"Remember when you first saw her, Danny?" the voice asked, as icy as the meat in the fridge. "She was sitting at your favorite booth, poring over her textbooks..."

The girl who served their overpriced greasy dinner. Danny read her name tag. His eyes lingered on her chest, then slid down until they were devouring her ass, before finally moving up to her face. He inhaled sharply, feeling his pants get tighter. "Fucking hell, she's smokin'," he whispered to himself.

The voice snickered in Danny's head, "Nah, she's probably out of your league, Danny boy." It mocked him, but he smiled in response. "Still, she's a sight for sore eyes." he muttered, unconsciously rubbing his crotch. Closer to her, to touch her, to have her. His eyes followed the waitress back to the kitchen, watching her disappear behind the swinging doors. Calm the fuck down. He didn't need to be getting hard in a fuckin' diner.

Every day, he'd order the same shitty burger with extra grease, just to have an excuse to sit there, to have her come over, to smell her perfume or whatever it was that made her smell so damn good. He'd practice what he'd say to her, but every time she'd approach, his mind would go blank. He'd have to hold back the urge to just grab her, pull her onto his lap and never let her go. But he didn't.

The Bully laughed, "You're pathetic, Dan. You couldn't get a girl like that even if you were the last man on Earth."

Another voice, louder and more insistent, hissed, "She's too good for you. She shouldn't even be allowed to breathe the same air as you. You should punish her for her insolence. Make her pay for not wanting you."

Danny gripped the edge of the table. His eyes flicked back to the waitress when she emerged from the kitchen, chatting and laughing with a customer. Hell, no. A burst of hot jealousy surged through him, feeding the hatred Monster planted in his mind.

He'd seen her walking home one night. The rain was pounding down, her clothes clinging to her, revealing everything he wanted to possess. He couldn't help himself. He'd pulled up to the curb, rolled down his window, and called out to her. "Need a ride?"

The Monster cackled, "That's it, Danny. Show her what happens when she rejects you. Make her suffer. Make her scream. Hurt her."

Hurt her.

*Hurt her.

He'd brought her back to his pad, and he'd done things to her that no one should ever have to endure. The Bully laughed, "You're pathetic, boy. She left you, didn't she? She saw what a loser you are."

Danny was focused on the task. He'd carved her up, piece by piece, until there was nothing left but a pile of meat and bone. Bloody, mangled corpse at his feet. He felt a moment of regret. But it was quickly overtaken by the voices, cheering for him. "Feels good, doesn't it? A job well done," the Monster purred.

Danny sat on his creaky bed with his eyes glued to the fridge across the room. He knew what was in there — her severed head, staring back at him.

He glanced at the empty prescription bottle on his nightstand. Would the pills help? But then he remembered how they made him feel — like a fucking zombie. Like he wasn't even *real. He couldn't go back to that.

When he glanced back, she was standing there, in his room, wearing the same clothes.

"Hey," Danny whispered. "I've missed you, y'know."

The voice in his head coaxed, "Go on, say what you really want to say."

He licked his dry lips, his gaze traveling over her. She's so fucking hot. He could still remember the feel of her skin under his fingertips, the way she'd scream when he... when he...

Danny stood up from the bed and took a step towards her, then another. He reached out. Is she real? Can I touch her? His hand trembled as he moved it towards her face, half-expecting it to pass through her like a ghost. But then his fingers made contact. Holy fuck, she's real. "Can you... feel me?" He asked with bated breath.