Even the prettiest things rot

Devil red, crisp and sweet. Apples were sinful fruits. Adam and Eve consumed them when defying god. However, the apple trees were so lovely. They were the prettiest things when you laid below them, Jack. I sat just above you, reading. How did we get here? It's my favourite story. 

(FLASHBACK)

"Neha, are you ready?" Glancing at my reflection in the mirror, I had several more spots to cover. My foundation was nearly all gone! I slid on my white, lace gloves. 

"Jack, aren't they adorable?" Jack approved. 

"They're great," He handed me a basket and settled my hat on my head, tying the net that was attached to the bonnet. 

"Thank you," I kissed him on his cheek while on my tiptoes. 

"Yeah, yeah," He muttered. I skipped to our shaky old truck that parked outside of my cottage. I entered the vehicle, closing the door. Once my dear sat inside, he turned the car on. 

"How about some music?" He hums in response to my question. As I rotated the radio dials, an oldie, but a goodie, (You're The) Devil in disguise by Elvis Presley played. 

'You look like an angel

Walk like an angel

Talk like an angel

But I got wise

You're the devil in disguise

Oh, yes, you are

The devil in disguise'. Jack hummed along to the tune. My eyes gazed at his peaceful yet, focused face. Before I knew it, our hands intertwined with each other's. Shortly after we arrived, I glanced at the gorgeous rows of apple trees. Jack and I exited the vehicle, and I ran past the people busy and other trees. I continued to the last one. This tree stood separated, the apples shone and camouflaged amongst the leaves. 

"This one!" I say to my boyfriend, who was walking his way to me. I picked up the ladder and set in on the tree trunk. I climbed the steps and packed our baskets until they were full. My glove slipped off as I reached the ground. I picked it up and swiftly put it back on. I couldn't let him see the spots. The spots that he put there. Every time he touched me and didn't mean it, a part of my body would earn what I call dots. My body, covered in mould-like dots, and I knew I was rotting. 

When my shoes touched the lush grass, I whirled around. 

"Neha, I'm going to go use the bathroom," He informed me. 

"Alright," I waved him goodbye. I didn't know that would be the last time I would wave goodbye to him out of respect. 

One hour had passed. I read my book for one hour, not paying consideration to it. All I could think about was Jack. Where was he? Was he alright? Finally, I got up from my place to look for him. 

"Jack!" I called out his name, but there was no reply. 

I spun around and looked in the distance to see if he was there. No matter how hard I looked or the amount of the times I called out his name, he wasn't anywhere.

I walked around the building. I chose to walk around to where the bathrooms were. I overheard heavy breathing. I stood instantly in my tracks and proceeded to peep around the corner. What I saw next horrified me. There stood the man I loved, he kissed another girl, his hands, spreading about the girl's body. My chest hurt. The air was suffocating me, and tears welled up in my eyes, my nerves burned. My legs dislocated to jelly, and I gasped. 

"Neha?" regretfully, his gaze stayed fixed on mine. 

"What are you doing?" I cringed at my feeble tone. Red flags beat me and beat me till I couldn't take it, my head hurt. I looked ridiculous! 

Stay, fight, scream. My brain was being inconsiderate. I wish it were a person so I could knock them out cold. 

"Neha, just let me explain," He stretched his hand out. The same hands that were smothering his entertainment, who was standing there, clinging onto him. 

"Explain?" I scoffed, my voice shattered. 

"Shit," something I always hated about Jack is that he recognized that things hurt me after he troubles me. 

I stumbled, wiping my tears, biting my lip. I nodded. My body spun around, and I ran the other way. He had the keys. I decided to walk home. 

The sky mocked me. It hailed. The bits of ice hit me, and they burned, but of course, the only thing on my brain was Jack. I loved him. He never loved me, and I knew it. I can't think I let this happen to me. I did nothing but treat him tenderly. The least he could do was break up with me. I wandered for one and a half hours till I reached home. I used my extra key in the pot outside my entrance. I noticed Jack wasn't home yet, and sat at my table. 

"How ridiculous," My tears were gone, but the stains remained. 

Four hours later.

 I decided to make some food. I had some leftover pasta in my fridge. Usually, people lose their appetites when they're upset, but I stress-ate. How could he do this to me? Don't I care for him? 

All of these issues once again flew in my head. My pasta heated up. I put some on my plate and sat down. As I sat down, I listened to the door open. His eyes met mine. Jack gradually approached me. 

I felt no attachment to him. 

"Neha, we need to talk,"

"Talk about what?" I refused to look at him. 

"About the incident," he mumbled. 

"So talk," I glance up at him. 

"Wh-what happened to your face!?" He rushed over to me and checked the bruises and red marks that littered my face, amazed he couldn't see the dots that exposed because of my tears. 

"No, no!" His hand traced over a bruise, and I winced and stood up. Even though Jack towered over me, I wasn't afraid. 

I ignored him. 

"Dammit, Neha!" He grabbed my plate from me and placed it onto the table. 

"First you break my heart, now you think you can control me?" I question. Jack remained stunned. 

"I know what I did is inexcusable, but please, I didn't intend it," He grabbed onto my bruised arms. Jack sobbed. I let him blab, and anger boiled within me. I smiled. I played along. 

"You Promise?" I asked, fake tears in my eyes. Jack hugged me so tightly it almost made me pity him. 

My body sandwiched between him and against the counter. 

"I swear," His gaze pierced through mine. Quickly his lips met mine. The kiss was craving and hollow. 

"I swear that I only love you," He stated in between kisses. My hand touched the counter behind me. I grasped my pan, while my other hand travelled up to his hair.

"But Jack,..." I pulled away.

 My fingers still gripped on his hair. I stared into his lustful eyes. I yanked his head backwards. 

"What-?" I hushed him by a hard hit to his head. He fell to the floor, still conscious. That's no good because this was going to hurt. Jack groaned. 

"I'm still mad that you cheated on me," I kick him to face me. 

His eyes were appalled. 

"Look at my hands and face," I ordered him. When he didn't do as I said, I pulled him upwards by his shirt. 

"I'm covered in bruises, spots and marks all because of you, precious," I explained. 

"I'm s-sorry!" He spat out a tooth and winced. 

"Too late," I cooed. 

"You made me rot," I teared up. Once more, I raised my pan to strike him. 

"Wait!" He cried out, but I didn't hear. 

I beat him, and his skull crushed my pan. I hit him one, two, three, and four times. His screams satisfied me. On my fifth hit, his face looked Lasagne, and his screeches died out. I breathed and sat beside him. 

That was the end of my toxic drug.

The rest of the night enforced cleaning up this stupid mess and covering the proof. 

"Better get to work." 

I washed the floors till I could see my face in it, and disposed of any evidence, and I reached for the truck keys. I moved the sinner's body to the truck. 

I drove him to the apple tree walkways. It was empty, perfect. Man, this boy was huge! I dragged him to the apple tree we gathered apples from, and buried him there. 

The rest of my night required cleaning up any evidence. I gawked at my hands. The dots spread all over them. I grasped a dried apple from the ground that must've dropped from the tree days ago. The pretty red fruit had bugs crawling all around it. It was a bad apple. I placed the rotten fruit down onto the pile of dug up dirt.  

(Present Day) 

I looked at the sapling that arose out of Jack's grave. It looked so pretty. I couldn't help but grin. My eyes trailed to my lap, 

 "Darn," I lost my place. I shut my eyes and felt something bump my head. 

"Ow," I set my palm on my head. I scanned around to see what hit me. To my right, I saw a stunning, crisp, red, and sweet apple. They were spoiled fruits. However, They were the prettiest things when you laid below them, Jack.