Page 69 of Submission

Like A Bad Movie

Hunter

“Imay leave some details out because I’ve banked this time of my life away, somewhere in the recesses of my memory,” Megan says, her hands twisting together in her lap.

“That's fine. Just tell me what you remember.”

“Rachel convinced Peter to change the plan and come to our house for my birthday.”

“Your house?”

“Of course, I didn’t know anything about it because she convinced him that it was going to be a pleasant surprise and one that our parents would be fine with.”

“I thought this Peter person already knew that you wouldn’t be comfortable with him getting to know your family?”

“Honestly, I don’t know what Rachel said to him to convince him not to tell me she was coming by the store and that coming to my house would be a good idea. I guess he believed that getting in good with my family would somehow make him closer to me.”

Sounds like a familiar strategy.

“He was wrong. All it did was set off a series of events that turned my life into even more of a shit show than it already was. When he showed up at the house to surprise me, Rachel made some sort of advance toward him, which, of course, he rejected.”

“A romantic advance?”

“I don’t know if she had a crush on him or if she simply wanted him because he wanted me, but when I came home, Peter was in the living room pale as a ghost, and she was in the other room crying to her mother.”

“Dare I ask what happened next?”

“After the initial shock of seeing Peter sitting in my living room, literally ten steps from where I slept on the floor the night before, I tried to convince him to leave. I could tell he was hurt and confused, but I didn’t have time to explain. I just wanted him out.”

“Makes sense.”

“But then, like some kind of bad movie, Rachel tore out of the bedroom and had one of Samuel’s hunting knives in her hand. God, it happened so fast. She ran toward him, without uttering a single sound, and stabbed him twice.”

“Damn.”

“I know.”

“Where was that bitch Veronica?”

“Standing in the doorway of the bedroom, staring at us. She didn’t move. She didn’t talk. She wouldn’t help. She just watched.”

Megan starts rocking back and forth, her hands still wringing in front of her. This is bringing up a type of pain that I’ve never seen her exhibit before, but I allow her to continue.

I allow her to feel it all.

She needs this.

“I tried to protect him. I swear I did, but he was bleeding out so quickly, and I didn’t know what to do.”

“Was he dead?”

“No, it might have been better if he were. His eyes were open, full of fright, and staring pleadingly at mine. He was just a kid, just like me, and he was scared."

"What about Samuel? Where was he?"

"He'd been in the garage, working on one of his cars, and walked in on us. It was the first time in a long time I looked to the monster of my life for help, but I remember feeling so desperate.”

“Help me,”I begged him.“He’s bleeding so much.”

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