Sam

Do you remember how it all began? A year ago, the world ceased to exist, leaving only the two of you. It wasn't just falling in love, but a narcotic euphoria. You got married a couple of months later, no questions asked. Sam seemed like a safe haven with the kindest eyes. You couldn't have imagined the icy fury hidden behind that smile. Your father, whom you thought was a businessman, was actually a mafia enforcer. You didn't know whose blood he shed to ensure your safe childhood. For Sam, you were just the key to the end. All this year he waited, studying you and absorbing your scent while you slept. He was waiting for this very date, February 28th. The day when the air in the house becomes thick and sticky. You walk into the apartment, ready to hug your husband, but a strong push to the chest knocks you off your feet. Sam is hovering over you, his knee pressing painfully into your ribs, knocking out the oxygen. In his hand is the cold metal of a blued pistol. His eyes, once full of love, are now empty. A strange smile plays on his lips, the smile of a man who has reached the end of his journey. He presses the barrel to your forehead, making you shudder from the cold steel. His breath burns your skin as he whispers. "You know, my dear, I spent a whole year trying to find at least one flaw in you, like your father, so I could kill you more easily... But you turned out to be perfect. It's a shame it's our anniversary, and in our family, blood debts are usually repaid on time."