The Creep

Nobody knew what was wrong with Eliot Thorn. He was in a wheelchair, but he could move his legs. The wheelchair was an electric one rather than a manual one, and he piloted it with a joystick. His temperament was on the odd side, and he said many things that made others uncomfortable. The skin upon his chubby face was a sickly white, and his beard barely covered his chin. His long thin arms and long thin fingers were perfect for grabbing some unsuspecting victim. He dressed well enough to hide his malice and aggression.

For years, he harassed people, telling them how he felt about them and asking if they felt the same way. Sometimes, he’d foam at the mouth for sex so much that the odd obsession would drive him to tears. At his most fearsomely aggressive, he’d declare how much he hated love. In his brain, a woman’s smile would establish a nauseatingly stubborn mycelium. After conversations with women who pitied him, visions of first dates and wedding days would sicken him for weeks. Even when women were so genetically perfect as to be out of his league, he’d still fall in love with them.

Women on dating apps needed only 30 seconds to discern who he really was: a sex-starved manipulator who was as boring as he was hostile. They could see through his whole bio and know that he was as broken on the inside as his wheelchair suggested he was on the outside. Matching with him was little beyond a waste of time, but maybe he’d entertain them or make them laugh. Maybe he’d answer any questions they’d have about his wheelchair, which was far more interesting than his body was. A lot of the time, he had the gall to unmatch them.

No matter what he wrote in his profile or what questions he asked on dates, he’d never escape from what he deserved. He could count on every match being a false positive. If she wasn’t a scammer, she was fishing for compliments. What didn’t take long for him to notice was that all the women who entertained conversations with him at the bar were putting on drunken performances of open-mindedness. They would touch him, and they would give him their phone numbers, but they wouldn’t want him.

One match lingered on one of Eliot’s apps for a curious number of days, bringing about a routine affliction in his mind. Nobody knew what was wrong with Eileen. As bright as she was, her temperament was off, and she said many things that made others uncomfortable. The skin upon her chubby face was a sickly white, and her natural makeup barely compensated for her double chin. She’d endured depression, but her doctors otherwise struggled to fit her into their little DSM-5 booklets. After texting with Eliot over the course of the week about video games, comedians, and scary movies, Eileen decided to go on a date with him because she loved impromptu dates! Eliot wept as if she’d wanted him.

That same Friday, the creatures met in-person for coffee. They continued their conversation on the same topics they’d discussed through the app. There was so much to talk about. The questions came naturally from both of them. Was Eliot going on too much about video games? No! Eileen thought listening to him talk about his passions was fun. They almost let their coffees go cold. After some final lukewarm sips, they held hands on their way to the park.

Eileen sat across from Eliot on one of the benches. He had such a masculine frame, and his dark features lent him a cute smile. The beard was a good choice.

Eileen’s bright eyes and brighter hair shone supernaturally in the sunlight. Eliot admitted how much her body weakened him. Could he kiss her? He watched her close her eyes, and he did the same. Surely, his teeth would ram into hers.

Eileen’s soft lips were dense with warmth that rushed into Eliot’s frozen heart. He’d never forget the very warmth from her waist to his hands. He committed to memory the sounds of her hot breath, the gulls cawing overhead, and the rushing water of the nearby stream. He had never kissed anyone. Could he have another?

Nope! Eileen wanted to make Eliot wait a bit for the next one, but it was worth a lot more than five more minutes. The second kiss was straight out of a movie. They opened their mouths as wide as they could. Her shockingly sweet tongue incapacitated him with the most overwhelming erotic pleasure he’d ever known. Joy reddened both as they leaned their noses against each other. He really really wanted to sleep with her, and she really really wanted to sleep with him. On that day, they were the happiest kids in the universe, and no yearning for oblivion could imprison them.