The Man Who Once Was Edward

Just outside of Red Lake County, Courtney Tran was rinsing her hands in the tiny kitchen sink of her one bedroom apartment, where she had been living for nearly three and a half years. She reached for a paper towel when she felt a warm, strong hand on her waist. She held her breath and turned around, only to see her devilishly handsome boyfriend, Edward.

Although Courtney was a confident, beautiful, sure woman, she felt as though she didn't fit into Edward's life; that she was the one dull thing in his exciting, extravagant, glamorous lifestyle.

Her poker straight light brown hair felt drab and boring next to his jet black, swooping locks, which he had decided to keep short for the time-being.

Her hazel eyes were no match for his piercing blue ones, that were ablaze with anger one minute, then sweet, tender and inviting the very next. In fact, she couldn't ever break contact with his eyes, they were that beautiful.

Edward was tall and tan with a muscular build, while Courtney stood 5'5 at her tallest, and had pale skin that burned easily. She always felt as though she was a ghost next to him, and had once convinced herself that a spray tan would fix that. For the next two months, she had been completely orange.

Courtney wasn't sure why someone like Edward Bloore would look at her and fall in love, but she was glad that it had happened at all. She traced a finger through his black hair and smiled at him, “You scared me half to death, Edward,” she whispered

Edward pulled her closer and kissed her lightly, “You won't be scared for much longer,” he whispered as he stared into her eyes, searching for some hidden fear she hadn't been displaying.

A look of confusion waved over Courtney's face as she shifted uncomfortably in her lover's strong arms. “Edward,” she said as her eyes narrowed, “What happened to your voice? Are you sick, do you need to lie down and get some rest?”

She felt his right hand leave her back and missed it's warmth almost immediately. Edward shook his head at her, and smiled slyly, “Oh, no, ma'am. I'm quite alright, it's really yourself you should be worried about.”

With a fear growing in her eyes, Edward brought his right hand down, impaling an old, rusty screw driver into her head. Courtney gasped as her eyes grew wide for a few moments, then glassy and empty.

Edward took the limp girl in his arms and laid her down on the linoleum kitchen floor. He removed the screw driver with one swift, fluid motion and wrapped it in the paper towel Courtney had been using to dry her hands.

Blood oozed out of the wound slowly, thick and dark red with her brown hair sticking to it. Edward removed a cloth from his deep pocket and pressed it on the small hole to slow the bleeding. As he removed the blood soaked cloth, he glanced at the dead woman on the floor and froze immediately.
“C – Courtney,” Edward stuttered feeling a sudden rush of tears to his icy blue eyes. He rested a bloody hand on her light blue sweater, the one he had bought her for her birthday almost four months ago. She had turned twenty four, and he had promised her a bigger present when she hit her twenty fifth birthday; it was a bigger milestone than twenty four.

Edward stood and turned down the hall and into the only bathroom, careful not to leave a hand print anywhere. He flicked the light on with his elbow and stared into the mirror at the disheveled yet handsome reflection.

“What did you do to her,” Bloore demanded out of himself, the one staring back in the mirror. The man In the mirror crossed his arms and smiled smugly.

Ready to admit it, are we, Eddy? It's me, isn't it, the reflection questioned as he began to chuckle. He shook his head slowly and stared at Edward. She was too close, Eddy Boy. That woman, she was onto us, you know. She could have seen the treasures, the other women. She was just as expendable as you or me, it was only a matter of time before she went down.

“I loved her,” Edward moaned to his reflection, “I loved Courtney, I really did. And she loved me too, she could have stopped all of this. She could have stopped you.”

The Edward in the mirror clucked his tongue, No, Eddy, there's no 'us'. There's you, and there's I. We aren't a team, dear friend. I will win, and maybe you'll be the next one to go. Besides, haven't you a token to take from Courtney as well? You won't forget her, will you? Or have you already forgotten.
With his eyes like blue fire, Edward rushed at the mirror, fists raised to strike the man in the mirror who mocked the death of the woman he had loved and loved. He collided with the mirror, and it shattered all over the bathroom floor. Glass stuck out of Edward's forearms and fists.

With his jaw set, he picked out all of the shards, and bagged them up. He mopped the blood off of the bathroom sink and threw those towels into a bag as well.

He returned to Courtney's side, “They'll think it was me,” he murmured as he began digging through kitchen draws to find a large, sharp knife, “I have to hide her.” He laid a towel on the floor, and rolled Courtney over onto her back.

He undressed the dead woman and folded her clothes neatly and placed them in the bag as well. With the naked woman in front of him, he knelt over her and kissed her lips one more time. Then, he began to slice.

Hours after every part had been sliced small enough to fit neatly into just two trash bags after being wrapped in sheets of paper towels, there was only the head. He lifted the bloody knife one last time, and slit off a small handful of her hair.

He placed his hand over her eyes and slid her eyelids down, “I'm sorry for what he's done,” Edward whispered, “I promise, you won't be forgotten.”