SUMMER OF EVIL

by Marianne Spitzer

  Kellie nodded. “Me, too. At least we’re clean and smell nice.”

  #####

  Wills called over his shoulder. “Are you clean yet?”

  “Yes,” Kellie answered.

  He turned and spread an old blanket on the grass. He tossed a hairbrush onto the blanket. “Okay, come out and sit and dry off. It’s warm in the sun.”

  Kellie walked to the blanket and sat. Taylor followed. They took turns brushing their hair and shaking the water off the t-shirts. Kellie watched the sun sparkle like diamonds on the lake. The willows along the water’s edge dipped their leaves in the water as the breeze blew past. She daydreamed of quiet picnic lunches on the lake near her home when she was a child.

  Taylor pretended to watch a lone boat on the opposite shore, but she kept a watch on Wills out of the corner of her eye. She pulled her knees to her chest and yanked the t-shirt over them hoping to stretch it. Knowing Wills could see through the wet shirt made her feel sick.

  All three sat quietly until Wills announced, “That’s enough sun for this morning. It’s time to play more games. Maybe the garden gnomes will play with us again.”

  Taylor moaned, and Kellie said, “Okay, Wills.”

  He smiled at her. She shuddered not knowing if he was happy she was complacent or his mind was conjuring an awful game.

  #####

  Wills asked, “Who’s up for tombstone checkers?” He slid the checkerboard across the table.

  “Tombstone checkers, what’s that?” Taylor stammered.

  “Something new,” Wills answered. “Aren’t you tired of plain old checkers? I am. Look what I made.” He dumped out tiny tombstones carved from Styrofoam and painted red or black. Great, hey?”

  “Interesting,” Kellie said. “You have good ideas, Wills.”

  He smiled at her again leaning back in his chair. “I think I will watch the two of you play.”

  Kellie smiled back and set the pieces on the board.

  Taylor tried to curl up in her chair, but being shackled to Kellie made that impossible.

  After two hours of playing Wills’ deranged game, he grabbed the board and yelled. “Enough”

  He stood and placed a box of granola bars and two bottles of water on the table. “Eat.” Kellie and Taylor watched him stroll down the hall and heard the bathroom door close.

  Taylor whispered, “He’s crazier than they know. What do we do?”

  “Eat lunch while we have time.” Kellie tried to smile at Taylor, but she felt icy cold fear creep down her spine. She shook it off.

  “Anger Kellie, let your fear go and get angry again,” she thought. Her heart broke looking into Taylor’s eyes. Her dearest friend, a sister in her heart, was nearing her breaking point. Kellie took a deep breath and smiled. “We’re going to get out of here, trust me.”

  Taylor shrugged and took a bite of a granola bar with chocolate chips. “Not even the chocolate is helping any longer.”

  “When we get home we’ll go to the Chocolate Shoppe at the Oaklin mall and buy whatever we like. I’m going to make a meal from their chocolate truffles.”

  “Don’t you mean ‘if,’” asked Taylor. “After fighting off the ghost and evil spirits at the monastery, I didn’t think I could take more. I’m still not sure I’ll get through this.”

  “Yes, you will and we’ll do it together. It might have been a summer of evil, but it’s going to be a new season of freedom. They’ll never let Wills get out of prison. He was serving life and after the other women he killed and our kidnapping, he’ll be placed in a high-security prison. He fooled them with his fake insanity. He’s evil not insane.” Kellie popped the last bit of her granola bar in her mouth when they heard Wills in the hall.

  “Reading time,” his voice boomed in the small cabin.

  The young women shuffled into the living room, and each chose an old paperback from the pile on a side table and sat on the couch. Each afternoon Wills liked to lie in a hammock in the backyard of the cabin, and he wanted to be alone.

  “You have been good. I think we’ll skip the concrete block. If you run you will be sorry. Kellie’s ankle will slow you down. I still have the gun. I will find you.” He winked, turned, and left the cabin.

  #####

  Wills stretched out in a hammock. He stared into the sky watching the fluffy white clouds float past. His mind wandered to the women he strangled over the summer. “They’re quiet now, but not fun. They can’t play anymore. We have been here a week, and no one has come past. They’ll never find us, but three is a crowd. Kellie needs to leave soon. I think one more week and then she can join the others. Then Taylor and I will be alone and can play new games. We can play married. Taylor will be my wife for a few days before she joins Kellie.”

  He took a deep breath and watched the birds fly across the sky. “I wish I was a bird and could fly away. Maybe if I wish enough I will fly away.”

  Wills fell asleep watching the birds and clouds. He woke three hours later. Rushing into the house, he was glad to find the brats sitting where he left them. He returned to his favorite spot.

  #####

  Kellie and Taylor stood and shuffled to the kitchen doorway. They could see Wills in the hammock. Taylor tried to flee, but her ankle tie stopped her, and she fell to the floor.

  “What are you doing?” Kellie asked.

  “I thought he was asleep and I wanted to run. I wasn’t thinking about the leg tie.”

  “Are you okay? You could have broken your ankle. Can you stand?” She reached down to take Taylor’s hand.

  Taylor waved off Kellie’s help, pushed herself to her feet, and answered, “Yes, it’s all right. I didn’t hurt anything. I’m sorry. I could have hurt you, too.”

  “It’ll be fine. Let’s go sit down.”

  Taylor sat on the couch and dropped her head in her hands. “I could have hurt both of us. I’m sorry.” Her hands trembled, and fear tightened in her chest and throat.

  Kellie pulled her close and rocked her back and forth while she spoke. “Taylor, we can’t let him win. You’re strong. You have to believe it. I know in my heart how strong you are and can deal with whatever happens.”

  After nearly an hour, Taylor calmed down and agreed to fight the fear. “I hate him, Kellie. I really do. I’m angry he kidnapped us, but I’m still afraid.”

  “I know and I feel the fear, too. I just refuse to let it control me. I don’t know why I’m able to fight it. Maybe I have faced too many spirits that I can deal with fear better. I don’t know what it is, but it’s working. I think it might be because I saw my mom, and she said we were going to have babies together. We have to get out of here, and I need to find the love of my life if we’re going to do that. Right?” She smiled remembering the vision.

  “Was it her? You’re absolutely sure you saw Aunt Donna? Maybe Luther was playing tricks with your mind.” Taylor grimaced.

  “No,” Kellie said. “Luther was gone. Mom was there, and she spoke to me. She said babies. We are going to live.” She placed her palms on her thighs and looked at Taylor her eyes wide and head nodding.

  They heard the back door open, and Wills walked in from the kitchen. He smiled and before he walked down the hall said, “Hi Kellie. Hi future wife.”

  Taylor’s eyes widened, and her head snapped toward Kellie. Fear gripped her again, and Kellie could feel her shudder.

  In moments, Taylor was hyperventilating.

  “Breathe through your nose, Taylor. It’ll help.”

  Taylor became hysterical and beat her fists against the couch. Kellie’s eyes filled with tears when she knew there was nothing she could do to help her friend.

  #####

  Wills returned a few minutes later and asked, “Who would like to play a game?” He folded his hands in front of him, rocked back and forth on his heels, and smiled. “No one? You need to be more enthusiastic.”

  Kellie looked at Taylor out of the corner of her eye and nodded to the kitchen. Taylor shook her head. Kellie closed he
r eyes and grabbed Taylor’s hand. She opened her eyes and looked straight into Taylor’s. “C’mon, ignoring him will be worse than playing his stupid games.”

  Taylor shrugged but stood with Kellie and hobbled into the kitchen.

  Wills followed carrying the three garden gnomes to the kitchen table. He set them in a row as usual, but he picked up a white paper napkin and placed it on top of Taylor’s gnome.

  Taylor’s eyes grew large as she listened to him hum the wedding march.

  He glanced in her direction and grew excited over Taylor’s reaction. “I told you that you’d be my bride. Even your gnome is getting into the spirit. Her veil is lovely.” Wills stood and pulled out a chess set. “You two play, I’ll watch. I have plans to think about.”

  Taylor’s hands shook as she placed the chessmen on the board.

  Two hours passed as the young women played chess and Wills hummed while making notes in a small notebook.

  He looked up and said, “It’s too bad we won’t have any witnesses or a party. It’ll just be Taylor and me.” He grinned and left the room.

  “He’s planning on killing me soon,” Kellie said looking around the room for anything to use as a weapon. She had looked over the room several times and nothing changed. “We have to do something soon.”

  “What?” Taylor whispered. Her hands still trembled while she placed chess pieces back in the game box.

  Kellie grimaced and shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m not going to let him kill me without a fight.”

  #####

  Kellie and Taylor sat on the couch and read while Wills played a handheld battery operated game. Each time Wills scored; he laughed, and Taylor shuddered.

  When he announced it was time for dinner, Taylor held her stomach. Wills noticed and scrunched his face. “You don’t look well, Taylor. We need to open a new jar of jelly for the sandwiches. I’ll let you choose. C’mon.”

  Kellie and Taylor followed him to the kitchen, and he held up two jars of jelly. “Well, Taylor will it be apple or grape?”

  “Apple,” she stammered.

  “Good choice. We’ll have a happy life for as long as one of us lives.” He whistled as he made three sandwiches.

  Taylor’s knees buckled, and Kellie helped to keep her from falling. Her eyes conveyed strength to Taylor. In return, Taylor’s eyes were wide with terror. When Kellie put her arm around her friend, she could feel her tremble.

  Wills turned and said, “We’ll have a treat today. Since Taylor and I are going to be married let’s celebrate with some potato chips.” He dropped two handfuls onto each paper plate and placed them on the table.

  Kellie stared at her plate as she picked up her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. When she glanced at Taylor, she saw her staring into space. She laid her hand on Taylor’s knee, and Taylor blinked rapidly. She took a deep breath and stared into Kellie’s eyes.

  Kellie nodded slowly and gave Taylor a small smile. Taylor’s scrunched face loosened a bit, and she picked up her sandwich.

  Chapter Twenty

  When Kellie and Taylor settled on the couch after dinner, Wills picked up the cement block and set it next to Taylor's feet. He connected her ankle tie to the chain linked through the block. Taylor pushed her palms down on the couch trying to move away from Wills, but she wasn’t able to move far.

  Wills snipped the ties connecting Kellie and Taylor. Taylor screamed and threw her arms around Kellie.

  “No, you can’t take her. She’s my friend. Leave her alone.” Another scream filled the cabin. Taylor collapsed onto the couch with a mix of tears and screams as Wills pulled Kellie to her feet. He grinned at Taylor as he pushed Kellie toward the kitchen.

  Taylor heard the back door slam and dropped to the floor. She pounded her fists against the cement block and pulled and yanked on the chain. Her hands bled from the block’s rough surface. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and her screams filled the empty cabin. Raged filled her heart, and she dragged the block to the front door. The alarm sounded as soon as she opened it. Within seconds, Wills was back and dragged her back to the couch.

  He pressed his face to hers and whispered, “How fast or slow or painfully Kellie dies is up to you. If I’m angry at you, I have to take it out on her. I don’t want to hurt my bride.” He kissed her forehead and walked out of the room.

  When Taylor heard the back door close, she began to call out to God to save Kellie.

  #####

  Wills closed the back door behind him and walked toward Kellie. He had used a plastic tie to secure her to the picnic table. He bent and snipped the tie.

  “Let’s walk,” he said. “I need to talk to you.”

  “Talk and then kill me, nice Wills. What makes you think I’m going to talk to you?” Kellie shuffled away from him.

  He walked next to her and said, “The more you tell me, the longer you and Taylor live. There is something romantic about a bride dying on her wedding night.” Wills laughter scared the birds from the trees and the squirrels scampered for safety.

  Kellie wanted to say something anything but her throat was dry, and the words stuck. Her mind tried to grasp at words that might stop or slow Wills from killing them. She stammered, “Taylor likes colorful flowers. If you are having a wedding, there should be flowers. You should look for flowers.”

  “Great idea, Kellie. There must be some in one of the neighboring cabin’s gardens. Everyone has gone home, and I’m sure they won’t mind if I pick them.” He stopped walking and looked down the beach toward the pier. “Maybe the people who own that pier have a garden.”

  “Taylor loves chocolate truffles. They would be nice at the reception. What are you planning for dinner?” Kellie glanced at Wills who stopped and stared off into the distance.

  “I didn’t think about dinner. I can’t go into town to buy food. They might recognize me. I have a box of chocolate cupcakes. They’ll do for a wedding cake. I’ll make dinner special. We’ll eat protein bars instead of sandwiches,” Wills said. He turned and squinted at Kellie. “Got any more bright ideas?”

  “She’ll need a wedding dress. You don’t have one do you? You could buy a dress somewhere for her.” She watched the clouds float by doing her best to avoid Wills’ eyes.

  “No need, I bought a white silk sheet set. The sheet will serve as a wedding dress and a shroud. It’s perfect. Too bad you won’t be around to see it.” He pulled on her arm and headed back to the house.

  Taylor heard the backdoor open. She dropped her head, broke into sobs, and mumbled, “He’s back. Kellie’s dead. He killed her.” Her head snapped up when she heard Kellie’s voice.

  Kellie shuffled back into the living room. She sat next to Taylor. “Stop crying, it’s okay. He wanted to talk to me. He’s making wedding plans. As long as he’s planning he won’t be killing either of us.”

  Taylor tried to catch her breath. Her head bobbed up and down as she rocked forward and back. When Wills removed the tie connecting her to the cement block and reconnected her to Kellie, she took a deep breath. Not tonight she thought he’s not going to kill us tonight.

  #####

  The sun was beginning to set, and while Wills had tapped into the electric lines, he didn’t like using lights after dark. He spread out the sleeping bag and tossed the pillows and blanket on top. He walked from the front door to the window checking his alarms and disappeared into the kitchen. When he returned a few minutes later, he said, “Time for sleep. Good night.”

  They heard him walk down the hall and close his door before they moved.

  “Time to settle in for the night,” Kellie said. “I don’t want to try and lay down after dark again.”

  Taylor let out a small giggle. “Last time we nearly killed each other saving Wills the trouble. I don’t want to try moving around in the dark again.”

  Kellie smiled at the bit of humor and prayed Taylor could keep her spirits up. “Let’s get comfy, if possible. We can talk while the sun sets. Wills will wake us up at the crack of dawn
again, and we need some sleep.”

  Kellie stood and shuffled over to the far side of the sleeping bag. Taylor followed her, and when both were in position, they sat.

  Taylor looked at Kellie and whispered, “I think I’m going crazy.”

  “I feel that way, too. It’s the stress.” She bumped her shoulder into Taylor’s and smiled.

  Taylor dropped her head on Kellie’s shoulder and whispered again, “I mean it. There are times I am frightened to the point I can’t control my trembling. Then I get the feeling that you saw your mom, and she was right. We’ll be free and raise kids. About the time, I begin to feel relaxed a terrible thought hits me.”

  “What? Tell me it’ll help.” She reached up and brushed Taylor’s hair out of her face.

  “Okay, Wills wants me to be his bride. What if he kills you and then forces me to stay here or somewhere else and have his children. I can’t do it Kellie. I can’t. I know your mom said we’d raise babies together, but what if …?”

  Kellie’s mind raced. “How can I tell her Wills plans on killing her on their wedding night? She’ll break. We have to get out of here,” she thought.

  She took a deep breath and said, “I know I saw mom, and she said we would raise babies together. Please remember the word ‘together.’ That means you and me. We can’t do that if I’m dead. We’re not going to die.”

  Taylor nodded and lay down. “Can’t you connect with Claudia somehow?”

  “I’ve tried. We usually connect through a spirit stream of some sort. I don’t feel any spirits near here. I’ve tried connecting with any spirit. The good thing is that Wills didn’t kill anyone near here.” She wiggled next to Taylor trying to get comfy.

  “Not yet, we’ll be next. How many has he killed? Is it eight or nine?” Taylor whispered.

  “Eight I think. We are not going to be next. Think positive. Think about Hunter. Picture us playing with Andrea’s baby. I try to imagine Rufus running in the yard with Penny. It helps.” She wrapped her arms around herself as she watched the last bit of sunlight disappear at the bottom of the window.