I have often wondered if my eyes flash red when I have my moments of madness. Suddenly the world goes quiet and a red mist descends over my mind and I do things, terrible things that I'd rather not remember.

Her neck was white, elegant and slim enough to get my left hand around.

"Please, Mister," she could just about choke out.

She had a young pretty face with a few freckles over her nose and cheeks. The red mist had settled over everything and I was almost deaf to her pleas.

"Please, Mister," she croaked again. "Please, I'll do anything if you don't hurt me."

Hurt you, I'm going to listen to you scream and beg for mercy before I've finished with you, I thought. Somehow, her small freckles looked bigger now and they flashed red in my eyes.

"Please," she begged again.

I squeezed my left hand harder but it wouldn't obey me.

"Please," she whispered and her hand came up to take my now limp hand off her neck.

What's going on? I thought. I shook my head to clear it then I turned and walked away. I sat down on a nearby log and I looked up and the sky, the flashed red was still there, bright against the cloudless blue of the heavens.

"Thank you," she whispered as she sat down beside me.

It took a few moments for me to realize it was her sitting there beside me.

"Run, flee," I whispered, "or I'll hurt you."

"No, that has passed now and I've promised to do anything you want," she said taking my hand and placing it on her denim covered thigh.

I looked up at her and she was oh so very pretty and young, oh so young.

"Look, it's dangerous for you here," I said looking at her again. "I'm not a nice man."

The red mist was fading now, it's colour slowly draining away and for the first time I knew she was safe, for now at least.

"To me a promise is a promise," she said sounding serious. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Leave me, run home and pray to your gods and thank them that you are still safe," I said, angrily getting up and walking away.

It was time for me to give thanks, too, for somehow and for the first time I had not done those terrible things. Somehow, I don't know how but her Gods may have intervened on her behalf and saved her from my rage.

"Mister, I won't forget my promise," she shouted at my back.

"Go home," I mumbled back.

For many nights my dreams were filled with her face, flashing red before my eyes and her freckles pulsing with energy and I would wake up in a cold sweat.

"Mister, mister," I heard her voice call out. "I've been waiting for you."

"Look," I said running my hand over my face. "Look you should run, get away before I do something."

"Mister," she called again, "I've been waiting for you here every afternoon this week."

This girl must have a death wish or something, I thought.

"I know I'm a bit young and my bits are a bit small," she said carrying on like I'd never said a word.