Page 24 of Possession

“Over the lilies there that wave, and weep above a nameless grave!”

-Edgar Allen Poe, The Valley of Unrest

My dearest Madeline,

Did you find the gift I left for you? I know how important your garden is to you and that lilies are your favorite flower, which is why I put it there. I needed to make sure you received it. As I lay on the cold ground next to your gift, fingers laced behind my head as I stared at the stars above, I thought of you, Madeline. Of your long, caramel brown hair as it cascaded down your back, short tendrils curling around your face. I thought of your violet eyes, unlike any shade I’ve ever seen before, hidden behind your too-big glasses. They mesmerized me.

I pictured us waltzing together as I held you a little closer than required. Your hands and arms clung to me as I whistled a melody that echoed through the quiet surrounding us. The scent of the perfume wafting off the Oriental Lilies that bloomed so magnificently under the moonlit sky teased my nostrils as we moved in time around our own private sanctuary. No one would bother us here. We would be invisible to the outside world. Just the two of us.

And just as I leaned in to brush your lips with mine, your gift chose that moment to stir, to remind me where I truly was. The scream that rent the air pierced through my daydream, ruining the magical moment between you and me. I had no choice but to silence it. I wrapped my hand around its throat, cutting off the noise with a choked gasp. Have no fear, my dearest Madeline, it didn’t suffer long.

Once it was over, I drew out my knife. As the blade pierced its skin, I again thought of you. Of your generous heart. And oh, how I wished it were mine. Soon, though, Madeline. Soon, it will belong to me.

I’m counting the days.

---