“For your girlfriend?” The man at the counter handed over the bag and smiled.

            Daehyun blinked and chuckled shyly. “Yeah. It’s her birthday.” He pocketed his change, dipped his head and walked out. He looked into the bag. The dress should fit and he knew for a fact that the shoes did. Satisfied, he continued on to buy groceries.

            He browsed through the pastry section and selected cheesecake, his favorite and cinnamon buns, hers. On the line, his neighbor saw him and waved. “Daehyun-ah, how are you faring?”

            The question was a strange one and he didn’t quite understand. “I heard about-” but the rest of her sentence was cut off when the cashier beckoned. Daehyun shrugged and added a pack of candles to his shopping.

            When he got back, he busied himself with getting dinner ready. He set up the plates and lit a candle as the centerpiece. He placed a fresh bouquet of roses, their velvet petals still dewy from the water droplets. He uncorked a bottle of wine with a pop, and allowed the aroma to waft through the room. He placed a long thin box in front of her plate and smiled.

            The ancient phonograph in the background was spinning a soothing melody and Daehyun took a deep breath. He walked upstairs to the bedroom and knocked. There was no answer and he opened the door cautiously. She was lying on the bed, still except for the up, down movement of her chest. He pulled up a seat next to her and stared.

            Her lips were a rosy red and her skin was smooth The black luster of her hair shone against her paleness and he leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Rise and sunshine, birthday girl.”

            As his lips left her skin, her eyes fluttered open. “Daehyun,” she whispered and he helped her up. She hooked her arms around his neck as he carried her off the bed. He put her down and reached for the bag he had just recently purchased.

            “Put this on.” He handed the dress to her and looked away to give her privacy as she ped and pulled on the satin material. He knew she was done when he heard her smooth down the skirt. Daehyun turned around and took her hand, leading her back to the bed. He took out the shoebox and held out a gleaming red heel. He took her foot and slid it on, admiring how nicely it fit. He put the other pair on her and she stood shyly in front of him.

            She looked like an angel in the innocent white dress and the heels were the only splash of color. He stared admiringly but in his mind’s eye, pictured the food that was getting cold and the candle that was slowly diminishing. “Come, I have a surprise waiting for you downstairs.”

            Daehyun led her down the steps and into the dining room. The phonograph was still spinning and he sat her down. He cut the steak into pieces for her and placed them on her plate. He doled out the salad and then watched her eat.

            There was an intense burning in his stomach as he saw the silver fork slip past her lips. Her pink lips moved as she chewed and he saw them curve into a smile. “Earth to Daehyun. What are you thinking about?”

            He blinked then and stared at the rest of her. Her eyes were sparkling and he shook his head. “Just admiring.” She blushed and he thought briefly about the ways he could bring about the rosy cheeks, not all of them decent. He speared his meat and absent-mindedly brought it to his mouth. His eyes never left her.

            She put her fork down and picked up the gift box. “Is this for me?”

            Daehyun stood. “Let me show you.” He stalked over to her side and guided her fingers to the lid. She pried it off and jolted.

            “What is this?”

            The object nestled in the velvet was gleaming, a beautiful silver. There were rubies decorating it and her image reflected off of it. “Think how pretty this could be on your neck,” he whispered, “or dangling over your heart.”

            She was trembling and he took ahold of the bejeweled hilt of the dagger. The point was so sharp, one touch could pierce the skin. “D-dae, why?”

            He guided the weapon towards her and he could see the pulse on her neck, jumping wildly. “I can mark an ‘A’ on your chest, just like Hester Prynne. An ‘A’ for adulterer. Then everyone would know that underneath this innocent white lies a harlot whose passions are as scarlet as the shoes you’re walking in.”

            She made a fearful noise but he continued. Daehyun glided his lips over her cheek and he gently where her pulse was. One bite, and he could puncture her artery, but he pulled away. His voice was a serpentine hiss in her ear. “I know what you have been doing. I know who you’ve been seeing. You’ve been naughty behind my back but I know.”

            Her fingers shook as she touched his hand. “He forced me. Please, Daehyun. It’s not what you think.”

            “Forced you? He forced you to go to his house, to go every day? Powerful, isn’t he?”

            She cried and he buried his nose in her hair. “Didn’t you ever wonder why I haven’t touched you in a month?” She sobbed harder. “It’s because I don’t like another man’s soiled goods.”

            He moved the knife closer to her and she pressed against him, recoiling from the knife’s sharpness. “But it’s okay. Did you enjoy the meat today>” He posed the question suddenly. “I just wanted you to know how he tasted on the inside.” A brief smirk curved over his lips as she gagged and cried harder.

            Daehyun started tracing the letter ‘A’ over her heart and she couldn’t stop crying. Somewhere in the house, a tinkling sound started as a music box came to life. He had specifically set it for this time and he grinned. “A scarlet letter for my scarlet woman.”

            The sharp point dug into her as he held her down. He made one line slanting down and another before connecting the two with a horizontal line. Her tears faded as she instead gasped for breath. Trickles of blood stained the white dress and he chuckled. The knife dug deeper, further etching the letter into her skin.

            Her eyes rolled to the back of their sockets and she gurgled his name, the blood streaming from now. He made good on his promise and brought the dagger to her neck, drawing a thin but effective line across her neck. More blood spurted and he moved away.

            He let her jerk uncontrollably in the chair as he sat across from her and watched. The dim candlelight created shadows on her face and the blood saturated her white dress. Daehyun’s lips were held in a permanent grin as slowly her movements became less erratic and she twitched a couple of times before coming to a standstill.

~*~

            “I haven’t seen that girl of yours in weeks, Daehyun. You treating her alright?” The man behind the counter asked.

            Daehyun smiled a little. “We’ve broken up.”

            “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

            “It’s alright. She found someone else.”

            He looked into his bag and a smile flashed briefly across his face. The shovel was sturdy enough and so was the large container he had brought. Perfect for a tiny girl. He thanked the man once more and started walking home.

            He bumped into his neighbor and she straightened. “Daehyun, how are you faring?”

            He cocked his head, and she elaborated in an exaggerated whisper. “I heard about the breakup. She was cheating on you, wasn’t she? I wanted to ask you that last time but you know, it didn’t seem you knew.”

            Daehyun shrugged contritely. “It’s over. I don’t know where she is, but we’re over.”

            She patted his back. “You’re a good looking young man. You will find someone new.”

            He thanked her and continued on home.

            When he got back, he surveyed the scene before him in the dining room. The candle was long devastated into a puddle of its own hardened wax, leaving no trace of it except for a faint smoky smell. The bouquet of flowers was now a heap of petals as each of them had lost their bloom. The petals were wilted and darkened around the edges.

            Some of the grape extracts had condensed to the bottom of the wine glass and the rich burgundy color was now a watery purple. The meat had spoiled and maggots were running over it. There was a foul odor lingering in the air. The phonograph had caught and the record it had been spinning was nothing but a scratched tape, occasionally giving life to a bar of music and stopping.

            He went upstairs and looked over at her. She was placed in an icebox, lying still as if she was simply sleeping. She was completely still now. He stared at her. Her lips were a pale blue and her skin was marred. The letter on her chest was finely carved now, with only some parts of her flesh fraying as she decayed slowly. Her hair was a bloody, mangled mess around her face and he kissed her cheek.

            He picked her up and placed her into the large container he had bought. The man had said it was perfect for storing food without letting the smell get out. He closed the lid tightly and hummed to himself as he carried the box down the stairs to the backyard.

            The shovel was leaning against a tree, waiting to be used. The dagger which he had used was still encrusted in blood and he placed it in with her. He laid her out so that the ‘A’ was visible and placed the sharp point of the knife right at her heart.

            Daehyun kissed her on the lips once more and then sealed the box forever. He took the shovel and started to dig.

            Somewhere in the house, the music box was still spinning, spinning as it signaled the time for him to bury her away with the rest of his secrets. 

This is for daesperado

Oh yes, I didn't forget about your request girl. I just planned it to start off this edition with a bit of a bang.

I've had Greasy Dae, Angst Dae, and now Horror Dae start off each of my editions. I hope you guys enjoy.

Welcome back and here's to another long ride!

Out of curiosity, is there anyone here who's been with me from the beginning, like the very first edition or even the first oneshot? Comment and let me know