Her

 

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Chapter 1.

 There she was. Walking through the school gates and walking into the school building. Mid length, blonde hair. Her skin gleaming and polished. Immaculate, flawless. Sweetheart makeup, soft and gentle for her age. Pink, rosy heart shaped lips. Kissable, for sure. Her skirt at a reasonable length, not too virgin and not too trashy. She was mysterious and I know that's cliche, but, she was. I studied her, analysed her. She intrigued and interested me. I wanted to know what was on the inside, that soul of hers, I fell in love with it and yet frustrated I didn't fully understand it nor could I lay eyes on what it was, what about her personality that sent me senile, that drove me too far with my work. No, not my day time job. 



It was a Tuesday. I saw her this morning, again, like yesterday morning, like every morning. I couldn't bare to look at her much anymore. It Was emotional torture. I wanted to speak to her, I wanted to approach her. I wanted her to know. It was important she did. It was crucial she understood. I was biding my time, just waiting on it. 


Lunch time came around, the kids had rushed off to eat and play and hang out with their buddies. She was still packing her bag with textbooks. It was only me and her in that classroom. Everyone else had left. It was my time to strike, my time to shine. What is there to lose, hey?. 


"Hi...I um, I wanted to say I think your presentation in class today was a really bold statement. You explored the research required for this assessment and got really stuck in. I admire that. 


Her-

"Oh, thank you. That's kind".


I didn't know if she was ever going to realise or understand unless I come completely clean with her about how I feel. It's a 50/50 situation, but I need that odd chance. I catch her up, I ask where she's going to eat lunch, she replies with "the canteen silly, where else?" She had a sense of humour, she was sarcastic. I liked that. Hey can I take you for some lunch?...oh! on educational purposes obviously, we'll revise. I think you need it with some areas of your work. Your pick! 


Her-

"Well...I guess...and it'll be fine, right?".


Yes it'll be ok! It's allowed! She was hesitant and nervous, I could tell. She was vulnerable and naive, very fragile. And I was starting to sweat, across my forehead. I was being so daring and wild. She hopped in my truck, slumped her backpack to the truck floor and laid back. Cool as a cucumber. She eventually picked a restaurant to eat in, a very, very fancy, Italian restaurant. It cost a bomb. We didn't even do any revision whilst at lunch, instead, we spent the whole time chatting, she's very mature for her age. 


We got back into my truck, she said she had class soon, I rushed her back to school sparing her some time before lunch break finished. I was close. I could feel it. Intensifying and becoming real. She was starting to realise, surely she was? I was making it obvious, I was just biding my time that's all. 


After lunch, after we departed. I couldn't stop thinking about her, her golden, soft hair. Her pink, pouty little lips. Her body. Her maturity, her decisiveness. I could barely handle this feeling. It was overwhelming. I needed to see her again, to spend that kind of time with her again. It was pure serenity. The end of the school day came around. I'd been daydreaming for the rest of the afternoon, about her. My god. I craved her, I longed for so many things from her. She'd taken over me. I needed to feel close to her, I had to.


As I walked down the stairs carrying my paperwork, I saw her out of the corner of my eye make an exit out of school. This could be my chance, I could get to spend some more time with her. I had to catch her up. What if her parents were collecting her from school? I had to get there first. Just us.


I was running so fast that I dropped all of my paperwork on the way, falling like feathers, scattering over the food infested floor of the canteen. I could see her, she was alone, far behind from the other children walking home. I caught up and tapped her on the shoulder, bending over with my hands on my knees, completely out of breath. I could barely get a word out but I so desperately needed to, so I finally caught my breath and words came out. "Hey! Are your...parents...picking...you up from school?" She looked around before replying. "No, I walk home".  Without a thought I asked her if she wanted to go into town. "To do what? This doesn't seem right you know?" I started to panic, I wanted her to feel calm and safe. I was a completely safe and responsible person after all. "I mean, it's up to you. I just thought some intelligent company would be aspiring". 


Her-

"Ok then".


She agreed. For the second time that day, she jumped into my truck, shrugged off her bag onto the truck floor and laid back. Still, as cool as a cucumber. She was kicking her legs, her silky, smooth, bronzed legs. I found it hard concentrating to drive, especially with a dime like her next to me. She smelt like springs wild water Lily, I know that because I spent a spring in Thailand in the mountains, that's where they grew. 



I noticed she started to look confused, uncomfortable, disorientated. Her mind was racing, I could tell. This drastic change panicked me, it made me nauseous. My stomach was turning. I started to sweat again, immensely. We were trying not to give off any signs of how we were feeling or what we were thinking. But we made it all the obvious. We sat in silence. I didn't know what she was going to do? Was she going to run away when I park up in town? I can't risk that. Especially if she's scared. Oh god, I don't want her to feel scared. I don't bother stopping in town, we need to get out of here, somewhere desolate and quiet, somewhere far away from the main roads and public. The woods.


She notices we have driven past town. "What are you doing? I thought we were stopping in town? What's going on?" I could hear a frustration and anger in her voice, that was her defence. But I could also hear a tremble and tightness in her throat. That throat, that I could so easily wrap my hands around, gently, softly as her golden hair falls seemingly onto my hands and forearms. Stop daydreaming, come on. You have things to focus on. I was silent, I couldn't answer her questions, I wasn't sure myself what quite was happening. I didn't know what I was doing. The silence scared her, she started to cry, I could hear her faint whimpers. Please don't cry! I thought. I'm not a monster, I'm not going to hurt you! But she wouldn't stop. After 5 minutes she calmed down, she asked to unroll her window as she was getting hot in the truck. Caught up in my own thoughts racing at 1000mph all scrambled across my brain, I simply nodded. So she proceeded to unroll her window. Clever girl. She started screaming at the top of her lungs "HELP! Somebody please help me! I'm being kidnapped!" People were starting to look. I had to get out of there. Quick, fast. Or else, I was in deep trouble. I quickly learnt she was dangerous, this was dangerous. The whole thing, what was I doing...had I taken my obsession too far?. I still proceeded. I locked the doors so she couldn't get out, she looked at me with such hate and plead in her eyes, it was confusing and toyed with my mind. I was driving fast, recklessly, just like my mind.


We pulled up. In the woods, I'd driven where there was no roads to drive on, just to be extra safe no one would see or hear us.


 She sat completely still, in complete shock. She wouldn't speak, she wouldn't move, I don't think she'd even blink. She was too scared to close her eyes for even a milli second. What had I done. I was no longer looking at this beautiful, sweet, angelic darling anymore. Instead I was looking at a petrified, paralysed in fear 15 year old girl. Who trusted me, who I had actually lied to and misled. Everything was ruined, a mess. That I didn't know how to get out of. I had a baseball bat in my trunk. I won it at a red socks baseball game back in 2006. I don't know why I thought about that baseball bat, why did it come to mind? I unlock the truck. I firmly tell her to stay put. I get out, watching her closely. I walk round to her side, we engage in eye contact for about 1 minute. Deep eye contact. I couldn't tell what she was thinking. I open her door, slowly. "Don't try anything smart little girl" I was hoping to keep her put but I said it in a rather threatening tone. "Come on, jump out" she now didn't want to get out, she was too scared to actually now leave the truck. She refused. So I grabbed her. She started to scream and kick. I had to be quick, there was no time to waste trying to slowly lur her out of my truck or asking her. She was putting up a fight. Suddenly, I stumble over a small rock and she breaks free from my grip and hold. She starts running into the deep woods. I run around to the trunk, I reach for my bat. I then chase her. I can see her, I'm getting closer. She can't run very fast. Although it's hard to actually catch her, to grab hold of her. I can't keep running, I can't seem to reach her, or get hold of her. "THUD" she drops. To the cold, damp, leafy ground. Her heads bleeding, her blonde golden hair is turning a brown, muddy colour from the blood. She's unconscious. I turn her on her back. Her lifeless face, pale and blue. No longer gleaming and polished. Her pink, rosy, pouty lips. Now shrivelled and white. I didn't recognise her anymore. She no longer smelt of wild water Lily's. Instead I smelt the stale and metallic smell of blood. Fresh blood. Her clothes ripped, dirtied, stained. Was...was she...dead? I really hope not. I never meant for any of this to happen, not to this point. I never meant to hurt her. She was so fragile and dainty. I picked up her now heavy body. I carried it down to a creek in the distance. I laid her there. I checked her pulse and breathing, but...I couldn't hear nor feel either. There was a trail of blood following us. Is it too late to call an ambulance? Could I save her? I don't think I can. What have I done? She's dead. My obsession has died. My muse has passed. I killed my only darling. Because of greed and impatience. I never bided my time. If I did, I would have waited until she was 18, or 21. You see. My names Rafael Quinto. I'm 43, I am Emily Marlows English teacher. I am also Emily Marlows killer, cold blooded killer.

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