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Chapter 9
The first day of classes with Edith were uneventful. I think we were just feeling each other out and trying to figure out where we stood. She was incredibly intelligent and that was refreshing. I felt like I was going to learn a lot more from her than I could have ever learned from Jennifer. I loved learning and absorbing all of the intricacies of what happened in Americas past and the history of the world. It’s amazing how sadistic a lot of the world’s leaders turned out to be. Edith knew how to keep lessons interesting as well. She was great at asking questions and keeping me involved, something difficult to do when there is only one student. While she was teaching occasionally I would zone out and catch myself fantasizing about wonderful things. I would also catch myself answering questions when I wasn’t paying much attention. It seemed like I was either awesome at multi-tasking or there was almost a hole other me in there that would come forward when I was out of my mind enjoying my imagination.
So with the first day in the books, and feeling pretty good about it I headed out to spend some time in the woods. Just as I was getting my coat on I heard Edith call out to me. I turned and she was headed at me sliding her coat on and asking “Michael, are you going to the woods? Do you mind showing me around a little bit?” I hesitated, I really wanted to be alone with my thoughts and maybe find something to play with. But reluctantly I said “Yeah I was just going to go out and wonder around, your welcome to join me.” She smiled and said “Thank you very much kind sir. I look forward to seeing some of this land.” She reached for the door and allowed me to lead the way.
As we walked down the front steps I said “No teaching right? I hate learning when it’s not class time, I like to just enjoy the woods.” She promised “Not a bit. I’m a big fan of just walking and quietly watching nature.” I said “Perfect, there is a lot of it out here, you’ll love it.” I looked across the front yard at the large rock laying in the yard that I had used a month or so ago to crush a small bird. To the right of the rock was a huge tree. A brief flash behind my eyes and I saw Edith hanging from one of the branches by her neck, swinging back and forth slowly. I shake my head, a little confused about why this keeps happening.
We walk across the yard and out into the woods. I show her where the shed and everything around the house is. We talk a little about her life and I tell her about Jennifer. I never mention my love for her and my subsequent rejection. Without really paying attention to where we were going I noticed that we were surprisingly close to the clearing. I could hear my voice get a little panicked but immediately calmed myself down and changed direction to take us to the creek and the rock where Jennifer and I had shared an nice picnic and I had showed her what kind of fish we had in the creek.
Edith loved the creek. I took her up on the flat rock and showed her the ledge and how it jutted out over the creek. Another strange flash and I could see the back of her skull split open as I slammed a large rock down on her head. I watched as she fell over the side and landed in the creek, the sky turned red and the water ran red with her blood. “Michael? Are you ok? What’s going on?” Her voice broke into my daydream. My eyes cleared and the vision passed. I was standing right on the edge of the rock with Edith’s hand on my shoulder. “Wow that was so vivid.” I thought to myself before saying “Yeah, I’m fine, sometimes I daydream a little bit. I have kind of an over active imagination.” She looked concerned and said “Ok, well let’s head back, we have been out here for a while and the sun is starting to set. I need to make dinner for you and your mother.” I agreed and we headed back toward the house.
After following Edith through the door, I headed upstairs and into my room. I sat down on my couch for a moment and thought about the day and all of the times that I felt myself slip into a alternate world. It was a much more fun world but a fake one. I wasn’t sure that I had it in myself to ever take a person’s life, but thinking about it was a great release. I wasn’t sure what was happening to me. I remember feeling confused and a little disoriented sitting there on the couch. The things I kept seeing gave me this feeling of anticipation. I wanted to feel the release, to feel the pure ecstasy that came with watching the life seep out of somebody. The more I thought about it, the more the chills ran down my spine. I got butterflies in my stomach and my skin turned hot. I wanted the feelings that I knew would wash over me when Edith begged me to stop and my blade just kept creeping through her flesh.
“Did someone knock?” I whispered out loud to myself. My eyes opened, I was still sitting on the couch but something felt wrong. I glanced at the digital clock on the DVD player and was shocked to see that it was ten o’clock at night. I must have fell asleep. Then another knock at the door followed by “Michael, are you ok?” I got up and walked over to the door. Opening it I saw Edith standing there with a tray of food. She looked at me and said “You didn’t come down for dinner, I was lonely but figured you had a reason. I thought I would bring you food before I went to bed.” I smiled at her and said “Yeah, I must have fallen asleep, thank you so much for bring me dinner.” She replied “Of course, as long as you’re ok, I’m going to head for bed. That hike wore me out too.” “I’m great now, just tired, and hungry.” I said reaching out to take the tray from her. She said “Goodnight dear.” As I closed the door. I took the food back into the room and sat it on my computer desk.
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