Very short story: Illusions

He looks at the girl in front of him
and wonders if he is gazing with so much
adoration and trust too.
There is a strange affection towards the girl
shimmering in the back of his mind
but he doesn't understand it.
His hand trembles
and he contemplates the thought of caressing her face.
Quickly, it's replaced by the urge to strangle her.
He finds himself repulsed by the thought
but his mind soon accepts it as its own.


She says his name
with such tenderness
and he realizes that this girl is the one he loves
or, as much as much as someone like him can love.
He smiles at her, and she smiles back.
He won't let anyone hurt her
no one
not ever.

He lets his finger trace her features
the cheekbones, the jawline
and he realizes that he is holding the beast
the face of the terrors and pain of his life.
He hears a voice in his mind
the command to kill.
Without hesitation, he snaps the neck.
Deed done, he leaves.

Behind him,
the broken body of a young girl
lays crumpled on the ground
eyes open, frozen in love and shock.