Two hours later, we’re finally too exhausted to continue. It’s been a month since I left home to start school back in California. I’m supposed to be in the dorms with my roommate, Marie.
Not only was it a fucking dream that Marie got accepted into the same program as me, but she was able to convince the housing department to let us room together. It’s been great having her as my roommate, but I’m not there much.
As expected, Theodore’s position at the school was officially terminated. They just can’t have a teacher who fucked his student on staff. When I first heard the verdict, I was enraged, but Theodore promised it was fine. He wasn’t upset or worried. We were going to be taken care of.
“I have more than enough to last us a lifetime,”he vowed before taking me to bed.
Before I even made the move, he purchased a luxury studio apartment in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.
“I don’t ever want to fall asleep without you beside me.”
In the month that I’ve been back, I’ve slept at Theodore’s side for the past two weeks. I felt terrible at first, leaving Marie alone, but she promised it was alright. More than that, since she’s had company over ever since I left. I know she’s trying to fuck Coach Sanders from her head, but it’ll never work. She’ll always wonder just how perfect he would’ve been.
Throwing me over his shoulder, Theodore drags us both into the living room, plopping me down on the firm cotton sofa while he disappears somewhere into the kitchen behind me.
With my sex-tangled hair knotted between my fingers, I click on the television, scrolling through the boring, mindless shows until a headline on the national news seizes my attention.
Joshua Kellar was arrested and charged for the kidnapping and murder of Rhode Island native Elizabeth Ellis.
“Theodore,” I mumble, unable to speak any louder. Then, raising the volume, I listen to the pretty anchor breakdown the details.
“On Saturday evening, Kellar was taken into custody by authorities in Riverton, Rhode Island. Detective Laura Winslow, head of this case, shared some details on how DNA evidence linked the fifty-year-old Joshua Kellar to the kidnapping and murder of one woman. Let’s switch over to Sabrina Cox for more information.”
The television goes black for a second before the field I remember so vividly appears on the screen.
“Thank you, Jennifer. Here, just beyond these trees, is the woodland area where the decomposed, unrecognizable body of Elizabeth Ellis was uncovered. Reports say that the body was unearthed almost two months ago, but due to the nature of the remains, identifying the body was nearly impossible. However, forensics were able to salvage a partially corroded tooth and using that, they were able to name our victim.”
Cox walks over to the front of the home, pointing out the yellow caution tape and the team tearing the house apart.“According to police, investigators believe Kellar was having an affair with the local, finding evidence of that in his home, along with what appears to be a shrine of the deceased. Locks of hair, articles of clothing, hundreds of images of her, seemingly unaware she was being watched. And that isn’t all. Detectives reveal that Kellar had kept trophies far more barbaric, bloody clumps of hair and a severed finger in the midst of decomposition. All this was hidden away in a well-concealed compartment in his bathroom closet.”
“Theodore!” I shout, powerless to take my eyes off of the crime scene.
“What? What?” he asks, his heavy footfalls echoing behind me.
“Look.”
“Detectives speculate Elizabeth was held in Kellar’s home before he took her life. So far, not much is known, but investigators disclose that this scene is one that will haunt the community for years to come.”
“What a tragedy, Sabrina. In Colorado-”Shutting off the TV, we sit in silence. Our reflections glare back at us through the black glass, reminding us of the blood that stains our hands.
Gasping, Theodore paces behind me, running his fingers through his hair, muttering, “What did we do? What didyoudo?!” he asks in a manic whisper, watching as the sympathy leaves my eyes. “Shit! Scarlett!What did you do….”
I wake in the middle of the night, eyes springing open at two am on the dot. The house is silent, and the air is still. Creatures of the night sing under the moonlight. Their songs drift through my open window, concealing the sounds of my movement.
Dressed and ready to go, I slip through my bathroom window once again, this time much more successfully than the last.
The soft puff of grass keeps my landing quiet. I don’t waste any time. With everything I need secured in the pocket of my jacket, I take my bike from the side of the house and ride off into the night.
Angry gray storm clouds rapidly gather over my head. I smelled the oncoming rain before I went to sleep, but I had hoped it wouldn’t come until I finished what I had to do.
With the threat of rain hanging over my head, I pump my legs to their breaking point. I’ve never peddled so fast in my life.
Sweat collects at the roots of my hair, tickling my scalp as it runs its way down. At the halfway point, my luck goes out and the rain begins to pour.
Heavy sheets blur the road in front of me, creating a thick wall impossible to see through, which means the pothole right in front of me… I don’t see it.
My front wheel falls into a crater in the ground, sending me flying off to the side of the desolate road. Hands braced in front of me, I skid to a stop, wincing as the loose gravel and splintered twigs pierce into my soaked palm.
Breathing through the pain, I wait on the ground, cradling my hands to my chest while my hair plasters to my face. I allow myself a moment to let the aches pass before hopping back on my bike and racing the rest of the way.
