I avoid lifting my blindfold to look at River behind me as the driver with the hairy double chin takes us down a road overgrown with vegetation.
How do I know the driver has a double chin? I caught a glimpse of the side of his face before they put the blindfold on.
And how do I know the vegetation is overgrown? I hear branches smacking the front and sides of the SUV. Add the rumbling sound of the dirt or gravel we’re on, and it all tells me people don’t come this way often. The road probably leads to some secret beach. Eventually. I suspect we won’t make it that far. They’re not likely taking us all the way to the ocean, which from my calculations, is another ten miles from here. We’ve been driving for about thirty minutes, going the speed limit. Fast. But not fast enough to attract attention.
The acid in my stomach climbs up my throat. I think they’re taking us somewhere hidden, away from prying eyes, and once this vehicle stops, it’s going to be too late. My stomach clenches painfully down on itself.
“You’re making a big mistake,” I say. “They’ll know it was you. They’ll find your DNA all over our bodies and our DNA all over this SUV.”
“Shut up,” Blake says.
“Why? You plan to kill us, right? So don’t you want to get away with it? Because let’s face it, I’m way smarter than you. Four-point-oh GPA, here. And I barely crack open a book more than once to study for a test.”
“Shut the fuck up, dipshit.” The guy to my side punches me in the ribs.
I grunt on impact, but I expected that hit and continue anyway. I’m fighting for River’s life here. “Why don’t you listen to what I have to say? I mean, take a look, guys. I’m blindfolded. Totally powerless. You’re in complete control, and you have nothing to lose by hearing me out.”
“Huff, what the hell are you doing?” says River, her tone frantic.
I ignore her. She will never—not in a million years—go along with what I am about to propose. I can only hope she’ll see the logic in it. Someday. “I’ll kill myself and film it live. That way, there’ll be no doubt you had nothing to do with my death.”
“What the hell, Huff!” River yells.
I continue, knowing this is the only chance she’ll have to get out alive. “All I want is for River to go free.”
“No,” she says, “I won’t—”
“Yes. You will,” I say. “Because if you don’t, they’ll kill both of us. That’s why they’re bringing us down a deserted road near a swamp. That’s why they shut their phones off and used an old SUV without GPS that probably belongs to some cousin or uncle who never uses it.” The seats are vinyl and all cracked from age, and the vehicle smells like stale cigarettes. These guys don’t smoke. This SUV is old, and it’s not theirs.
“They’re planning to kill us, River, because they’re drunk, and they think they’ll never get caught, especially if they all have alibis. Which they will, since each of them will swear they were somewhere else. Together. Am I right, Blake?”
Blake says nothing.
“Blake, that’s enough! This’s gone too far. Let us out right now.” River begins to cry, and I know she’s facing facts. Some people are worse than monsters. They only value themselves and are willing to crush anyone who gets in their way. And, for some fucked reason, I keep coming across them.
“Sorry,” I say, “but Blake has no intention of letting us go. Unfortunately, they still haven’t figured out exactly how to get rid of all the evidence. They could burn the SUV, but then how will they explain when it turns up? The police will question why it was burned. They’ll eventually trace the vehicle back to one of them. And just how long do you think they’ll hold up when they’re brought in for questioning? One of them will eventually cave. But let’s be optimistic. Say no one is charged with murder. Cool. Except that the entire university will know. Everyone around them will suspect Blake and his friends had something to do with our disappearance, and in this day and age, that’s all you need to ruin a perfectly good future. My way is the only way to ensure no one asks questions.”
“Dude, shut the fuck up,” snarls Blake. “Last warning.”
“I think we should listen, man,” says one of the guys behind me.
“River will talk. She’s a fucking cunt. Can’t help it,” Blake argues.
Cunt? Who calls a woman that, especially a saint like River? Blake should be the one dying tonight. Asshole.
“No,” I interject, “River won’t say a word because if she does, you’ll release the second video to the police of her burying my body. It’ll show she was with me and did nothing to stop my suicide.”
As I speak, the grimness sinks in. River will actually have to bury me. What a crappy way to show my love for her. Right up there with giving a woman a vacuum cleaner.
Fine. Yes. Maybe this is a few levels lower and more tragic. Toilet-plunger-gift level maybe? Unfortunately, I don’t see another option. I have to convince walnut brain here to let her go.
“It’s the only way, Blake,” I warn. “My suicide video will provide irrefutable evidence that you had nothing to do with my death, while keeping River quiet.”
I grit my teeth, hoping River won’t say something stupid such as, “I’ll never go along with this.” Luckily, the SUV full of walnut heads goes silent, and I know it means they’re nutting it over. Everyone except River, who’s bawling her eyes out. She knows this isn’t going to end well. She’s probably blaming herself. But really, she’s the only person here who’s worth a damn. These guys are losers, and so am I.
I mean, come on, a brother who doesn’t step up to help his sister when she’s being beaten to death? No need to mince words. That makes me an asshole, too. My life is worthless because I’m worthless.
Oh, but you stepped in hard tonight, Huff. Don’t forget! I say proudly to myself. However, I need to be honest; that act of bravery might’ve made me feel like the mighty shit for all of five seconds, but it’s not enough to make up for what I’ve done. Or haven’t done. And, no, I’m not just talking about Joy.
How many times have I sat by and watched someone get pushed, hit, or made fun of? How many times have I walked away from some dicktart plucking the feathers off a helpless chicken (aka, someone like me)?
And then there’s the day Joy died. I’ll never really know if I could’ve stopped her from dying because I didn’t even try. Too scared of Conner, Manda, and the rest. I can’t help thinking that tonight is karma asking for its pound of flesh. I mean, what are the odds, right? My first night here, and I’m again faced with putting someone I love before myself. Only this time, I’m going to get it right. The world needs River, just like it needed Joy, and it’s my duty to keep her alive.
Five minutes later, the SUV comes to a stop. The passenger door opens, followed by the door to my right. I’m jerked by the neck of my T-shirt outside and shoved to the ground. The dirt is moist and covered in leaves. The air around us smells musty.
I was right. We’re somewhere secluded and swampy. Screams won’t be heard.
Blake pulls me up by the arm and shoves me forward. “Move it, dipshit.”
Dipshit. Can’t they come up with anything new? Probably not. Low IQs.
“Blake, what’s the point of the blindfold?” I stumble, managing to keep my footing. “Either way, I’m going to die, right?”
“Blake! You can’t do this. Just let us go,” River begs. “We won’t say anything.”
Blake laughs sadistically. “Yeah, right.”
“They’re going to know it was you,” she says. “Even if you don’t go to prison, they’ll know. This is going to haunt you forever.”
“No, it won’t, because I’m taking Huff up on his offer. You’ll film him slitting his own throat and bury him. If you refuse or he fails, then we’ll kill you, too.”
I exhale, relieved that Blake and his crew are going along with my plan. Then the guilt and fear kick in. This is really going to happen. And it’s going to fuck up my family more than they already are. Plus, they’ll never believe I took my own life. They’d never buy that River, my best friend since I was little, would sit by and watch. They’ll start a new crusade to get the truth, and it will kill them.
But what other choice do I have? I could beg for my life and hers, but by now these guys are probably sobering up. They’re beginning to feel afraid. This plan of theirs isn’t such a good idea, and now it’s too late to back out. They’re on the hook for assault, kidnapping, and whatever else goes along with attempting to silence witnesses to a crime.
“Blake, do we have a deal or not?” I push.
“Yeah, sure we do.”
“No, no, no. Don’t do this. Huff hasn’t done anything wrong,” River sobs. “He was just defending me against you, Blake. And any of you would’ve done the same for your girlfriends if some guy was grabbing her breast and smothering her.”
“Dude, really?” says one of the guys.
“Don’t listen to her,” Blake throws back. “She had her tongue down my throat and her hand on my dick, begging me for it. This loser saw us and blindsided me. He’s obviously in love with her and got jealous.”
So that was the story he told his bros. And they bought it. Cool. We’re fucked.
“Move!” A firm hand on my chest walks me back. I’m expecting Blake or one of his idiots to ask River for her phone to set up the recording, but as I’m about to speak, that hand puts something tight around my neck and shoves me.
I go flying, hitting a pool of warm water. Tendrils of vegetation brush against my face and arms as I sink. I pull off my blindfold and scream for help, but the air leaving my lungs is quickly replaced by water. Gross, nasty-tasting, overly sweet water. I hack and choke and try to expel the liquid that’s suffocating me.
No use.
Whatever they tied around my neck is pulling me deeper. All the coughing in the world won’t give me what I need. Air.
The panic subsides in a fast, dreary second, and my brain starts shutting down. I know I’m dying. I know this is the end. But what gets me is that this means River won’t be far behind. Blake and his band of dumbass bedazzled super-cunts have decided both River and I need to die.
They’re going to regret this. It’s going to change their lives. And not for the better.
Wait. What? I’m actually feeling sorry for them? I don’t get it, but I am.
This world is a better place with River in it, and they’ll have to live the rest of their lives trying to justify why they killed someone so incredible. As for me, my life ended five years ago when I chose myself over Joy. I could blame fear, but it would be a coward’s way out.
I’m done with that.