Her

As I sat there on the beach, seeing Nayeli’s body swiftly being carried away by the current of the river, I wondered how long I would last without her. I knew I couldn’t simply move on. Things would never be the same. To be honest, in our short time together she had taught me so much. The changes that came with being her friend were more than apparent. Nayeli wasn’t a good person though. I was drawn to her because of the way she made me feel. I felt purpose with her. I had always just wandered through life aimlessly, hoping one day something big would happen to me and give me a reason for living. Nayeli lived life with resolve. I think it would be painfully typical to say she’d lived every day like it was her last, but she truly did. Everyone and everything were a chance for excitement. Being with her was like always being at the top of the rollercoaster right before it falls. She was fire and she lit up everything in her path. I was one of the things in her path and I was ignited. But just like everything must go up, it must come down. She scorched my life, and so I killed her.

I don’t think I could have chosen a better night to kill my best friend. It was high tide and the quick current nature provided was perfect. The moonlight shone bright on the gravel and provided the only light for miles. The darkness provided a blanket. A blanket of darkness to hide what I had done. A blanket of darkness to cover the guilt that was not there. I was not sorry for taking Nayeli’s life, but I had no intentions of spending the rest of my life in prison. Fear was all that kept me from composing myself. I drew my knees into my chest while the sound of rushing water drowned out my heavy breathing. It moved in a hurry, like it had somewhere to be. I tried to detect a rhythm, anything I could shift my focus to besides what had just happened, but it was impossible. My heart was beating way too fast and I couldn’t slow it. It was like a constant pressure that couldn’t be relieved. I couldn’t leave until I calmed down. I knew that the chances of me showing any signs of what I had just done were more probable the less in control of myself I was.

The days leading up to today were not much different than any of our other days together. It wasn’t unusual for us to be getting ready to go to some kick back we had heard about at school or to be hitting the trails up at widow’s peak. I’d say most of our time was spent there. We both enjoyed trekking into the forest with a backpack full of snacks and a days’ worth of gossip. This was our happy place. Now, all it will be is a pain in my ass. My own personal hell.

Three days earlier

“Tara hurry up we’re going to be late!”

I poked my head out of the bathroom, flexi rods still setting my 4c hair. As if this would make me more presentable.

“Yeah hold on Naya, they still need to set for 10 more minutes. Since when do you like being on time anyway?”

Naya was smiling that famous smile. The one where you knew she had a plan, so you’d better be ready. Her dark brown eyes lit up and I could tell she could barely contain herself.

“Since I found out Tae was going to be there. I also heard Joey might stop by.” She said grinning from ear to ear.

I chose to ignore that comment. I hated when she tried to play matchmaker. She always made me feel like a charity case.

“Yeah ok well I still need 10 minutes.” I grumbled.

Present

A faint noise brought me back to reality. I shakily stood up, wiping the gravel off my hands and bottom. I looked down at my knees and shins. Small bits of gravel had been imbedded into my skin. It had taken longer for Naya to stop struggling than I had anticipated.

I squinted across the riverbank. As the moonlight shined through the trees, I could see a silhouette. Watching. Judging. My body involuntarily shivered at the thought of an eyewitness. As I got closer to the river, I began to get lightheaded. I steadied myself, straining to see what I had heard on the other side of the river. My heart stopped and I immediately felt sick to my stomach. Everything behind me and in my peripheral became a blur. I didn’t dare move. I was frozen. I could see movement across the river, but I just couldn’t seem to make out what it was. I tilted my head to the right, desperately trying to figure out what I had seen. I could see something fall to the ground, something small. Okay, so it wasn’t a person but what in the hell was that thing? As it wobbled into the light, I could finally make out what it was. It was a barn owl and it was limping badly.

To Be Continued…