Psyche's Monster

"You like her eh?" His voice was gruff and harsh giving the sensation of sandpaper scratching the inside of my ear.

I turned. His face clear and smooth, unblemished. He wore a plain blue shirt, two buttons undone, cream trousers and jacket and a little red handkerchief protruding from his breast pocket. I couldn't believe his voice, one that sounded like it belonged to a geriatric ex-coal miner, had come from someone so youthful and polished.

"I love her." I whispered as my eyes shifted back across to the bar. "I've always loved her."

She wore a tight dress, one that showed every curve beautifully. Her curled brown hair cascaded effortlessly over her shoulders. She had a cute button nose and porcelain clear skin, and the deepest, pale blue eyes you can imagine.

"Yeah I think I love her too." The man whispered in my ear, then licking his lips.

"It's not like that, I've known her since we were little."

The man sat next to me quite uninvited.

"I'm Coop, or Cooper, take your pick." He extended his hand, I shook it reluctantly, I didn't know this man and I didn't think I wanted to.

"Vance."

"Cool name, don't hear that very often."

I didn't reply, I hated my name, always had, what child is called Vance? It couldn't even be shortened. Cooper leaned in, whispering in my ear. "Listen Vance, that girl, I can make her yours, you just need to ask."

"If only. She has the pick of all the guys, she's not interested in me. I'm small, scrawny and broke. Look at her she's stunning."

Cooper leaned back in the seat, a sadistic smile stretching across his face.

"But I've got a golden arrow!" He winked at me.

"I'm sorry?" It sounded like a drug, I'd heard of a lot of drugs I'd never heard of a golden arrow.

Cooper slowly reached in to the pocket on the inside of his jacket breast and pulled out a little yellow triangle in a bag.

"She can be yours Vance..."

I must say a part of me was tempted, a deep corner of my being knew what it was and knew it was an opportunity to get closer to her than I had ever been, will ever be. He smiled at me, swinging the plastic bag slowly back and forth, suspended between his middle and forefinger. He did not break his gaze with me.

"I can't do that to her." I said, my gaze still fixed on the bag, the room around me seemed to have frozen. "I love her,"

"Now Vance, don't be silly, there's no such thing as love. Sure, when I was younger I believed in love too, preached it even. I soon learned that it was just lust, desire in it's rawest form." He had his arm around me. I was still fixated on the little bag. "Just take the fucking arrow and put it in her fucking drink, Okay sweet cheeks?"

He dropped the bag on the table in front of me, stood up and left. I reached out and picked it up. I find it difficult to express the sensation of power I felt as I held it in my palm. She could finally be mine, if just for one night. My thoughts had begun to sound like Cooper's coarse voice.

I rose from my seat and walked over to Penny as she stood by the bar, surrounded by guys from the local rugby team.

"Vance, so glad you made it." She said to me, "Hey guys have you met Vance? He's my friend, I've known him since, like, well forever."

The men all seemed laugh under their breath and shook their heads. Normally I'd be intimidated by guys like this but I knew I had something they didn't, I had my golden arrow, my way in.