Greg woke up: he brushed his teeth, had a shower; and got dressed. This was his morning routine for preparing for work since he left school at sixteen. Now being 24 with no real goals or objectives for life he was beginning to become depressive about his future. The only positive aspect of his life was his pride and joy, Jenny, his girlfriend.

Jenny and Greg had been together for three years, two months, four weeks and six days. If he had it his way they would spend every passing second together. This morning was quite like every other morning with the added burden of having a hangover to cope with. It had been a typical night in the pub, Greg was his usual possessive self and Jenny had to put up with reassuring her other half for the majority of the night.

” This is why I don’t like going out with you!” Jenny wailed.

” What’s that suppose to mean!” Demanded Greg.

” You just end up ruining the night! I am yours; I’m not going to go off with anyone else! You’re just going to have to trust me!”

Greg knew she was right and knew he had to control his jealousy. This had been an increasing problem over the years and Jenny was nearly at breaking point. If the logistics of the relationship were not put into proper perspective soon Greg knew he would lose Jenny for good.

” Love you!” Greg yelled to a half awake Jenny as he left the house.

A self-destructive pattern was beginning to emerge within Greg – this was lining himself up for a greater fall. With a history of manic depression he knew he had to sort his head out quickly before he did something he regretted. The trouble is when you get so deeply insecure you can’t tunnel your way out. To make things worse his crazy, even somewhat illogical thinking was undermining his rational thought, hence his unsociable behaviour. Jenny knew Greg was heading for another one of his undeniable episodes when there surprise meal that Greg had been preparing for Jenny had been interrupted several times by one of Jenny’s friend from work, Jessica. The calm before the torrential storm was now upon her, she wished the cycle would end, but it was like clockwork, with nothing she could do.

Now the question was whether to leave Greg immediately before she got hurt, or risk endangering herself in hope Greg would get better. She thought to herself were her motives for her leaving greater than her staying? On one hand she had extremely strong feelings for Greg and loved him dearly, on the other hand his obsessive, unrealistic behaviour was really starting to wear her out and create feuds between the two.

” I have got to go and see Jess” Jenny said with pleading eyes.

“Oh yeah! That’s right, abandon me after I have put all this effort in!” A disgruntled Greg said.

“She really needs me?”

“Yeah I need you! Why does she have to see you now! It’s Friday night! You just want to go out drinking with her and get with another guy don’t you?”

“No!” Shouted Jenny.

The tell tail signs were here again, but this time Jenny wasn’t going to be walked all over again.

“If you want this relationship to work you will just have to trust me! I love you but Jess needs me, see you later!” An exasperated Jenny left the house.

At first Greg just sat there with his head in his hands. He considered following her, but what would be the point, he knew in his mind she was lying. There was nothing wrong with Jessica, why did Jenny not want him; he loved her so deeply he would never do anything to risk losing her. A few hours passed and Greg was becoming more agitated, in a violent rage he smashed up the bedroom, and lay there crying. Jenny walked in at this point.

“What have you done?” Jenny stared angrily at his quaking body on the floor.

“Me! What have I done! This is all your fault!” Raged Greg.

His crying helpless position now a thing of the past as he towered above her, a mad stare in his eyes. He backed away retreating to the bed where he clutched a piece of paper.

“What’s that?” Sobbed Jenny.

Greg did not speak, just threw the paper on the floor. Jenny picked it up and was shocked to find a list of reasons why Jessica was upset and why they would not be true.

“Which reason were you going to use?” Greg said sarcastically.

“The true one!”

Jenny noticed Greg was bleeding and a knife stained with fresh blood lay on the bed beside him.

“You have been cutting yourself! You have not done that for years!” Jenny cried.

“It’s the only way I can feel real, the pain reminds me that I am alive and

in this world. Without you I can’t feel alive!”

Jenny could only cry at this point.

“Do you love me?” Questioned Greg.

“Yes” whispered Jenny.

“Well there is only one thing that I can do, I can’t risk losing your love.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards him.

“Why are you still holding that knife?” A scared Jenny croaked.

Spinning her around, he held the knife to her throat. Jenny could not stop shaking she knew had to do some quick thinking, but she was so petrified she could not find her voice.

Greg continued…

“At this moment you love me and because of this I need to keep your love right here right now. I will never risk you falling out of love with me because you won’t have a chance to love again. I want to remember this moment of pure love forever.”

With that he slit her throat. Hours must have passed with Greg holding the lifeless Jenny in his arms. Both drenched in blood and rocking backwards and forwards. Greg was somewhat happy despite his crying.

“We will be in love forever now, see, I told you it would work!”

Greg did not hear the sirens; he did not see the police even when arresting him. All senses were gone. Now sitting in a mental health cell he repeatedly talks about his and Jenny’s love, and how it will always be there and can never be taken away!