The Last Night

Marcus Howell paced back and forth, wearing down a strip of grass with his constant movement. The water next to him roared quietly, moving slowly down the creek this warm night. The heavy, moist June air wrapped itself around Marcus, only adding to his nervous sweat.
In the distance he could see Brad Dylan’s house, lit up, overflowing with obnoxious music and drunken teenagers. Marcus was not exactly the “party boy” type, leaning more towards books and fantasies instead of drinking and sex. He was absolutely ecstatic to leave the next day to go to college, but at the last minute the shy valedictorian decided to attend this bizarre party for one last high school memory.

As he stood there, he pushed his wavy, light hair off his sweaty forehead and his long legs began to wobble. He could feel his heart pounding, practically pumping out of his chest. He looked up from the ground, his pale green eyes searching the night sky and froze. He saw her. Georgia Meyer, hands down the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on was walking towards him. Her long black hair had been let down, waving all the way to the bottom of her back, and she trekked through the field at which he asked her to meet him. When she was only a few feet away she looked at him, flipping her hair out of her eyes. Oh, her beautiful eyes were the deepest blue, so gorgeous that even the sea was jealous. Eyes that would make any man melt and obey her every command, which, in most cases generally happened. Everyone loved Georgia; teachers, students, parents, and even strangers were wrapped around her dainty, little finger.
As she grew closer, Marcus mumbled out a faint “Hey,” and looked down.
She laughed a little, seeming nervous herself and waved back. “Hello, Marcus. Great speech today; it almost made me sad to leave this place next year.”
Georgia was only a junior and still had a year left in this abyss, and she just so happened to be Brad’s doting ex-girlfriend too. It wouldn’t even surprise him if she still had a wedding book hidden under her bed, despite their breakup that weekend; she was that serious about their future, something Brad could care less about.
Marcus let out a nervous giggle, hoping she wouldn’t hear it. Marcus internally screamed at himself, frustrated as to why he just couldn’t tell this angel he loved her. He was leaving the next day, so it didn’t even matter her response, he just needed to tell her.
“Marcus, I think I know why you asked me to come here,” she calmly spoke, interrupting his jumbling thoughts. Oddly, she moved closer to him, lightly touching her fingertips on his arm. She wrapped her hand around his back and looked him deep in the eyes. “Honestly, I don’t know why I wasted my time with that jerk. You’re a true kind, smart, gentleman that I always should have gone for, and I hope it’s not too late for me to tell you that.”
Marcus, startled by this unusual affection, stepped backwards, almost falling into the nearby creek. Georgia caught his arm and let out a little laugh. She grabbed Marcus’s sweaty palms, leaned up and kissed him. Marcus, not questioning or fighting this change of events, kissed her back, and put his hand on her side. He felt something strange on her shirt; definitely a liquid and he took a step back to look at it. He noticed it was a dark red color, and it had covered his hand where he touched it.
“Um, what’s this?” Marcus timidly asked, not sure what response he would get.
“Oh nothing, I think I spilled wine on me inside,” she quickly responded back.
Marcus, still wondering, but not letting it bother him, went back to look at her face, trying to study her odd, expression. He was about to ask her if she was okay, but he was taken aback when a slight breeze rustled the air and brought along a rough, unappealing smell.
An odor that could curdle milk and almost made him sick filled his nostrils, and he realized the stench was coming from the close by creek. He put his shaking hand over his nose and wandered towards it.

“Stop, what are you doing? I don’t smell anything,” Georgia quickly and agitatedly said, “why don’t we just move closer this way?”

“Calm down, I’m just checking.” He took a big whiff of the air and remarked, “It smells like death,” he joked, but not hearing a laugh in response. The smell grew closer and heavier. “Oh my God.”
Floating in the water was the lifeless body of Brad Dylan. He was just laying there, blood dripping down his shirt, his eyes still peeled open, horrified, like he was still looking into his killer’s eyes. He looked like he had been attacked with a hammer or axe, blood filling the water, turning the surrounding area an eerie red.
“We need to go get help. Now!” Marcus screamed at Georgia as he spun around. He looked at her, confused out of his mind why she wasn't screaming, or crying, or even moving.
“We can’t tell anyone,” she whispered, standing there stoically, not even blinking.
Marcus stared at her, dumbfounded, he asked her in a mocking tone, “Are you crazy? Did you not just see a dead body floating right here in the creek? We have to tell someone.”
“No listen, Marcus, we can’t tell anyone,” she assertively said as tears started forming in her eyes.
“Georgia, this is Brad, you know, the guy you love? He is dead.”
“I know he is! Stop saying that! I know what I did!” She shouted, and then started to bawl, collapsing onto the ground.
Marcus looked down at his hand covered in the red liquid and felt a strong queasy sensation. “This isn’t wine is it, Georgia?” He asked.
Georgia slowly shook her head and looked up. “I didn't mean to,” she sobbed.
Marcus cautiously squatted down to Georgia’s level, still in shock about what might have just taken place in that area. “Georgia, what the hell happened?”
Tears streaming down her face, her body shaking like a leaf, she lifted her head from her lap to look at Marcus. “I know he’s a pig, I always have. But this morning when my sisters told me that Brad tried to, you know, take advantage of her when I was out running, I was furious. I mean my sister? He tried to hurt her. I just asked him down here so I could talk to him, just break up with him and be rid of him forever. But he hit me, and kept threatening me, and I was so scared. He’s so large and terrifying, and I saw that axe leaning on the tree and I just grabbed it and hit him once in his back. He fell into the water and I couldn’t help him out. I, I think he drowned and I ran. I didn’t mean to,” she sobbed out quickly in about ten seconds.
Marcus could tell by the look in her terrified eyes that she had walked into an unfortunate, no win situation. If she didn’t defend herself, she would’ve been beaten, badly. “You know we have to tell the police Georgia. If it was really an accident, you won’t get in any trouble. Come on, I’ll go with you, the sooner you tell, the easier they’ll be on you,” Marcus rationally explained.
Georgia’s eyes widened with terror as he was explaining the plan. “No, no, no, I’ll get in trouble. I know I will. You have to help me yourself, no one can know what happened,” she blurted out, working herself into a frenzy. “I’ll still go to jail, even though he deserved what happened. Please, just help me move him into the woods. If anyone finds him, they’ll know he had it coming. I mean, he teased you mercilessly for years, Marcus; he hit you and cheated off you all the time. Do it for you, and me. We can still be together,” she persuasively stated, grabbing his hand.
Brad was a bully. No one liked him; he even tormented his own friends. He beat Marcus weekly, and was so dumb, there was no way he could contribute anything positive to society. Marcus looked down at Georgia. Maybe she was right. Maybe she had done the world a favor, spared it of one less abusive man, and now, he could have what he’s always wanted; her.
“Fine,” Marcus sighed. “I’ll help move him to the woods, but that’s it, and I guess I won’t say anything, but Georgia, if someone specifically asks me, I don’t think I can keep up with that big a lie,” he warned.
“That’s fine, and you’ll be gone by tomorrow, right? No one will even think to ask you,” she reassured him. “I just need you to hide him, I can handle the rest,” she said, almost a little too excitedly.
Marcus nervously smiled at her, feeling sick to his stomach. He knew what he was doing was wrong, he’s not stupid. What if someone found out or Georgia finally tells someone? He could go to jail, for a long time too. Marcus knew he was helping her and she didn’t do anything evil or wrong, or did she? He knew she could be persuasive and at times controlling, but would she really try to purposefully hurt someone? Marcus glanced over at Georgia who was perched on a high rock, waiting for Marcus to get rid of her mess.
“So, uh, Georgia, how did this actually happen? Like did he hit you and where did you hit him?” Marcus questioned.
“Um you know, he just hit me a few times, and he turned around to grab something I guess and I just hit him in the back once,” she nonchalantly replied, as if she was describing a homework assignment.
“I didn’t see any marks on you a minute ago,” Marcus said, “and from looking at him, Brad’s back looks clean, and it looks more like he was hit in the head with something.”
Georgia didn’t reply back, giving Marcus an unsettling feeling. “Georgia?”
“Yeah,” she responded. “Oh, I guess I hit him in the head then, I honestly don’t remember, it was such a blur.”
Marcus backed away from the creek without touching Brad’s body. “Hey, I don’t think it’s a good idea to move him around. Maybe the water will carry him away or something.”
“No, you have to help me. You said you’d get rid of him for me, for us,” she shouted, jumping off the rock.
Marcus took two steps back, starting to feel threatened by this flustered girl. “Look, I can still help you. You and I can go to the police and we can explain everything together,” he said when all of a sudden Georgia ran into him.
“You promised me! You can’t break that promise or you’ll be just like him!” She shouted, pointing at the floating body in the water.
“What is the matter with you? I’m trying to help you!” Marcus screamed, pushing her off him.
“He said he’d never leave me. He said we’d be together forever, that we were meant to be,” she cried out, crying into her shirt. “And then he comes up with that crap, the ‘Well, I’m going to college so I need to keep my options open,’ you liar!” She yelled towards Brad.
Marcus stood there, dumbfounded as she continued her insane tantrum on the dead boy. He quickly realized that this was probably not the accident she made it seem to be, and he slowly started creeping towards the field, when Georgia spun around to look at him.
“Are you trying to leave me too? You said you’d help, and now you’re going to tell and send me away,” she said, a deranged look glazing over her face.
“No, of course not, I just, don’t feel well, and need to go home to pack for the move tomorrow,” he replied, jumbling over his words, not wanting to upset her anymore.
She started walking away from him towards the woods, and Marcus called out, “Georgia? Where are you going?”
Without a word she continued walking and stopped by an oak tree and bent down to pick something up. Marcus couldn’t tell what it was so he continued creeping backwards, back towards the party. Georgia turned around, rushing right towards Marcus. As she grew closer, he noticed it was a small axe, one covered in blood.
“Are you leaving? Well you can’t until you help me!” She threatened; waving the axe like it was a child’s baton.
“I think you don’t need my help, I think you might need some sort of professional help,” he stated as a matter of fact.
“No, I need you to keep your mouth shut!” She yelled and swung her arm at him, bringing down the axe, scratching his arm. He tripped backwards, clenching onto his bleeding wound and twisted his ankle as he fell.
“What the hell? I told you I wouldn’t tell! Let me go!” Marcus screamed back in pain.
“No, I can’t trust you, ever! You’re just as bad as him,” she stated, gesturing towards Brad. With one swoop, she lifted up the mini axe and swung aimlessly through the air. Marcus rolled and squirmed, dodging the swings until she forcefully hit him in the back. Marcus screamed bloody murder as he fell all the way to the ground, a wave of pain overtaking his body.
“How are you going to explain this, Georgia? I’m going to die here and you have no one to pin this on now,” Marcus choked out.
“I’ll think of something. It doesn’t matter though does it? People will believe anything I tell them. I mean, who would suspect me of doing something this horrendous? I’m just an innocent victim,” she laughed out, obviously letting her crazy side take over more and more.
After digging the axe deep in the woods behind the creek, she stepped over Marcus and blew him a kiss. She slipped her way back to the oblivious party to spread her venom. Marcus lay still, silently crying, and afraid. He was fully aware of the danger he was in as she vanished in the night. He struggled and slipped his phone out of his back pocket and slowly dialed 911.
“Hello? This is Marcus Howell. I’m at 3045 Menno Lane, and, I need your help.”
Marcus limply lay on the grass, recounting his mistakes and naïve behavior, praying that he gets the chance to start over. After what seemed like hours, he heard the sounds and saw the flashing lights of his rescue. He sighed, grateful and ready to have another chance at life.