I was never a fan of dating apps but after my last breakup my friend suggested I try Tinder saying that it would make my dating life alive and fun again flying around and swiping random guys left or right when one of the profiles really caught my eye it was a single pick very closely taken focused on the deep blue eyes of Ethan truth is not always what you see through your eyes his bio red out of sheer curiosity I swiped right we matched and eventually our conversation led us to meet up face to face after
some coffee at a place near my apartment Ethan invited me for dinner at his apartment as we ate dinner in the flickering candle light I couldn't help but admire Ethan's face his emphasizing sharp jawline made my heart skip a beat his Tinder profile hadn't captured the intensity in his eyes enough there was a kind of manic hunger in them that sent a shiver down my spine yet there was an undeniable magnetism about him a darkness that repelled and attracted me our conversation flowed surprisingly well we bonded over underrated art and band literature he spoke of
his love for Edgar Allan Poe reciting verses about love and loss with a chilling intensity as the night progressed Ethan suggests we move to his balcony how about we get some fresh air you'll love the view from here I hesitated at first the small cluttered balcony felt oddly claustrophobic but Ethan's smile boyish and disarming made me comfortable the view from the balcony wasn't bad the city lights below looked like scattered diamonds but there was something very odd stuck in the air making me wrinkle my nose something smells meaty I commented noticing a covered Grill tucked
in the corner Ethan gave a creepy laugh a hollow sound that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end just a little lamburger he said his voice too casual Family Recipe he whispered with a grin he lifted the lid revealing a sizzling Patty my stomach Twisted the lamb looked unnaturally dark the edges grilled black suddenly I noticed something more on the Patty there was a long strand of blonde hair wrapped around it I felt like throwing up whoa that doesn't look too good making me sick I mumbled backing away all of
a sudden Ethan's smile disappeared his eyes narrowed the Charming personality replaced by a cold dangerous gleam I promise you'll love the taste of it just give it a try Monica the words sent a fresh wave of Terror through me I I don't feel well I need to go no you don't he growled grabbing my hand with surprising strength what are you doing I screamed trying to free myself don't you see he hissed his expression was now a mix of anger and Desperation we were meant to be together forever the smell in the air intensified desperate
by sheer Terror I wrestled free I stumbled back tripping over a metal bucket that was resting in the corner of the balcony it clanged loudly revealing its gruesome contents a bleached skull and several long bones Ethan raged at me again Monica don't ruin the food but this time I was ready with a rush of adrenaline grabbing a metal spatula kept on top of the Hot Grill I swung it at Ethan blindly the thuing sound of metal on bone echoed in the night Ethan fell to the ground a choked gasp escaping his lips I was staring
at him the spatula trembling in my hand nausea threatened to overwhelm me again but this time it was mixed with a horrifying realization the burger the bones Ethan's words they all clicked into place he wasn't just a psycho he was a monster who couldn't handle rejection and I was about to become another entry in his collection of discarded dates dazed and trembling I ran to the lobby outside his apartment and called 911 the image of Ethan's Twisted face and the gruesome contents of the bucket made my fingers tremble while dialed the call Ethan remained unconscious
until the police arrived a group of them got inside his apartment while I was escorted out by the paramedics but even admidst the flashing lights and concerned questions I was not able to shake the feeling of fear God I was on a date with a cannibal the following days were a blur news reports buzzed with Ethan's arrest the police had discovered a hidden room in his apartment filled with the remains of young women each had matched with Ethan on dating apps each lured under the pretense of romance as the only alive key witness my story
is a chilling Testament to the monster who hid behind a Charming facade yet a part of my my mind remained haunted the lingering smell and those horrific laughs in my nightmares the echo of Ethan's words we were meant to be together forever served as a constant reminder of the night I danced with death on a balcony bathed in Moonlight it was 9 years ago when I matched with Olivia on Tinder she was 36 divorced and living in a suburban area not far from my apartment at 28 I was just looking for some fun to be
honest and Olivia seemed perfect we clicked instantly bonding over a shared love for classic rock horror movies and a mutual disdain for small town gossip there was a spark between us an electric attraction so to say you like the Rolling Stones no way they're my favorite band yeah I saw them live back in 99 that was a wild night we decided to meet at a quiet bar she recommended I remember the place well dimly lit with old wooden booths and a juke box that played nothing but 80s hits and then she walked in Olivia was
stunning she had this effortless charm a confident gate and well a smoking hot body we laughed flirted and drank more than we probably should have she was blunt about her intentions I hope AG isn't a damper I mean look at you you can't be 8 years older to me I'll be honest Ethan I like going around with younger men and I'm not looking for anything just so you know it's a one night thing sounds perfect to me we left the bar and Olivia invited me to her place her Bungalow was old with a Victorian style
that looked kind of unsettling under the Moonlight my drunken brain felt a twinge of unease as soon as I I stepped inside the house was beautifully maintained but had an une Irving air about it the living room had antique furniture dark wood paneling and heavy drapes but something didn't fit the creamy textured carpet it clashed with the decor standing out like a sore thumb nice place you got here Daddy sells oil daddy shot himself when I was three I got the place in the divorce my ex-husband was into real estate want another drink she handed
me a glass of whiskey and we settled on the couch her touch was intoxicating and soon our fingers were exploring each others while our eyes locked there was something about her brutal honesty her charm and her confidence that had me drunk other than the Jack Daniels you have great taste and Decor very vintage I'm a sucker for antiques they have a history a story to tell just like us oh and what's our story two strangers meeting by chance and sharing an out of Adventure sounds exciting what kind of Adventure do you have in mind one
that starts with good whiskey and ends with well we'll see I like the sound of that you're full of surprises aren't you only the good kind what about you what surprises do you have up your sleeve you'll have to stick around to find out I think I just might so tell me what a handsome guy like you doing on Tinder looking for someone intriguing I guess I found her flattery will get you everywhere good to know and what about you why Tinder not many places for women like me to find young men like you Lively
huh I can do Lively I bet you can shall we take this adventure downstairs I have a special room for my guests lead the way but as she grabbed my arm to lead me to her bedroom a wave of nausea hit me I stumbled and before I could stop myself it came out I vomited all over the carpet I remember Olivia's demeanor changing in an instant she flew into a fit of rage rushing to grab a mop her face Twisted with anger you idiot you ruined my carpet I'm sorry I didn't mean to I sue
it with my hands the one thing in this house that doesn't remind me of my sick ex-husband and now your bile is swimming over it realizing I had blown my chance I mumbled in apology and hurried out of the house my head was spinning my stomach churning I made it home and collapsed into bed cursing my capacity for ruining what would have been a glorious night now 9 years later I saw her face plastered on the news Olivia now 45 was arrested a secret torture room was uncovered in the basement of her Bungalow where she
kept young men and tortured them one of her victims had managed to escape and alerted the authorities the police found evidence of cannibalism token parts of previous lover she had taken and the final horrifying reveal a carpet made of human skin I sat there staring at the TV and disbelief the creamy textured carpet flashed my mind and a chill ran down my spine as I realized how lucky I was when I matched with David on Tinder I couldn't believe that he'd swiped right on me he was 27 an Australian Globe Trotter with an infectious smile
and tussled blonde hair his tan was just perfect it had to be cuz he served and he wore an intriguing blue beaded necklace in every photo we started flirting over texts almost immediately so what does a gorgeous girl like you do for fun on a gorgeous Boston evening like today besides swiping on Tinder mostly exploring the city and avoiding bad dates oh you deserve a good one drinks tomorrow night smooth wow you don't waste time do you why waste it it's the most precious thing in the world well except for that smile of yours he
was good we exchanged numbers and decided to meet at a pub downtown the night came and I was nervous but excited I arrived early found a table and waited and waited and then waited some more rejected two advances from strangers for him and let a martini sit hoping that my Surfer boy would surface but he didn't an hour passed and still no David it was then that it dawned on me he had stood me up I rushed back to my place even my calls weren't getting placed frustrated I texted him hey where are you I
was waiting for you for over an hour I was there at the pub didn't see you see this men and their lies for real stop disappointing me further you need proof here you go he sent a photo of the pub it was from the same night judging by the people in the lighting where were you near the Jukebox where were you near the Jukebox how could we have not seen each other God knows I was confused something didn't feel right to me I'm not sure that making up would be a good idea his responses caught
me off guard what harm could a coffee do so reluctantly I agreed but stupid me the same thing happened again I sat there in the cafe feeling more and more foolish As Time passed eventually I had to get up and leave I couldn't believe that the guy had made a fool of me not once but twice when I texted him angrily he simply replied with another photo this time of the cafe from that evening this is ridiculous are you messing with me no I swear I was there maybe we just keep missing each other I
tried to call you from the cafe there was no ring ah I have some troubles with my American SIM card need Wi-Fi to make calls that was it I wasn't going to be fooled twice I blocked his number chalking it up to a bizarre catfishing experience months passed and I forgot about David but then one night while out at a club with friends I saw him the same tussled hair the same blue beaded necklace he stood in the distance almost like a shadow but I could feel his eyes upon me my heart raced as I
approached him but he vanished into the crowd back home I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong curiosity and a lingering sense of unease led me to unblock David's number I called him but again there was no ring surprisingly a few minutes later my phone buzzed with a message it was a photo of the nightclub from that very night what the hell is going on just wanted to see you again I I owed you some answers anger searched through me but before I could respond another message came through this one was a newspaper clipping
with David's picture the headline read Australian Surfer fourth victim of the Boston Barbie matched on Tinder the night before his poisoning my blood ran cold I stared at the clipping which proclaimed that David was dead he had been dead for months murdered by a serial killer my hands trembled as I typed a reply this isn't funny how are you sending these thank you for liberating me my phone buzzed again this time it was a photo of me taken from behind I was sitting on my couch staring at my phone in horror every hair on my
body stood unended I gathered the courage to turn around expecting to see someone standing there but there was no one instead on the floor where no one had been a moment before laid David's blue beaded necklace
