• Jamie was driving down the old dirt road, wind blowing through her long silky blonde hair, music blaring, not a care in the world. She reached down to turn the stereo off so she could call Dennis and tell him she was almost there. When she looked back up her little red VW was off the road and headed strait for a tree. Jamie quickly swerved back onto the road and continued on her way. She sighed in relief at her near miss accident. She set her cell phone back in the cup holder; she didn't want to chance another accident.
    When she got to the cabin she saw Dennis' blue jeep parked outside. She jumped out of her car and grabbed her bag out of the trunk.
    "Dennis?" Jamie called as she wondered into the dusty secluded cabin. She set her bag down beside the front door. There was no sign Dennis had even been there aside from his car and the unlocked door.
    "Dennis?" She called wondering from room to room looking for some sign he had been there.
    "Dennis?" She went into the small clearing behind the cabin. Dennis' cat wondered up and rubbed against her leg.
    "Hey Starry, where's Dennis at huh?" Jamie said picking up the small tabby cat. She walked back into the house with the cat in her arms. She looked around once more and then returned to the front porch. When she got there she notice Dennis' Jeep was missing, in it's place was a set of tire tracks which seemed to be old.
    The sky was beginning to turn a fiery pink as the sun began to set behind the trees of the heavily forested area. Slightly baffled as to why Dennis had left she went and got her phone out of the car, when she opened it she found it to be dead. A bitter cold breeze washed over her and she pulled the cat closer to her body and went inside.
    Walking into the dimly lit front room Jamie reached to the wall and flipped on the light switch. As she did she noticed a young man with jet-black hair and a lip ring sitting on the wooden staircase. Startled by the man Jamie took a step back and dropped the cat to the floor.
    "Who are you?" Jamie asked.
    The man looked up at her with icy blue eyes. His eyes seemed to cut right through her soul, there wasn't light in his eyes, and even his face seemed lifeless. It seemed as if she was looking into the face of a corps. He said nothing. He just stared at her.
    "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Jamie asked again.
    "I have a story for you." He said, in a voice as cold and lifeless as the rest of him. "There once was this girl." He stood as he said this. The chains on his baggy black jeans clanged together as he moved. "And she loved this boy, she would have done anything for him. Everything she did was to please him, and every move; every decision was made with the thought 'will this make him love me?' 'If I will that shirt he likes, if I do my hair the way he likes… would he love me then?'" He said with a mocking tone in his voice. "But ya see she knew his love was never in her reach… never hers to have." He took a few steps closer and bit his lip ring as he gave her a cocky smirk.
    "Why?..." Jamie said in a barley audible voice as tears began to well up in her eyes.
    "She just wanted to be with him so bad… she was willing to ignore all the pain he put her through… willing to endure all the tears…. she wouldn't face all the signs. He just didn't love her. But she knew. Didn't she?" he asked with a sharp tone to his voice.
    No answer escaped her lips.
    "Answer me when I'm talking to you James… didn't she know?!" In an instant he was across the room and had her pinned to the front door. "She knew Jamie… it wasn't a romantic weekend she was going for… he was just using her… making her victim to the so called 'love' she felt for him. She knew…"he whispered in her ear. His icy breathe on her neck.
    "Who are you?" She asked tears gliding down her porcelain cheeks.
    "Charlie." He replied leaning away from her.
    "What do you want?" she hissed.
    "I'm here to help you." He said coolly letting her go.
    "Help me?"
    "Yeah. There's something I need to open your eyes to. Do you have anything to eat? I'm starved." He said as he wondered into the kitchen.
    Jamie opened the door and sprinted down the steps to the porch. She looked around for her VW, it took her a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness that surrounded her. Her heart pounded in her throat, she realized her car was no where to be found,
    "James, where do you expect to go dear? I'm the only one who can help you now." Charlie said as he walked out onto the porch. "I'm not here to hurt you Jamie. And I'm sorry I sacred you, I was just getting impatient. I'll try to not let my temper get the better of me next time. C'mon sweet heart take my hand, let's go inside." He said holding his had out for her to take.
    "Where's Dennis?"
    "I know you're sacred, but you would be far worse off if I wasn't here to help you. Please now, take my hand, let's go inside, there are far worse dangers out here then you could understand."
    Jamie looked up into Charlie's eyes; they yielded no life. She slowly reached her hand out and took his, she wasn't sure if he was telling the truth but she feared angering him again and she had no doubt he would hurt her.
    "What exactly are you here to help me with?" Jamie asked as they walked into the cabin.
    "I'm here to help you figure some things out… I already told you." Charlie replied after a pause.
    "What do I need to figure out?" She asked completely confused.
    "I can't tell you. You'll find out on your own soon enough."
    "Where is Dennis?"
    "Will you…" Charlie began to yell but he paused for a moment. "Stop thinking about him… he's not important. Doesn't matter…" he continued in calm voice.
    "I love him… please, where is he?"
    "Didn't you hear a word I just said? Didn't you pay attention to my story at all?"
    "It's not true…" Jamie said as she began to cry again.
    Charlie just started at her, unmoved by her tears. He was beginning to get angry again. "Fine… you'll realize it soon enough… you know it already you just won't except it."
    "What are you talking about?!" Jamie yelled.
    "I think what you need is some sleep." Charlie said as he took her by the hand and led her to the couch. "Sit." He said pushing her down. He picked her feet and put them on the couch so she was laying the full length of it. He sat on the coffee table so he was looking into her golden brown eyes. Her blood ran cold.
    "I don't want to sleep... where is Dennis?"
    "Princess, I don't know where your beloved Dennis is and my guess is he doesn't care where you are."
    "Shut up!" Jamie yelled as she sat up.
    "I struck a nerve… I tend to do that… I'm no good at this sort of thing. Now sleep some okay? You'll feel better once you do I promise." He said pushing her back down.
    Jamie closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Between the driving and crying she as out within a matter of minuets.
    Jamie was driving down the backcountry road crying, she knew in her heart he never loved her and she knew he never would. She was just a toy to him, a plaything and when she got old he would discard her for a new one. But she truly did love him, with all her heart and soul.
    "Maybe this weekend he will see…I brought all his favorite clothes and I did my hair just the way he likes me to… maybe now he will love me." She thought to herself. Those were the never-ending thoughts running through her mind.
    "Maybe now he will love me." But deep down she knew he never would.
    When they first started dating it was almost all right that he didn't care about her as much as she did him, but after the first month she was in love and he was less than head over heals for her.
    Within the last month she found the mere thought of her love for him unbearable. She was in a constant state of tears now unless he was around. But he couldn't see her cry no, then he would see how weak she truly was… he would never love her then.
    "Maybe I should just end it all right here and now."
    Her life was full of "maybes". She lived day to day on them. It was never a straight answer, she could never get one out of Dennis and she could never give herself one when she thought of leaving him.
    She was sure that after this weekend her run with him was over, she would be old and washed up and thrown away with the morning paper.
    "I should end it now… I don't want to live without him… I don't want him to have the option to end things with me… I don't know what to do…"
    She never did know what to do. She was always torn, either "be happy now and have all the little pains, which will grow and slowly consume me" or "be miserable now and be over it and happier than ever later". All she wanted was to be happy in the "now", but she never was, he didn't even make her happy anymore.
    "I should kill myself, here and now, no one would know… it would just be another stupid young girl got into a fatal accident… no one would see me as weak, not even him… maybe then he would love me because I was gone… maybe then he would care… shed a small tear in my expense."
    Tears streamed down her face at the thought of it. But what scared her more was that the further she drove, the closer she got, the more comfortable with the idea she was. She floored the gas and aimed her beloved VW at the largest tree in the area.
    She hit, hit hard. Her once beautiful blonde hair was now red and blood soaked. Her eyes were now dull and lifeless, as if someone had just come by and turned the light out.
    Jamie woke up in a pool of sweat; tears were streaming from her eyes.
    "Sleep well?" Charlie asked. He had apparently been watching her the whole time.
    "No… I had an awful dream." She said shaking her head. "I have a head ache." She added putting her hand up to her head.
    "That's to be expected. What was your dream about?"
    "I don't want to talk about it." Jamie replied.
    Starry who had been walking along the back of the couch jumped off and landed on Jamie's stomach.
    "I asked what happened." Charlie said in with a forceful tone.
    "And I said I don't want to talk about it." Jamie replied with a sharp tone in her voice. "Who are you anyways, why are you here? How did you know I needed 'help'?"
    "Listen darling, here's how it works, you answer me when I ask you a question… always… and when you ask me something I will answer it, when, if, and how I feel like it alright? Because if that's not what's going to happen I might get angry... And we both don't want that. Now what about this dream?"
    "I was driving, coming here." Jamie began hesitantly "What you said about Dennis never loving me was true, I knew it, I was distraught. I wanted to die… and instead of…" she paused.
    "Instead of…?" Charlie inquired.
    "Instead of what really happened…" She continued, almost unsure of her words. "I crashed… I crashed my car into the tree…" she finished.
    "Which tree?"
    "The tree I almost…"
    "What really happened?"
    "I…" she stopped and closed her eyes, trying to remember the details. "I can't remember…"
    "Are you sure something else didn't happen? Are you sure you didn't crash?"
    "I would remember a car crash… besides, in my dream I… I died."
    "Are you sure you…" Before Charlie could finish his thought he was interrupted by the front door opening, in walked Dennis.
    "Starry!" he called for his cat, his eyes were puffy and almost blood shot as if he had been crying.
    Starry jumper off Jamie's chest and scampered over to her master.
    "Dennis!" Jamie said sitting up, it almost seemed as if he had come back from the dead.
    Dennis bent down and picked up the small cat in his arms. He hugged her close to his body; he didn't even acknowledge the fact the Jamie was in the room.
    "Hey girl, guess it's just you and me from here on out." Dennis said as he stroked her head.
    "Dennis?" Jamie yelled getting up from the couch and going over to him.
    Dennis turned to leave but then he paused, and pulled a small box out of his pocket. He turned and set it on the ground
    As he turned to leave the second time he noticed the light sent of lavender lingering through the air.
    "James?" he called peering around the room. His eyes began to well.
    "I'm here baby…" she said moving so she was in front of him and staring into his hazel green eyes.
    "Jamie… I never meant to hurt you." He said as he walked out the door closing, and locking it behind him.
    "Dennis!!" She screamed lunging to catch the door before it slammed shut.
    By the time she had the door open there was no sign of Dennis.
    Jamie went back inside and picked up the small jewelry box Dennis had left on the floor, opening it she found a silver ring with a small emerald on it.
    Jamie gasped. "What is this?" she asked Charlie. "You said he didn't love me!" She yelled.
    "I lied." He said joining her in the front room.
    "You lied?!"
    "I'm the bad guy here… it's what bad guys do isn't it?"
    "I believed you!" She shrieked.
    "Not my fault you're so damn naive." He said.
    "Who are?! Why couldn't Dennis see me!?" Jamie screamed closing the box and throwing it to the floor.
    "Oh it's mad." he said with his cocky smirk as he leaned against the wall.
    "Who the hell are you?!" She hissed as she moved closer to him.
    "Listen princess… I don't give a s**t about your little hissy fits so save it." He said moving from the wall and closer to her.
    "I'm not afraid of you … I don't give a damn about what you do to me." Jamie said standing her ground.
    He reached out and knocked her to the floor. "Still not afraid?" he asked standing over her.
    "Who are you?" She asked beginning to cry with rage.
    "I'm a collector." He said offering a hand to help her up.
    "Collector?" she said completely confused as she swatted his hand away.
    "Yes," he said crouching down next to her. "I collect all sorts of things."
    "What are you talking about?"
    "James dear. I collect things…"
    "What the hell do you…" she interrupted.
    "Don't interrupt." He said slapping her across the face. "It's rude." He added. "Now like I was saying," he continued. "That's why I'm here. I really am here to help you. I'm not 100% evil. There really is no such thing. No evil, no good, no bad guys, no heroes. No one to save you now Jamie… just you and me."
    "You are constantly contradicting yourself."
    "Only because you wouldn't understand the truth if I told it to you. I mean hell the answer to all of your questions is right there in front of your face and you still don't get it. Can you really be this stupid?"
    "Explain."
    "Think James, why couldn't Dennis see you? Why don't you remember what 'really' happened on your way here? Why did your head hurt after your dream? Why James? Why were you so quick to believe me when I said he never loved you?"
    Jamie just stared at him. Everything was beginning to come together. It was beginning to make sense to her now.
    "Think outside the box love." Charlie said as if he were talking to a small child.
    "No…" was the only word to escape her lips.
    "Yes dear. I'm a collector of broken hearts. I'm here to collect your soul if you will." He said standing up.
    "No." She repeated this time with a stronger voice.
    "Hun you did crash… you did die. You killed yourself in the name of a love you thought you couldn't have when really you had it all along. Poetic really."
    "But you said…"
    "Sweet heart everything I said to you was after the fact, it had nothing to do with your crash. It was merely a nudge to show you the fact that you are dead. And because you killed yourself there will be no happy ending. Only your memory. A memory wondering the halls. Seen and studied by later generations. A ghost in a manner of speaking."
    "Ghost? I thought you were taking my soul?"
    "Ghost aren't souls. They aren't spirits. They are memories plain and simple."
    "Why are you taking my soul? Why can't I just keep it?"
    Charlie sighed, he was getting annoyed with all of her questions. "Look, death is a business. I'm not dragging you off to 'hell', there is no such place. You wouldn't be happy being stuck here if I left you your soul. You would be lonely. You won't even know I have your soul. You will completely cease to be. Completely stop existing. But when someone dies their soul needs to be collected. There are tons of…" He paused to search for the right word before he continued. "Creatures… like myself. All we do is collect souls. They have a certain type of soul they need to collect and that's what they do. Is any of this getting through to you beautiful? There are only so many souls here on Earth, they need to be recycled. You see, if I let you keep your soul that's one soul lost. The boss doesn't like it when we loose a soul. Granted your soul will be among the last if it will ever be recycled."
    "Why?" she asked.
    "You are no longer seen as worth or life in the boss' eyes."
    "God's?"
    "No such thing."
    "Heaven?"
    "Make believe. The devil? Just a fairy tail."
    "If you won't use my soul again then why take it?"
    "If you're dead why do you want to keep it so bad? Because you don't want to not exist? What does it matter? To the rest of the world you don't what does it matter if you know you don't? Once I take it you won't know a damn thing anyways."
    Jamie didn't answer, she was shaking with fear and tears were streaming down her face.
    "Look princess if I don't take your soul with me now then you will be here all alone. You will have to sit here and watch as Dennis comes with other girls and other cats. Is that what you really want?"
    "Maybe… one day… he'll…"
    "He'll never know you're here. No sense in pretending sweet heart."
    "I want to stay…" Jamie said.
    "Why?" Charlie asked. It was apparent this was not an answer he expected from her.
    "I love him…"
    "You're dead! You aren't going back!"
    "I don't care!"
    "Fine. If the boss needs your soul I'll be back. Until then have fun here alone. It was nice meeting you gorgeous." Charlie said walking to the door.
    "Hey Charlie…" Jamie said beginning to calm down.
    "Yeah?" he said glancing over his shoulder as he stopped.
    "You said you collect a lot of things… what else?"
    "Stamps." He said with a smile as he walked out the door leaving it open behind him.
    Jamie watched him walk off and disappear into the forest. And she was as alone as she felt before she died.