" Help, I am being held hostage by my future husband".

" Lorna, it's my life. Not yours. Leave me alone, close the door behind you". I bolted the door shut behind her and reached for the cabinet.

Opening the little box, I held one of Eric's pictures into my hands. There was nothing remarkable about his features. Everything about his face was odd.

Walking across the room, I got hold of a whiskey bottle and drank straight from it. Hoping it would blur my vision a little. Still nothing.

I downed the whole bottle and soon after regretted it.

Still there was nothing to blur the fact that Eric was not good looking. I had agreed to marry him only a few months of courtship and I was beginning to wonder why I did it.

I sat down and tried to analyse how the rest of the family was going to process it. I had been selfish enough not to tell anyone about my reasons because I knew they were all going to stop me.

I had stumbled upon Eric the day I had gone to open a bank account. It was about six months back.

The weather was fairly agreeable and the wind was brushing against my hair. Occasionally trying to lift my dress which made me blush a little and as a result I held onto it tightly.

I anticipated that something great was about to happen. Skipping a little as I neared the building the wind threatened to blow away the papers in my hand.

At that moment,I bumped into a little man. Feeling annoyed I realised he had also dropped his papers so I knelt down and gathered them all up.

Handing him his papers and gathering my own I walked into the bank.

" Excuse me Sir, I am here to open a bank account, where do I go?".

" Well hello My daughter, how are you?", said the guard.

Laughing awkwardly, " Hello, I am good ,how are you ".

" If you want to open an account ,go up to the first floor , second door on your right ."

I said thank you and hurried up the stairs, nearly tripping and falling on my face.

After greeting the pretty lady behind the computer I handed her my identity document, proof of residence and the twenty dollar note. I told her that I wanted to open a bank account.

" Who is Eric ",she asked

" My uncle", I replied trying to make sense of her question .

Why was she asking me about Eric, I did not know anyone by that name. With the way things were run in the country, she might have been offended if I had said I did not know anyone by that name.

She studied the paper for a moment and peered at me with curiosity. I could tell she wanted to say something but did not. She sneaked a look at my dress, and at my shoes. Then she rose and smiled politely handing me back my belongings.

" To open a bank account, you need proof of address ", she said and turned shortly to leave.

Looking at the papers, I remembered the incident I had had. Holding the bank statement in my hands, I looked at the six figure monthly deposits and something inside me stirred.

" I had bumped into a millionaire "

The excitement died soon after as I realised that I had to go back home and get another proof of residence. Since we paid no utility bills that meant going to the council. Another long process I was not looking forward to.

I ended up going through the process again only to meet the little man as I stepped out of the bank with my bank card.

" May I buy you lunch", he offered.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at him squarely in the eyes. Probably he thought I looked too thin.

" I am not hungry", I replied coldly in an attempt to discourage any more conversation. Somehow he did not notice that and laughed heartily.

" Sorry, I don't mean to be rude . We have not met, my name is Eric.

I bumped into you the other day, a month ago and ended up with your paper", he said.

" Oh yes, I have your bank statement. Here you go. I am in a hurry . Bye".

I handed him back the paper and hurried off. As I turned back I realised he was hurrying after me,with his short legs. He was trying to keep up and look cool and the same time.

A part of me remembered that he was a millionaire. Suddenly a childhood thought of wealthy men who cut off people's heads, and sliced them into portions before selling them across borders appeared in my head.

At that point I did not want to look foolish so I started skipping a little which turned into a slow jog.

Looking back I noticed Eric was also jogging, I turned corners and could not manage to loose him. The little man was persistent, I give him that.

Adrenaline kicked in when I noticed that there was a car following Eric. I did not have time to think, was it his driver or he was actually being chased.

I started sprinting at full gallop and so did Eric.

" Stop, Stop", he yelled. You dropped your wallet he said.

" I don't own a wallet, I yelled back.

Finally I could not let the charades go on forever so I stopped. Refusing to get into the car we finally went for lunch.

I was afraid I would get dragged into the car. A part of me was relieved when we went to a crowded place.

As time went by I got used to Eric. He was a strange man. Awkward and weirdly made. With him I could be anything I wanted.

I remember a time we went to the mall barefoot. At other times we wore pyjamas. For the first time in a long time I felt liberated. I saw myself above the world without a need to please anyone.

Eric would disappear on days end and not tell mention anything about his whereabouts. No one seemed to know him.

I hired a private investigator who told me that there was no record of his fingerprints anywhere. He was a ghost.

Later that day I saw the private investigator with Eric and he was given a brown envelope.

Digging through his things I saw a paper that talked about a young millionaire who disappeared without a trace with people's bit coin.

I thought about the possibility and decided against it. It did not take long for Eric to propose and I had to agree. He was my match both in wit and humor. We were both equally strange beings trying to live normal lives but could not. We felt at home together.

However I was going to leave him and break off the engagement by leaving him a note. I knew that if I told him to call off the engagement he would give me the stars and the moon just to make sure I stayed.

He always used to say, " I knew you were mine the day I laid eyes on you"

That evening as I stood to board the bus to the city, a woman in black approached me. She stood very close to me and looked at me as if she was about to kiss me.

She yanked my hair, and I could feel the cold six millimeter gun in my stomach. She breathed on my neck and I froze. My legs threatening to give up on me. She stepped back and I fell on my hands.

Kneeling down she said, " You are not leaving tonight. Go back to your fiance and plan the wedding as you had promised each other. You will receive further instructions ".

With that she left. I sat down and looked around. Everything seemed normal. I got a phone call from Eric, asking if I was alright. It took me all I had to lie to him.

Lorna had walked into my room in an final attempt to try and persuade me not to marry Eric. Unfortunately she was not very good at persuading people.

All her arguments revolved around the fact that Eric was not good looking. As if i did not know that already. She said I would be unhappy. Went on to narrate that we would have fat little children who would look like potatoes.

She said I would be so miserable, and grow bitter and cold and have furrowing lines from being sad and always frowning. She said Eric would then cheat on me,and somehow run away with a pretty blond young woman and take all his money any leave me penniless .

What Lorna did not know was that Eric was already making me sign the prenuptial. He said it was because I tried to leave him . He promised me worse if ever I tried to leave again.

" Leave me alone", was what I said to Lorna but I meant those words for Eric. I had found out he had planted cameras all over my house and was always watching me.