After bending to retrieve the discarded items, Steven read the note before turning to stare, in shock, at the faces in the photograph. Totally confused, he looked at Elizabeth. "You have to believe me," he pleaded. "I have never seen these people before in my life. Honestly. I have no clue where this photograph could have come from. It must be some sort of cruel joke."

"Do you think I'm that gullible? I don't believe you, Steven. The evidence is right there in your hand! I can't believe you've been lying to me all this time. I want you out of here!" she cried.

"But, Elizabeth," Steven protested. "I'm innocent."

"Leave! Now!" she yelled, before turning her back on him.

Steven shook his head at her unwillingness to believe him. He placed the picture and letter on a table by the door, but before leaving, Steven stated in a voice barely above a whisper, "You'll regret this someday, Elizabeth."

She jumped as the door clicked shut with a finality that echoed in her mind. Elizabeth slowly sank to the floor and began to weep, silently mourning the dreams that would now never come true. She remained on the floor looking at the snapshots of herself and Steven that were scattered around the living room; sitting upon end tables and the mantle and hanging on the walls, remembering when each one had been taken.

After staring for over an hour at those lost memories, she got up and began removing pictures from the walls. 'Looking at these all the time isn't going to do me any good,' Elizabeth thought, as she sat a stack of pictures on the sofa. Just then there was a knock at the door. Hoping it was Steven, returning to explain himself and try to reconcile with her, she threw open the door without first checking the peephole.

"Steven, my..." The rest of her statement was lost as Elizabeth spotted a gleam of light reflecting off the blade of a raised hunting knife, moments before it began its sideways flight, slashing into and through her throat.

The last thing she heard as she slid to the floor, the life flowing from her body along with her blood, was a voice raspy from lack of use saying, "You should always look before opening the door."