by C.L. Bevill
* * *
I wasn’t hungry, but I made myself eat. Then I asked Kara if she had any strong painkillers. She did and just for me. I said my shoulder was hurting, and Zach asked if I needed a hot pad or something for the muscles. He could boil some water over a fire if I did. He did so in a stilting manner that made Kara look at him with surprise. I said, “No, the painkillers will work.”
Kara offered to get them, but I went into the kitchen where she had her backpack and got them myself. Then I noticed the wine rack and asked them if they wanted some wine. There was a very old bottle of something French. Ooh la la! It looked expensive, too. Kara nodded and Zach grunted, which I took to be a yes. It didn’t take much, but the painkillers dissolved in the wine readily. I didn’t overdo it because I didn’t want to hurt them.
I told them I didn’t want any wine because I had taken the pills. I even laughed and said the wine didn’t really suit me anyway. Kara laughed and told me I didn’t know what I was missing. I guessed it was an acquired taste, like caviar.
We all went to bed. Kara took the couch, which was a huge sectional and looked comfortable. Zach changed the sheets in the master bedroom and disappeared in there. I read a two-month-old People magazine by candlelight for about an hour. Then when I was certain that the two were both well and truly out, I proceeded with my plans.
It turned out that I was good at being devious. It made me feel more alive than I ever had before.
