I watch her sleep

Her deceiving emeralds closed

A perfect masquerade of tranquility

An angelic mask, smiling through her lies

Her façade of an innocent heart

She trembles

Perhaps she realizes I am here

Smoothing her golden hair

Until she does not stir

All at once, her radiance turns

To a shabby grey in the dark

Suddenly she changes

She sneers at me with a condescending glare

Hissing curses and laughing in malice to my pain

Poisoning me, killing me tonight.

She must die.

My blade speaks to me

A cry of protest? No

I won’t go back

I smile as it meets her pale throat

Already I can see a thin line of blood

But sleep steals her fear

I wait

I consider awakening her

So I can hear her scream and beg

I want to hurt her,

Like she hurt me

I want to make her suffer

I want to watch her bleed

Flashbacks slow the tension

I see us together

Smiling

Rejoicing

Living . . .

I see myself

Laughing for her

Lying for her

Breathing for her

Dying for her . . .

I cannot breathe

How can I love the one who betrayed me?