I couldn’t help staring. She started a little over a month ago. The only server at the small diner. She was the essence of beauty. Perfect features sure to make Aphrodite herself jealous. She was intelligent. I had overheard her explaining thermodynamics to a man who questioned why his coffee wasn’t as hot as he preferred. I smiled at the thought. She was the smartest girl I knew. The prettiest. I couldn’t wait until we were married.

I first noticed him over a month ago. He was cordial and generous. He always left a large tip. Too large. His eyes always seemed to be on me, like a warm beam of sunlight, when you didn’t want to be warmed. At first I was flattered, but when he didn’t ask me out, it felt weird. Most guys shot their shot in the first ten minutes. I knew I was what most guys found attractive, though they didn’t know the history of anorexia or people pleasing, adhd and ocd. They loved my outfits and my genetics. But this felt like being a specimen.

I liked how she noticed me watching. It was like a game of cat and mouse. Playful and impulsive. She touched my hand suggestively when I handed her my credit card to pay for my pancakes. She watched me leave with fascination after leaving the diner. She loved me, and didn’t even know it. I laughed behind the wheel of my truck. Feeling more alive than ever. I think it’s finally time to show my love. She’ll be ecstatic at what I have planned.

I finished my shift without any excitement. Average people with average lives, who never thought twice about doing anything different. The man was gone, but he never truly left. It was an uneasy feeling like always being watched. Even if I couldn’t ever see him. He scared me to my core, and he was the only reason I carried a can of mace and a pocket knife on me at all times.

She looked gorgeous tonight. Raven black hair with a streak of platinum blonde. It reminded me of Pepe Le Pew and his pretty feline friend. I was a skunk, and she was a graceful cat. She’d been teasing me for a while. Our sensual interactions. It made me grow bold. I waited outside the diner since she began her shift. It was only a matter of time.

He’s been sitting out there in his car for hours.

The man who made me so uncomfortable. He seemed to be always watching, though I couldn’t see his face. I knew that truck. The same that produced a man that scared me to my core. I was ready this time. He could rot in hell for all I cared. As long as he never hurt another woman again. My shift was almost over. I had a box cutter nestled in my apron, I had just installed a fresh blade.

I knew she’d be leaving through the rear of the diner. When she left the dining area and receded to the kitchen, I left my truck and walked around back. It was dark. Perfect. She’d be pleasantly surprised when I approached her. A trash can became my post. I sat and watched the door. Any minute now.

After the last of the patrons finished their food and left for the safety and comfort of home, I locked the doors. The truck was still there. The interior was still too dark to see him. I asked the cook to walk me to my car. I didn’t explain why. He didn’t care. He was a man. To him, all girls were scared of the dark and a big strong man was a comfort. She didn’t care about his mindset. For once, it was actually a comfort.

I fiddled with the strand of paracord that I had bundled in my pocket. I hoped I didn’t hurt her too bad. She was soft, precious. Then again, wounds heal. At least she’d finally be mine. She’d forgive me. I glanced at the lightly glowing hands of my wristwatch. The moment was seconds away.

I opened the door that led out back. The cook cursed and went back into the diner saying something about his keys. My heart palpitated. Sweat beaded on my forehead. It was November, I told myself, am I really this scared or am I warm? The box cutter was no comfort. I started to retrieve it so I didn’t have to struggle getting it out if something happened. Something happened.

I stood up, the bin I was sitting on made a metallic creaking noise as if relieved I had gotten off it. She whipped around to see me in the shadows, barely illuminated by the last light of the diner. She screamed. I lunged forward and knocked her to the ground. I clamped my hand around her mouth, my knee pressing into her back. She was attempting to bite me. Silly girl.

I heard commotion. My keys were acquired and I was ready for the end of my day. What the hell was that noise though? A cat? I bet that dang girl was pissing herself all alone out back. I clicked off the kitchen light and rounded the corner to the rear exit. Oh fuck! Who the hell is that on top of her?!

I felt myself rise up into the air, losing my grip on my love. There was pain in my head. I flailed violently. Then suddenly my whole body slammed into the wall. I heard, maybe felt, something like tree branches cracking in a storm. I fell limply to the ground. Was it raining? Something was pouring into my eyes. Where was she? The lights were dimming. My hands wouldn’t move. I saw a large shadow approaching me. I tried to speak but my voice sounded wet. Then everything when dark.