"Mary, what are you doing here?" Before me stood an evil person. A beautiful women with long dark curls pulled back in a messy bun, bright blue eyes, and skin like porcelain. Her red painted lips curled in a wicked mischievous smile. I caught a hint of her light perfume and felt the beat of my heart quicken. Yes, she was evil. She was also once my love.

A pout crossed her flawless face, an expression I knew too well. I would like to say I was immune to such tricks, yet even now she could still tug on my heartstrings."Oh, Leo. Why do you always sound so upset with me? It truly hurts my feelings." Her velvet soft voice quivered with an untruthful sadness. I sighed and turned away from her, heading for my liquor.

"Why? Dearest Mary, we both know the answer to that question." I took a swig from my gin and tonic, wincing at its bitterness. "I'm always upset with you because you're a lying, stealing, harlot who only comes to me when she needs money, alcohol, or cheap sex. Does that answer your question?" She laughed coldly and reached for a bottle of wine, pouring herself a glass.

"You may try and make me sound like a foul person, someone who manipulated you into committing every treacherous deed you've done since your knowing me. You'll try and blame me for your past mistakes, but deep down, you know I never forced you into doing any of the things you did. Rather, you did them in an attempt to please me. Sweet gestures that failed, nonetheless."

"Things have changed for me, Mary. I'm not the same man I was. Though I sense you have not changed a bit. Still seducing men to do your dirty work, are you?" She smiled, and turned back to the sitting room, lounging in an armchair.

"But of course." She smirked deviously. "And I still seduce you. I've hardly been here for half an hour, and I'm already drinking your wine, pocketing your loose change, and bewitching you as we speak." She took a sip of the red spirits and set the glass down on the arm of her chair. She stood and slowly made her way over to me, still smirking. Her arms laced around my neck like gossamer, her sparkling eyes hypnotic, pulling me into a trance. I sighed shakily.

"You planned on haunting me forever from the very beginning, didn't you?" She merely chuckled and leaned in closer, gracing my skin with the side of her hand. Despite what my mind knew about this woman, the fact that she was a manipulative person who's morals and motives disgusted me, I couldn't restrain myself. I lifted her chin and stared into her bright eyes for an eternity before pressing my lips to hers.

I felt her smile and could taste the earthy wine she had been drinking. She dug her perfectly painted fingers into my hair, and I inhaled her sweet scent. She pressed her tongue against my mouth and without thinking I parted my lips for her entry. I had not noticed the absence of her hands on my head until I felt her cool fingertips on the bare skin of my chest and saw she had undone my shirt. Inching closer to my ear, she whispered something that sent chills all over my body.

"Come on now, Leo. Make love to me one last time." My heart racing and my mind spinning, I did not fully grasp the meaning in her words until much later, when I awoke in my bed, bare-skinned, with only the red sheets covering my lower body. I looked around the room and saw my clothes strewn across the floor. On the table beside me, was a glass of gin and tonic and a note written in Mary's sloppy cursive.

Leonardo-

I fear last night we may have made a mistake. I have not left as of yet, and am waiting to talk with you in the sitting room. Please dress and come meet me there as soon as you wake.

-Mary

Groaning, I took a swig of the cold drink beside the note, pulled on my pants, and walked down the hall in the sitting room. Mary sat fully dressed in the same armchair she had last night, a distraught expression on her beautiful face. I sat across from her on the couch, likely appearing as unhappy and worried as she was.

"What is it that causes you trouble, Mary?" I asked her, my voice sullen. I rubbed my forehead with my hand, trying to soothe a sudden headache I acquired.

"Oh, Leo. I need to explain to you my reason for coming to visit." I nodded for her to continue, wincing slightly from my headache, which had quickly become a migraine, and from a rather unexpected stomach pain.

"Well, you see, I'm a bit low on currency, and I had come here with the intention of borrowing some money from you. But, I knew you wouldn't give me because of how I'd hurt you. The same would go for your liquor. So...I had to get you out of my way." The pain in my stomach grew, and horrified, I stared at the devilish woman's calm, smiling face with agony.

"What are you saying? What did you do to me, witch?" I collapsed out of the chair on the ground, breathing desperately. My gin had been brought down with me, and the remains of the glass lie shattered merely a foot or two away. Then, I understood.

"Arsenic, love." Her voice, happy and sweet, taunted me as I lie there, vomiting the alcohol I had just consumed. I screamed at her, but choked on my own blood. Writhing helplessly on the ground, convulsing and dying, I could hardly choke out my last words.

"M-Mary...I swear, you will n-not get away with th-this...!" My eyes rolled into the back of my head and I groaned in my misery. I heard two things before my departure from my body. The first was the laughter of the wicked woman. Truly amused, entertained by my torture. The second and last thing I heard were her teasing words.

"I've haunted you ever since we met, Leonardo. I don't truly believe you'll be able to do the same. But, I appreciate your bequests. I will see you in hell, Leo." Then, it all went black.