Clara Andrews sat down in front of her old rusted typewriter just like she had done every morning for the past three years. She sipped her tea, light and sweet, from her favorite mug, and looked at the blank page in front of her. She tried to remember where she had left off the day before. As her fingers quickly began to move across her antique typewriter, James Shivley came to life before her eyes. She was no longer writing the story at her typewriter, but living it in her mind.
James Shivley was every woman’s fantasy. He was definitely Clara’s. He was tall and lean, with a tan, muscular build. But as strong as he was, James was the farthest thing from intimidating. He had arms that welcomed you and then held you tight, but at the same time made you feel free. His hair was a side-swept, dark brown shag that fell right above his eyes. And, oh, those eyes. Clara had dreamt up those eyes in the most perfect dream of her life. They were a very light blue at first glance, but up close, you could see that his eyes were not only light blue, but there were tiny flecks of green throughout. He had long eyelashes that perfectly accented his eyes, but without making him appear feminine. Everything about his appearance was perfect.
His personality was quite stunning as well. He was a doctor. Clara had always dreamed of marrying an M.D., but since she was not particularly attractive, intelligent, or young, she accepted the reality that she would never make this dream come true. Instead, she created one for herself. He was also incredibly romantic, and certainly had the means to carry out all of his extravagant displays of affection. In the past, Clara had written of horseback riding on the beach, fireworks on a rooftop, dinner by candle light on a private yacht, and many other splendid dates. The next one would have to be even better. They would have to out-romance all the rest. For this would be the last date James Shivley would be taking her on.
Clara had originally thought of Shivley one night three years ago after one particularly unsuccessful date. She began daydreaming about what it would be like to be with her ideal man, and before she knew it she had bought an old typewriter and had begun bringing him to life. Now that she had Shivley in her mind and flowing from her fingertips, she no longer needed to face the stress of dating or the risk of rejection. She had created her perfect man, whom she could control at all times and would never hurt her or do anything else without her consent. No other man could ever compare to her precious James Shively.
So for the past three years, Clara had done nothing. She had not gone out with her friends. She had not dated. There was no need. The only one she needed was Shivley. He had become her life, and she loved him more than she should have. But Clara knew that now was the time to let him go. She had loved him for three years of her life, but now she was forty-five, and she knew she had to embrace reality. She could not keep fooling herself, and she blamed Shivley for distracting her from life, for trapping her with his charm and stealing three years of her life. She had started to hate him. Clara had begun to fall out of love with Shivley, and the story was growing dull. She knew it was time to end it.
Her fingers continued to flutter over the keys and she imagined every word she typed. Shivley pulled up in his expensive car and flashed his bright, welcoming smile. All Clara could imagine was how he wouldn’t smile when she ended all of this. As she approached his car, Shivley opened Clara’s door for her and closed it once she was seated. He strolled around the front of the car and fluidly slid into the driver seat. After flashing her a quick smirk, Shivley focused his attention on the car, and pulled out into the street. Clara sat contemplating how to do what she needed to do. Should she wait for the date to end? Do it in the middle of the fun? There was no true easy way out. But even if there was, Shivley was worth ending it the right way. He had been there for her for three years, and she owed him a proper goodbye. As she wondered how to handle her situation, Clara glanced at her lover. She found him gazing back at her with that warm look that had always made her heart melt. She stared into his perfect eyes and realized that she did not want this to end after all. How could she have ever considered killing Shivley off? It had been so long, that Clara realized she didn’t even know how to live without him.
It was at this moment of realization that Clara became aware that the car was still moving, but there was nobody watching the road. She had been gazing at Shivley, while he had been looking back at her lovingly. Clara frantically grabbed the wheel and turned her head just in time to be blinded the headlights of an oncoming 4×4. She closed her eyes and turned the wheel as quickly as she could, to save the life of her one true love, until she suddenly felt herself shudder.
Clara gasped, and her fingers stopped and rested on the keys. It was done. Just as she had started to fall for him all over again, Shivley was taken from her. Killed by the same person who had given him life in the first place. His dear Clara.
