The Stalker

“So, you’re telling me you’ve killed someone?”

“You don’t have to say it like that.”

“How am I supposed to say it, Henry? You literally just told me you ended someone’s life! How can I feel safe around you now? I don’t even know who you are anymore!”

“I did it for you, don’t you understand? I am not a cold-hearted killer, Mila. You are looking at me as if I’m just a psychopath. I had a reason!”

“There is no reason to end someone’s life! What could they have possibly done that was so horrible that they needed to be killed?”

“You, you’re the reason, you pay no attention to anything going on around you. That man has been stalking you!”

“You think that he was stalking me, just seeing him around me a few times doesn’t mean he was stalking.”

“When someone is being creepy and standing in shadows and sneaking around, yeah seems suspicious. Not to mention the threatening texts you’ve received!”

“Texts? You went through my phone?”

“Apparently, I needed to. I can’t believe you would hide these things from me. I’m looking after you because you’re putting yourself at risk. When you are receiving texts like “you look beautiful today, I’d love to see you in red”, they’re obviously talking about blood. They were out to get you Mila!”

“That’s not the point, you went through my phone. Do you not trust me, Henry?”

“Of course, I do. Its men around you that I don’t.”

“Did you kill that man because you thought I was cheating on you?”

“Of course not. If you were cheating, I’d just leave you. I honestly thought he was just trying to hurt you.”

“How did you kill him, Henry? How bad was it?”

“Mila, please don’t do this.”

“Henry, please I need to know what you did.”

“I started watching him more often and following where he went, I caught him going to your place and watching you at least 4 times that week. It was then I decided that I needed to get rid of him before he hurt you. You see too much good in people, I knew you would never report him for stalking, if you ever noticed that he did. I knew it was up to me, I had to do it Mila. I was able to get a gun and I decided next time I saw him, he would die.”

“So, you just shot him? No big argument? No confrontation? Just shot him?”

“Don’t make it sound like I just hid in the shadows and shot him from far away. Good grief. One minute I’m a psycho the next you’re acting like I’m a coward.”

“You can be both. So, what happened?”

“I walked up to him and told him that he was going to pay for what he was doing. He said he didn’t know what I was talking about. I explained that I had been following him and I had seen him on multiple occasions outside your house and there was no way he was going to get away. Then I shot him. He dropped and I ran.”

“Henry, you realize you stalked him too, right?”

“That’s not the same thing and you know it.”

“Have you killed anyone else? I need to know.”

“You don’t want to know that.”

“Henry, yes I do.”

“Two others. You don’t understand they had it coming.”

“Seems like a typical excuse for a serial killer.”

“Mila, you’re not listening to me! I. Am. Not. A. Murderer. They brought this on themselves.”

“Seems you have no idea what a definition of a murderer is.”

“Why did you kill the others?”

“The first one was following my ex-wife. I shot him as well, back in the city.”

“Ten years ago?”

“Yes, thankfully I was never found out.”

“Why are you telling me this? Aren’t you afraid I’ll let your secret out? Tell the police and get you arrested and put away for the crimes you have committed? You need some help. You trust me enough to tell me you've committed murders but yet you check my phone? You make no sense?"

"FOR YOUR SAFETY! I don't trust that you can take care of yourself, you just let everyone close to you and you are so transparent. You make no effort to even take any precautions. I mean does anyone even know you're here?"

"Of course they do. I told you i don't trust you, you're a psychopath."

"I AM NOT A PSYCHOPATH. You know nothing about what a psych-."

"What's that babe?"

"Oh sh- Did you just, gasp, did you-. St-stab me? W--"

"I know more about being a psychopath than you ever will, darling. Here you are criticizing me about not being safe and look who's bleeding out? One nice little stab to the chest and one in the neck and you couldn't even fight back. Pathetic. I have heard enough of your belittling, you think that poor man was stalking me baby? And sweet little me hadn't even noticed? I was luring him in, idiot. Then you go and hide in the shadows and shoot him? He was supposed to be my prey, had it all planned out but you had to go and be the hero. Guess it worked out though it'll work very nicely for my cover."

"Hello, anyone in here?"

"I-I'm in here, please hurry!"

"Oh dear, are you ok Mila? I'm sorry I should've got here sooner! I tried to hurry! Did he hurt you?"

"I-I don't think so, I'm just a little shook up, Layla"

"What happened? Oh no I think he's dead!"

"We were in the kitchen I asked him why he's been so spacey lately and he told me he shot a man. I was so scared,Layla. I asked him why, then he got so violent and scary while he talked about how he shot him and how it felt. I grabbed the kitchen knife and ran to the living room. He was so close and yelling and kept getting closer so I stabbed him and then stabbed him again. I didn't know what he was going to do to me, he's a killer!

"It's okay girl, cry it all out and calm down I'll call 911 and tell them what happened. Everything is going to be okay, at least he can't hurt anyone else."

"Exactly."