The Perfect Summer | ✓

"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. For if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."

- Friedrich Nietzsche

• • •

'I have a surprise for you, Lisa.'

I read the text message for the umpteenth time and sighed. Why was he making it hard for me? It wasn't like I didn't love him; it was more like I couldn't. How could I? Can you love a monster? Or maybe you can. Maybe, the monster would love you back too. But would that change his nature? Can the kiss of beauty really transform the beast into a prince?

Three months ago when the summer commenced, that was when our relationship began. At it's threshold, it seemed quite lucid. Two young adults looking for a casual affair. But what was supposed to be my perfect summer fling turned out to be a relentless disaster. When I moved to California for a nice beach holiday, I was more than excited. But things changed.

For the worse.

Sighing, I flipped through his pictures on my phone. For a fitness freak that he claimed to be, he wasn't very spectacularly built. He was barely an inch taller than me with his five feet and nine inch frame. He weighed a hundred and fifty pounds, a galling twenty pounds more than me.

His hair were slightly long and the blonde curls fell upon his freckled skin. His face hardly had any color; it was pale-white. The ashen hue of his skin made my stomach drop and toes curl. Funny, how some time ago I blushed at the very thought of it. His eyes were deep fathoms of black, which could drive you crazy, and not in a good sense.

While I was looking through the pictures, someone hugged me from behind. There was a hot breath near my ear.

"Stalker, much?" he whispered. "I thought that's my thing," I heard him laugh. Yet, I couldn't find the humor of the situation.

"When you have Nathan Brown for a boyfriend, you tend to pick up a few things," I forced a smile.

"You know, I thought you would abandon me when I told you about myself. But you took it wonderfully well."

"What if I would have left?" I asked curiously.

"Well, my dear Lisa, then I would have killed you too," he said nonchalantly.

Flinching, I retorted. "Oh well. I pity those girls who abandoned you just because you are a killer. I mean who does that!"

"Was that sarcasm?" He queried, his eyes turning pitch black.

I immediately plastered a smile on my face and composed myself. "Are you stupid? Why would I do something like that? I love you, remember?"

"Yeah, I thought so." He nodded, his smile returning. "Come on. I have a beach picnic planned for you."

I pretended to be excited. It needed to be done, better sooner than later. "But it's almost dark."

"So, what? Sunsets are beautiful, baby. Besides, with all those posters hanging across the town, I couldn't possibly lurk around in broad daylight now. Can I?"

"Perhaps not. Let's go," I replied, picking up my purse.

"Why do you need it?" he asked suspiciously.

"My purse?"

"Yeah."

"It has...uh...toiletries," I blushed fidgeting with my hands.