A small drop of blood trickled down my hip and inner thigh before falling to the floor. Another drop followed in its tracks. And yet another. The tiny puddle in formation between my legs was being absorbed by the cream white carpet.

I felt the cold metal razor blade slip from my blood-stained hands and hit the floor beside me. The sharp pain on my hipbone was easily tolerable considering the relief it gave me. It took a great deal of weight off of my chest, which was finally able to rise and fall freely with every breath. This relaxed my muscles, so my pale naked body lied motionless in the middle of the dim room.

“Shh, don’t worry. I’m back. You know I never leave your side for very long.”

The tall man lied down next to me, resting his head on my thigh. He looked up at me, but I refused to open my eyes. I had no need to. I could sense him. Somehow, I was so familiar with his presence that it was reassuring.

Out of the blue, I perceived his gentle touch on my hip, his fingers gliding over the deep cuts. As I opened my eyes, my gaze met his. His handsome face was closer to mine than I had imagined. Much closer. His dark brown eyes pulled me towards him in such a way that I forgot how to breathe. Despite his many flaws, he was a very charming man.

A loud knock on the door tore me away from my thoughts.

“Ainsley! I’ve called you three times already! It’s time to eat!”

My mother was always ever so calm! However, this interruption had made him flee. Although he was nowhere to be seen, I had no doubt he was still there. I could constantly sense his presence. He had this strange habit of staying in hiding when other people were around. I wasn’t worried. I was absolutely certain that he would be lying by my side in bed that night.

A few hours later, I had already stabbed the young repeatedly until all of my strength had left my body. I was straddling her, my knees pressing against her ribs. As my hands laid lifelessly by her head and my elbows rested on her shoulders, my face was only centimetres from hers. I could not get any closer however, as the knife in her chest pressed against my sternum.

As I calmed down, I took the time to admire her face, but my heart suddenly stopped. I had recognised myself.

Startled, I sat up in bed and tried to catch my breath. I wanted to get up to fetch a glass of water, but Doyle drew me back into his arms. I knew he would be there.

“Doyle, it’s already 10 AM,” I muttered weakly, “I need to get up.”

“Why get up, darling ? You won’t do anything productive today anyway. You might as well stay here with me.”

He was right, so I stayed.