Dave stood in his cell as he watched Lou, the mail guy, make his way through the cells, slowly delivering mail. Dave was feeling impatient, his only connection to the outside world was the letters from his mom, which he mostly ignored. He partly blamed her for him being here, so he wrote to her sparingly, only reaching out when he needed money in his commissary.

Lou handed him his mail; a couple letters and a magazine. “Here’s your mail, Black.”

“Thanks Lou.” He said as he sat on his bunk, not even bothering to read the letters his mother had sent him. He grabbed the magazine and read the cover. It was Us Weekly, the actress Marissa Summers was the cover for this issue. She appeared disheveled as she tried to hide from the camera. Next to her face were the words ‘Fall from grace! Marissa Summers and why no one wants to work with her! Multiple people come forward.’

On the bottom corner there was a picture of Darcy Hart. Dave recognized him immediately. He frowned at the image; he began looking through the magazine in search for the article about Darcy. He hoped it would mention Monroe as well. He had heard about their wedding through a magazine; he even saw a picture of her in her wedding dress. He had cut Darcy out of the picture and put Monroe up on his wall.

Finally, he found the article, he was stunned when he saw the picture in the magazine. “No.” He said aloud.

Monroe was walking with Darcy as she gave the paparazzi a peace sign. She was heavily pregnant. The article went on to talk about how Monroe was expecting, and they speculated on the sex of the baby.

Dave set the magazine down and yelled out. “What the hell!” His cellmate sat down next to him as Dave’s eyes began watering with rage. “What’s wrong now, Black?”

“My girlfriend is pregnant!” He screamed.

His cellmate scoffed. “Still keeping tabs on her? She’s not your girlfriend anymore, you know on account of the attempted murder.”

Dave opened his mouth widely. “But—”

The cellmate grabbed his lips and closed them with his hand. “Shhhhh. Yes, yes, we get it, she’s your one and only.’ Maybe you shouldn’t have tried to kill her.”

Dave turned away from him, crossing his arms together angrily. “I’ve told you! I wasn’t thinking right! I was under so much pressure, and I was drinking and doing drugs a lot. I made a mistake!”

His cellmate turned around, searching for something on his bed. “Right. My advice to you is to let it go.”

“But—”

“Let. It. Go.” He said tensely.

Dave grabbed the magazine again and ripped out the picture of Monroe, cutting Darcy out of the frame as he did. “Not a chance. When I get out of here, she’s going to realize that I am the love of her life. I’ll make her see that. You’ll see.”

Dave looked at the little Monroe on his palm, raising his voice to complain once more. “I can’t believe I have to do nine more years in this dump! I shouldn’t be here! Monroe should be pregnant with my baby!”

His cellmate stared at him for a moment as he held a shiv behind his back. He deliberated for a moment; he had had enough of Dave this past year. He didn’t think he could listen to his whining for another nine years. “You know, I’m really tired of your constant whining. You’re the most annoying cellmate I’ve ever had.”

Dave made a face at his cellmate. “I don’t do that! And I’m not annoying, I’m just speaking the truth!”

Dave really had no idea who he was talking to. “You, you, you. I can’t bear being your cellmate a minute longer.”

He pulled out the shiv from behind him, speaking to Dave in an icy voice as he did. “I figured I’m doing life anyway. I might as well.”

Dave felt a chill travel down his spine. “Woah, woah! You don’t have to do this!” He pleaded.

His cellmate smiled, it was a wicked sight. “No. I don’t have to, but I want to.”

Dave took a step back begging him to stay back. “Please!”

The man grabbed Dave from his shoulder as he repeatedly stabbed at his abdomen forcefully. Dave felt air escape him as he watched blood spill from his abdomen. He fell to his knees, while his cellmate watched him with a smile. He left Dave on the floor, as he climbed his bunk, ignoring a dying Dave.

Blood began to come out of his mouth as he tried to keep his body from bleeding, but it was all in vain. He fell on his back with blood pooling all around him.

Dave’s vision became blurry, gasping for air. He blinked and suddenly she was there. Sitting beside him dressed in white. “It’s time to go.” She told him.

The ghostly Monroe tried to usher him away, but Dave refused. “No, I can’t. I’m not ready yet.”

She was watching with amusement. She tsked. “Look at you…”

“Monroe…” He called out. He knew she wasn’t real, but this vision of her was the last thing he had left.

“You’re pathetic.” She told him.

The words hurt. He continued gasping for air as the pool of blood got bigger. “No…”

“All of this and you still couldn’t get me.” She said mockingly.

His tears fell freely as he spoke. “You’ll join me someday. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Monroe laughed dryly as she raised a brow. “Is that what you think? I’m afraid our afterlives aren’t going to be the same.”

Dave winced at that. “No…you—you’re my girl.”

She kneeled beside him, her white clothes becoming stained with his blood. “I was your girl. But I will never be your girl again.”

This torment was too much for Dave. “Why won’t you just let me believe? Let me go in peace.”

Monroe’s eyes became vacant and distant as she laid beside him, facing him while he watched her. “You don’t deserve it. You never gave me any peace. Only pain and darkness. And now you will be consumed by the very same darkness you spread.”

Dave tried to reach out to her, but his strength was gone. The world around him was getting darker and darker, Monroe became a blurry shape that was consumed in darkness. “Welcome to oblivion my love.” She said as he closed his eyes, succumbing to his wounds. His arm fell to the side, with his palm up. In his hand was the picture of pregnant Monroe, covered in blood.

He was gone.

***

               Monroe was cooking dinner for herself and Darcy, she was waiting for Darcy to return from the store, she had sent him out for some more ingredients. As Monroe sautéed the onions, she felt her phone vibrate in the pocket of her dress. She pulled out the phone and answered, not bothering to look at the caller ID. “Hello?”

She heard a familiar voice call out to her. It was Mrs. Black, Dave’s mother. “Hello, Monroe. It’s Catherine Black. I’m calling to inform you that David was…stabbed in his cell this morning. He’s…” She paused, sobbing as she did. “He’s dead. I just…thought you should know.”

Monroe’s face was vacant as she spoke, she had a sense of relief coursing through her body. “Thank you for telling me. I’m…I’m sorry for your loss.”

Monroe hung up, slowly setting her phone down on the counter beside her. She stared at the kitchen backsplash, her eyes unable to focus on anything else. She started smelling smoke, her food was beginning to burn but she could not move. Darcy rattled his keys and opened the door, making his way through. “I’m home!” He announced, pausing as he smelled the smoke in the air. “What’s that smell? It smells like something is burning.” He walked over to Monroe, his hands clasped together nervously as he spoke. “Mon, you’re burning your food. Are you okay?”

“He’s dead.” She said vacantly.

Darcy frowned. “Who are you talking about?”

“Dave…he was stabbed in his cell this morning. He’s dead.” Monroe felt tears build up behind her eyes, she turned to face Darcy, walking past him as she gestured wildly. “He was in prison because of me! He’s dead because of me!”

Darcy turned off the stove and walked over to Monroe, holding her arms gently but firmly as he spoke. “No Monroe, he was in prison because of his own foolish actions. He tried to kill you! You must see that.”

Monroe couldn’t meet Darcy’s eyes. She lowered her head, hiding her face from Darcy. “I’m a terrible person. When his mom told me he was dead…I felt relief. Not grief. He was my boyfriend for nine years and I felt relief! I felt relief! How could I feel this way?!” She brought her hands up to cover her face, sobbing into her palms.

Darcy touched her face gently with one hand, wiping away her tears. Dave was a terrible man, as far as Darcy was concerned, he got what he deserved. “Mon, that man put you through hell. He almost killed you twice. He never treated you with an ounce of respect. I don’t like to speak ill of the dead, but he had it coming.”

Monroe’s eyes were fixed on Darcy’s chest as she spoke calmly. “I…hate him.” She felt rage shoot through, yelling in response. “I hate him!”

She calmed herself after a moment and continued speaking. “I’m glad he’s dead. But I don’t want to feel this way.”

Her eyes finally met Darcy’s as she tried to articulate how she felt. “Darcy, I want to feel nothing for him. Not hatred. Not anything.”

Darcy’s eyebrows furrowed with sympathy. “Oh Mon, you’ll get there some day. In the meantime, don’t feel bad about feeling glad that a terrible man is dead.”