Meant To Be

Written on October 14th, 2014 (12:45 a.m. MT)

      For a brief amount of time she thought she was invincible, unable to get hurt, unable to feel fear, and most of all, able to let go of any emotion all together. She drank the "potion" two hours prior to feeling this way.

      Lacey entered the room to see her best friend Jeanne and her husband Greg sitting in pretzel position on the living room floor. They both stared at the bottle of glowing green drink that was being carried by the fairly short woman, with bleach blonde hair and sky blue eyes to die for. Three glasses with strainers and sugar cubes on top waited to be illuminated with this illustrious liquid that looked almost toxic. Lacey made eye contact with her husband who looked eager and grinned with his brown eyes that matched his dirty blonde hair. The anticipation in the air was like a ghost lurking from corner to corner peering in on the threesome.

"Call me crazy, but right now I'm wetter than a popsicle on a hot summer day," said Jeanne nearly whispering through her teeth. "I don't know if it's the elephant in the room or the aroma of fear I smell on the two of you, but loosen up guys."

"Shut up Jeanne you know we are just as ready as you are!" Lacey replied in a playful tone.

"I know your both sweet and all, but let's get on with it ladies the tension is killing me," said Greg over both of their laughing.

      Lacey looked back and forth at the two most important people in her life. She thought to herself how much she loved them as she began pouring the Absinthe into the first glass. Her eyes locked onto the hazel eyes of Jeanne. With the glass halfway full Lacey turned to her husband and looked deeply into his eyes as she poured the same amount in his glass. The last one on the table was empty.

"You know I love you both, and whatever happens tonight we are in this together," Lacey said quietly as she filled her own glass with the same amount as the other two.

      A couple hours had passed after all three had lit their sugar cubes on fire, stirred their drinks until dissolving, and drank them to the very last drop. For a brief amount of time Lacey thought she was invincible, unable to get hurt, unable to feel fear, and most of all, able to let go of any emotion all together. Her companions sat in the same flawless daze that seemed to weigh down on all of their shoulders. Suddenly the expression of anger fell over Lacey's high-cheeked, symmetrical, rosy red face.

"You both thought this was all fun and games?" Lacey asked as the feeling in the room went from relaxed to awkward in a single heartbeat.

"What are you talking about Lacey? I think your just tripping," chuckled Greg.

      Jeanne's expression turned from clueless and spaced out, to a form of alertness that only Lacey had seen her make in serious situations.

"We have all known each other for the last fifteen years, right?" They both nodded at Lacey. "I love you both so much...but what you love, you must set free." Lacey swallowed hard as a tear dropped down her rosy cheek.

      All three had the look of fear on their faces as they all began to slowly turn pale and swallow-hard. It was too late for sorries, and too late for goodbye's. Jeanne's head fell forward and slammed on the table knocking the glasses over. He looked into his wife's eyes for the last time and tried to speak but the cyanide had cut off his throat suffocating any last breath. Greg and Lacey's heads weighed like magnets attracting and collided as they both stopped breathing, falling to the floor. With no pulse and no life left in the room, that same tension from before had faded. The threesome was dead.

      The night before Lacey had found a letter in Greg's sock drawer.

      The letter read:

    Dear Greg,
I have had a wonderful time being with you. Since the first day we met I knew we were meant to be together and until recently I thought it was just another crazy fantasy of mine. The other night was so explosive and I felt like our connection was an unstoppable force. I love you Greg but the reason I'm writing you this letter is because we have got to stop this. Lacey is my best friend and if she found out about us, she would be devastated. You know it, and I know it. So like a band-aid being ripped right off, I'm just going to have to end it. I love you, and I will always love you. I will forever cherish what we had,
Love Jeanne

© 2014 Justin Cassin (Albuquerque,NM)