No More Than Three Months

And that's how I did it.

I got up to close the window, it was a sunny day, the clouds were nonexistent and the small plants and flowers moved with the gentle wind. Although the birds were singing a sepulchral silence reigned inside the country house. From the distance I could see some cows and horses from the other farms that were far away. A few seconds after observing the landscape, I closed it. I needed more darkness, I didn't want him to wake up. He was laying bed, exhausted from the date we had last night. He had been very gentle, he always was. I could hear his soft breathing. I took off my thin jacket as it wasn't that cold there. Spring just had started so it was easy to wear long jeans and a thin sweater.

I didn't know what to do in that case, most of them were gone after a month or two. Many of those who have come have not lasted that long, I don't like to get attached. I don't like to feel part of someone. My job doesn't allow it and neither do I. It's like a rule; whoever comes can't stay more than three months. This would delay my plans. 

I'd been thinking about it for the last few days. But before I told him anything I'd have to take out the garbage, it already stank and I didn't want to raise suspicions. The last one who came over was a real asshole, he just wanted sex and alcohol, thank god that I finished things really fast with him. I had never really enjoyed this, but I swear that time I felt empowered, I felt proud to be done with him; he deserved it. 

My job is simple. The agency tells me who I have to seduce, I study the case, memorize his moves and then one day I approach the case and strike up a conversation with him. I'm used to dealing with men, it would be very complicated for me to do it with women; it would feel bad for them. 

My current case was D094. Daniel had been an interesting case I have to admit it. His personality was curious, a man who was enthusiastic and outgoing but shy at the same time. The first time I had approached him was at a museum, he was looking at "Saturn devouring his son". It had been easy to start dating him, I almost didn't even have to change my personality. I had only had to dye my hair blonde (they were his favorites). 

He was still sleeping in the bed in the master room, this is the best place for my kind of work. It's far from the big city and there are almost no cars passing through this area. It's not like I make a lot of noise either, but the house being in poor condition helps keep ordinary people from coming in to investigate. They don't know what they would find.

I stopped looking at him and went to get the garbage bags. The last guy had been tricky to tear apart, he was big. When I came back Daniel was awake, he came over and gave me a sweet kiss. I know it's against my own rules, but I was starting to have second thoughts with this case. Killing him would be a waste, I didn't even know why I got this case. He wasn't flagged in any police file, he was clean of everything, he even had all fifteen points on his driver's license. But I couldn't think about that, it wasn't part of my job. 

I was in a rough situation. For the first time I noticed that I had a deeper connection with a case. I had feelings for Daniel. I couldn't let that happen. I didn't know whether to kill him or hide him. I could disappear from the map like the other times, run away with him... I could even fall in love with Daniel. But it would be too complicated for him. 

That's why I don't let them stay more than three months, because in the end this could happen. Every day I put it off more and more. I would go to sleep thinking that the next day I would kill him, that I would end his life and prepare for my next case. But it never happened. It had to be that day, the weather was good. I could take him to the field for a picnic, let him enjoy his last meal and then kill him. I couldn't stick him with a dagger like the others, I didn't want him to suffer that much. 

And that's how I did it. I organized a beautiful picnic, we sunbathed and he told me that he wanted to go to the big city and rent an apartment with me. He told me his plans for the future, that he wanted to sell paintings and that he wanted to paint one for me. He wanted to adopt a cat and name it Elizabeth like the one in Pride and Prejudice. I realized with each passing minute that it would be rough. In his last hours we stayed silent while cuddling. When the time came I filled his glass with the wine I wasn't going to drink from. <<For us.>> he said. <<For you.>> I corrected him. 

As he took a sip everything seemed normal. It would take about ten seconds to kick in. 3, 2, 1... And nothing. I got nervous, it hadn't worked, why wasn't it working? Desperation took over me and seeing that my plan hadn't worked I had to do something that made my heart ache. I got on top of him and gave him a short kiss while my hand grabbed the dagger from my leg. 

ㅡ I love you ㅡ I whispered to him as I plunged the dagger straight through into his heart so he wouldn't suffer. And I did it like this.