Chapter 1: Lisa
I was gazing intently at a note that was stuck to my planner. "Chat with Tom 6:00", it said. I stood up and went through the door into the minimalistic waiting room of my clinic. "Hey, how did the heart surgery with Mrs. Rhodes go?" Gunther asked. Gunther was my new intern he was always so eager to hear what happened to the patients I operated on. Molly, my receptionist, was busy jotting down in her little notebook. She always had her head bent down. I wondered humorlessly if she ever lifted her head. Although I had seen her face only a couple of times since she started working here. "Later guys" I said it sadly because I knew what had to be done. It was time to break it off with Tom. I walked over to the parking lot. I went over to my car and got inside. For what I knew would be a short ride. Isn't it amazing how time flies when we are dreading something that will happen soon enough? Tom and I met one afternoon at a chat room. I remembered I had felt rebellious that day because Aaron, my husband, and I had another one of our fights. They were probably habitual now.
I barely noticed the scenery change from tall city skyscrapers to suburban lawns. The lawns in the neighborhood were pristine. They were award-winning lawns. Their owners were pretty proud of them. Not that there wasn't a lawn that went rogue, there was always an unkempt lawn every few blocks or so, but these lawns had no owners or were simply abandoned. I stepped out of my car on to the pavement. I walked over to the wooden porch, which wrapped around my beautiful Victorian home, and opened the door with my key. It wasn't much warmer inside. I walked over to the laptop which was propped up on the work table. Tom was already waiting for me when I entered the chat room. He was idle. The rain slashed down on the windowpane as I grasped what I was about to do yet again. I hesitated before I entered that chat room, though I already knew that he knew I was online. I wasn't breaking up with him because he was interfering or disturbing me. He wasn't a stalker. In fact, I knew I would regret breaking up with the guy who really understood and related to my problems when Aaron didn't. I was breaking up with him because I felt that he was getting to personal. I wasn't looking for a serious relationship, just an online pen pal or crush maybe.
V_Tom: What took you so long?
LisaMcC: Work.
V_Tom: Oh.
Okay. How was your day?
LisaMcC: Fine. Mrs. Rhodes survived. That was a relief.
V_Tom: Seems pretty boring.
LisaMcC: It was.
V_Tom: You seem annoyed. What's up? Got a death threat
recently?
LisaMcC: No nothing like that.
V_Tom: So what's up?
No point beating around the bush. It was time. I couldn't postpone it anymore. I couldn't make excuses not to. I had to tell him, he was going to find out anyway. I carefully picked out the right words. Time was running out.
LisaMcC: Actually, something has been bothering me.
V_Tom: What? Your husband? Your job?
LisaMcC: I wish. It's complicated.
V_Tom: So what is it? It's that intern of yours, right?
LisaMcC: You mean Gunther.
V-Tom: Yeah.
LisaMcC: I have something to tell you Tom.
Chapter 2: Tom
LisaMcC has entered the chat room.
Finally, it's time… I was getting worried that she might have been killed. Ha! Seriously, though, that would be terrible. I almost felt sorry for thinking it, almost. We had a formal greeting. The chat commenced.
LisaMcC: I have something to tell you Tom.
V-Tom: Well go on ahead.
LisaMcC: I'm breaking up with you. I just can't handle it.
I love my family too much. Bye, Tom.
LisaMcC has left the chat room.
I read the last message carefully. And then I read it again, disbelieving. It seemed to echo through my head. I slammed down my fist hard on the table making the knickknacks shake violently. Lisa said that she loved me, or at least loved talking to me. She must have feelings for me too. After all, I had feelings for her. Didn't it work both ways.
My sadness subsided and it was replaced by anger. I started breathing heavily and thinking: Why would she do this to me? How could she? No one dumps me. I was at war with myself when I made a split second decision to go to her house. I didn't know where it was exactly but I had a rough estimate. I grabbed my leather jacket and ran outside and kicked my motorcycle into gear.
I drove into town and decided to take a little stop at a dark alley. I punched the closest dumpster and the sound echoed off the filthy walls. "Lisa," I screamed. "I'm going to kill you!" I said and screamed other things. I heard something move. I turned around and saw a young girl with short black hair staring at me in horror. "Sorry you had to overhear that. But it's too late now," I smiled crookedly at her as she whimpered.
Chapter 3: Stella
I was about to round the corner when I heard someone staggering ahead. A man was just walking into view and he punched a dumpster with his fist. He started screaming and yelling. It was almost painful to watch. He yelled something like "Lisa." He continued on saying how he would kill her and how he was too good for her anyway.
I was about to silently leave when my hand brushed against a trashcan lid and it clattered to the floor. The man turned around and looked at me cruelly. He really had meant what he said. That meant I was in great danger. "What are you doing here?" I asked. He rushed at me with his hands held in front of him. I was too shocked to move. He grabbed hold of my neck with an iron grasp. I could barely breathe. I looked into his green eyes and found I couldn't look away. Looking into his mesmerizing eyes, black hair and pale skin made me forget for a while that he was strangling me. The last thing I said before I died was, "You are so… beautiful."
Chapter 4: Ian
"What are you doing here?" I heard someone say. I rushed over just in time to see a young girl being strangled. Her merciless murderer looked deep into her eyes as he squeezed out the last of her life. It was so sad; the girl was only about eighteen judging by her appearance. I was shocked to see her limp body fall to the floor with a quiet thud that sent splashes of water around the alley's floor which was full of puddles from the heavy rain early this morning. I stood there until the murderer cleaned up after himself and left. I took a few tentative steps and backed out of the alley with the image of the girl's limp body still fresh in my mind.