flowers. I slowly took the note and opened it. "AcCePT mY LoVE! LEaVe Him noW. oR eLSE! yOu WiLl bE mInE aND oNly mINe! YoU! onLy yOu tO mYsElf! I dOnT wAnT tO hUrt yOu!" I could barely read it, the handwriting was messy. It was written in large letters with what looks like a black marker, it took up majority of the paper. The paper looked like it was crumbled. There are scribbles on the sheet. This was way different from the first note I got. My breathing was thrown off like I was punched in the stomach. I was frozen. I don't know what to do. What do I do? This isn't some sort of secret admirer. I fumbled with my keys to unlock my door. I managed to open my door. I didn't know what to do with the basket. I shut my door back. I stood in the hall in front of the basket. I know what to do. I shoved the note in my coat pocket and I grabbed the basket and ran down the hall, stems of the flower falling out of the basket. I didn't care. I reached the elevator and swiftly pushed the button. I grew impatient as the elevator came up. Finally, it did and I rushed in and pushed the button to take me to the lobby. My heart felt as if I was forced to run like my life depended on it. I arrived at the lobby and continued to run. The basket still tightly wrapped around my fingers. I ran outside and went around the apartment building. I saw the dumpster and went to it and opened it. I put the basket inside and slammed the hatch shut. I was shaking, but not from the bitter cold. I was shaking because I was afraid of who is doing this. Should I go to the police? I ran back inside and went in my apartment. This is terrifying. I made sure my doors were locked and so were my windows. I went into my kitchen and opened a drawer that had my cooking knives. I took one and walked into my bedroom. I changed my clothes and I lied down in my bed. I kept my light on the entire time I slept. Before falling asleep, all I remember is trembling in fear. I woke up with the pounding of someone's fist on my door. I clutched the knife in my hand and I crept towards the door. I looked through the peephole and it was a police officer! Why would he be here? I haven't done anything wrong. I ran and put the knife back into the drawer, fixed my hair a bit and opened the door. "Uh, hello. How can I help you?" I stuttered. His face was grim and his presence was intimidating. He was an African American man with a thin mustache. His eyes looked as if he didn't get much sleep, they had bags under them. "Are you Amara Stavros?" he said. My heart stopped. Even though I did nothing wrong, I can't look as if I'm panicked. "Yes sir. Is there something wrong?" Then he slowly took off his hat. "My name is Officer Adisa. I'm sure you were aquatinted with Nola Finnigan?" "Yes I am. Why, may I ask?" I said with anxiety. He took a deep breath. "Ms. Stavros, I'm sorry to say that Mrs. Finnigan was murdered. We believe that she was murdered last night. Her husband told me that you and she were close." I couldn't believe it. No, she couldn't have been murdered. That's impossible. She's nice to everyone. She would never do anything to make someone do this, she was a saint. I feel like this is the start of a soon to be continuous nightmare. I couldn't say anything, I just let the tears silently fall from my eyes. She was like my second mother. "Where did you find her?" I stammered. "One of our officers were on patrol in the area and noticed something odd so he went over and saw her body. We found her body near Niya Square. It was a horrifying sight. It's currently undergoing investigation. What's even more scary is that her ring finger is missing. Some sick freak actually cut off her finger!" he said with fury. He couldn't keep in emotions hidden anymore, by looking at him he was getting worked up. He must have been a friend of Nola. She did have a lot of friends and knew a lot of people. "Would you like to come inside for some coffee?" I said without trying to choke on my tears. He nodded his head and I opened my door wider. I let him in and led him to my living room. He took a seat on the couch and put his face into his hands. I slowly made my way into the kitchen and turned on my coffee maker. As I waited for the coffee my thoughts came in. Why would someone kill her? What did she do to deserve this? She was kind, she had a loving husband, she had a lot more to look forward to. What could make someone do this? Why? Just Why? The coffee was done. I took two mugs from the cupboard and poured the coffee. I brought one to the officer. He thanked me and took a sip. I sat down and looked him dead in the eyes. "May I ask how she died?" Those grim eyes looked up at me and just stared for a few seconds, they were filled with dread. "Going by the external wounds, someone came from behind and slit her throat. It was a gory mess." I stared at the coffee in the mug that I was holding. I didn't have anything to say in response to that. "Don't worry, we'll find whoever did this and make them pay, I promise." I hope. I want whoever who did this unforgivable crime suffers the worst punishment imaginable. "I know you will officer." I said quietly. He finished his coffee and stood up. He held out his hand. I also stood and shook his hand. His grip was firm yet it was slightly limp. I escorted him to the door. "Good day, be careful out there." he said. "You too." I closed the door. I slid onto the floor. I cried until there were no tears left, just heavy dry sobs. I never cried like this before. And I hope this is the final time. I needed someone to talk to. Sean. I rose up and walked into my room and grabbed my phone. "Hey, I was wondering if you're free right now?" I waited for maybe two minutes and he texted me back. "I'm not doing anything in particular, what's up?" I explained all that took place from last night to this very moment. "How about instead of staring at a phone screen, you can stare at my face as we talk. How about I come over?" Why not right? I could use the company. Talking it out it would be beneficial anyways. I texted him my address. I laid on the couch and closed my eyes. Just what excatly is happening? First some creepy letter left at my doorstep and now someone close to me was killed. I just want all of this to be over. That's all I want. I must have dozed off because when my door bell rang, I jumped up and felt restless. I got up and looked at the clock, it was 12:42. I walked over and opened the door. Sean had a box of cookies in his hand. That typical warm smile on his face seemed to make everything better. I let him in and as soon as I turned around he hugged me. His arms were wrapped incredibly tight around me. "The police will get whoever did this, we just have to be patient. Until then, I'll be here with you until we see the criminal in jail. And I'll stay with you long after." he said softly. Being in his arms is the only place I want to be. "Thank you, Sean." I whispered. After another minute, he let go. He handed me the box of cookies. They were peanut butter cookies, these were my favorite. "Hey, how did you know these were my favorite?" I asked. He smiled again. "So what I did was play a guessing game. People were looking at me like I was crazy in the grocery store because I kept switching out one box of cookies for another. It lasted about 10 minutes. Until I came to a conclusion and stuck with it. Smart, right?" he laughed. "Brilliant idea Sean, you guessed correctly too!" I smiled. I went back to the couch and sat down, still holding the box of cookies in my hand. He put his coat onto the coatrack and walked over and joined me, we sat in silence for a minute. I opened the cookies and took a bite from one. For fifteen minutes Sean and I sat in the living eating cookies quietly. Once we were done we began to talk about the note that was left in front of my doorstep. "Seems a little creepy if you ask me, and you have no idea on who could've brought the flowers and note?" he wondered. "No one I can think of." I replied. "Did you tell the police?" he asked. "No, but I was considering it." I said. He sat up and put his hands on his knees as he slouched forward, he had an expression on his face like he was thinking. "Well, we best tell the police about this. It could get serious if you do nothing about it." I should. That note still leaves me shaking in dread. "Yeah, I should tell the police about this. I'm sure they can figure out who's sending this." "We could go today and tell them, we could get this to stop as soon as possible." Sean said. We could. I told Sean to wait in the living room. I walked into my room, closed the door behind me and threw on some jeans and a sweater. I put on my boots and a hat and walked back out into the living room. Sean stood up and grabbed his coat. I walked over to the coffee table and picked up my keys. We walked out of my apartment and I locked the door. We went to the elevators and down to the lobby. "We can use my car to get to the police station." he said. We went past the front desk and I felt a deep pit in my stomach. I couldn't even look at the desk without feeling rage and wretchedness. I wanted to scream, but I'll just have to leave it to the police and be patient. Sean noticed the tense look on my face and held my hand, it was somewhat comforting. We walked to his car and got in. He drove as fast as he could while still being at the legal speed limit. We made it to the local police station. Once we were inside, we had to go through metal detectors and screenings. When we passed it, an officer asked us if we needed anything. "I would like to talk to someone about a concern I have." I said. "Sure, if you would please follow me to my desk." he replied. We walked past the bustling workers and after saying "Excuse me." a million times we finally made it. He pointed to the chairs in front of his desk as a signal for us to take a seat. We sat down and he pulled out a notebook and a pen. "So, what's the concern you seem to have? Your face looks as if you've seen a ghost." he inquired. I hesitated but then Sean put his hand on my shoulder for reassurance. I took the crumpled note from the basket out of my coat pocket and handed it to the officer. He took the note and began to read it. His expression went from serious to worried and disturbed. I explained everything that took place from when I got the first note. "And you have no idea on who could've brought this to you?" he asked. "No, not at all. I wouldn't know anyone who could've done something like this" I explained. "Well we'll investigate and look around your house just to see if there's anything suspicious. After the recent murder of that woman, we can't take any chances. I'll hold onto this note here for possible evidence." he said. I feel a bit relived. After giving him my phone number and other information Sean and I left the station. We got into his car and he looked at me. "Well that's one weight off your shoulder. Let's go get something to eat." he said. I looked at my phone, it was 3:23pm. "Sure, I'd like that." I smiled. We headed to a local diner. We sat in a booth and waited for the waitress. I kept looking down at the table, I had nothing really to say. "You feeling all right?" he asked Was I feeling all right? My head is spiraling out of control. "I think I'm alright, maybe if I get something to eat and sleep I'll be fine." He didn't say anything, he just looked at me and smiled. Once the waitress came, we ordered our food. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with fries and Sean ordered a burger and fries. We ate our food while talking about work. Once we finished we payed for our food and left. As we were driving, I realized something. I had to call Mr. Finnigan and ask him if he needed help with the funeral. I'll call him once I get home. Sean dropped me off and I headed inside the apartment. I took out my phone and called Mr. Finnigan. A voice filled with sorrow answered the phone. "Hello? Who is this?" he asked. "Hello, this is Amara Stavros. I'm sure you remember me." "Ah yes, my wife would always talk about you. She would say that you were the daughter we never had. She could spout on for hours about you if she wanted to. She loved having you around." he mumbled. He stopped talking for a second. Then out of nowhere, he silent wept. It was faint, but I could hear it loud and clear. He was in the most pain out of everyone. The woman he was married to for over forty years was taken from him. I couldn't say a word. What could I say? Once he was done, he asked if I needed anything. "Well I was wondering if I could assist with the funeral preparations. She treated me so well, as if I was her child. The least I could do is make sure she has a proper farewell, I want to treat her as if she's my mother. Just this once is all I ask of you. Please." I cried. He didn't say anything for a few minutes. I can hear him breathing heavily, he was trying to regain himself. "Of course. Of course, I would be happy if you did help. Bless you. Bless your heart." he wept. I sat silently as he wept. He recollected himself. "I will call you once I begin planning. Thank you, Amara." he sighed. He hung up the phone. I felt somewhat better for what I've done, it's the least I can do. I walked into the living room and sat on the couch. I grabbed the remote and turned on my television. Nothing interesting was on, so I turned it to the reality TV network. I laid vertically onto the couch and propped my head on one of the throw pillows. The clock above the television read 5:31 pm. I watched Tv for maybe a few hours because once I got finally got up the clock said 7:56 pm. I took a shower and changed into my pajamas. I didn't bother making dinner, I wasn't hungry because of what I ate at the diner earlier. I went into my room and sat at the foot of my bed. I still have to go to work tomorrow. I'm too tired. I'm tired physically and emotionally. But I must. I struggled into bed and closed my eyes to think. I don't know if I'm strong enough emotionally to help prepare for the funeral. I need to go. I have to. It's what Nola would've wanted. I can't let her down. I must. I laid down and drifted off to sleep. The alarm of my phone went off. It was 6:00 am. I didn't have the energy to get up. I was immobile for the next five minutes. Once I rose from the sheets I walked to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair looked as if it lost a fist fight to a tornado. I was beginning to get deeper bags under my eyes. My eyes. I looked like a wreck. Once I got out the shower, I felt no motivation to get dressed. I was empty. I wrapped a towel around me and went to my room. I looked in my closet and grabbed a pair of navy blue dress pants and a white blouse. I slowly but surely got dressed and went back into the bathroom. I fixed my hair and put on a little makeup. I didn't bother straightening up my apartment, I could do it once I get home. The clock read 6:56 am. I should get going. I looked out the window, it was still a bit dark. The weather was not that bad, I could walk. Just as I opened my door, my phone rang. Sean was calling me? I answered it and he sounded a bit tired. "Good morning, I was wondering if you wanted to carpool with me?" he yawned. I thought about it, I wanted to walk because I thought the cold breeze could help freeze my negative thoughts and prevent them from spreading. It's a silly idea but I want to try it anyways. "I'm fine. I'll walk. The early morning air will be a kickstart to my day. Plus, it'll be a great little workout. Thanks for the offer though." I answered. "Oh well, I'll see you at the office then! I'm glad you're not missing out on leg day!" he laughed. He hung up. I went to the lobby and outside the door. The chilling effect the wind left on my face made me wonder if the temperature rose a little. I checked my phone and it was 39 degrees. I was never one to like the winter, I'm more of a spring type of girl. But this weather is weather I can handle for the most part. I began walking down the street. The streetlights were like personal spotlights, and each time I walked under one I felt slight anxious but excited for the next one. The crunching sound of the snow underneath my feet was somewhat satisfying. I have always enjoyed walking to work. The air was strangely more refreshing and due to the streets being not as busy, I could walk as freely as my heart desired. By the time I got to work it was about 7:34 am. I was only four minutes late, I went in the elevator and it took me to the accounting floor. Sylvia would usually greet me with her morning routine. Which was a strong handshake with a pat on the back and a simple cheer of encouragement to work hard. But today was different. Sylvia gave me a large bear hug and sunk her head into my shoulder as soon as I walked into the office. The way she hugged me made me feel a tidal wave of emotion. Normally she is a strong woman who always pushes people to be the best they can be. The only emotions I ever see her feel is happiness and determination. Nothing else. So what she's doing right now makes me wonder if there's a new emotion that's surfacing from her. "Sean told me what happened over the weekend. You need to be strong. If you want, I can help you be stronger. I can understand how you feel. But don't let your emotions make the decisions for you, that is how regretful choices are created. If you need to talk, you know where my office is." she calmly said. I nodded my head and walked to my cubicle. I stared at my computer and files next to it. As from earlier, I was not motivated to work. But I had to. I took my calculator from my desk drawer and began my working my magic. I'd say I'm pretty good at math but I typically use a calculator to see if I'm right anyways. Time seemed to move slowly and I just wanted to go back home. I became consumed in my work and rarely took breaks, I needed a mental distraction from what was lingering in my head. The computer screen read 1:43 pm. I rose up from my chair and stretched my arms and legs. I reached into my work bag from next to my desk and grabbed a granola bar. I wasn't that hungry but I had to eat something. After my quick lunch break I continued my work. Before I knew it, it was 3:05. Time to go home. Sean noticed me leaving and walked up to me. "How's it going? You didn't say a word all day! It was like you became like a zombie, an accounting zombie." he chuckled. "Yeah I just wanted to get as much work done as possible. Sorry if I seemed distant." "Are you sure? You can always talk to me, you should know this by now." "Of course. Well, I'm tired. I'm going straight home. I'll see you tomorrow." I replied. He patted my shoulder and returned to his cubicle. I went down into the lobby and left the building. As I was walking I thought about what I'm going to do once I got home. I made it home and went into the elevator and went up to my floor. I went inside my apartment and took off my coat and made my way to my couch. I took out my phone and checked my emails. Once I was done I turned on my tv and threw time right into the trash. It was 7:00 pm before I knew it, I was too lazy to cook. I called the pizza restaurant near here and ordered a cheese pizza. About 20 minutes go by and the doorbell rang. I looked in the peephole and it was the delivery boy. I opened the door. "Excuse me, I noticed there's a package right here. I believe it may be for you." he said. "Oh, thank you so much. I didn't even notice it." I replied. I paid the boy and took the pizza and managed to grab the package. I went inside and used my foot to close the door. I put the pizza and the package on the coffee table and I opened the pizza box. The scent of the pizza filled the room, I was starving. I took a slice and began to eat, as I ate I stared at the package. I didn't order anything recently, maybe it was from my parents. They must have heard what happened over the weekend and wanted to cheer me up with something. But I looked at the top of the box and it had no name or address on it. All it said was "To Amara Stavros." That's strange, how could the post office deliver this with no addresses? I took another bite of my pizza and started to open the box. Once I opened it, my heart stopped and my stomach sunk like an anchor in the ocean. My lungs felt as if they were going to collapse any second now. My head was spinning, I felt sick and dizzy. My eyes couldn't even begin to comprehend what it was seeing. I wanted to scream but nothing came out. In the box was more of those purple flowers and what was on top of the pile was what made me feel ill. There was a real finger. It was Mrs. Finnigan's finger. Her ring finger. I knew it was her finger was because her wedding and engagement rings that were on it was indeed hers. I felt the urge to vomit. It was slightly decomposed and there was dried blood on it. Her peach colored nail polish began to chip away. If it wasn't for the flower's scent I would've smelled the decay. I ran to the bathroom and vomited. What do I do? Why would this happen? What does this mean? What kind of person would send a finger to someone?! Why would you send someone the finger of your victim, wasn't killing her enough? She doesn't deserve any of this. After I recollected myself, I stumbled back into the living room. In the box, there was also another note. I don't even know if I wanted to read this one. But I must, I need to figure out what is happening. The note said "sEe? DiDn't i tELL yoU? ThOSE fLOwers aRE OnlY FOR yOu! NOw sHe hAD tO PaY tHE pRICE! LiSTEN tO mE! LeAVE hIM!!" I didn't even realize I was shaking. I needed to call the police! I grabbed my phone as fast as I could and dialed 911, I told the operator and she said police were on their way. I closed the box and left the living room entirely. I couldn't even make it inside my bedroom before I lost control of my legs and sat on the floor in front of the door. I felt like I was drowning, my air to breathe was becoming limited. I felt the verge to vomit again. I went into the bathroom and opened the window that was next to the shower. I stuck my head out the window and took deep breaths. Why is this happening to me? I washed my face in the sink. I started to pace around the bathroom. Hands shaking, mouth trembling, heart racing. This is the first time I felt genuine fear, and I didn't know what to do to stop it. This must be a dream. Before long, there were thunderous knocks on my door. "POLICE! OPEN UP!" one of the officers boomed. I ran to the door and swung it open. There were four officers including Officer Adisa and one that looked like he was a detective. They walked in and stood at the door. The detective shook and my hand and introduced himself. "My name is Detective Mason Perry. We'll figure out everything that needs to be found out, don't you worry. Now, can you show us where this box is?" he asked. I quickly pointed to the box that was still on the coffee table in the living room. Two of the officers walked over and opened the box and one of the officers swiftly put his hand on his mouth and nose. The other was wide eyed and hesitant. "Do you know who could've brought this?" the detective asked. "No, this isn't the first time this happened. I received flowers and a note just like this one. But what was also included is the first time I ever got this sent to me." I said. One of the officers looked at the note left behind. "No doubt this is the person who murdered Nola Finnigan. What a sick monster." He mumbled. Officer Adisa walked up and sat me down on the couch, I could barely move. It was as if I was frozen. It seemed talking was impossible as well. He looked at me with eyes full of anxiety. "We will do everything we can to catch him." he said. I nodded slowly. "Well this guy is a stalker and a murderer, the officer you talked to at the station filled me in on the last note you received." Perry explained. The officers looked around my apartment while Perry asked me a question every second. The detective told me they were going to take this to the forensics department and try to figure out more about the finger while also the victim and the other detectives and him will find out why this happened and how long this person has been stalking me. I would love to find out why a person like me deserves all of this. They told me they will have security around the apartment building and will keep tight surveillance just in case the suspect comes to the apartment. After three hours of searching and interrogating, the detective gave me his number in case I had information or if anything else comes up. He also told me to stay vigilant of my surroundings just in case. He shook my hand again. The detective took the box and I escorted the police officers and him out and locked my door. The image of the contents of that box will most likely remain in my head for the rest of my life. I lost my appetite. I lost my will to do much of anything. It was 8:42 pm. I don't think I should go to work tomorrow after what I seen tonight. I was still shaky and sick to my stomach. I called Sylvia and told her what happened. She made quite a commotion and told me that I should take my vacation early. "Come in whenever you feel like you're ready, don't push yourself if you're not ready dear. I do hope you'll be back to your cheerful self. Everyone misses you, especially Lonnie and Elijah. Take care dear!" She said. I thanked her and hung up. I texted Sean and explained what happened. "Listen to me, be extra careful. Take as long as you need to recover. I have no idea what emotions you are going through right now but I do know one thing: Don't do anything crazy, even if your emotions take over your logic. I don't want to see your name in the obituaries. I just want you to be safe. Text me if you need ANYTHING. I care about you too much to watch you suffer like this. The police will get him, just you wait." he said. "Thank you, I'll be sure to be careful. I called the boss and told her I won't be in work. I'm taking my vacation early. But I'll keep in touch with you because I enjoy the company." I sent. I put the pizza in the fridge and went into the bathroom. I quickly went in the shower because I smelled like pizza and vomit. The smell was making me further nauseous. I showered longer than usual to rid the smell and clear my head. Once I was out and dressed I went straight to bed. It took me about an hour to fall asleep. When I finally was able to sleep, I had a nightmare. I dreamt that a faceless person with a distorted voice was chasing me throughout the apartment building, he had a butcher knife in his hands. He kept screaming "You will be mine!" over and over. Then he ran faster and caught up with me and grabbed my hair. His grip was very strong. He grabbed my hand and instead of just chopping off my ring finger he chopped off my entire left hand. The cut was fast and clean. The blood was coming out like a waterfall, it wouldn't stop pouring out. I could see my muscles and bone sticking out. The man was laughing hysterically and began chopping off my other hand and then other parts of my body. My vison was becoming hazy due to the blood loss. Then he stood over my bloody almost lifeless body laughing and once he chopped off my head, I woke up. I was breathing heavily and was in a cold sweat. I didn't want to move from my bed. There was no need to rush, I didn't have work. I laid in bed for another hour. It became 9:12 am. I wanted to stay in bed longer until my stomach thought otherwise. I got up and went into the kitchen, I opened my fridge. Takeout, leftovers from previous dinners, eggs, the pizza from last night, milk, and various condiments. I need to go grocery shopping. I took out the eggs and milk and began to make scrambled eggs and toast. After I ate, I brushed my teeth and splashed water on my face. I walked to my living room and looked out the window. The snow was falling softly from the clouds, while my fear and loathing was rising into the sky. I decided to just spend my day focusing on myself. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. I threw on some clothes and grabbed my old backpack, filled it with workout clothes and a bottled water. I called for a taxi and headed down to the lobby. I waited by the lobby door until the taxi pulled up in front. I told the driver I wanted to go to the gym and as he drove off I was wondering what I should do next based on the situation from last night. But then I stopped. I shouldn't think about this, I will just get worked up and do something I will regret. Once I got to the gym I felt some drive to workout. I went into the locker room, changed, and put my clothes inside a locker. I looked in the mirror that was in the locker room. I looked more tired than ever. It also seems I put on a pound or two around my stomach, I want to keep my somewhat healthy figure. I was at the average weight of people my age. My physique was slim, I couldn't complain. Normally I watch what I eat but indulge in junk food every so often. But after what was happening recently I stopped caring what I ate. I put my headphones in and turned on some music and grabbed my water bottle. I left the locker room and headed to the treadmill. I started the pace slowly and increased every few minutes. Then eventually I was running, this could be me physically running away from my problems. Though I was tired of running, I don't want to fight either. I began running for about a half hour straight then I stopped. My legs were getting tired, I should focus on other areas. For about the two hours I was there, I felt a dramatic increase in self-esteem and motivation. It was 11:32 am. I changed, grabbed my things and left the gym. Once I was home, I decided to take a nap due to my physical exhaustion. Once I woke up, it was 1:21 pm. What should I do now? I looked around my apartment and noticed how messy it was. I wasn't really one for cleaning, I would only clean if I was expecting guests, but this couldn't be avoided forever. I decided to clean. I started with my room, the bathroom, the kitchen, then the living room. It didn't take as much time as I thought, though my apartment wasn't that big to begin with. 2:45pm. The day seemed to be go slower than usual, maybe because I'm not staring in front a computer and a calculator. Then my phone started ringing. When I saw who was calling me was quite a surprise. It was Lonnie. I answered it. "Hi Lonnie!" I answered "Hey Amara, how's it been? The boss told me that you're on vacation, I was sad when she said that. But I'm happy that you're taking a break. You were always working hard, you'd rarely took breaks either. Even I became worried." "Yeah, there's been a lot going on lately. I didn't want to overwhelm myself by working." "That's it! I have an idea! How about we go to that one bar by the office later tonight? We both could use some relaxation. What do you say?" she asked. I thought about it, I could use some social interaction, I wonder if Sean will be there. I need to go out and spend time with other people to help ease my mental pain. "Sure, I'd love to go! What time is good for you?" "How's seven sound?" "Perfect, that gives me time to get ready once I get home from work. See you there Amara!" "See you there." We hung up and I stared at the phone. Seven tonight? I suppose, it's about time I had fun. I deserve that. Once it turned 6:00 pm I began getting ready. Getting out of the shower and entering my room, I was faced with the well-known cliché of all women. What do I wear? I didn't have much time to waste, I grabbed a pair of skinny jeans and a graphic tee-shirt with a flannel. I brushed my hair and put it in a ponytail. Once I was done putting on some light makeup I called a taxi. Once I arrived, Lonnie was standing in front of the bar. We gave each other a hug and we walked in. Once we ordered a beer she told me all that was going in her life. From how Elijah has become more social and she's hoping soon it will be official between them to how she deserves a promotion because she has been more hardworking than everyone. We had some laughs and Lonnie had finished her beer. I took another sip of mine. "So, I noticed you and Sean have been getting quite close. Mind telling me the details?" she snickered. I smiled. Whenever I hear or see that name, I can't help but to smile. "Well, we went on a date on Saturday. We both had fun, then on Sunday he visited my house to keep me company when I was going through an emotional train wreck." I explained. She looked at me in surprise. She squealed Seeing tipsy coworkers were like children. like a teenage girl and grabbed my hand. She seemed happy, really happy. Lonnie was always a romance fanatic, so hearing this would make her beam with joy. She began telling me advice for possible next dates and told stories of her failed dates in the past. Time flew by. It was 9:54pm. After sharing a laugh, it was time for us to go home. She called a friend that didn't live too far from here to pick her up. Meanwhile I decided to walk, it wasn't too far from my house and plus I'm spending a fortune on calling taxis. I waved goodbye to Lonnie and began walking. Like most of the time at night, the streets and sidewalks were empty. I walked past various buildings that had the lights of their signs dimly lit. The wind was gusting, my eyes couldn't stay open for long. As I was walking I passed someone and accidently bumped into them and they stumbled. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry, the wind is preventing me from walking correctly!" I said. The person I passed had a winter hat and a scarf that covered majority of their face. "It's fine." they replied. Their voice was muffled so I could barely understand them, let alone if I apologized to a man or a woman. I continued walking, the snow seemed to be frozen onto the ground because it was hard for me to walk through it. I braced through it and went on. I was still a few blocks from the apartment. The streetlights were flickering. Suddenly a hand went across my mouth and nose! I struggled and panicked. But then it felt as if my energy was being drained quickly. I couldn't see who's hand it was. Whoever it was, they were strong and didn't intend on letting go. It was too dark to see much of anything. The frozen snow limited my movements. The hand held some sort of cloth and it reeked of chemicals. After a few seconds, I closed my eyes and lost consciousness, all I remember seeing was the flickering streetlights. Once I woke, my head felt like it was being stabbed with a pickaxe and every muscle in my body felt worn out. I regained perception and I was in a chair. My arms and hands were tied behind it with what felt like metal wire, it was digging into both my entire arms. My ankles and torso were tied up as well. I was blindfolded, all I could see was darkness. I felt bare, but it felt like I was wearing some sort of dress. The air was hot and muggy, I felt sweat drip from my forehead. A scent caught my attention and what I smelled made me afraid for dear life. Lavender. All I smelled was those flowers. Angelonias. I struggled in the chair, but the wire started to dig deeper into my body. But then I stopped. I heard footsteps coming towards me. My heart was beating, it felt like it was going to rip out of my chest. A hand touched my face, the hand began rubbing my cheek slowly. My lips began to tremble as if the temperature was below zero. The person used his hand to gently grab my face and I felt warm light breaths on my face. "There is no need to be afraid. Your lips shouldn't be trembling. My angel, you are finally mine. I couldn't be any happier." the person whispered in my ear. It was a man. His voice sounded soft yet it was still extremely dangerous. "Who are you!?" I screamed. The hand let go of my face. I heard footsteps stepping around me slowly. "Who am I?" he said quietly. "Why does it matter? All that matters is that I have you and you will love me like I love you." I was shaking again. Then I heard a groan. It sounded like it was on my left. "What's happening? Where am I?" he said. It felt like my entire life came crashing down around me. That was Sean's voice! I felt tears dampen my blinfold, I was scared stiff. Who brought us here? What does he want with us? Why did he bring Sean? Where are we? How long were we here? These questions started to flood my mind. The possible outcomes brought me to tears. "Hey! Why am I here!? What do you want with me!?" Sean shouted. I heard the footsteps walk with swiftness and I heard a loud sound that sounded like a slap. The man must have hit Sean. "Sean! Are you alright?!" I cried. "Amara! Is that you!? Are you hurt? Do you know where we are?" The steps went towards me. I heard something being torn. All of a sudden there was something being placed across my mouth, it was duct tape. A hand touched my blindfold and took it off. The light was blinding, it took a minute for my eyes to adjust. But I wish I couldn't see what was shown. The floors were tiled and white but there were drops of dried blood scattered. I was wearing a white gown. The room looked like a room of a building. I looked up, there were pots that were growing those flowers. Behind those pots there was a what seemed like a bulletin board. On that board were pictures of me! There was a picture of me and Sean hugging, that was when we were in the park. There was another from when I threw that basket of flowers in the trash. There was one that showed me waiting for a taxi in my apartment lobby. There was a picture of Nola. There was a picture of me walking to work. And there was the picture that showed me and Lonnie at the bar, that wasn't long ago. But maybe it was, I don't know how long I was here. There was another basket full of those flowers. It seemed like this place was a greenhouse because there were so many plants and the heat of the room. The lights above were beating down on me. I turned to my left and I saw Sean. He was wearing a tee-shirt and jeans. He was also blindfolded and tied up as well. He now also had duct tape on his mouth, I saw blood trickling down his nose. My eyes started to water and I shed tears. I couldn't say anything to Sean. I couldn't say anything at all. I turned to my right and saw an average built man. His back was turned so I couldn't see his face. He was wearing black dress pants, a white dress shirt, and black dress shoes. He had medium blond hair that stopped at the end of his neck. It looked like he was looking for something, he looked in a drawer. Then another. Then another. He stopped and turned to face me. His light green eyes pierced my body. His stare felt like sharp claws digging into my skin. He smiled. His white dress shirt had a drop of blood on it. He walked up to Sean and grabbed him by his hair while looking me in the eyes. "I see you didn't take my warnings. You must truly love this man. Am I wrong?" he questioned. He used his other hand to punch Sean in his stomach. He groaned in pain. My barely audible screams didn't take into any effect. Until he turned towards me. "Amara, you don't seem to understand. This man will never love you like I do. I loved you ever since I saw that divine face of yours. You will accept my love, won't you? There will be results of your actions and responses." he smiled. I said nothing, but not because there was duct tape on my mouth. Even if I could speak, I wouldn't. I would be too afraid to. He walked up to me and stood in front of me. "I had to go through great lengths to finally get you. You probably never seen me around or remember me. We were in the same college classes, you always seem to be absorbed in your work. Which resulted with you having a small group of friends, one of them are still in communication with you. I believe Elijah is his name. I tried to talk to you daily but you always brushed me aside for your work. You looked so cute as you worked, I enjoyed every second watching you in those classes. Though you never accepted my invitations, my love for you never died. There were girls that wanted my love but I didn't bother to waste my time with those lust hungry pigs. I didn't want any other girl, they weren't nearly as perfect as you. I was afraid that once we graduated, I would neve see you again. So, what I did was get a job in the accounting office you work in. I just had to keep a low profile so you wouldn't notice me. I had to ask and hurt the right people to find out where you work and which apartment number was yours. Though I didn't want it come to it, the old lady at the front desk from the apartment you live in tried being tough. So unfortunately, I had to get rid of her. Honestly, I didn't want that to happen but she saw me taking pictures of you and him and she was going to make a commotion. Amara my angel, you're the only woman I want in my life. But it seems as if you don't feel the same way. Going by with who your love interest is, I would have been more of a perfect match for you. You can do so much better than this." he said softly. He walked behind me and I felt his fingers go through my hair repeatedly. "Are you aware of how beautiful you are? No, beautiful isn't the word. You're perfect. Your looks and personality are what would make anyone crazy in love with you. Well I say that because that is what happened to me." he grinned. He walked away from me and went to the assortment of drawers of a large cabinet to my right. He pulled out a meat carving knife and walked towards Sean, he put the sharp side of the knife across his face. I started screaming out of sheer fear. I didn't want him to get hurt. "STOP SCREAMING! You'll make me lose my concentration and you don't want to know what happens if I do." he snarled. I was quivering in my chair, all I could do is sit there and cry silently. He dug the knife into Sean's cheek. Blood began dripping out slowly. He screamed in pain. I closed my eyes and started praying. It's the only thing I could do. The sounds of pain coming from Sean made me shake out of control. I closed my eyes tighter, I just wanted Sean and I to go home and be safe. Then the man walked over to me and grabbed my face again but this time he used a lot of strength in his grip. "Your rich brown eyes will be on me as I do this or else you will make me hurt you. I don't want to do that to you. The pain you caused me will be inflicted back onto you unless you accept my love. This man doesn't deserve you anyways. It's only fair right?" My eyes widened from horror, I felt sweat running down my face. "Don't look at me like that. You make me seem as if I'm the bad guy here." he laughed. He let go of my face and walked back to Sean. There was a deep gash on his face and the blood was still dripping from the wound. I couldn't move and I couldn't make much noise. What can I possible do? Nothing. There was nothing I can do. I'm so sorry Sean. I couldn't dare to see what this monster was doing to Sean, no matter how much pain he was in. My first love was being tortured by a crazed stalker. What's worst is that I can't do anything. I managed to bring my eyes onto Sean, his breathing was shaky. More tears fell, I began to sniffle. I tried to control it, but it wouldn't happen. The man turned his head quickly. He looked upset. "Why do you cry for him?! Do you really care for him that much?! I doubt he really loves you. I've known you longer, yet you just brush me aside like you did when we were younger! I deserve your love more than him! Don't you understand?!" he cried. His voice and eyes went from soft to full of anger and threatening. He looked down at the floor steadily for a minute. He looked at me again and this time he had a wide smile on his face. The atmosphere in the room weighed heavy, he had an even more dangerous aura to him. The grip around his knife became more constricted. "I know. Let's see if the man's strength and willpower to live is as strong as his love for you." He speared the knife deep into Sean's thigh. Even though his mouth was covered, the screams of his pain filled the entire room. The man's smile widened even more. All I saw was the bright red blood begin to soak his pant leg. I tried to yell, but the tape prevented me from doing so. I started moving my body towards Sean, I didn't care if the wire had started cutting through my wrists. I wobbled in my chair fiercely. I felt so much rage build up in me, I couldn't just sit there. "Wow, such anger! The look in your eyes give me chills but in a good way. Though it's too bad you're angry at me. I want to see deep admiration in your eyes when you look at me, not full of wrath. I see you still care for him. It pains me to do this, you know? All this wouldn't have happened if he hadn't won your heart." he sighed. He stared at me as he gradually pulled the knife out from Sean's leg. I looked at Sean, he chest was rising and falling quickly. His head was down and blood still leaking from his cheek, the blood from his nose dried. He's going to be losing a lot of blood soon. He strolled back to me and crouched in front of me while holding the bloody knife in his left hand. With his right hand, he took the tape off my mouth. "Now, will you accept my love?" Those intense eyes, full of deadly obsession and bloodlust. I have no choice. I just want him to be safe. My eyes wouldn't leave Sean's bleeding living corpse. I lowered my head. "Yes. I'll accept your love." I whispered. The man's hand lifted my head up and looked deep into my eyes. "So you finally understand. I couldn't be any pleased to hear that. My angel, I will make you the happiest girl in the world. You'll see. You are finally mine. I can call you mine now. You will be only mine. Having said that..." He stood up and walked over to Sean. My heart began to hurt from beating out of terror for so long. He grabbed Sean by his hair and pulled his bloody head up. The man put his face near Sean's ear, it seemed as if he was whispering something to him. Sean started shaking in his chair, his legs and arms were struggling. The man smiled at him and walked back to the cabinet. He put the blood-soaked knife on the countertop and looked in a drawer and grabbed a butcher knife. He walked to Sean while swinging the knife. "Now Amara now that you finally accepted my love. I'm sure you don't need him anymore. He was a mere hurdle. He wasn't even an obstacle. He was just a pest that got in my way. I must ensure that he can never win you over again. I want you to only love me." He took the knife and placed it across Sean's throat. The man stared at me. I started screaming. I screamed as loud as I could. Sean was breathing hard; his whole body was trembling profoundly. The man rushed over to me and struck me across the face with his back hand, it felt like a punch in the face. I tasted blood on my lip. He dropped the knife and took the blindfold from the floor and blindfolded me again. "I didn't want to hit you, but your shrieking threw me off balance. The cut on your lip luckily won't destroy your beauty. Now things are going to get messy, I'd prefer you not see this anyway. I do hope you understand. And just ignore the things you might hear." he said delicately. Once again, I was surrounded in darkness. I heard the knife being picked up and footsteps walking in the direction of where Sean was. There was silence. I couldn't hear anything for a few minutes except Sean's breathing. Then I heard the chair moving, it sounded like it was being shaken. Then I heard the swift movement of feet on the floor and Sean screaming. My heart stopped beating. My lungs stopped abruptly. My body stopped entirely. Then it got quiet. I couldn't hear Sean's breathing anymore. All I heard was the knife fall onto the floor. Sean! Was he? No. No, he couldn't be. Time froze. I began to cry loudly, I screamed at the top of my lungs. I kept screaming until my throat became sore. I heard slow footsteps coming in my direction. I felt hands take off my blindfold. I quickly turned to my left and my mind wanted to project something other than what my eyes shown. I threw up on the floor. Tears wouldn't stop flowing down my face. My body felt sick, angry, helpless and various other emotions at once. My eyes showed me Sean's entire body soaked in blood. His head was thrown back and his mouth was opened and bloody. His blue eyes were vacant and dull as they stared up at the ceiling. His body became extremely pale. The wound inflicted on him was horrifying. There was a deep slit across his throat. It looked like his throat was slashed open in one movement. All of our memories together flashed in my eyes. We were only together for a few days after we confessed our love. It felt like I known him all my life. All I could see was his warm big smile in my mind. It's gone now. I'll never see it again. I felt hollow. We could've had a future but now it's never to come true. I stared at the floor for a couple minutes. My eyes slowly looked up at the man. His face had a blank expression as he stared at Sean. Then a smirk came across his face. "There. Now there is no one else that can interfere with our love." he laughed. He turned toward me and wiped my tears and his eyes shifted over to where Sean was. He made his way to the cabinet and pulled out a gun. I froze every part in my body. "Now, this is only to prevent you from doing something crazy. We wouldn't want that." He walked over to me with the gun in his hand and set it on the floor. I heard it being put down behind me. He gripped a knife and begun to cut the wires around my ankles and torso. Then my arms. He grabbed his gun and pointed it towards me. I looked at it in fear. "Stand up and stay right in that spot." I slowly rose from the chair. He looked at me and grinned. He dropped the gun to his side and turned around to clean the blood around Sean. I needed to do something. I need to run away, it's the most logical response. I need to get out of here and tell the cops. He took my clothes and put them somewhere, my phone was in my coat pocket. Detective Perry's number was in my phone, I could call him. I felt the lights beam on me. My anger began to fill my sense of logic. What could I do. My eyes looked onto the floor. He left the knife behind my chair. I silently stepped to reach for the knife and I picked it up. I had to. I must. I felt the anger build up in my body, my hands were shaking. My lips began quivering. I have to stop running away. I'm tired of being a coward. He killed the man I loved right next to me. And he smiled about it. At this point I lost all control of myself. I am so sorry Sean. My emotions have gotten the best of me. I charged towards the man as fast as I could. He turned around quickly and pulled his gun out. He pulled the trigger. But he missed, he shot one of the lights from the ceiling. I managed to stab him in his shoulder. I tried to grab the gun but he grabbed my throat, I still had the knife in my hand I swung the knife with the little strength I had left. I cut his chin with the edge of the blade and he let go of my throat. Blood trickled down his chin and his eyes grew with rage. I went to reach for the gun but his grip was too tight. He tried to point the gun towards me but I tried my absolute best to take the gun away from him. We struggled for the pistol and as I still wielded the knife I tried to stab him as much as I could to make him let go of the gun. I cut his fingers and he grunted in pain but his hands still held the gun, I went for it with my free hand and grabbed it. I didn't want to let go, I couldn't let go. My life depended on this. I dropped the knife so I could use both hands and tried to pry the gun from his bloody fingers. As we continued struggling for the gun, his finger pulled the trigger. "BANG!" But before I noticed what I've done I saw blood dripping onto the floor. It was coming from somewhere. Where could it be coming from? I became full of panic. It was from me. There was a hole and blood began to color my white gown red. I looked down. The hole was in my chest. I collapsed onto the floor. The man ran to me. His shirt was covered in blood, most of it was on his wounded shoulder. "No! No! No! I have to stop the bleeding! Why did I shoot!? If you hadn't charged towards me, this wouldn't have happened! I should have tried to shoot you in the leg or the hand, my fingers slipped onto the trigger! I could've avoided this, I could've grabbed the knife. I should've. Why did I do this?! My angel, I'll fix this. I promise you! Don't leave me, please!" he shouted. He took off his shirt and bundled it onto my wound. He used his belt and tied the shirt onto me. He got up and ran out the room. My vison was becoming dizzy, I must be losing a lot of blood. I could feel my breaths becoming more and more weak. I think he shot me in the lung. I think. The bright lights on the ceiling was all I could see. Bright lights. I blinked my eyes slowly and looked over. I saw Sean's feet. I'm so sorry Sean. I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. Finnigan. I'm sorry Sylvia, Lonnie, and Elijah. I'm sorry everyone. The man came back into the room. He had medical supplies. His once sharp green eyes were filled with tears and strained. "Don't leave me. You were the only one keeping me alive." He whispered. It was getting harder to breathe. I couldn't keep my eyes open for too long. My senses slowly stopped working one by one. But one of my senses were somewhat working. I closed my eyes. I took one last faint breath. But all I could sense was the smell of those purple flowers. The flowers with the sweet and welcoming scent. It filled the room. They reminded me of lavender. Angelonias...
YOU ARE READING
Warm, Welcoming, and Inviting
Mystery / ThrillerThe bitter winter winds and snow will not be the only things that will leave her skin cold, pale, and numb. The rejection of once hopeful love will form a tundra of denial and obsession. Will the flaming desire of obtaining one's love and affection...
