***************************
Robert tried to nibble his apple, but he failed once again. He always tried to eat with her, but she usually ruined his appetite completely. Not in the way she ravenously tore through the meat, or the stains she left covering herself and the floor beneath her. He just couldn’t bare the idea. He still maintained the romanticised view that they should always eat together, that it brought them closer together. But watching Rachel always forced him to stop his own meal.
Rachel gnawed away at the remains, barely taking time to chew. She always acted as though her entire purpose was to get the food down her throat as fast as possible. She always ate like she hadn’t eaten in years.
But all he ever saw her do anymore was eat. As soon as she finished, she would ask for more. He always brought it to her - half out of hope that this would be the last time, half out of fear over what would happen if he didn’t. But even with the taste of food on her tongue, even in the face of all the horror she had caused, she was still hungry. Every single time.
Rachel tossed the remaining bones to the side. She stared at them for a moment, a feeling of emptiness and lost fulfillment on her face. Then she turned to Robert.
“I’m hungry, Robert,” she said slowly.
Robert swallowed a mouthful of spit. “But honey, you just ate.”
“I’m so hungry,” she replied as though ignoring him. “So, so hungry.”
Robert took a deep breath. “You know, Rachel, I don’t think you’re actually hungry. Maybe you just think you are.”
Puzzlement spread across Rachel’s face. “...think?” she said. “What?”
“Well, you just ate a nice big meal,” he stated calmly, controlling his breathing. “All you do is eat. Maybe you just...”
He couldn’t continue when he saw the tears swelling in Rachel’s eyes.
“Don’t you trust me, Robert?” she pleaded, her eyes filled with longing. “Don’t you?”
“Of course I do, dear, but-”
“I love you, Robert!” she cried out. “Don’t you love me? You said you loved me!”
“Okay, okay,” shouted Robert, trying to contain her. “I’ll go get some more food.”
Rachel stared at Robert for a moment. Then a smile spread across her face. “I knew you really loved me,” she cooed warmly.
Robert locked the door behind him as he left. The part that scared him the most was that she was right. He did love her, fully and completely, and couldn’t help it. But his love scared him, and it was costing him too much. The police would have to start noticing the disappearances sooner or later. And then they would both be sent away. But worst of all, they would be separated...
Robert tried to push those thoughts aside. He grabbed his knife off the wall. The blood hadn’t even had time to dry.
Rachel needed him. Nothing else mattered.
Rachel gnawed away at the remains, barely taking time to chew. She always acted as though her entire purpose was to get the food down her throat as fast as possible. She always ate like she hadn’t eaten in years.
But all he ever saw her do anymore was eat. As soon as she finished, she would ask for more. He always brought it to her - half out of hope that this would be the last time, half out of fear over what would happen if he didn’t. But even with the taste of food on her tongue, even in the face of all the horror she had caused, she was still hungry. Every single time.
Rachel tossed the remaining bones to the side. She stared at them for a moment, a feeling of emptiness and lost fulfillment on her face. Then she turned to Robert.
“I’m hungry, Robert,” she said slowly.
Robert swallowed a mouthful of spit. “But honey, you just ate.”
“I’m so hungry,” she replied as though ignoring him. “So, so hungry.”
Robert took a deep breath. “You know, Rachel, I don’t think you’re actually hungry. Maybe you just think you are.”
Puzzlement spread across Rachel’s face. “...think?” she said. “What?”
“Well, you just ate a nice big meal,” he stated calmly, controlling his breathing. “All you do is eat. Maybe you just...”
He couldn’t continue when he saw the tears swelling in Rachel’s eyes.
“Don’t you trust me, Robert?” she pleaded, her eyes filled with longing. “Don’t you?”
“Of course I do, dear, but-”
“I love you, Robert!” she cried out. “Don’t you love me? You said you loved me!”
“Okay, okay,” shouted Robert, trying to contain her. “I’ll go get some more food.”
Rachel stared at Robert for a moment. Then a smile spread across her face. “I knew you really loved me,” she cooed warmly.
Robert locked the door behind him as he left. The part that scared him the most was that she was right. He did love her, fully and completely, and couldn’t help it. But his love scared him, and it was costing him too much. The police would have to start noticing the disappearances sooner or later. And then they would both be sent away. But worst of all, they would be separated...
Robert tried to push those thoughts aside. He grabbed his knife off the wall. The blood hadn’t even had time to dry.
Rachel needed him. Nothing else mattered.
