It had rained the night before and most had decided to stay inside for the night. The streets of Chicago were flooded, but one couple had made the decision to go out that night. It was a special occasion, the anniversary of a two year long rollercoaster through life together. The restaurant was deserted and the bored waiters awaited anxiously. Her lavender dress dragged against the carpet while water dripped from her hair. They both took their seats.
“Here you two go,” the waiter said as he placed the menus on the table. There was a sense of unity between the two, like they were perfect for each other.
“Do you remember this place Jess? This is where we went on our first date,” he asked.
  “Of course I do, you were so nervous,” she replied. The waiter soon strolled back over to the table and took their identical orders. The time flew by fast as the couple embraced the occasion and enjoyed the moment.
“How did you like it Andre,” she asked with a probing smile.
“I’m glad you recommended it, I don't know what I would do without you.”
“Well I won't be here tomorrow. I have to visit my parents so you will have to fend for yourself for once.”
“When will I get to meet your parents,” he inquired curiously.
“Probably never, they’re not very social people anymore. We should get going I have to make it to the airport in time.” The two walked outside and back into the rain. He pulled out an umbrella and covered his date, allowing his black tuxedo to take the brunt of the rain. He stopped at the corner of the block and stuck his hand out to signal for a cab. One drove up to the curb and came to a halt, splashing water on Jessica’s heels. They said goodbye and the cab drove off into the night.
Andre hurried home, but he couldn’t get Jessica out of his mind.  “Why doesn’t she want me to meet her parents,” he thought. “Is there something wrong with me? I get so lonely without her. This is the first time we’ve been so far away from each other in a year. I have to go see her.” He got ready for bed and grabbed his computer off the table. “I'll just buy a ticket tonight and surprise her and her parents tomorrow.” He bought one ticket for a 9:00 plane to Montana. Eager, Andre fell asleep planning out how his trip would go.
Ring! Ring! He awoke to the sound of his alarm. Packing a few outfits in case his excursion lasted longer than he thought, he set off for the airport at 8:15, running a little late. He arrived just as the boarding process began. Andre couldn't wait until he met her parents. On the plane he thought, “I've never even heard Jessica talk about her parents until recently. I don't really know anything about them, not even their first names.” He thought this could be the next step in their relationship; after all, he planned on marrying her in the near future. He reached into his pocket and took out a small black box and opened it. He had bought an eleven carat yellow diamond ring a few weeks ago and has been waiting for the moment to pop the question..  But in that moment of thought he realized, what better time than now to propose to girl he loves in front of her parents.  He knew this was perfect. But Andre had a limited time frame to generate this perfect moment. All he had to do now was get the ring fitted just for Jessica. He fell asleep thinking of just how happy she’d be to see it.
There she was, walking towards him, glowing in the midday sun. Her parents were behind her preparing lunch on the beautiful deck on the backside of a luxurious mansion. They were surrounded by the aroma of spring  and the bright blooming flowers in the backyard. The group sat down to eat. Andre however decided to remain standing. They all turned and faced him with curiosity.
“This had been the greatest two years of my life. Jessica you are my world and that's why I wanted to surprise you today by coming out here and meeting your lovely parents. But that's not my only surprise,” he got down on his knees. “Jessica Luise Andersen will you marry me?”
Suddenly his head rocketed forward and his eyes opened as he was brought back into reality. “Thank you for riding with United, we hope to see again.” He looked up and saw the line of passengers slowly making their way off the plane. He gathered himself and joined the line. At the end of the gateway he was welcomed by the view of the never ending deserted wasteland that is Montana. The airport was situated in the town of Missoula, a calm community in central Montana. The airport was large enough to house up to 10 commercial size planes. He walked over to the Ayer car rental stand. It was in the corner across from the luggage pickup.
“Hey there, lookin’ to rent a car?” the man at the stand greeted Andre with a smile.
“Yes, just something for a day or two. I need to visit someone” Andre replied as politely as he could. He saw the man’s eyes light up as he talked, no doubt recognizing Andre’s city accent and thinking of how he could make the most money.
“C’mon pal, we all have to travel in style sometimes y’know? Treat yourself! What’s the occasion anyhow?”
“Well...I am hoping to propose to my fiance in front of her parents today…”
“What better time to get a nice car! Now just imagine how impressed her parents would be to see what kind of car you can afford... for a day at least” the man chuckled. “What’s the gal’s name anyhow?”
“Jessica Anderson”
“Yeah, just imagine how surprised ol’ Jessica Anderson... Wait, wow that name sounds familiar. Here, just take these keys.”
“But I was hoping to get a-”
“Just go!” the man asserted, causing Andre to rush out.
He went around back and found his car; it was a blue Chevy. “How odd.” Andre thought to himself. “I suppose he knows the family?” Andre dismissed the event from his mind and started the car.
He drove his blue chevy through the town plaza. Jessica had written down the address of her childhood home before she left and Andre had caught a glimpse of it, but he never remembered these kinds of things. It was in the outskirts of Missoula. He knew he would have to ask for directions at some point but he decided to keep driving for a little longer. He noticed an advertisement as he passed by a convenience store. JOEL’S JEWELRY was displayed in large red letters on a sign laying across the side of the road. "We buy, we fix, we sell" it read underneath. He made a sharp right turn at the next exit and parked his car right outside the jewelry store. From outside, he could see a short, old man  waiting on a tall wooden stool behind the counter. It didn’t seem as though the store and the man received a lot of business.
Andre walked in with a determination to get the ring sized as quickly as possible. The significance of the situation  was starting to sink in. He was finally going to marry Jessica. The man was silent as he came towards him.
“Excuse me, I was wondering if you could size this for me,” he asked as he pulled the ring box out of his pocket.
“Sure, what size do you want it?” He looked up at Andre and right into his eyes. “You don't live around here do you? I'm sure I've seen just about everyone round these parts,” he asked curiously.
“You're right I'm not from around here. I just arrived from Chicago,” Andre replied.
“Wow we don't get many city visitors. What brings ya here anyway?”
“My girlfriend is visiting her family here. So I thought this would be a great time to surprise her and ask her to marry me"
“How sweet. What’s her name?”
“Jessica Andersen.” As soon as he heard that name, the jeweler dropped the ring onto the floor.
“Is everything alright?" Andre asked indignantly
The man quickly hunched over and grabbed the ring off the ground and gave it back to Andre. “Um, there's nothing wrong, I just can't do anything for you. I think it's would be best if you just leave.”
“What?”
"Look, you seem like a nice man so I'll warn you. Stay away from that girl, she isn't right in the head"
"Excuse me?"
“Just leave now!” Andre walked out of the store in shock of what just transpired. As he looked back he could see the old man on the phone, lowering the shades of the store. What did I say wrong, he kept thinking to himself. He didn't even fit the ring for me. What a bad business man he thought, who does that? He quickly brushed off the weird encounter with the jewelry clerk. Now he'd have to give the ring to Jessica unfitted. But he wasn't worried, he believed the fact that he was finally proposing would mean much more to her than the tiny inconvenience of the engagement ring not fitting.
He got back in his rental car with no idea where Jessica was. He finally realized that if he didn’t ask for directions now, he’d never find it. So before he got back on the main road, he drove up a block and asked a man holding a car wash sign. “The carwash is at the next turn,” he told Andre as he pulled up next to him.
“Oh no, I was just wondering if you could give me directions. Do you happen to know where the Andersen family lives?”
“Of course, everyone knows where that is. If u take a right after the next to exits you should be able to see it. It's a big mansion and property. But I don’t know why you would want to go there, people tend to stay away from that area,” he replied.
“Thank you very much.” Andre pushed down on the gas pedal and got back on the highway. He followed the young man’s directions and exited two miles down and onto a long boulevard.
“I'm so excited” Andre thought to himself as he drove down the road. “She’ll be so happy to see me and I'm sure her parents will love to see me. Then I will propose and her parents will be in tears and we can live happily ever after." Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by the view of a turn in the road. "Ah, this must be it” and returned to the right and began driving down a sidepath. However, as he drove he couldn’t help but notice how unused and abandoned the path was. Not to be disheartened, Andre simply chalked it up to Jessica’s parents being antisocial, as she'd said before.
Soon enough, Andre pulled up to an enormous mansion, that was nothing like what he had seen in his dream. As he looked at it he could see the cracked and broken windows, as the paint peeled off in various places. As Andre parked the car and got out he couldn’t help thinking how it looked as if nobody had lived in the house for a long time. He did not want to let his dream die, so he just thought again of what Jessica had said and thought that his future parents-in-law simply did not like having visitors over. But as he began to walk around the estate, Andre found that he found himself believing less and less. As the dead leaves crunched around his feet wherever he stepped, and the various unkempt hedges and trees threatened to cut him at every turn, he was beginning to wonder why Jessica had lied to him.
“Maybe it was all a lie.” Andre thought to himself. “Maybe I was a fool to think she was in love with me. Maybe she is even cheating on me. Maybe-” Suddenly, Andre saw a light coming from near the back of the mansion. Running over, he saw Jessica kneeling down and instantly felt bad for assuming that he would lie to him. He was about to run over when suddenly he saw what she was doing. With candles lit by her side, she was kneeling in front of two graves putting flowers. Suddenly realizing what a fool he had been, Andre began to hate himself for ever having come.
“Idiot.” He thought to himself. “Proposing in front of her parents, how can I do that when they’re dead? Maybe if I walk away now, she won't notice and I'll find another chance!” Andre began to walk away when suddenly the worst possible thing happened; a twig snapped under his foot. Hearing the sudden noise, Jessica instantly turned around.
“Who's there?” she cried out
“Hello Jessica, it’s me.” Andre replied as he stood ashamed that he had been caught.
“Andre? What are you doing here?”
“Well...the truth is that I missed you Jessica. I just wanted to be closer to you and get along with your family. That is why I came out here with a ring to propose to you and get along with your parents. I had no idea and this was such a bad idea, I’m so sorry.”
“No, no, Andre it’s okay. I love you and you love me and I should have told you about this earlier. I forgive you for following me and, by the way, the answer is yes!”
Smiling, Jessica held her arms out for a hug. Grateful and teary-eyed, Andre walked forward and embraced her. It was going to be okay, she forgave him. They were going to live happily ever after as a family, maybe even kids! Andre was so happy. Until he felt the knife go through his back. As he fell to the floor he looked up to see Jessica smiling, holding a blood-soaked knife.
“Wh-Why?” Andre managed to choke out as he held his stomach in pain.
“It is because you love me Andre. Don’t you see, if you die here we can be together forever, like with Mother and Father. They always had to go work for the house and to keep up their reputation, and I was always so alone. One day though, I had an amazing idea! If I killed them, they wouldn't be able to move anymore, and they wouldn't be able to leave me! You can stay right here with me forever, and we can all love each other.” Jessica smiled sweetly as she raised the knife ready to stab down again. Shocked, all Andre could do was lay curled on the floor, as the love of his life sank the knife into his body, ending his breathing.