Cardigan Weather

Chapter 1

Author's note: Hello, readers! I would just like to say this is my first Horror piece. It's a genre I've been wanting to try for awhile. I would appreciate any feedback. Let me know what you think in a comment and I'll return the favor. I hope you enjoy!

Lily

I saw you with her. You thought you could hide it from me, but I saw you. You thought I had left, but I hadn't. Why would you do this to me? I have been nothing but loyal and kind to you. I have loved you for years and you betray me for some slut.

I pretended to leave. I told you that I was going to the store to work on something for a customer, even though I didn't have to work at all. I parked my truck in the woods by the road and walked back. Then, I waited. She drove a white car. I had never seen her before. She had long black hair, a slightly pinched face, and was far too skinny. I don't know why you would even want a girl like her.

She went in our house, our house, and you took her to our bed. How could you? I was sickened. I wanted to throw up. I wanted to scream at you... But I didn't. I calmly went and retrieved my truck and drove it back. You had cleverly asked her to park around back and take the backroad through the woods. She left through the back door as soon as you heard my truck.

I had known you were cheating for awhile. I went through your phone while you were sleeping. I wouldn't have found anything had she not sent you a message. She said that she wished she had seen you because she missed you. I deleted it and bided my time. I wanted to make absolute certain you really were. I didn't want to believe it.

Before that, I had strange feelings of uexplainable hostility toward you. I feel now as though it must have been a warning. Something was warning me inside that you were going to hurt me. Something was trying to protect me. As time went on, it became hatred. I knew something was going on. You were not yourself. You seemed distant with me and you disappeared for long periods of time with no explanation. When I discovered that message, I had already convinced myself that you were cheating, so the shock didn't hit me so hard then as it did then when I saw her with you. It was at that moment that I felt nothing but hatred. It was so strong.

You greeted me at the door, giving her time to get away. You kissed me and I wanted so badly to push you away. I could taste her on your lips and smell her sickly sweet perfume. There was a nasty stirring in my stomach, but I let you kiss me. I smiled my widest smile. I acted so serene, but inside, I was burning with rage. There was a pain in my chest, like some terrible weight trying to suffocate me. I had to do something.

I waited patiently. I waited until dinner time. I cooked all of your favorite foods. Oh, and an extra ingredient. I watched you eat. It was not enough to kill you. You became very ill within an hour and I cared for you. I added a little more to the tea I made you. I told you it would help you feel better. It did in a way. I thought I might keep you alive a bit longer. I wanted to care for you  because when you were sick like that, I believed for a moment that you had really loved me. You looked at me like I was someone special and even smiled weakly at me. I think I must have given you too much though because you didn't survive through the night.

For a moment, I panicked. What had I done? Why did I do that to you? But soon all those feelings of disgust and hatred flowed back, stronger than ever. You deserved it. You cheated and lied. You brought another woman into my home and fucked her on our bed. I have to teach you a lesson. You really shouldn't have done that. That isn't the way you do things. If you didn't love me anymore, then you should have just said so and we would have went our separate ways. You just had to cheat.

I cleaned up everything. Not a trace was left. I took you out to my workshop and washed you, like I do the animals. Then, I carefully cut a seam up your belly, just the same as I always do to them. I was careful not to puncture any of your organs. I removed them all. I had to cut open your skull to remove your brain. I wanted to keep your bones, so I had to. I bleached those and rubbed salt in your skin to dry it. I incinerated your organs. You never supported my hobby.

It took me three days to completely finish you. I slipped your skin back over your bones and sewed you up. You were very ugly. Your skin is shriveled and dry. It fits around your bones oddly and it's a strange color. You were the first person I had ever preserved though, so I think I did a fairly good job. You were always so concerned about your looks. You were very conceited. And now you're hideous forever, isn't that funny?

I then hid your body away where no one would ever find it. You won't rot or smell, so I can keep you there forever, if I wanted. I called the police and cried and cried. I said my husband had been missing for three days. They looked for you, but not too hard. You must have planned to run away with her because no one seemed surprised that you were gone. Our friends soothed me, saying that they would find you, but in the end, everyone just went back to their lives as though you were never coming back and they stuck up a picture of you at the post office. You didn't really deserve more than that.

It's been two weeks, since I killed you. I started speaking to you today.