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“ Have you seen this?” my sister asks, slapping a newspaper down in front of me. I pick it up, scanning the front page.
Woman found dead in Caraway Park
Twenty-six-year-old Janine Michaels was found stabbed to death in the bushes of Caraway Park. Michaels’ death marks the seventh killing in three months— all young women, all found in Thurston County parks with multiple stab wounds.
Of course, all the dead girls have been pretty. I trace her jawline with my right index finger. Her soft, delicate jawline. My left hand tiptoes along my own jawbone. It’ s hard, rough, almost a perfect right angle. Anything but feminine. My fingernail begins to scrape through the flimsy paper, creating a gash directly beneath her blossom lips.
“ You can’ t go out tonight,” my sister warns, gesturing towards the paper.
“ There’ s no way I’ m cancelling. We both know I need to branch out.” I pout my lips out in order to smear a blood-red stain across my lower lip. Tossing a small piece of hair over my ear, I give my reflection one final look. Not bad.
“ You look beautiful, Elizabeth,” my sister says.“ Promise you’ ll be careful tonight?”
The Date Ailish Collins
“ I’ m always careful.”
“ Here, take this with you,” she hands me a small bottle of pepper spray, disguised as perfume.
“ I won’ t need this,” I reply, passing it back. Wordlessly, she presses the bottle back into my hand. Her eyes glower into my own, screaming at me to protect myself from the unknown. At the cue of the doorbell I slip the bottle into my purse.
“ Fine.” I roll my eyes,“ but it’ s not going to get any use.”
I turn in my chair, angling my feet so as to pinch them into my shoes. The heels are a little too tall, and the point too thin. The tenfoot journey to the door is torture on my feet. I grimace, but continue walking. I need to be beautiful. The pain will be worth it.
“ Liz!” He opens his arms to me, swooping in for a hug. My hands shoot up as a barrier.
“ It’ s Elizabeth.” My eyes are fixated on the doormat.
“ Shall we?” he says, yanking my attention back to him. He gestures to the door.
My eyes refuse to leave his face as we walk to the restaurant. He has neglected to shave for the past few days, but the irresponsibility suits his boyish face— makes him more of a man.
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