Better Off Dead

“Well, well, look what we have here,” Ashanti said, leaning around the corner, “Mr. Monkey is talking to Shell. He’s at about an 18 degree angle. We should be able to get him.”
“Good, now, go! I don’t want to miss this opportunity.” I responded, looking at her exasperatedly. She really was a piece of work. She could never work fast- she always took her time. Honestly, I didn’t even understand why we kept her around.
We crouch-ran over to the security guard, and, more importantly, his keys. His keys were attached to the back part of his belt, meaning that his back was conveniently turned away from us. It took moments to take him down; I took out a small rope and held it to his neck while Ashanti covered his mouth. There was barely even a noise out of it all. We took his keys and dragged him back to the supply closet where two other guards were already lying, dead as doornails. It was a musty little room, but the entire prison was musty. The night was completely black, with no moon in sight. The only light was that of the torches surrounding the place. The prison sort of looked like a giant cage with walls surrounding it. The cells were all in order and from top to bottom, there weren’t even separate floors. If you wanted to get out of a cell you had to climb down manually, which was a complete drag.
The blocks ranged from A-Z, and A was the place you did not want to go. The worst, most insane criminals were kept there. This place doubles as an insane asylum, and the people who were kept in cell block A were all pretty much screwed up in the head. I guess that’s why they put me there. I know the place better than anyone, considering I had had to escape from it before. They had called this prison impenetrable, but they were wrong. It was impenetrable if you didn’t have friends. However, I had friends. The only cost of my escape had been my boyfriend, Des. He had been caught by the security guards and thrown into cell block C. That’s why I had returned to this wretched place. I just wanted to get him and get out. Well, actually I wanted to get him, leave Ashanti here and get out. That girl bothered me. If it wasn’t for Des I’d have cut her out long ago.
“Adriana! What cell block are we at?” Ashanti asked, looking around at the maze of corridors.
“We’re only at H, now shut up. I’ll tell you when we’re at C,” I responded with attitude. This girl really grinds my gears. I swear, one of these days I’m going to kill her.
I started moving faster, racing down the corridor as fast as I could while keeping silent. The plan was to move fast, however, Ashanti was slow. I heard her loudly scream, “Wait!” This, this is why she had to go. I could not take idiocy, and she was the biggest imbecile I had ever met. I turned on her. I didn’t speak a word, I just looked. Cold and intent, I walked back to her. I motioned for her to go ahead of me. Then, as she was walking past I tripped her and assisted her with her fall. By this I mean I forced her head down as fast and hard as I could, and then I proceeded to bang it there till the light in her eyes was no longer showing. She was dead. Des would be upset, but it was worth it. She had had to go, plus the way she’s laying looks almost like an accident. As if she had been running, fallen hard and hit her head. That’s what I would tell Des; it was an accident.
I took the things she had with from her back pocket and continued on my way. I didn’t want the guards finding anything on her. The banging had made a lot of noise, so I now needed to be quick. A guard may have heard it, and if one had, I didn’t have much time. The entire prison was eerily quiet, there weren’t any cries or pleads here. Every single prisoner was knocked out by eight. Unfortunately for these idiots, they used sleeping pills, which means that any single prisoner could easily be awakened if need be. Like if, say, someone needed them to escape.
I finally rounded the last corner, heading down cell block C. From the message Ashanti got from Des’ mom, he was in cell 334. Luckily for me, cell 334 was ground level, and I quickly found it. By now, my heart was beating. It felt as though it was beating quicker than the speed of light. I wasted about five minutes trying to find the right key for the door. When I finally found the right one I opened the door with a soft click and slipped inside.
Des looked so cute sleeping, I loved it. He was so peaceful and quaint. His golden eyes were hidden behind his lids and his long black lashes. His hair was as black as this night and currently reached his shoulders. There was scruff on his face, and he looked much too thin. They haven’t been feeding him enough here. They would pay for that. I might just go after someone high up in command. Maybe I would kill the warden. No, I would kidnap the warden’s darling daughter and offer not to kill her in turn of some merchandise. Then, when he brings it to me I’ll slit her throat and take off. Yes, that would be the best. He would never get over the sight of that.
“Des, baby, Des, get up,” I whispered against his ear, “We need to go.” I shook his shoulder. Groggily his eyes opened slowly.
“St… Stasia, is that you?” He stuttered out. Well, that was annoying. I came all this way and he thinks it would be Anastasia? How ungrateful of him. Well, it didn’t matter too much. She was dead after all.
“No, idiot, it’s me.” I said, smacking his chest.
“Oh, okay, what’s up?” he responded, stupid with sleep.
“You’re escaping, idiot, now get up and let’s go.” He didn’t need to be told twice. He jumped up and we commenced to sequence two of the escape. “Shell is waiting around back with a boat. There’s not a lot of water cover, but it is pitch black, we should be okay. Now let’s go.”
We quickly made it to the fire escape exit; it was directly to the right of Block A, which was about one hundred feet away. I guess that the lack of electricity was a good thing now-a-days. Ever since the Elders had decided against it, crime got a lot easier to commit. This whole new world order was a very good thing. I guess it’s because crooks literally rule the world. The only reason we still have to go to prison is because of the fact that getting caught is illegal. If you steal something without getting caught, who was to stop you? Nobody would. I stole Des, and now I was going to live my life happily with him.
When we finally reached the fire escape, we hurriedly ran down and around the steps. We got to the water line and jumped in the boat with Shell.
“Where’s Ashanti?” Shell asked, looking into the distance behind us.
“We were running, she fell and hit her head. The floor seemed to have crushed her skull. She’s dead.” I replied coolly, giving no indication of my lies. I looked over at Des, and he was shaking his head.
“I… I loved her… She died trying to save me.” He said slowly, tears streaming down his face.
“You don’t love her, Des, she’s just a friend. You love me.” I told him matter of fact.
“Listen, Adriana, I don’t like you like that. When will you understand that? I only ever had eyes for Ashanti. No one except Ashanti, I have told you this countless times!” He looked at me with this anger in his eyes I had never seen before. Then he muttered something about going to the bottom of the boat and walked away.
“Geez, A, you shouldn’t have done that. Now he’s upset.” Shell said, looking at me strangely.
I didn’t care though. I barely even paid attention. The moment he had said those words, something in me snapped. Everything I had done for him. I risked my life and my freedom for him. I had gone the whole nine yards just to see him smile. I even got rid of that annoying little brat; she had never been good for him. Yet, I see no confession or love or reward or gratitude. I just see ungratefulness, and Shell, who does she think she was, speaking to me like that? I would do to her the same as I had done to Ashanti. Yes and then I would make Des stay till he loved me as much as I loved him.
Now, all I needed was a plan. I walked over to the ladder that led to the bottom of the deck and headed down. I went to my room inside. This was the best place to make plans. I had a clear head and a lot of notebook paper.
After much consideration I decided to simply take over the boat. I could lock Des below deck, kill Shell and hide her remains onshore. The plan was simple and easy. Des would be chained and tied up. I wouldn’t be able to keep him too comfortable, but that was a choice I had to make. Now, the only problem would be keeping this a secret from her sister. My carrier pigeon would be coming soon and Lucy wanted to visit. In one way this was bad, in another it was probably the most joy I would feel since I had been abandoned as a child, last seeing my sister on the corner of Amsterley where we were sent after the murder of our parents. That was a bad memory, I can still hear the sound of their flesh being ripped open by the blade of them man who had no face. Well, he had a face, it was just burned so severely that none of his features were really able to be made out; it was the type of thing you see in horror plays.
I shook that thought out of my head; I couldn’t bear to think of what happened after I had been left there, with them. I focused on the task at hand, the plans. I would wait until the others fell asleep and then I would strike.
I crept quietly around the boat, careful to make sure I made no noise. I first checked on Shell, who was probably the deepest sleeper on this side of California. Then I crept to Des’s room, where I found him passed out in a chair, which was actually quite perfect for me, really. I could easily strap him in there without him noticing. Since everything seemed to be in order I went back to Shell’s room, where she was sleeping peacefully. I lifted a strand of her hair.
“You know, you always were very pretty,” I said to her sleeping figure, “It’s really a pity that I have to kill you.” With that I took out the small stretch of rope I had acquired and pressed it against her neck. She began kicking and then she clawed at my hands, but after a little while this stopped. She had finally died. Looking at the perfect frame of her face, her alabaster skin and the golden locks that fell around it, she looked very peaceful. Well, besides the look of horror on her face. Her mouth was still open in a silent scream, her eyes glazed and unmoving. This was my favorite part of killing. I loved the faces they were left with after the little thing that was them was gone. Now all that was left was a beautiful, empty shell.
I left her there, in the same position and continued on to Des’ room. He was still asleep in the same place. I quickly zip tied his arms and legs to the chair, and then I waited for him to wake up.
“Adriana,” he said, slowly leaving his slumber, “what are you doing in here?” He was always so cute when he just woke up. It was just as cute as watching him sleep, especially now that he didn’t share the room with Anastasia.
“Hush, you need your sleep, sweetheart.” I whispered to him, watching as he finally realized his hands were tied.
“What, what’s going on? Why am I tied up? Shell!” He was frantic now, rocking as hard as he would, trying his very best to break his bonds.
“Shell is dead, nitwit. Just like precious little Ashanti, always innocent, always perfect. Well she wasn’t perfect! She was stupid! I hate stupid people! All they do is make smart people like us look stupid for being near them. So, I took care of her. She almost ruined your escape, she was screaming at the top of her lungs. She could have got the both of us killed!” I was fuming by now, and without realizing it I had got closer and closer to him with every angry shout.
“You’re so beautiful, Des, she didn’t deserve you. You need someone better. I can be better for you, and I’m so very smart. Why don’t you love me back?” I looked into his eyes, his beautiful golden eyes, searching for the answer. The only answer he gave was to rock the chair as hard as he could and head-butt my nose, making it bleed. “You ungrateful little… I’m going to kill you if you don’t do as I say! Nice Adriana is gone, now I’m going to be worse than those guards that kept you in Alcatraz.”
I meant what I said. I knocked him put with a wrench I had found earlier and dragged him below deck. It was hard work, he was really heavy, but I managed. I couldn’t get him down the ladder, so I just moved a mattress below and pushed him in. Then I chained him to the wall.
“You always thought you were too good for me; you thought you could do whatever you wanted just because you’re the only guy to ever enter our group. Well, you’re wrong. I’m in control, I call the shots. You won’t ever be able to tell me what to do.” I said to his sleeping form, keeping my eyes on his, and waiting for the moment they would open. He didn’t look so cute sleeping like this. There was a bit of blood on the side of his head, trickling down from where I hit him.
“Adriana, where are you?” I heard from above. It was Lucy’s voice; she had apparently ignored my message and decided to show up without notification. That reminded me that Shell was still dead in her bed. I could already see this entire operation going to hell.
“I’m down here, give me a second I’ll be up; there’s coffee in the kitchen.” I quickly responded, hoping she wouldn’t hear the desperate paranoia in my voice. This entire thing would be a bust if she found out what was going on.
“Okay, I’ll wait there for you.” She said quietly, and I heard her footsteps recede.
“Thank Allah, or whatever.” I mumbled, and quickly set about to gagging and binding my victim. “There, now you won’t make a peep and I’ll be able to get my happy ever after with you.”
I left him down there, cold and alone. He deserved it; after all, he didn’t love me. I made my way into the boat’s kitchen, and gave my sister a hug.
“It’s so good to finally see you! It’s been what, three months?” She exclaimed, looking me over. For all the life of me, I hoped that I hadn’t acquired any blood during the whole episode with Des. “Wait, what’s that on your shirt?” She saw it. This was going to be hard to explain.
“Oh, that, it’s just from a scratch I got climbing down the ladder earlier,” I lied, knowing it would eventually come back to haunt me, “you know how bad the splinters in the old thing are.”
“I see,” she said, but there was a trace of suspicion in her eyes, “Well, I brought you some honey buns!”
I thanked her and we continued on with our evening. Not once did she mention the blood stain or the ladder. We played cards for a while and ended up going to sleep early.
“Good night Adriana. I wish you could have lived with me when we were kids.” She said, choking a little on her own voice. I wasn’t sure if it was because of how much she missed me, or because she knew what horrors I had faced in the Latherier household. I didn’t really want to know, so I just turned away from her and drifted off into nothing.
I woke up to the sound of voices, and I realized Lucy was no longer beside me. I searched around, failing to find her. Then I got this crazy, irrational feeling that the inevitable had happened. I severely hoped it had not. I slowly walked over to the front deck, where the ladder to the lower levels of the houseboat lay. I swallowed hard and looked at the hatch.
It was open. Lucy must have sensed something was off. She knew about Des. She was down there with Des, and she didn’t know the situation. She was going to hate me; I had to explain to her that this was so he would love me. I climbed down.
“Luce-” I started off, but she cut into my sentence.
“Don’t you dare ‘Luce’ me; I know what you’ve done.” She had been raised in Upper Manhattan, the doctrine district, she didn’t understand crime.
“Listen, you don’t understand! It’s not what it looks like, I swear!” I exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders.”
“Fine, try to explain.” She said coldly.
“He didn’t love me, he loved her! Even after I got rid of her he wouldn’t love me, I had to and Shell wouldn’t have understood! It’s not my fault I had to. If I hadn’t he would have left me and I wouldn’t have advanced, I’d be so dead and unloved. I had to, you understand? If you don’t, I’ll have to get rid of you.” I said, fully knowing my love for Des would convince me to do it.
“This is just wrong, but since I can’t stop you, I’ll join you.” She said, looking at Des, whose gag had been removed. He was glaring at me full force, and then switching his gaze to Luce, who would just give him a hard look. Her decision surprised me, for who wanted to abandon their life of perfection for crime? It didn’t matter, though, because she had chosen to follow my path. I was ecstatic. We would be sisters in crime, and she would help me in my quest to make Des love me. I turned around to grab a chair, but something stopped me. I hit the floor. Then I felt something repeatedly smash into my skull.
Then I was floating. Not high or far, I was still in the same room, watching. Lucy had killed me. I could see why. I was one hundred percent crazy. The memories of the horrid childhood I had had in this lifetime had inflicted mental incapacities of great measures. I looked at my once was sister with forgiveness. Then I heard her voice for the last time.
“…better off dead…” This was the only wisp of conversation I could hear. I began sinking then, lower and lower into the depths of the Earth. This wasn’t normal, when my life reset I usually awoke with a moment of realization as to who I was at birth, then reinstated into a blank start. This was not normal. I stopped moving. There was a door to my left, I opened it.
“Hello?” I called into the dark abyss.
“Hello child, it’s nice to meet you.” A dark, horrifying voice reverberated around me, followed by a bone chilling chuckle. That’s when the lights in the room flared. A black cloaked figure was standing ahead of me, wearing a hood to cover his face.
“Who are you?” I asked, looking upon him with fear. Slowly, he reached up and lifted his hood.
“Why don’t you know? I’m the devil. You must pay for your crimes of this lifetime. You can’t steal so many lives and just run away with them. The souls of the ones you took wish to see you suffer.” He said, giving me a bone-chilling smile. “Welcome to hell.”
That was when the fire started, I screamed. There was nothing else I could do, this pain was deep.