Shedding My Skin

TW: Murder, Vengence

Today’s the day I change. Daphne Burrows looked at herself in the mirror for what she knew would be the last time. She studied her mauve wavy hair, not it’s natural colour, her indigo eyes, her tiny nose, all the features that had been with her throughout her thirty years of existence. Daphne wanted to commit all of this to memory. She had good reason to. After today, she would no longer be herself but someone whom nobody, not even her would recognize. As challenging as it would be, the change was necessary. She just couldn’t be herself anymore. 

Daphne’s decision to change who she was, wasn’t an impromptu one, however. Not after it appeared over the years that she would never be good enough for anyone. Her partner “Coward” (Daphne wasn’t going to waste any more of her breath or memory saying their name) didn’t think so at least. They were happy to throw her away despite them being together for three years. Their actions were a stab in the back. As if she meant nothing to them. Even though, she had been the first partner to accept Coward’s identity as an assigned male at birth nonbinary person and taking care to use their preferred pronouns. No matter how they identified, Daphne accepted them as they were, with all her being. Then one day out of nowhere, Coward decided that wasn’t good enough. They now treated her as if she didn’t exist. Daphne had tried to get through to them. To ask for their relationship to be given a proper chance. For the two of them to have a proper conversation like she was owed. But they were too much of a coward to bother, hence how she came to their nickname.

Daphne hoped Coward hadn’t started dating someone new at this time. They had told her before they walked out the door, they probably wouldn’t date anyone else for a long time. They also promised the reason they were throwing her away wasn’t because of someone else. But she didn’t know what to believe anymore. It was as if Coward had been replaced by an alien pod, much like the pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The same thing had happened with her previous ex. That seemed one explanation as to why they suddenly decided they didn’t want to be with her anymore without warning or a chance. Was she cursed? Doomed to always be abandoned and never be able to stay anywhere long? Throughout her whole dating life, Daphne felt every relationship seemed to end up this way no matter the circumstances or how hard she tried to fix things. Coward’s callous actions gave her the sign she needed that things needed to change. That she herself needed to change. It was the only way to get rid of this burden of always being left.      

Daphne locked up her little one-bedroom apartment. It would be the last time she visited it. Fortunately, she had nothing of great value to leave behind. She’d paid her rent in advance, so it would be a long while before the landlord came knocking. Daphne hardly knew the neighbours. They highly likely wouldn’t notice she was gone. She drove to the hairdressers, as part of her steps in changing herself. The hairdresser noticed Daphne was quieter than usual but chalked it up to her having been working hard lately. After she was less recognizable with her new hair, Daphne drove to the pharmacy, to buy some coloured contact lenses. She would’ve preferred to have put them in, in her own bathroom but it was too late to go back now. The bathroom in the nearby mall looked clean enough. After checking the coast was clear, Daphne fiddled with the lenses. It had been many years since she had worn contact lenses of any kind. She studied her new look in the mirror. Daphne knew her change so far wasn’t foolproof. She would have to go much further before she became unrecognizable from her old life. But it would do for the moment. Afterwards, Daphne hopped back into the car and drove off the motorway into a quiet area. Checking the coast was clear, she opened the boot. They still had that cruel grin on their face and their unfeeling eyes staring directly at her. Daphne was disgusted. Thanks to having to drag their giant frame into the boot, her back and arms were sore. “Goodbye coward.” She growled as she planted a kiss on Coward’s cold dead lips. She closed the boot and looked at her watch. It wouldn’t be long before she was out of town. By the time Coward was found, Daphne expected she would have started to settle into her new life.

It had happened only yesterday. Daphne hadn’t intended for things to go the way they did. She wanted Coward to pay for what they did, but also still had plenty to lose if they decided to retaliate. Still, she needed to send a message. So, one evening, armed with plenty of glitter, she did a shiny drive by on their car. Unfortunately, she didn’t drive away fast enough. Coward came out, furious and asked what the hell she thought she was doing. Daphne told them they deserved it for ignoring her. She bared her soul to them, asking why. She had hoped to get through to them if there was any humanity left. But after Coward grinned cruelly, Daphne was left feeling angry. Without warning, she pushed Coward backwards with all her might. They fell and hit their head on the pavement. Daphne tried to get them to wake up. But they were out cold. Forever. Daphne knew she had no choice. She was not going to let Coward ruin her life any more than they had. 

Daphne, with little luggage, hopped onto the train. She would soon no longer be known as Daphne but another common name. She wondered what her new life would be like. It would be hard to know, but she knew it had to be better than her old one. Nobody would abandon her again. If they tried to, well, they would learn what happened to Coward when they left her. Yes, they would certainly be sorry, Daphne smiled as she looked out the train window and watched the world go by. 

“May life treat you kindly and you have the best of luck. Goodbye.”

Dedicated to G.R.C., aka “Coward.”