My job offers tuition reimbursement, and I like to take one class a semester… I usually take something involving science or math, but because I’m running out of courses to take, I decided to take Creative Writing. I’m hoping it helps me think outside the box a bit more in regard to non-fiction.

The man with his arm in a sling was handsome.
That alone put the brunette beauty at ease
(the valiums and beer didn’t hurt either).
He implored: “could you help me load a catamaran onto my car?
It’s just down the road…
at my parents house.”
He then grinned at her, a smile that went up to his chocolate brown eyes,
and she shrugged her shoulders and thought to herself,
“why not? What else do I have to do right now?
Ken probably won’t even notice I’m gone.”
The scalding midafternoon July sun beat down on her pale skin mercilessly,
as she made her way across the parking lot to the attractive stranger’s car.
She immediately noticed his vehicle,
which stood out like a sore thumb:
(a tannish-yellow VW Beetle),
“How scary can a guy driving a Bug be?”
she thought to herself as she climbed in.
The two made small talk as he slowly and cautiously made his way
through the park:
he shared with her that he was a law student,
and that maybe one day he would teach her how to sail.
Lake Sammamish State Park was beautiful (if not a bit too hot):
The annual Rainer Beer Picnic was taking place that day
(neither one commented they were there for the event).

The miles ticked by.
the man grew quiet,
and she noticed his eyes went black.
The atmosphere in the car shifted,
and became so tense you could cut the air with a knife.
As the minutes went by, she became increasingly convinced that there was no sailboat.
And suddenly
(without warning),
he swerved his VW over and stopped it abruptly on the side of the road.
After briefly struggling for something under his seat,
the stranger pulled out a
crowbar, with a taped handle…
and after a (very) brief back and forth
he quickly overpowered her,
hitting her once over the head.
The girl slumped over in her sear,
unconscious.
***
The pretty brunette woke up to screaming,
but quickly realized it wasn’t her voice:
A petite girl with blonde hair was fighting with the stranger;
blood streaming from the top of her head,
stemming from a single deep wound.
She watched in horror as the man subdued the woman,
and he wrapped his hands around
her neck…
and squeezed.
Within a matter of minutes,
the light left her eyes.
Before Denise realized what was happening,
he turned around,
and slowly began making his way towards her.
As she looked around for a way out,
she realized there was nowhere for her to go.
Fighting was useless: he was almost double her size.
… as he made his way towards her,
his eyes locked with hers,
and she suddenly remembered his injury:
his sling was gone,
HIS ARM WAS FINE.
It was all a con.

It was in that moment,
(between the benzo’s and the shock)…
the compassionate young woman with so many unfulfilled dreams,
and thoughts,
and plans,
knew it was her end.

The two beautiful, ambitious young women,
that never met,
and had no ties to one another…
in that very moment ,
became tied to one another forever.