Prologue: The Beginning
Spencer must be going insane. Perhaps, his heart has been intoxicated. Or, maybe, he has gone mentally insane. Three kidnappers dressed in rags kidnapped him, forced him to marry a girl named Elena, and then let him go. They did not even tell him who she was! Nor did he see her face! All he has is a first name.
What is expected of him? Is he just to walk away? No. Spencer is no fool. It was by force, but he is interlocked in this marriage now, and he should at least try to figure out who she is.
With these thoughts, he paced in his bedroom until the sun went to bed.
“Spencer,” his mother said.
“Yes, mother,” said Spencer, frazzled.
“There is a letter here for you, my boy. It is from Elena Henry. You never told me you had a friend named Elena.”
Spencer hastily went down the steps. Perhaps some of his confusion could be cleared.
“Yeah, mom,” Spencer croaked out, “we’re just doing a project together. She must have mailed the research that she was talking about a couple of days ago. Here, I can take that.”
“Okay, honey. Here you go. Just remember, dinner is in an hour!”
Spencer gives his mother a small smile and shakily walks back to his room with his letter from Elena in his left hand. He quietly shuts his bedroom door and rips open the envelope.
How did Elena know his address? Is she okay? Is she hurt? Is she going to try and visit? Does she want to meet up somewhere? Is she in some sort of trouble? One after another, these questions fog his brain’s thoughts that something must be wrong.
He unfolds the paper and reads:
Dear Spencer,
I am terribly sorry for the events that occurred today. I had no idea who those kidnappers were or what their exact motive was. But, they have been studying us for a long time. Before they kidnapped you, they locked me in a room and I gazed through the crevices of the door to find information on the both of us. Again, I have no idea what their exact motive is, but I do know that they have been planning this event for some time. I actually found your address by looking through the door, hence how I was able to send this letter to you.
Yes, we are married. You had no control over it and I had no control over it. So, I have a proposition to make. How about we forget this matrimony ever occurred. You have your own life, and I have my own. You are probably quite young, right? You have so much more to live for. I am no one to destroy your life over. If we bury this day, perhaps we could heal and live our lives normally.
I am not a girl anyone liked associating themselves with and I am predicting that you will be the same. My parents died when I was at the age of seven. I have been living in foster care until I was eighteen, and now I am finally free to live the life that I have dreamed of. And, personally, a marriage is not where I wanted to begin.
So, please, try to look through my lense. This will not work. Maybe it might be in some sort of alternative universe, but not in this context. We are not meant to be, and we will never be compatible. I honestly think it is for the best. We can go and find ourselves now and live the lives that were meant for us.
There is no point in looking for me. I am not visible for the majority of the world. And, I plan to leave this area anyway. There is nothing here for me except for bad memories. Tonight is my flight. I am starting a new life for myself, and I suggest that you do the same. No one has to know of this arrangement. Years from now, we both could start our own lives with people we actually love.
I hope you do not take offense to this proposition, as I am only thinking about what is best for the both of us. There is no point in investing time and energy in a relationship that will end.
I want you to remain a memory and nothing more. I hope you understand where I am coming from. You should not hear from me ever again and I do not expect to hear from you. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.
Never yours,
Elena Henry
