By Patrick M. Fitzgerald
The balmy April evening was fast becoming a frosty spring night. The full moon lay hidden behind a wintry haze. Amelia rubbed her arms vigorously as she hugged herself.
He strode through the mist, with a tip of his hat and gleaming cobalt eyes. The gentleman cut a dashing figure in his classic blue-gray suit. The way he looked with his slick black hair and thin mustache would have made Clark Gable jealous.
“Milady.” He smiled and held out his jacket. “If you don’t think it forward of me.”
“Not at all.” She drifted into the fathomless sea of his eyes. It was a moment of true serenity she could never forget. “You’re… It’s just what I needed. Thank you, Mr…?”
“Lawrence. Simply Lawrence.” He slipped the jacket around her shoulders, and the two walked together along the boardwalk deep into the night.
It was after midnight when she returned his jacket. The dark waters behind him flowed out through his eyes, as though the ocean itself was gazing into her soul.
“I’ll see you again, won’t I?” His lips curved into the faintest of smiles.
“Oh, yes.” She reluctantly pulled herself from his magnetic eyes. “I’ll be back here tomorrow.”
And she was.
Night after night, they meandered along the boardwalk, sharing dreams and secrets. Side by side, then hand in hand, then arm in arm.
Even as summer neared, she continued to accept the jacket he placed around her shoulders. Each time, their locked gaze lasted longer and longer.
Exactly two months after their first visitation, the full moon sparkled in his sapphire eyes as Lawrence extended an invitation. “Come home with me.”
Amelia had no objection, other than the thought that she’d waited long enough.
As they lounged on the patio of his beach house, the view of the ocean was nothing compared to his eyes. Each sip of wine pulled her deeper into that endless sea, slipping from the world with little care of returning.
“Join me.” He extended a hand as he stood. “I have something to share with you downstairs.”
Amelia clutched his hand as he led her. She shivered in anticipation as their romance proceeded from the dim evening to the deepening shadows of the man’s private existence. Each step seemed narrower than the last. Perhaps it was odd that such a deep cellar would lay under the beach, but the singularity only added to Amelia’s intrigue.
“Feast with me, and let us be together forever.” Lawrence said, then flipped a nearby switch.
As light flooded the crypt-like cellar, Amelia’s excitement putrefied into unspeakable dread. What lay before her on that steel table would have been gruesome under any circumstance. It was all the more shocking given the sharp contrast to her host’s elegant demeanor.
“What…” Amelia struggled for balance as she turned to him. “What is this?”
“Don’t worry, my dear.” He gripped her shoulders gently. “Just look into my eyes.”
He blurred and wobbled. Eye contact wasn’t possible with that image still burning in her mind. “I have to go.”
“No!” His fingers grabbed the jacket as she twisted away and fled.
She took the stairs two at a time. The exertion sobered her senses somewhat, and she barreled through the front door.
He called after her as she ran. His voice grew harsher with each shout. The silver-tongued charm was gone, and with it the last trace of the gentleman she once knew. With the boardwalk finally under her feet, she turned to see only the empty moonlit beach.
Amelia’s heart pounded as she entered the police station. The mundane surroundings were oddly comforting, even the bored uniformed man at the desk. She saw the pistol on his belt and breathed a sigh. She was safe.
“This man…” She shook her head to clear it. “Lawrence, he…”
“Can you give me a description of the man?” The officer opened a notebook casually and fumbled for a pen.
“Six feet, maybe? Black hair, thin mustache.” No, none of that matters. “His eyes… his eyes…”
“Excuse me, sergeant.” A woman with a gentle voice put her hand on Amelia’s shoulder. “I think she might prefer to speak with a female officer.”
“Oh?” The man looked up and blinked. “Yes, ma’am. Of course.”
The woman led Amelia to a metal-walled interview room and sat across from her. Her pale-blue eyes gleamed like the steel table between them.
Amelia poured out everything about Lawrence: their walks, the house, the body in the basement.
At the end, Amelia exhaled and almost put her head down, but she couldn’t pull away from the officer’s crystalline blue eyes.
“Dear, let me explain something.” The woman placed a hand on hers. “You weren’t the first.” Her lips drew taught. “I’m sure you won’t be the last.”
Amelia blinked. “What…?”
“Lawrence may have taken a liking to you.” The officer sighed with a slight frown. “But it’s best you forget the whole thing.”
Her crystal eyes shone like the moon. As Amelia’s breathing slowed to an even pace, she thought she could feel the breeze of sea air under the silvery light.
“I can’t forget…” Amelia shook her head and stood.
“Don’t worry.” The woman led her into the hallway. “Get a good night’s sleep and put this all behind you.”
Amelia’s terror just a few moments ago now felt like a fading dream. A surreal nightmare melting under the light of day. “Thank you.”
“Forget about it,” the woman said with a wink, leaving Amelia alone on the sidewalk.
Forget what?
Amelia hailed a taxi and headed home.
Another night wandering the boardwalk alone. What’s even to remember?
Her dreams were equally empty, as nothing had happened worth dreaming of.
Except for a pair of deep-blue eyes.
The ocean gazing into her soul.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Intriguing characters. But doesn’t forgetting mean that Lawrence can start all over again?
…and the officer will be there again to clean up the mess.
…and the cycle will continue.
It’s a pretty codependent relationship those two have.
Thanks for reading!
Beautifully written! I loved the haunting, eerie vibe!
Thank you so much, Beka! I’m always glad you like my work.
Very haunting and dreamy. I hope she doesn’t bump into him again along the boardwalk!
Thank you!
That could be an interesting encounter…
Creepy, but in a good way since Amelia was able to escape the magnetic pull of his eyes.
The policewoman had similar eyes. Was she related to Lawrence, or had she also been captivated by him and escaped with his parting gift of magnetic eyes.
Will Amelia discover she also has received a parting gift?
Sooo intriguing! Loved this!
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I think It was one of your better stories. I enjoyed reading it. Amelia might want to be careful wandering around in the evening by herself especially since she can’t remember the bad experience.
Keep the wonderful stories coming.
This could have ended as a nice romance, but it made an interesting horror story.
Eek! In a good way
Always good to elicit that kind of reaction! Thank you! :D
Great story!
I kept thinking that Lawrence was Poseidon which might make the officer Aphrodite cleaning up his messes? It just seemed like a Greek god interference kind of thing. But definitely enjoyed the story.
Oh yeah, you nailed the creepy factor. It’s kind of worse that we don’t know exactly what was in the basement, but your word choices suggested plenty.
I knew something weird was happening when you mentioned the officer having blue eyes too…