Letting Go Before It's Too Late

She still couldn't shake the previous night's dream. She felt as if the images from the dream would be burned into her brain forever, and that the feelings that had been stirred up would only cause her trouble.

You see, last night Karen dreamt about the first man she kissed, the man who she hadn't seen since the night that he broke her heart. Keith was Karen's world while they were together, but Karen was only a small part of Keith's and the reality of that fact was what broke Karen's heart.

Karen and Keith had planned to meet for dinner at Montana's, their favorite restaurant at 7pm that September night, ten years ago yesterday. Karen had gotten out of work an hour early and had gone home to shower and change. Keith must have had the same idea because his car was parked outside of the house they shared when Karen had arrived home.

Karen didn't think anything of Keith's car being parked in front of the house; in fact she figured that it meant that they would be driving to the restaurant together instead of meeting there. What Karen wasn't counting on when she walked into the house was finding Keith on the couch, the couch that she bought and moved from her apartment, kissing her best friend!

Karen didn't want to hear any excuses from Keith or Emily about what was going on. All Karen wanted was to forget what she had witnessed and erase Keith and Emily from her life. Karen ran upstairs slammed and locked the bedroom door and packed a bag with a few days worth of clothing and her toiletries. Keith didn't follow Karen upstairs instead he handed Emily his keys and she left in his car.

Karen finished packing and made her way downstairs. "I'm going to stay at my mom's for a few nights. I want you out of here in five days. I don't care where you go or who you go with; I just want you out of my house and out of my life. I loved you and probably will always love you but after what I just saw I can't ever be with you again. You and Emily are out of my life forever."

That was the last time Karen had seen Keith until last night's dream. Last night's dream wasn't just a replay of what happened ten years ago; it included Karen doing something she would never do in real life.

Karen hated Keith and Emily for what they had done to her, for making her fearful of ever trusting anyone again. Karen didn't date for two years following that night and she kept female friends away from the men she dated for fear of the same thing happening again.

Karen was happy with her life as it was now. Karen married her husband Evan four years ago and two years ago they had their beautiful daughter Rebecca.

Last night's dream scared Karen as it would probably scare anyone who had ever hated someone who hurt them. Karen hadn't told Keith and Emily what she thought of them and what they had done to her, not in person or in writing. What Karen felt about what had happened ate away at her for a long time, but she thought that she had finally dealt with those feelings until her dream.

In last night's dream Karen walked into the house and saw Keith and Emily on the couch kissing with Keith's had up Emily's shirt. Keith pulled away from Emily as soon as he heard Karen's footsteps coming towards them.
"Karen, what are you doing home?" Keith asked.

Karen just stared at Keith, opened her purse and reached inside. Karen pulled out a gun and shot Keith and Emily each twice, once in the head and once in the chest.

When the last shot rang out Karen woke up in a sweat and out of breath. She sat up in bed and made sure that Evan was beside her. She climbed out of bed and went to Rebecca's room and made sure that she was okay. Rebecca was sound asleep, just as Evan had been.

After making sure that her family was safe Karen climbed back into bed and promised to let go of her hatred of Keith and Emily so that it didn't kill her as she had dreamt of killing them.