As the Fear Creeps In

I was extremely excited for it. It was the three-year anniversary for my girlfriend, Evelien , and I. The two of us hadn't been as close in the months leading up to it all. Looking back, I know now that it was something I would regret forever. The truth was, I had gotten a promotion at work. While this was indeed a good thing for our income, this money wasn't just handed to me. My work hours had increased more than double what they had been. As a result, all my time was spent in the office. However, Evelien had somehow convinced herself that I wasn't at work but was instead having a torrid love affair.

Thus, she pushed me away, giving me absolutely no chance to defend myself. My permanent bed had become the living-room couch and it most certainly wasn't as comfortable as our thousand-dollar bed. The one that I had paid for, no less. The timing truly could not have been worse, as this all took place nearly a month before our three-year anniversary. I suppose I'll now get to what this whole shtick is about, though, eh?

It was the day of our three-year anniversary and I was driving home. As my car sped on the asphalt, the tires making rhythmic sounds, I sat in anticipation. My objective was to mend the gap that had formed in the last month between my wife and I. This was indeed something I had looked forward to. I worked hard to get my boss to allow me to take today off, too. My boss was a bitter old man in his late sixties who didn't have a wife. He had at several points, but each ended in divorce. By the way, my name was definitely bland, as well. Roger Stephens. I worked at a law-firm called Winter & Steel.

The promotion that I mentioned earlier was I had been promoted to partner. I'd been working at that job eight years, longer than I had been married to Evelien. However, I had known her already by the time I had gotten the job. Though, we hadn't even thought of one another that way until quite some time later. Indeed, it was surprising for our mutual friends when they found out I was dating her. Ah, sorry, I've began rambling yet again. Please forgive me, I haven't quite been in my right mind since it happened. I myself have even begun to question my own sanity.

I am writing this in hopes that someone, anyone, can tell me this really happened. That they believed... Either way, let us return yet again to the story. As I drove down the road, an eager expression on my face, I stared ahead through the windshield. I found myself to be in a most wonderful mood, even humming along to the jazzy music playing softly on the car radio. I tapped my hands rhythmically against the steering-wheel. It was the happiest I had been in quite some time. I suppose that was to be expected for a (mostly) happily married man such as myself. Of course, we had our issues, such as her insecure, nonsensical and paranoid behaviour, but I loved my wife even so.

She may have been bad crazy at times but she was most definitely the good kind of crazy most of the time. As I pulled up outside my house, I climbed out of my car and closed my door. I walked across the street, a wide grin plastered on my face. I suddenly peered through the window and stared in horror. A figure dressed in black had his hands on my wife, a blade pressed to her throat. I watched in horror as it slit her throat. I turned for only a moment to dial 911, but when I turned back, the figure was gone. And so was my wife. I rushed into the house carelessly and looked around for anything at all to indicate what I had just seen. I found nothing in the end and settled on filing a missing persons report on wife. I knew it would look suspicious if I didn't. Days passed and I was called by the police station, asking if the had been found. I, of course, answered no. She hadn't been found.

I hung up with the woman and waited several more days. I was on paid temporary leave from work because of this, but I only sat silently on my couch for days, waiting for anything. After four months, it had been determined that she was dead. Much to my dismay, I was brought in as the suspect. This resulted in countless interrogations spanning the course of a week. Then, it was decided that I had murdered my wife and filed a missing persons report to cover my tracks. I was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Them doing this was illegal as there was no body and no crime could be proved, but I didn't appeal anyways. I had nothing waiting for me on the outside.

My name is Roger Stephens, but I have been Inmate 6628 for the last fifteen years. I am serving out a life sentence in prison. I will leave the address. Please send me a letter confirming my beliefs. Please... I am not a good man, and I will not claim as such. Even so, I truly loved my wife. I would never have done something as truly horrendous as what they claim I did. There is no evidence in the case, just a claim and an incorrect instinct. That was all. I just need this one last thing. The end of my life is indeed drawing nigh and I would like to slip into the abyss with one less regret. The prison's address is 3342 State Road 37, Augusta, Main, 45622. Please humour this old man once. This is my dying wish. I understand if you unable or unwilling to do so. But if that should be the case, please pass my message on. I want to know... I need to know.