This 'Devil' didn't wear Prada!

After Doug so generously threw my life away like that, I cussed him out good with my eyes before I left, clinging to the door like some hellish vine on a picket fence. I had every intention of beating the shit out of Doug when I got back. If I got back.

An interesting phenomenon occurred as I walked Richard to the Student Union to grab a bite to eat. The voices of intuition, which most people are blessed to have, were screaming at the top of their spiritual lungs, "Liz don't go, don't go, don't go..."
Not only did I not listen to those voices, but I bought Richard some lunch, and walked him up to a secluded wooded area, AND sat down and broke bread with him! Now psychology majors, figure that one out.

Oh, you could see the occasional student go by, but it was by and large secluded. WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY did I do this, I ask my a year later when I opened the newspaper and saw his picture plastered all over it? Thirty years later I'm still wondering what in hell happened to me that I would do something so utterly,utterly stupid.

Anyway, so there we are up on the hill, and I'm trying to be nice, but I'm like getting majorly freaked out as we continue to sit there, because he's trying to manipulate me into saying stuff like:

Richard: So, Liz...what do you think of the devil?"
Liz: Well, Richard, I've never met him, but from what I hear, he's not someone I would socialize with. (Richard frowns, and I back up like a dying septic tank)
What I mean is, I really don't believe in a devil. (Richard frowns again, and this time I hold my ground. I'm a honest shit sometimes)
Richard: Oh, that's not good Liz. He doesn't like a nonbeliever.
Liz: Well, I don't think I really care about that Richard. (Now I'm getting mad, so I change the subject)
Liz: So, when are you going back to LA? (Like today I hope)
Richard: You know Liz, if you're not careful, the Devil will come after you for your nonbeliefs. I like you, so I'm just trying to warn you.
Liz: You know Richard, and forgive me for being so blunt, but as far as I'm concerned, the devil can fuck off and die! I get up to leave because now Richard has me spooked into some semblance of intelligence.

He stares at me for a long time, as if he's in a struggle about something, and I stare him down, thinking go ahead buddy. Just fuckin' try it. You won't know what hit you. I'm mad now. Your crazy can't beat my mad. He turns around and walks away, and I practically run back into the music library shouting,"Doug, don't you let that kid stay at your apartment anymore! He's nuts. He's psycho."

Doug looks up, ashamed, as he should be, and says,"Yeah, I know. He scared the crap out of me last night. And I didn't sleep much. I knew as soon as he got in the car, driving him out here that he was bad news, but I was really afraid of him. So I let him stay at my place. Is he gone?" Doug looks anxiously out the window.

"I don't know where he went. He started talking devil shit, and I got freaked out! He walked away when he couldn't get me to agree to all that shit he was talking about. I don't know where he is. At any rate Doug, I'm off, and I'm out of here. Good luck, and don't be such a dumb ass anymore." I left the library to hide in a piano practice room.

And I never saw Richard again, until his picture got plastered all over the newspapers when he went on a notorious killing spree. They called him the "Nightstalker".

I learned my lesson though. Don't ever ignore your intuition or the little voice that warns of danger. This guy was as complete a psychopath as I'd ever run into. Or have run into since. I keep my guard up at all times now, looking for that particular brand of crazy.

Fortunately, I haven't run across anybody remotely like Richard ever again. And if I do, I'll cut and run at 'crazy eyes'.