Four-Way

Walking down the hall, it felt like a dream. I reached out, letting my fingers graze the walls, tracing a path in the dark. I could see the light fade as the door to the outside shut behind me. The shadows crept in the lfow of the floodlights. And the silence was consuming, like I was walking in a vaccuum. Without any air. I followed the darkened hall down to the second floor landing. My breathing got louder. It felt more difficult.

'This is a terrible idea' I thought, knowning I was putting myself in danger. But I felt compelled, and I couldn't help carrying on in reckless abandoment of what I used to call morals. My impulse for self preseveration was hanging by a thread, and I could feel it become undone as I made my way off the landing and down the stairs. The gym was large, and as I reached the first floor I hoped that someone would come find me. I wished that someone was looking for me. Somewhere in the dark. I hoped someone would catch me in the act, so I could get what I deserve. So I could get what was already coming. But it wasn't going to happen. I just wasn't that lucky.

I hesitated, a few feet away from the storage room door, repressed emotions crashing down on me and loud in the dark.

'It's not to late. I can still turn back, away from this,'

But then he called out to me.

"I hear you standing out there. Come in,"

The voice was welcoming to hear, and much too tempting to ignore. I opened the door to see the devil standing there.The one making me tremble as I shut the door behind me.

He was handsome, and he was awful. I instinctively turned to run from the danger.

"Where have you been? I've been waiting for a while,"

I shut my eyes, reluctant to face him. He was leaning against the work bench in the middle of the room, facing me.

"I got held up, by something" I said.

“I see,” I didn’t know if he did, but he sidestepped the issue all the same.

“Well let’s get down to business. Where's my flash drive?”

I reached in my pocket and pulled it out.

"No one saw you?” He asked, looking impressed.

“I have a way of getting in and out of places unnoticed,” I said offhandedly.

“I don’t see how,” He said, really looking at me. His tone caught me off guard, and I suddenly felt guilty for what I’d done. Theft was not in my usual repertoire. But…

He looked satisfied, watching as I wrestled in self-conflict. He suddenly gave me a warm smile as I looked up, and I felt like all the lights in the building had turned on. I couldn't help but smile back, instantly regretting it as he laughed at me. I reluctantly crossed the room and dropped it in his outstretched palm. I backed away quickly but he was faster catching my wrist in his grip.

"I'm sure I can trust you'll be discreet about our transaction?" He said, the depth of his voice making me sink into the floor. My heart started racing.

"Has that ever been an problem with us?" I answered back, ripping my hand away. He was trying to provoke me.

"I think we can both keep a secret. I know I can," The smirk lingered on his face as he rubbed the hand he'd used to grab mine, with a thoughtful expression. I looked at him. He almost seemed effected by, emotion? It was hard to tell.

"Yeah? Well you better keep this one,” I said, looking at him. He was reading my face like an open book. I could see that. But I ignored it, carrying on like the cold-hearted person I wished I was.

“I'll just head out then. See you never,"

"What did you tell the police?"

I turned, hand on the knob.

"What?”

“I know they called you in for questioning. That's why you were late, right? What did you tell them?" He crossed his arms.

“Oh, I see what this is," I said, turning directly to face him. "You want to know if I told them about us, right?"

“Did you?” He asked.

I looked at him.

“No, I didn't think to mention it,” I said, sarcastically.

He leaned over in a chuckle.

“I thought your code of honesty would have compelled you to tell them everything. I could almost interpret that as caring,"

I snorted.

"Don't flatter yourself. I don't want people to know, okay? It's my business,"

"I think you might have broken the law withholding that," He said, amused.

I sighed, already frustrated.

"Whatever. I've certainly done worse," I said, looking at him with full implication. Then I had a thought.

"Didn't the police speak to you earlier?”

"Yeah, they did,"

"So what did you tell them?"

"I didn’t know her. Honestly I’m not the person to ask,"

"Really. That’s suprising, because you seem to take the time to get to know your students so, intimately. It makes me think otherwise,"

He seemed annoyed again.

"I didn't, I haven't since...since we stopped," He ran a hand through his hair, looking away. Silence filled the room again.

"I'm surprised they spoke to you, actually," He said suddenly.

"Why?" I said.

"You're the only one that they've interviewed from her class so far. They've been questioning people who they think might be close to Sarah. I was surprised to see you on that list. I thought you didn't have friends,"

"Well, I’m not surprised you’d think that, because you don’t know me Ethan. You never did," I started past anger and resentment boiling over. "This whole thing was a ridiculous charade that you-”

His look cut me off. I started over.

“-that I, never should have started,”

"Ha. That's rich,” He said, making the notion sound ludicrous, almost making me question myself. He made his way over to me. Shivers ran down my spine.

“Oh I know you. You think I wasn’t paying attention when you were spilling all your secrets? I could see it all the time. I’m pretty keen Marcie, I saw a lot of things. You think I didn't notice the way you looked at me then? The way you're looking at me right now? I could see it in your smile...I could feel it in your hands," He suddenly sounded angry.

“Are you telling me that you still can’t admit to yourself that-“

"Stop it." I cut him off. The situation was starting to overwhelm me. I tried to catch my breath.

"I’ll tell you, the real reason that I actually came down here, ok? I think...I think you had something to do with this whole thing," I finally said, leaning on the workbench now. I tried to steady myself but my hands were shaking.

His expression changed.

"What?"

"I think you hurt someone. That girl, Sarah,"

He still looked confused.

Unsteady, I leaned away from the table, accidently knocking over a plastic cup full of screws. They scattered on the floor, the harshness of the sound rattling off the walls.

"I saw you with her. She went into your office that day. I saw her go in after the exam. You both left together that afternoon,”

He looked surprised. He didn’t deny it.

"You were spying on me?"

I ignored his quesiton.

"Her mom said she never made it home after class. I think you must have been the last person to see her that day. I’m sure of it,"

There was an agonizingly long pause, while he didn't meet my gaze.

"What is it that you think I did?" He asked. I watched as his fingertips gently grazed the top of a box cutter sitting on the toolbox bench. I couldn't tell if it was deliberate. It was becoming hard to breathe, and I was soon starting to feel like I'd made a huge mistake.

"I don't know..I think you're..." I said, losing words fast.

He paused, looking slightly amused.

"Why, do you think I hurt her? Because I hurt you?”

I felt like he’d hit me in the face. I stepped back.

“You don’t know what you're talking about,” I said, feeling mortified. He couldn't know, he couldn't know that-

"Let me get this straight,” He started. “You have no proof, you didn't tell the police anything, and you still think I'm involved somehow?"

“How do you know that I didn’t just tell them everything? I could have lied,” I said, starting to regret having been honest.

He laughed.

“If you’d told them anything I wouldn’t be walking around. A girl is missing Marcie. I'm a professor with past indiscretions, and a temper. Who do you think they’ll suspect first? I think you’ve got me all figured out. But if that's the case, why would you have risked coming here?" He said. I was too surprised to answer.

"I’ll tell you why, if you won’t say it. I think you like seeing me. I think that's why you came here,"

I laughed bitterly.

"I don't know what you're talking about, okay? You paid me to steal that flashdrive, and I did. That’s it. Besides, I didn’t have feelings for you then. I don’t now. Why would you think that’s changed at all?” Lie after lie; They wouldn't stop flooding our of my airways. He saw everyone single one. I couldn't get around him to the door. I couldn’t see pass his skepticism either.

"Oh spare me. I can see it in your face,"

He walked over to me. I froze as we both realized that in a possibly absentminded moment, he had picked up the box cutter on his way over.

I could hear his breathing. I could hear my breathing.

What the hell is happening? Is he…hesitating?

I watched him as he watched me, put the box cutter down…only to pick it back up and unsheathe the blade, smiling.

“Here. Is this what you want, for me to be a killer-” He was advancing quickly, dominating the space between us. I fearfully backed up, scared by his intensity.

“Do you really think I'm capable of doing something terrible? Something monsterous?” He said, backing me into the wall. His mouth hovered over mine for the longest time. It felt like a standoff, and no one moved. I was to afriad to. The tension was too high. I knew the knife was nearby but I wasn't focused on it. No one said anything for a while. We both fought our instincts.

“I...I don't know Ethan. Maybe... I don't know you as well as I thought,” I said, matching his intensity.

“God you're both pathetic, ” said a voice.

We both turned. Sarah was standing at the door.

“What the fuck,” I managed to say.

“How did you…what are you…“

“Really Ethan? Can you not help it or something? How many students do you have to fuck?”

“It’s not like that,” He turning to face her. I looked on, super confused.

Its not like that?

“This isn’t what it looks like-“ I started, but she cut me off.

“Whatever Marcie. I already knew about you two. I think everyone does,”

I glanced at Ethan.

“I came to settle something with Professor Hendricks, alone,"

She said, giving me a look of disdain.

“But since you’re here, let’s get on with it” She said with enthusiasm, picking up another box cutter on the table and unsheathing the blade.

“Where have you been Sarah?” Ethan asked.

“Around. I thought it might be more incriminating if your former student went missing weeks before another one of them turned up dead,” She said, looking at me.

“Sorry, what?” I managed to say.

“I just figured that when the police come around to ask me what happened, I’ll tell them that I fled for fear of what Ethan might do to me. After all, he’s an unbalanced man, and when I broke up with him-“

She took a violent swing with the box cutter, slashing at us. Ethan pushed us out of the way. I screamed.

“-he didn’t take it very well. He might hurt someone. It looks like he already did,” She said, eyeing me, feigning fear in her voice.

“That’s not what happened,” Ethan said, standing slighly in front of me.

“You know that. Put the knife down-”

“Oh I don't think you want to tell me what to do right now. I don't respond well to commands. You know that. You started this Professor E. I’m just here to finish it. You and your girlfriend,”

“You’re not gonna kill us,” He stated.

“I’m not his girlfriend!” I cried.

“You’re right” She said.

“Not at the same time," She said, sounding calculating "I’m gonna kill her,”

I watched, terrified as she pointed the knife at me.

“Then you, in that order. I think we'll just kill you,"

"I didn't know you had a thing for killing," Ethan said.

"I think it's been the turbulence of the twenties. It's hard to cope with sometimes. Or it could be all the cocaine. I'm not really sure,"

"So your plan is to kill us, with a box cutter?" Ethan asked.

"Maybe. Bill brought a bat. Honey come in here!" She cried.

A young curly-haired guy wearing a baseball cap stormed in, holding a bat in one hand.

"This was all his idea," She said, kissing him.

"I also brought the knife babe. I know you like it," He said, smiling, kissing her back.

"You know what I like," She replied. They quickly locked lips with an inappropriate amount of passion that didn't seem right, given the situation. They were soon a hot mess of hands and hair, spilling over onto the nearby workbench.

"Ethan," I whispered, scared out of my mind.

"We need a plan,"

"Stick to the walls. Whoever gets to the door first gets help," He said, looking at me.

"Okay,"I said, squeezing his arm. He nodded.

I grabbed a one of the heavier bolts lying on the counter. Ethan had a boxcutter already. I eyed the powerdrill.

"Okay, she's going first. Step up Marcie. Which one?" She asked, motioning to Bill's armory of weapons.

"I'm, going to have to pass," I threw the large metal bolt at the only ceiling light in the room. The fuse eruped, lighting the entire room in an instant, then-

Complete darkness.

The silence was nerve-racking. Only our ragged breathing could be heard from four people in a pitch black storage closet. I covered my mouth.

Someone moved swiftly to my left. I heard Ethan cry out as he intercepted it, as more things clattered to the floor. A fight ensued. I was terrfied, hardly able to move. I picked up the pace. If one of us didn't get to the door then we were both going to die here.

I was inching forward, when my leg grazed another. I paniced, immediatly trying to scurry out of the way. But someone quickly grabbed my right ankle and I soon felt something sharp go into the back of my thigh. I screamed in agony, as the knife went in again, and again, and again. I heard Ethan yell my name. I reach out for something, finding the leg of a metal stool I'd seen earlier. With andrenaline-powered strength, I grabbed the handle and hurled it behind me. It must have hit Sarah because she cried out in pain, falling away from my leg. I quickly scrambled away with one leg, moving forward. But I didn't know if I could stand.

Suddenly the door flew open. Bill let the light in, limping, looking bruised up.

Ethan rushed up from the dark and hit him with the bat, looking bloodied himself. I looked on. In the light, it almost looked cinematic. Ethan's animosity was terrifying. Undoubtedly, Bill went down. I could hear Sarah moaning in pain somewhere. Ethan saw me and quickly picked me up. I could feel the urgency in his step as we headed for the nearest exit, telling me how bad my leg must have looked. I turned, glancing back at the entrance of the storage room. From what I could see, there was blood everywhere. I looked away.

"Ethan," I murmured, feeling the pain in my leg. I felt strength seeping out of me, as droplets of blood hit the flooring, marking our path out of the building.

"Don't talk, you're losing a lot of blood. I'll call the police and we'll get you to a hos-"

"I lied," I said simply, reaching out to touch his angelic face, getting blood on his cheek.

"I know. I...you're the reason that..."

He looked down at me, and for the first time since I'd known him I saw an expression on his face I'd never seen. Adoration.

"I couldn't seem to shake you, no matter what I did. I couldn't get you out of my head. Ever since then, I know you think we were a mistake. It was, inappropriate, to say the least. But I don't regret us at all," He said. We were in the street and after he called 9-1-1 he started wrapping up my leg in his car. He'd driven us far away fromt the building, somewhere safe. I was starting to pass out, but I didn't want to. I didn't want this dream to end.

"Hey, everything going to be okay," He said, caressing strands of my hair, as my eyes started to close as they filled with tears.

"What if it's not okay Ethan? What if everything's not okay?" I asked, crying. I was so scared what would start if this day stopped.

"It will be. I promise,"

The light was rushing out of my eyes, and I was quickly resigning myself.

"What was on the flashdrive you had me steal?"

"You didn't steal it. That was my old office Dr. Mooney was moving into. The flashdrive had pictures that I took of you, before we met, during fall orientation,"

I managed to laugh before I passed out.