No HarmA Story by Noëlle McHenry When love for someone out of your reach turns into an obsession, how far will you go to keep them in your sight? This was at least the eighth time that Darren found himself prowling the profile of his classmate, Allison, on Facebook. He’d never had a reason to scroll down very far, as he usually stopped to browse through the plentiful pictures of his happy, outgoing blond beauty. However, while skimming the profile of an estranged relative, he learned that scrolling down leads to the personal information panel, which will reveal address and phone number if specified by the creator of the profile. After learning this, Darren scrolled down on Allison’s page out of sheer curiosity. In the personal information panel was not only her cellphone number and her home phone number, but her address as well. “Bingo.”
Allison wandered home around seven at night, when the sun began to set, allowing herself to dawdle. Walking home from work, the pretty young girl had no idea that she was being followed, and even if she did, she would have thought nothing of it. Darren trailed behind her on the opposite side of the street. Hidden in the shadow of night behind trees, he sneakily used his parents’ camera to snap photos of the ever-stunning Allison. He meant no harm by this action. It was just that he had seen so many pictures of her that he knew others had also seen. He wanted pictures of his love that no one but him could ever see. He had intended to never follow her again, since he didn’t want to become one of those crazy stalkers he always heard about in stories online, but soon enough he lost interest in the poor quality of the photos he’d taken. Therefore, a few days later, Darren resumed following Allison home. He was vaguely surprised to find that she wasn’t walking alone this time. The realization elicited a deep, quiet sigh from him. Time to Photoshop out her friend… Still, he reasoned this: pictures with her in them were better than no pictures at all. “So, Allison,” Her female friend began in a smug way, “Who do you like? Any crushes?” These words made Darren glance up past the brim of the baseball cap he wore. Already, he began to feel jealousy flare up within his very soul. With a giggle and a shrug of her petite shoulders, Allison hesitantly replied. “Oh, I don’t know…” “C’mon, there’s got to be someone. What about Jeff?” “Ugh, God, no.” “Tim, then?” “Gross!” “Well, how about Marc? I mean, he’s charming, he’s witty, he’s handsome… and you two spend a shitload of time together.” Allison began walking slower, as if embarrassed. “… I… Well… I mean…” “Oh My God, Allison! Got you! I knew you had a crush on him, and don’t try to tell me you don’t, girl! I’ve seen the way you two look at each other, y’know?” Darren had a bit of trouble telling in the dark of early nighttime, but it kind of looked as though Allison’s face had flushed. “Sasha, you can’t tell anyone about this, alright? Especially not him!” “Don’t be nervous, Allie. I guarantee you that he likes you back. If he doesn’t, he’s a goddamned fool.” “Are you being sarcastic?” “Not at all~.” The two girls burst into laughter. Darren, on the other hand, had a harsh, solemn scowl plastered onto his face.
It was the following night that Darren marched himself down the sidewalks, covered in late autumn leaves, all the way to Allison’s house. He allowed himself a long moment to simply stare at it. None of the lights inside were on, nor were they in any of the other houses on the block. Mustering up some courage, Darren quietly made his way to Allison’s backyard, stepping cautiously onto the patio. The door here was one of those sliding glass panels that Darren recognized as a sign that this neighborhood was considered rather safe. Curiously, Darren tried to open the door. To his surprise, it slid open. Holding onto his camera, Darren cautiously looked around, and then he disappeared into the house.
On the morning news the next day was the story’s conclusion. Darren now sits in a prison cell. He had never meant any harm. He just wanted to teach Allison a lesson. Allison’s parents and friends were devastated. They couldn’t understand why anyone would ever want to hurt their beloved daughter; Darren said he couldn’t either, but there he was, charged with the murder of poor Allison. “I never meant to hurt her, I swear… But she screamed, and I didn’t know what else to do! The knife slipped!” © 2016 Noëlle McHenry |
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Noëlle McHenryCanadaAboutI like to write stories and make up characters. I also draw and occasionally do voice acting. I've been writing as a hobby since I was a little squirt, and began my first original story when I was eig.. more..Writing
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