by Marlowe Blue
She brought the knife down, but I used all the strength I had to keep it from entering my body. I pushed upward. The knife was only a few inches from my heart.
Morgan grunted, pressing down harder. I wasn’t going to die there and I definitely wasn’t going to die by her hands. I thought about my parents and Hunter. I thought about the Hex. I was determined to live to see Morgan and her twisted friends punished for what they had done to them.
I mustered up everything I had inside of me, thrust my body upward and flipped over. Morgan was now underneath me, my knees pinning her down.
She gritted her teeth. “Get off me.”
I was at a loss for what to do. If I got up and tried to run, she would catch me and end my life. Morgan killed people as if they were nothing. Could I possibly kill her? I didn’t think so. I already had one person’s blood on my hands and I couldn’t go there again. I couldn’t take another life.
Morgan sneered as if she was reading my thoughts. She had been my best friend, after all. Of course she knew what I was thinking. “You can’t do it. You don’t have it in you. The cop had only been a lucky accident. The brave Lela, Queen of the Hex can’t even run a knife through someone to save her own life.”
The sirens were louder now. It might only take minutes for them to find us, but I wasn’t sure I could keep Morgan down for even that long.
She tried to flip me over, but I barely budged. “Lee, let’s just cut to the chase. You’re not going to kill me. Let me up so I can get out of here. Please. I promise I’m not going to hurt you.”
She looked like the Morgan I had always known. Sweet and innocent. Was she telling the truth? A fallen flashlight lay beside us. I looked deep into her eyes, which were now a bright blue-green as opposed to the deep amber they usually were. Even if she was telling the truth, I couldn’t let her go. She had to pay the price for what she’d done.
I reached into my sneaker and wrapped my fingers around one of the knives, sliding it out slowly. Morgan’s lips curled into a sly smile. “Well, looky here. Is that what you were doing while I went to grab the money?”
I held the knife at her throat. It could have been so easy. I could slit her throat and then claim self-defense. Morgan deserved it. They all did. They had killed my best friends in cold blood and practically destroyed my life. Images of Charlotte, AJ, Brayden, and even Coach with his wicked smile flashed before me. Thoughts overwhelmed me—all the things they would have become. Going through prom and graduation without them. Going to college, knowing they won’t be there. Accepting the fact they will never have the chance to grow up and do all the things we’d talked about over frosty glasses of Dr. Pepper at Ray’s. Morgan deserved a slit throat and it took everything in my power for me not to give it to her.
Something in her face changed as shouts rang from behind us. Her brow furrowed and for the first time she seemed scared. “Please, Lee. Just kill me. I know you want to. Just do it. If you’re not going to let me go, just put me out of my misery. It’ll be best for everyone.”
It was way too tempting. The voices drew closer, then footsteps. Hurry up.
Tears formed in Morgan’s eyes and I willed myself not to feel sorry for her. Even after all the tragedy she’d caused, it was hard for me to erase the year we’d spent together. All we’d done. All the secrets we’d shared and plans we’d made for the future. We’d even promised to be each other’s maid-of-honors.
Her eyes pleaded with me. “Please, Lee. Something is wrong with me. Something is broken and it can’t be fixed. Just kill me. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in prison.”
She was probably right. Could serial killers be healed? Would it do her any good to spend the rest of her life in prison? Maybe not, but the Hex didn’t have lives anymore. Their parents would forever be burdened with the misery of losing their children. I would live with the memories of my friends’ slaughtered bodies each and every day.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Morg. I can’t kill you, but I can’t let you go either. You’re going to have to face your consequences.”
She grimaced, grabbing my hands and flipping the knife in my direction. The knife pierced my abdomen. Not deep enough to cause too much damage, but deep enough to hurt. One more good thrust and the blade would have been completely inside of me.
I hopped off her, holding my wound. It throbbed with a sharp pain as I attempted to stop the blood. Morgan stared at me from the ground, still holding the knife now smeared with my blood.
A deep voice distracted me from the pain. “Lela Dupree.”
“Yes, I’m here!” My voice didn’t come out as loud as I wanted it to. I wasn’t even sure if they’d heard me.
Morgan climbed to her feet, twisting the knife in her hands. “I did all this for you.” She stepped closer. Fear surged through me because she had nothing to lose now. Her life was about to end before it even really began and it didn’t matter whether she took me with her or not.
With a fierce cry, she shot forward, tackling me to the ground. Pain shot through my body as we collided and she knocked the wind out of me.
Sprawled on my back, I struggled to regain my vision which was hindered by the stars in my eyes. Once I could see again. Morgan was bringing the knife down on me. There was no way I would have enough time to react.
Just then, a shot rang out in the darkness and Morgan flew back like a ragdoll.
Two police officers, one male and one female stood over me, asking if I were okay. I couldn’t answer them. I didn’t know what I was, but I was definitely not okay.
The female officer helped me to my feet and checked me over. My only major injury was the wound on my abdomen. Morgan on the other hand . . .
Blood poured from the shoulder of my former best friend. The male police officer knelt over her, talking into his radio calling for an ambulance.
Morgan’s eyes fluttered open and shut. Part of me hoped she wouldn’t make it. She’d wanted to die and maybe it would be best for everyone if she got her wish.
25
Toby was found and they were able to get him medical attention in time. The stab he’d taken to his stomach kept him in the hospital for two weeks. After he was released, he was taken into police custody along with Shana and Peyton. Morgan’s gunshot wound was a lot more serious. She stayed in the hospital under police supervision until she was healed.
What she and her friends had done was the talk of the country. We now faced a couple of years of long, messy trials for which I would be called to testify.
A few months after that night at the cabin, on a warm Friday night, Hunter and I sat on the beach eating brownies his mother had made for us. Even though Hunter was allergic to nuts, she had made a special batch with walnuts just for me. She was sweet.
“What are you thinking?” he asked as I watched a series of waves roll onto the shore. I inhaled the salt water.
“I’m thinking about the twins. Yesterday was their birthday. They would have turned eighteen.”
Hunter squeezed my hand.
“Their parents had been planning to give them this huge bash, but now . . .” All I had been thinking about were my old friends and how senseless their deaths were. I kept seeing Char’s beautiful face, the twins with their silly grins and multitude of freckles. Coach with his messy hair and eyes that were always hiding something. Despite all his faults, I thought he would outgrow his trouble-making ways and become something special. Now we would never know. Every now and then I saw Mr. Coachman in passing, something was missing from his spirit that would never be replaced. Coach was his only son—all he had.
I clutched the lioness charm. The cops found it lying among the leaves, but they hadn’t found the chain. I’d bought a new one and the charm never left my neck.
Helena Falls dedicated a small play area in the local park to their memories. At school, a display case had been filled with their pictures and cards with words of sympathy. As much as I loved the fact that they had been honored. I couldn’t wait to
get out of that place so I wouldn’t have to see those reminders every day. I longed for the day I wouldn’t have to pass their broken-hearted parents, forcing a smile and telling them how sorry I was. Sometimes I even wanted to apologize for being there and not being able to stop it.
Hunter and I had both been accepted to UCLA and that’s where we would be going in the fall.
He put his arm around me and pulled me close. “You do know that you deserve to have a good life, right? You did nothing wrong and despite everything that’s happened, you have a bright future ahead of you. We have a bright future ahead of us.”
I rested my head on his shoulder. He was trying to get me to believe that. I felt guilty moving on when my friends couldn’t. It saddened me that Zander would never walk again and that Officer Downs was never coming back. His parents would die without ever really knowing what happened to him. Hunter had been helping me to understand that none of these things were entirely my fault. I had meant well, but things had gotten out of control. Most days his words worked, but sometimes the guilt felt like a two-ton elephant sitting on my chest.
I was determined to not wallow in sorrow. The least I could do for my friends was not to waste my life. I was blessed. They didn’t have a chance anymore, but I did. It would be like slapping them in the face to not take advantage of the gift of life.
I took his hand and squeezed it back. “You’re right. Despite everything, we’re going to have a good life.”
The End
Want more: Click here for the next Twisted Rose Mystery
Join my VIP list to be notified of new releases and special deals! (You will not be spammed—promise!)
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/x2l7a6
Did you enjoy this book? If so, please take the time to leave a review! If you would like to become a member of my review team, please shoot me an email at [email protected]
