Grave Meetings

His pale face had an anxious expression to wear. His moonlit meeting by the old oak started to seem tainted from his original intentions. Of course no one gave him a reason to feel this way. But there was something about that beggar he passed along the way that seemed queer. The way his crippled hands were held, touched something inside the young man. So as the young man's Victorian tuxedo neck tie seemed to tighten around his throat, just as the darkness from the forest seemed to be closing in on him and his oak tree, He started to pace around the old oak.

Taking his third round, he stopped at the sight of a woman proceeding into the secluded clearing.
"Vincent." She whispered.
"Elizabeth." He Responded.
"Why did you ask me to meet you here?" Elizabeth asked.
"For this," said Vincent as he began to kneel and held out a dagger. "To ask you to join me and have death depart us from the trials and tribulations of this world, and descend together into an eternal peace of our love."

Eyes widened, Elizabeth replied.
"Of course I will follow you wherever our lives may lead us. But this is madness! Vincent we must think of our friends, our families."
"But Elizabeth," countered Vincent, "none of them will let us be together any other way. Your father strongly disagrees with with every decision I make. And he will not let us marry even if I owned the world and all of it's possessions. But I do love you more than all the world. And whatever I can do that will make you a happy woman, I am willing to comply. Even if that means I can never see or speak of you again."
"Why would I want that?" Asked Elizabeth.
"I hear the way in which you speak of me. I know you don't always consider my emotions, but must you confide in my mother in secrecy? Elizabeth, I wish you to love life. And I would love to enjoy life with you. So this is my ultimatum. Die with me, or leave me."

"And where will you go? Please Vincent, I wish only the best for you. That's why I did not come alone." As she said this, a man stepped forward out of the thicket.
"You came with the police? Elizabeth, don't you realize They'll imprison me?" And with tears in her eyes she replied.
"Yes." She turned back toward the woods, and began to walk away.
"Elizabeth." Vincent whispered. Turning around, Elizabeth caught sight of the last words uttered from his lips.
"You killed me. But if that's what you want, I'll accept."  Elizabeth screamed out at the sight of her fiance bury the dagger into his chest.

The End