One Last Dance

        Soft music flows up and down the halls, drawing my attention. It's midnight and the school is closed, so I already know there shouldn't be anyone here besides me and the other janitor right now. I consider using my walk talky to call for security, but decide against it. I'm a twenty-year-old man. I should have the courage by now to investigate my own concerns instead of bothering somebody else. At the very least, I should find out if there's trouble first. I lean my broom up against the wall and start my walk towards the sound.

        As I get closer to the room the music is coming from, I start see light dancing along the walls. I peak in one of the windows to the room to see that the light is from a candle, not an uncontrolled fire. That knowledge makes me sigh, relieved. If this place burns to a crisp, my job would become non-existent. I can't lose a job this good, not with all the benefits.

        My attention moves from the candle to the person who I assume lit it. She doesn't notice me, but I certainly notice her. I watch as she dances around the room gracefully, looking perfect. All of her twirls, spins, and leaps have me in a state near hypnosis. I can't take my eyes off of her or her perfect form. Since I work the night shift, I never get to see the dancers. The school closes at seven, leaving me and the other janitor alone. Whoever this woman is, she doesn't belong here at this time. But I fear telling her to leave will break my own heart. I want to keep watching.

        I decide to move into the room. I walk in slowly and carefully, as to avoid catching her attention. I sit down at the piano, never taking my eyes off her. The more I look at her, the more entranced I get. Her figure is that of a model's; everything is so ideally shaped. Her clothes mold to her body as though they were part of her. Her hair, though pulled up in a ponytail, has loose strands that frame her face in the cutest way possible. I want to say something to her, but I worry her concentration will be too broken for her to start dancing again. I keep myself as quiet and as frozen as I can, hoping to keep myself forever hidden from her sight.

        The song finally comes to a soft end. The picturesque wonder stops for a break as the next song starts to play. I can't stop myself from clapping gently for her.  Startled, she jumps into the air. I want to laugh, but I hold it down. I scared her - a jump or flinch is normal. If anything, I should feel bad. She looks at me, fear behind her eyes, and backs away from me quickly. I hold myself still while putting my hands down in the hopes of making her feel more comfortable.

        "Who are you?" She asks nervously.

        "I'm Robert. I'm a night janitor here. Who are you?"

        "Oh, my mom has told me about you," She says, her posture relaxing. "I'm Lisette, Annie's daughter."

        "It's nice to meet you, Lisette. What are you doing here?"

        She walks over to her water bottle and picks it up. "Oh, sometimes she brings me to work with her so I can practice my moves. I'm going to be doing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland soon and she thought that the extra time would benefit me." She drops the bottle into a small bag on the piano and throws the bag over her shoulder. "I'm sorry, though. I can go."

        "Oh, no, that's okay. As long as you aren't trespassing, you can stay. Our boss is pretty relaxed about visitors as long as we don't bring too many and check them all in."

        "Are you sure? I don't live too far from here, so I can just walk home." She explains.

        I shake my head. "Really, it's fine. Don't even worry about it."

        She smiles at me and puts her bag back down. "Thank you," She says sincerely.

        I start to leave, but a feeling rises inside of me telling me that I should stay. I start to frantically search my brain for an excuse, any excuse, to not go. I can't just say I'd like to watch her at the risk of sounding creepy. But the idea of missing out on seeing more makes me feel sad. A sense of desperation starts to overcome me. Idea after idea, lie after lie, start to drown my mind. By the time I make it to the door, it feels as though I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Deciding it'd be weird if I stopped here with no reason, I stay dedicated to leaving. The panic only worsens once I cross the threshold. It makes the hallway feel suffocating and unbearable.

        Suddenly, the perfect excuse hits me. I spin around and reenter the room as calmly as I can. I catch Lisette's attention and she stops practicing her steps. Anxiety hits me then, alongside the fear that she might turn me away. I take in a deep breath for confidence before asking, "Do you need someone to practice with?" A confused look takes over her face, leading me to keep speaking before she asks me to explain. "I've been taking classes since I was a child and one of the schools I worked with had us perform Alice in Wonderful. I still remember most of the routines. I could give you some pointers or just help you out somehow if you'd like."

        She considers this, then smiles. "That would make it a little easier for me. There are moments when I'm not quite sure if I'm placing my feet in the right positions, so if you don't mind, that'd be fine with me," She answers gratefully.

        "Cool," I say in as much of a nonchalant tone as I can pull off; despite the excitement boiling over inside me. "I'll make up the work I miss later, no problem. What song are we on?"

        "I was about to start working on the Mad Hatter's tea party scene. Do you know that one?"

        I nod. "I do. I was actually the understudy for the boy who got picked for the role."

        "Fantastic," She says with a bright smile. "Shall we begin?"

        "We shall." I walk over to her. "Where will be the stage?"

        Lisette points to the floor where the shape of a square is outlined in yarn. She explains that will be the Mad Hatter's table and we will work with the rest of the room as needed. She walks me through a quick explanation of what I'm supposed to do, then we practice a few steps that I can't fully remember. When we're ready, I move over to the 'table' and take my place. When the music begins to play, I start the scene. She does wonderfully during our mock performance. She doesn't miss a single step or beat, nor does she hesitate at any spots. It makes me feel a little out of place, as I know I'm not near as fluid as she is, but I do the best I can. We go through the scene without a hitch. When it's over, I compliment her abilities, to which she responds that it was still a little rough. She has us practice the routine a couple more times, then she suggests a water break. I leave the room to grab a water bottle from the vending machine just outside, then swiftly return. She's taken a seat at the piano, leading me to decide it'd be best if I sit on the floor near her. We drink our waters quietly.

        After some minutes of silence, she clears her throat. "I'm sorry for running us through that so many times. I'm trying to memorise everything so I don't have to think so much when I'm on the actual stage. The concentration makes my face look weird, which isn't something I want."

        "Oh, I understand. It's all good," I assure her. "I don't mind."

        She smiles at me. "Okay, great. I wouldn't want to wear you out or anything. I know you still have to work after this."

        "Don't worry about it," I say with a shrug. "The school is closed tomorrow anyway because of the holiday show coming up. If I have to, I'll finish my cleaning then."

        "Holiday show?" She asks confused. "What holiday show?"

        "Every year, the school does a holiday show. Last year, it was The Nutcracker. This year, they're recreating Frosty The Snowman."

        "Oh, that sounds cute. When is it?"

        "Christmas Eve," I answer. "Unfortunately, all of the tickets sold out, so there won't be a way for you to come."

        "Well, that sucks." She says with a frown. "That's okay, though. I probably wouldn't be able to make it anyway."

        Unsure of what to say, I decide to ignore her last statement and move on. "I surprised you didn't know about the show. I figured all of the students here did."

        "Oh, I'm not a student here. I go to the theatre school in the city."

        I nod in understand. "Oh, okay. I'm sorry, I just assumed that you went here for some reason."

        "It's all good. I'd assume that too," She says back with a laugh.

        I smile at her. "Do you just do ballet?"

        "I take voice-acting classes to break my schedule up, but ballet is my main interest. I have hopes of becoming a professional dancer some day."

        "Oh, that's cool. Why voice-acting though?"

        "I have a friend who animates cartoons and uploads them online. He lets me do some of the voices for them. I figured that taking a class on it would help me get some range, so I can do a variety of character types." She explains. "What about you? Are you in any schools?"

        "No, not yet. I do plan on going to a business school at some point, though. I have a business plan that I think could be successful as long as I have the knowledge necessary."

        "What's the plan?"

        "Why? Do you want to steal it?" I ask with a playful smirk.

        "Perhaps," She jokes back.

        We talk a little bit more, then get back to practicing. Lisette decides that we can move on from the Mad Hatter scene, working on some of the others. I know I don't move as gracefully as she does, but she really doesn't seem to mind it. I know I don't mind that she carries. Overall, I would say we do pretty good.

        We chat a lot while we practice. I find out more about her schedule, her home life, her hopes, her dreams. She tells me basically everything about herself. She even gives me her address and number so we can hang out sometime. She allows me to take a small break to save it into my phone, then we get right back to practicing. I tell her things about my life and my past; like how I stopped dancing because I couldn't afford the classes anymore. Before we know it, a few hours have passed and it's almost two in the morning. We say our goodbyes while she gathers her stuff up to leave. I make a promise to come visit her later, to which she responds with a playful "you better". I watch her walk away to her mother's side of the building, then I get back to work.

        I'm not surprised that she's leaving now. Annie always finishes up before me. It doesn't matter if I get here early or if I try to work faster, she always manages to get all of her work done quickly. It never bothers me, though. I like having the whole building to myself and I never have to re-clean her station. She works fast, but she does a thorough job. That makes me happy.

        I finish cleaning up my side of the building in silence, not bothering to rush myself. There's not a lot left for me to do, just a couple of rooms. I was thankfully able to get most of the job done before I got distracted by Lisette. It shouldn't take me longer than forty minutes to get out of here. Then I can do whatever I want; like go hunting. It's been over a week since the last time I went hunting. I can feel myself getting tense and more easily distracted because of it.

        My mind wanders away to memories of Lisette. I feel like if a thousand people were asked to describe the perfect woman, they would describe her exactly. Everything about her is so well-put-together and in the right place. She looks so elegant and sensual, so sturdy and breakable, all at the same time. And to top it all off, she's a trusting, kind-hearted person. You don't meet a lot of people like that anymore. I can't wait to see her again. I know that it will be the greatest moment of my life. The only thing that will be greater than seeing her again will be being able to touch her again. Not in the same way that I did tonight, while we were dancing, but in a more passionate and hungry way. There are so many things I would love to do to her, and the knowledge that I'll get that chance fills me with greater excitement than I thought possible. I'd be willing to bet that she's a screamer too. That would be delightful. It would make her even more perfect.

        By the time I come out of my thoughts, my work is finished. I put all of my supplies away in the storage closet in the back of the building. It's a bit of walk, but it doesn't usually bother me. It does tonight, but that's only because I'm suddenly feeling restless. Thinking of Lisette and her beauty made me feel anxious to get out of here as quickly as possible. I waste no time locking the doors once I have everything put away. I take off speeding the moment I'm inside my car, allowing myself to drift away back into my thoughts.

        I notice myself taking a detour when I get to the road I'm supposed to take home. I consider re-changing my plans to the original, but the idea of following through with the new one gives me a sense of exhilaration that I've been missing as of late. I follow the new road carefully, reading any street signs that I come across. Missing a turn wouldn't benefit me at all, just frustrate me. If I'm frustrated, I can't concentrate. And that's when things get messy. It works out though. I keep my focus and take the turn I'm supposed to. Within a matter of minutes, the road turns to dirt and rocks. A burning desire rests into my chest as I follow the path. Soon enough, the cabin appears.

        It's simple, I admit. It's not the kind of place that you'd choose to live in forever, not unless you're interested in something like that, but it's pretty good for a get-away spot. Structurally sound, spacious, nice to look at, private. All in all, it's a pretty good place. If I didn't like the city so much, I'd probably move into a home like this permanently. It has it's perks, as all cabins do.

        After I park my car, I get into the trunk. I pull out my bag of hunting gear and throw it over my shoulder. Not wanting to be outside much longer, I approach the house swiftly. I go up to the back door, a preference of mine when it comes to houses. It doesn't take me long to get the door unlocked and opened, landing me inside the kitchen.

        There aren't any lights on in here, but there is one on in the living room. I place my bag in a dark corner of the room and remove my favourite knife from it. I could have done this at the school, when we were alone and she was relaxed, but I couldn't do it there. It wouldn't be right. After all, the school is a place of dance, not one of murder.

        People looked for her for about a year before they gave up. The only ones still searching for her now are her parents. They've convinced themselves that she might still be alive somewhere. They really are the only ones, though. Everyone else has accepted the gruesome reality that she's most likely dead, if not being sold to and from rich people. While I'm still worried about being caught, the stress has lessened enough that I can start hunting again. That thrills me. However, no one I've murdered since her has excited or touched me the same way that she did.

        Like all my victims, when Lisette noticed me inside her home ready to steal her life away from her, she begged me to spare her. I'll admit that I thought about it. I played with the idea of letting her run, giving her a chance to escape or fight. I considered sparing her life and convincing her to not tell on me by giving her whatever she wanted. I even thought of letting her live on for however long she liked. The thought of taking everything away from her pained me enough that I considered all of this and more.

        It didn't pain me enough, though, as I still killed her.

        Even while I was stabbing her, I was thinking about how lovely she was. I think that proves that even frightened screams can sound beautiful. She was terrified out of her mind. She screamed as loud and as much as she could have in an attempt to get attention or maybe wear me down. Those screams sent sparks of life through my soul, as did her blood. It was so warm and alluring. I felt like I was living in a dream. Maybe not everybody's dream, but I would definitely say my own.

        Still, the pain that she was clearly going through struck a depressing chord in me. Out of respect, I made sure that she didn't suffer long. I tried to make her passing as quick as possible, then I did everything I could to clean up. Normally, I just grab my bag and take off, but I decided to do things different with her. I cleaned up all of the blood, broken glass, and knocked over furniture. I made sure that everything looked the way it did before I entered her world. Then, I very carefully put her inside of a bag for transportation and escorted her out to my car. From there, I stored her inside of my walk-in freezer. She's still there now; waiting for me.

        All of the effort just felt necessary; like something I would regret if I didn't take care of the scene and keep her in my home. Something about the whole thing was calling to me. It's not something I've ever done before, nor is it something I've done since. She's special. I think that I became infatuated with her in those few hours that we spoke. I couldn't go long then without thinking of her; just as I can't go longer than a few minutes without thinking of her now. However, thankfully for me, that isn't something that haunts my brain. I get to see, talk, and touch her whenever I feel like it. That's better than just missing her. I would even say that the infatuation only grew with our last meeting. I would even say that I love her. And because of that, I now dabble in the dark love that is necrophilia. But only with her; my darling Lisette.