Have you ever heard of Michael? No, not that weird kid that lives across the street, or the mailman that finally came to drop off those limited edition vans that you’ve been dying to get ever since Christmas came around. I’m talking about a much different Michael; the one that always climbs over your fence and looks through your window just to check up on you. The boy that watches you ever so discreetly everyday as you walk down that dark empty school hallway. That Michael. I’m not surprised that you don’t know Michael. He’s very shy and secretive. Until that day...
See, Michael likes many people - of course, in many different ways. People have several names for it, but he likes to call it “staying.” Everyone else in Michael’s life had left him. His parents died when he was born. Then, one day, his sister just disappeared. That’s why Michael had always so desperately wanted to stay with those he cared about. The first girl he ever loved was Lucy. She was so pretty. Gold locks, rosy cheeks, and a smile so delicate that he felt like it would shatter with the slightest breeze. He always hoped that Lucy would be with him forever, but he couldn’t tell her that. He wasn’t ready. It’s not time, yet. Soon. We’ll both be happy, soon. So, Michael stayed with her, watching over her, but then Lucy started to get sick.
Every time he checked up on her, her smile would fade and her eyes would be filled with the smallest hint of fear. No one noticed, no one, but Michael. Michael started checking up on her more often. At school, at practice, at home. She kept getting more sick. Eventually, her rosy cheeks turned pale, her smile vanished, her gold locks lost all their volume, and she could no longer be recognized. Michael began seeing police walking around her house every other day. Maybe, they were the ones making her so sick. One day, he watched Lucy crying on her porch. He wanted to hug her, but, knowing he couldn’t, he moved closer, very quietly, not wanting to disturb her. Originally, he had been waiting in a bush near Lucy‘s house. However, seeing as how the building was surrounded by abnormally tall grass, Michael thought it wouldn’t be too bad if he inched his way just a few steps towards Lucy.
She suddenly stopped crying and was now shaking and shivering. Oh no, Lucy. She must be so cold standing all alone outside. Why didn’t she get her jacket. It was only five feet away from the door, on her couch where she had left it after taking it off in the afternoon. Michael loved how she always put it in the same spot everyday. My little Lucy and her adorable habits. Out of nowhere, Lucy shouted, “Who’s there?!” Michael looked around, but couldn’t see anyone. Again, “Who’s there? Answer me!” She...she couldn’t possibly be talking about me, could she? ”I’m sorry! Please! Just stop!” She WAS talking about me! Lucy doesn’t want me to hide anymore! What do I do? Do I look ok? I think it’s finally time I introduce myself!! Michael stood up slowly. Lucy froze, looking mortified. Oh, it’s so dark out, she must think I’m a ghost. Michael gave her the biggest smile, but still it seemed like she couldn’t see him clearly. Michael kindly lifted one hand and began to wave. After a few seconds of dead silence, neither of them moving a muscle, other than Michael’s hand waving back and forth ever so slowly, Lucy turns in the direction of the door, stumbling on her feet and falling on her knees. She, then, looks back and crawls panically into the open door and locks it without hesitation. Aw, her dad must’ve called her back in. I know how he doesn’t like Lucy to stay outside at night for too long. I hate it when her dad gets mad at her. If only I could make him stop. It’s ok, there’s still tomorrow, right?
Wrong, for tomorrow never came, at least, not for Lucy. Michael searched high and low for Lucy the next day and the day after that. It had been a week now and still, Lucy was gone. She had disappeared, just as his sister did. But, that day, the day everything changed, came much later. Michael had only been thirteen. A few years passed by and the same thing continued to happen to the other girls that he had grown to love. One after the other: Vanessa, Mary, and Jennifer, all of them had vanished from his life as fast as he had appeared in theirs. Michael was now seventeen. He had become paranoid. He was afraid to love, until she came: Merigold Daner.
After his loved ones disappeared, Michael had become more distant and cold, isolating himself from the world even more than he had before. This was when he finally started noticing Merigold. She was different from the other girls Michael had opened his heart to. Every other girl was vibrant and bright, however, Merigold was just like Michael. She would always sit in the back of the class, quietly observing everyone. She even loved the dark. Michael knew this because he had noticed her sitting in the pitch black and abandoned part of the library just several feet away from where he enjoyed sitting. Yet, her being so similar to him was not the reason for his unexpected infatuation for her. It was the fact that she was the first girl to ever smile at him.
It happened as if it was a dream. Merigold and him were both sitting underneath the bleachers. It was after school and the wind had an ever so slight howl to it. It was calming. The time was seven o’clock, so, although it was dark out, one could still see pretty clearly if they were adapted enough to it. He enjoyed this hour of the day best, because it allowed him to do and see all the things he loved most without difficulty. They both sat there a short distance apart, not speaking, yet still acknowledging each other’s presence. Then, he decided to turn and look at her out of interest. She turned her head at the same moment and gradually curled the ends of her lips. For some reason, he wasn’t able to see her as clearly as he could the other things around her. It was like she was seeping into the dark, like she was part of it. Still, seeing her smile with so much earnest, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth.
At first, Michael was glad that he had found someone to love who would understand him more than anyone else. Later, he grew weary that she would disappear just like the others. No. I can’t let it happen. She’s perfect. I need to protect her. Michael devised a plan in which he would meet her outside at the bench where she liked to sit. He would take her to an abandoned cabin just on the hill and confess his feelings. Once she knew, he would be able to keep her there forever and make sure she never went away. When the day came, everything went as planned. Merigold didn’t say a word and just followed him. He was surprised, but, then again, love was obviously something that can’t be denied and she knew that too. The moment they reached the cabin, Michael and Merigold walked in and sat on the couch in front of them.
Merigold, again, didn’t open her mouth. She smiled, yet, this time, it appeared somewhat angry. The only thing that matters right now is what I’m about to tell Merigold. This is so unlike me, confessing to a girl. It’s evident that Merigold has changed me for the better. He took a deep breath, turned his posture towards her, and said, “Merigold, I have something to tell you. I love you.”
Merigold’s face turned cold and dead. She began inhaling and exhaling so hard it seemed like her lungs were about to burst and her face turned so red it even took Michael aback. “You love me?” she said in a tone of disbelief. It was the first Michael had ever heard her voice. It sounded broken. Merigold stood up and repeated “You love me?” in a louder but similar tone of disbelief. “LIAR!!” At this point she was screaming, kicking, and pulling her hair crazily. “LIAR!! YOU LOVE THEM!!” Her tone then changed, now sounding fragile and delicate. “All these years, yet you never even looked at me. Everyday, I would watch you. I would stay with you. Isn’t that what you wanted. You wanted someone to stay with you.” She continued, switching to a joyful and happy manner of speaking. “I still remember the first day I saw you. I had just moved in across the street from you. It was love at first sight. LIKE ROMEO AND JULIET. Romantic isn’t it. I thought we would be together forever.” Her expression went back to being lifeless, her eyes burning with anger and jealousy. “But then she came. You only looked at Lucy Becker. Why would you do that when I was right here? Every night I would watch you as you would watch her. You never looked back at me. At times, I would look at the window, hoping to see you watching ME, not HER, but you never did.”
She stopped for a second, then taking a step towards him and smiling. “Remember the day before she went missing. I was there! I got so mad knowing you had actually showed her yourself for the first time. What if she loved you back? You would never be able to see that I love you more than anyone. Guess what happened after that! Come on guess!” “Sh..she..went missing.” “Mhmm, but I know something that you don’t! Nananabooboo!” “Did you...?” “No silly! You’re an awful guesser! Fine, I’ll tell you. In the morning, I was so hurt about what happened the night before that I decided to go to the lake. I cried so hard, but then...but THEN, you won’t believe what I saw! It was Lucy’s body floating near where I had been! I went to check...AND IT WAS ACTUALLY HER!!” Merigold started to laugh maniacally. After a few seconds she abruptly stopped. “She had killed herself! Who would have known! Things were finally ok and we could be together for eternity without her butting in the way!”
Merigold took one more step towards Michael. “But, you still didn’t love me. I waited and waited for you to come to me, but you had fallen in love with Vanessa! HOW COULD YOU! I hoped she would be as weak as Lucy and things would just solve themselves, you know. Yet, she wasn’t like Lucy. Neither was Mary, nor Jennifer. I couldn’t let them take you away from me!” Merigold began crying profusely. “I’m sorry, but they weren’t right for you! They were evil! I had to do it! I had to! They didn’t care about you! NONE OF THEM DID!! It was for you, you understand that!” She hesitated so abruptly before carrying on with her thoughts. “Before, you said you love me, but...but I don’t believe you. You’re going to go back to another girl, aren’t you! And, now you know too much, so, that’s mistake number two. Hey, do you know what’s funny? You’re not the only one to know too much. Teehee. I’ll give you a hint on who it was. Oh, so fun, a guessing game. It goes like this: you, daddy, mommy, and...” “M...my...sister, Cherry?” “Ding, ding! Correct!”
“Merigold? C...can I ask you one question?” “Fine.” “What did you do to them?” Merigold didn‘t respond. Rather she stared at him with, but the most cynical smile he had ever seen. “You’ll see.”
Her smile faded. She started to look up, her eyes moving back and forth, as if she was trying to plan out whatever it was that she intended to do to Michael. Michael had his hands on his side, each pushing down on the couch, allowing him to lift himself from his seating position as quick as possible. He was alert, ready to run if she tried motioning towards him. This was it. After telling her my feelings, Merigold was going to try to kill me, just like she did everyone else. This isn’t possible. I don’t understand! How can this be HAPPENING!! IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE!! Michael’s ears started to ring. Louder, louder, louder!! He could no longer hear. The ring wouldn’t stop! It was echoing back and forth, each time sounding more high-pitched. His ears were bleeding. NOOOOO!!! HOW COULD YOU!! His vision became blurry and his head was spinning, like it was being tossed around the room and beaten over and over again. WHY!!! Everything turned dark and Michael could now only see this black abyss looking back at him. His body felt numb. Tears were trickling down his cheeks violently. Why...why did this pain, this agony, this anger, feel so familiar. He had felt this way before. When? I...I can‘t...I can’t...remember. The more he tried to think, the more he felt suffocated. He didn’t know how much time had passed by, when it all stopped. He opened his eyes to see himself and Merigold on the ground. Merigold just laid there, lifeless. There had been blood all underneath her body and head. M...Merigold? From the tip of his eyes he could see his left hand clenched up, covered in blood. He tried to open it, but he couldn’t. He wasn’t able to move any of his limbs. He was paralyzed. He looked again, back at his hand, and saw the faint tint and rigid texture of a nail, seemingly torn out of the couch, just inches away from where his body was spread out across the floor. He wasn’t able to see it, but the couch surely had been ripped to shreds, stuffing scattered all throughout. It was the exact image of what would have been had a wild beast ravaged the place. Did I...? Michael closed his eyes again, struggling to recall what had just occurred. However, Michael managed to recall more than just the past hour. He remembered exactly what had happened to his sister and everything he had done to all the girls he had previously claimed to love, including Merigold. It...it wasn't her! It was me! I...I...I...I did it! I'm sorry!
