Hazel Eyes

Hazel Eyes

by Lithopedion

James sat on the edge of his bed, staring down at the small, felt case sitting in the palm of his hand, with his unusually piercing hazel eyes. It felt heavy, very heavy. He wondered how he would go through with this. He was scared, but elated too. He flipped the case open. Inside sat the amethyst ring. I love you, Evelyn was engraved inside the band of the ring. It was perfect, he thought. He'd found the amethyst in the rough when he was about ten years old. It was the only thing he'd ever found that was worth keeping. That and you, Evelyn, he thought, smiling. When he'd asked Evelyn what her favorite gemstone was and she had said amethyst, he'd been thrilled. It was like fate, like God was giving him the go ahead to ask for her hand. Three more weeks. He'd checked with his roommates who'd assured him they'd be out of the house the night that he'd ask her to come over and watch movies. She'd open the door to find a trail of rose petals up to the bedroom, where he'd sing her a song he'd written for her (he'd learned how to play the guitar for just this reason!), and then he'd take out the ring, and propose to her.
"Aww, how sweet," Mark had said, in an overly sugary voice.
"And then," said Robert, his other roommate, who'd been grabbing a beer from the fridge, "You're gonna get it on all night long!" wherein he'd began singing the Lionel Ritchie song of the same name. James laughed, thinking about it. God, they were funny.
The phone rang, startling him. He snapped the ring case shut, and put it back in the dresser drawer, then snatched up the phone.
"Hello?" he said.
"Hi James," the voice on the other end said.
"Hey Evelyn, what's up?" he said, his heart pounding just hearing her voice.
"Well... we need to talk," Evelyn replied, rather hesitantly. James' stomach sank hearing those words. That was never good.
"Uhoh," he said in a cheery voice, belying his nervousness, "this doesn't sound good. What's up?"
"I... I think we should stop seeing each other." James went numb. This couldn't be happening.
"You think... why?" James croaked, tears forming at the edges of his eyes.
"I just think we need some space."
"Don't give me a bullshit answer like that, Evelyn," James snapped, his pleasant mannerisms disappearing altogether,
"Why? What did I do wrong?"
"You didn't do anything wrong... it's just that"
"Then why are you breaking up with me, if I didn't do anything wrong?"
"James, I've met someone else," Evelyn said, as she began crying.
"What? Who?" James said angrily.
"His name is Craig," Evelyn sniffled. Suddenly it hit James. Craig was one of Evelyn's coworkers. He'd been in James' apartment, he'd eaten food that James had prepared. He'd been over just last week, laughing and talking with James, all the while stabbing him in the back. That twofaced prick! Evelyn had been there too, he realized. Laughing and talking right along with them.
"Have you two slept together?" he said, his voice cracking.
"No," Evelyn replied. But she'd paused too long before answering. They'd slept together. James couldn't hold back the tears any longer, and began sobbing.
"Don't fucking lie to me!" he screamed, "How long has this been going on?! How long have you two been fucking behind my back?!" Evelyn broke down sobbing.
"Four months," she cried, "We're moving in together... we're going to be going to the same college."
"College?" James said, "why didn't you say you were going to college?"
"I'm sorry James," she said, "but we're leaving in three weeks." Oh God, James thought, Oh God, Oh God, Oh God... His head was pounding. He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe. All he could do was cry.
"Goodbye, James," Evelyn said.
"Fuck off," James sobbed, and hung up the phone.
Fifteen minutes later James walked into the living room. The guys, who were sitting around playing video games, and knocking back a few beers, looked up at him, and went quiet. "Oh shit," Robert said, "what happened?" James sat down on the couch, and put his head in his hands, then looked up at them, with his piercing hazel eyes.
"The proposal's off," he said, "It's over." He told them what had happened.
"Jesus," Mark said. Robert looked at him. "I'm gonna call that cunt up, and chew her sorry ass out," he said.
"You have my blessing," James replied.
The phone rang, and Evelyn picked it up.
"Bitch," the voice on the other end said. Evelyn paused in shock.
"Robert?" she said.
"Yeah. What's wrong with your sorry ass? James been dating you for three years, and you don't even respect him enough to break up with him in person?"
"No, I didn't," she said, "because I knew he'd overreact, and that's just what he did."
"Overreact? The hell he did!" Robert yelled.
"Yes, he did," Evelyn snapped, "He has to accept the fact that relationships end... it's part of life. I didn't think he was so serious about the relationship. I still don't understand why he's as upset as he is."
"Woman!" Robert screamed, "he was going to propose to you!" Evelyn stopped, shocked.
"He was?"
"Yeah, he showed me the ring and everything!" He was going to propose to you the day your ass is leaving for college with your 'platonic' friend,'" Robert snapped.
"Stop it," Evelyn said, as she began crying again, "Don't you think I feel bad about this as it is?"
"Well I hope so," Robert said, "because you deserve it." The line went dead.



Three years later

Evelyn rolled over and turned off her alarm clock and sat up. Next to her, Craig groaned. "Do you have to go to class today?" He mumbled groggily, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her back into bed. She giggled as he kissed the nape of her neck.
"You know I have to," she said, turning to give him a quick kiss on the lips, "and you have to get ready for work."
"I know," Craig said, "I'm trying to put it off for as long as I can,"
"Well, I'll be back by four... we'll go out to celebrate, and then..." she paused, "we'll have all night long."
"Don't tease me!" Craig sighed, "This day's gonna be soooo long,"
"That's the point," Evelyn said, "it's gonna be an anniversary you'll never forget." A brief thought of James, his hazel eyes staring mournfully at her, flickered across her mind, but she quickly pushed it out.
Craig grinned. "I can't wait."
Evelyn watched Craig drive off. She laughed to herself. She wasn't going to work. She was going to stay home, and get things ready. She imagined the look on Craig's face when he walked in the door and saw candlelight coming from the bedroom, where she would be wearing her new thong, and nothing else.
She walked back into the kitchen, and as she did, something caught her eye. On the kitchen counter, next to the sink, was a vase filled with a dozen roses. But they were all wilted. How sweet, she thought, Craig must have gotten them last night. She must not have noticed them during breakfast. She had been a little preoccupied. It was no surprise they had wilted though. No one would ever accuse that man of having a green thumb. Well, time to start getting things ready, she thought.

Craig opened the door, and closed it behind him. The faint glow of candlelight emanated from the bedroom.
"What do we have here?" he said, in an exaggeratedly loud voice. He walked into the bedroom. There was Evelyn, wearing nothing but a thong.
"Oh my," he said, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
"Hop in fella," Evelyn said coyly.

Craig awoke. He could've sworn he felt something tap his shoulder. He noticed light coming from down the hall, probably in the kitchen. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed rose petals on the floor. He crawled out of bed. Sure enough, the rose petals made a trail into the kitchen. He followed the trail out to the kitchen.
"Hmm, what do you have planned now?" he said softly.

Evelyn woke up. It was still dark out, but the sun was getting ready to rise.
"Hi honey," Craig whispered.
"Oh, you couldn't sleep either?" she said.
"No," Craig whispered, "I've been too busy thinking about you."
Evelyn smiled. "That's sweet," she said.
"Turn on the lights," Craig murmured, "I have a surprise for you."
"A surprise, huh?" she said, "This sounds fun."
"Oh it will be," Craig said, laughing softly. Evelyn turned on the lamp, then rolled over to face Craig, and screamed.
"What's the matter?" James said, staring at her, with his piercing hazel eyes, "surprised to see me?"
"Oh my God, James!" Evelyn shrieked, "What are you doing?"
"I said I had a surprise," James said. He gestured towards a manilla envelope on the edge of the bed.
"James get out of my house"
"Shut the fuck up, bitch and look at my surprise!" James screamed, snapping out a knife, and brandishing it menacingly.
"Ook James," Evelyn stuttered. She opened the envelope with trembling hands. In it were several large glossy pictures. She flipped through them in shock. They were pictures of Craig. With another woman. The pictures went from the two of them kissing over a romantic lunch, and followed them back to a cheap hotel. The last picture was of a shirtless Craig, with the girl, also shirtless, clinging to him, as he closed the blinds.
"What the hell?" she said, "What is this?" James laughed.
"It hurts to be betrayed, doesn't it?" he said.
"This... this isn't any of your business, James," Evelyn said.
"Oh, but it is," James said, "I made it my business."
"James, I'm sorry I hurt you," Evelyn said, as tears formed in her eyes, "but you can't win me back. It's over between us."
"Don't flatter yourself," James snapped, "I'm not here to win you back."
"Then why are you here?" Evelyn said. James pointed to the bathroom, against the far wall. Evelyn stood, and walked over to the door, and slowly opened it. The door creaked as it opened on unoiled hinges. She thought sahe caught a flicker of movement from behind the shower curtain. She walked up to it and yanked it open.
"Oh my God!" she screamed, falling against the wall, her eyes wide with horror. There was Craig, and the girl in the pictures, both dead, lying in the bathtub, their throats savagely slashed. Evelyn stood, fighting back the urge to vomit. Then she launched herself at James.
"You bastard!" she cried, as she lunged at him. James artfully dodged out of the way. Evelyn felt pressure on the sides of her neck, and everything went black.
Evelyn groggily opened her eyes. She was in bed, in her pajamas. It had all been a dream. As she sat up the police officers surrounding her all snapped around and aimed their weapons at her.
"You're under arrest, ma'am," one of the officers said, snapping handcuffs on her, "Do you know why we're arresting you?"
"I didn't do it!" Evelyn screamed, "I didn't kill them!" As she was yanked to her feet, she looked down. Her pajamas and hands were soaked with blood. She looked up and saw a friend of hers, in the room with the officers.
"Why'd you do it?" she asked, looking shocked and a little disgusted.
"I didn't I swear!" Evelyn cried, "James did it! He stalked me, he killed them!"
"Ma'am," one of the officers said, "your prints are on the murder weapon, the blood is on your clothes, and on the photographs."
"No!" she screamed again, "it was James! James did it! Why won't you believe me?" Her friend looked at her, and the room went silent.
"Evelyn," she said, "James has been dead for almost three years."
"What?" Evelyn whispered in shock. One of the officers held up an evidence bag, with a newspaper article in it."
"We found it in the dumpster," he said, "Your prints are on it." The headline read: LOCAL MAN COMMITS SUICIDE, and featured a brief article on how the despondent James had driven his car off of a cliff, about three weeks after his girlfriend had left him for another man. "There were no other prints but yours and the two victims in the entire house," the officer said, "no other hairs, no other fluids, nothing."
As the police escorted her to the waiting squad car outside, a crowd of reporters surrounded them. Evelyn couldn't hear their questions, all the shouting, and the commotion. She was numb. Maybe they were right. A guilty conscience could do that to people. She'd killed them both, and then constructed an elaborate fantasy for herself, in which Craig still loved her, but James had been her guilty conscience, tormenting her. She'd killed them. She'd killed them. "Oh my God," she sobbed, "I killed them." The reporters went berserk upon hearing this, screaming questions at her, but she didn't notice. The officers put her in the squad car, and slammed the door. As the car began to drive slowly off, Evelyn looked out the window. It was then that she went truly insane. For a member of the crowd, behind all the reporters was smiling as he stared at her. Stared at her with piercing hazel eyes.

THE END


Alternate Ending

Charles, a reporter for the local paper, turned away from the melee of reporters in shock. He could have sworn that woman had looked right at him as the police car drove away. She looked as thought she had recognized him. How strange, he thought. He was starting to get a headache, probably from all the noise. He reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose, between his two hazel eyes, not knowing that he'd had a half-brother with the same eyes, one who'd been adopted at birth, one who had been in love with a girl who had broken his heart. Charles, the unknowing final gear in Evelyn's self-destruction, took a sip of water, and smiled. At least he was getting a good story.



Authors Note: Wanna know more about what happened? I have backstories written for each ending, detailing how it happened. One has a secret plot twist that isn't revealed in the story! If any interest is shown, I'll post 'em.