The Last Supper

            The rhythmic crunch of gravel under her suede leather boots lulled Sara’s mind into a static state of nothing.  Her eyes were focused forward, watching the gray pebbles grow larger and larger as she approached them on the road.  It was probably early morning, or late evening-she couldn’t tell- but the sun was almost below the smooth horizon and there was a fine mist across the flat green pastures to her right, and hanging in the branches of the spindly old oaks to her left. 

            Creaking branches startled Sara and she peered into the oak grove, squinting, only to see a sleek black raven swooping off into the fog.  She tried to quicken her pace, but her coordination was off.  She couldn’t pick up her feet and her arms wouldn’t swing in their regular tempo.  Desperately, she tumbled forward with each step, panic beginning to set.  Still gravel was crunching underfoot ahead of her, but the mist and fog swinging on the ground around her had grown too heavy to see even her feet.

            Eyes straining through the fog, Sara could make out a boy’s face, jolting in time to his gait.  Sara felt a magnetic pull towards him and gazed directly into his eyes.  It was her boyfriend, Taylor.  Now the creaking oaks seemed to be pushing in from all sides of the deserted lane, suffocating her.  Their prickly leaves began scratching her neck and back relentlessly.  Sara screamed, but no noise came out. She whipped around to run, and woke up startled, coming face to face with her tabby cat who had just jumped on her bed.  It was six o’clock; time to get ready for school.     

                                                            *          *          *

            Sitting at her desk during second period, Sara felt her phone vibrate.  She slid it open and read a text from her best friend Alexis.  When’s ur anniversary w/ Taylor? it read.  That’s odd, what’s the coincidence that she would ask me that today, when my anniversary is, in fact, tomorrow night? Sara thought.  She dismissed it and texted back Tmrw night (this friday). She and Taylor had now been together for two years-since sophomore year-so he was going to take her out to dinner at a nice restaurant, if there was such a thing in the sleepy town of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. 

            When the final bell rang, Sara found a smiling Taylor leaning against her locker.  She ran up to him and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her. 

            “Hey, Sara, so I know we were planning on going out to dinner, but I was thinking since I don’t have to work at the bike shop tomorrow, maybe I’d cook dinner myself.  Meet me at my place at six, okay?”

            “You can cook?  Pshh, I’ll believe it when I see it, Taylor!” Sara teased him.

            “Hey, watch it, I’d like to see you make a decent dinner!  Plus my mom’s been giving me lessons…”

            “Oh, well in that case, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.  And I’m sorry Taylor, but I’ve got to stay late at the bowling alley again tonight, so I can’t stop by after I’m done with work,” Sara told him dejectedly.

            “Don’t worry about it, hon, Alexis and I have tutoring anyway,” he responded with a grin.

                                                            *          *          *

            Arriving five minutes late, Sara received a glowering stare from her co-worker from school; Sara suspected that she either did not know when to lighten up, or she was just jealous that after only a month of working there she was getting a promotion from the boss. 

            Sara finished work at seven, and headed outside into the brisk dusk to walk home.  She had forgotten how dark it grew in the evening now that it was mid-October.  Sara wrapped her pea coat tighter and pulled the collar around her neck.  Halfway home, on a narrow stretch of the road where the maple trees grew densely, a creaking noise could be heard, probably an old bike, she guessed, some two hundred feet behind her.  She walked to the right of the road, just in case a biker needed to get by, but the creaking of the pedals continued at a steady pace, following her.  Panic rose up in Sara and without looking back, she began running down the gravel road towards the dim light of her front porch at the end of the road.

            That night, Sara walked down the same oak-lined lane from her previous dream.  She came to a cross road right before the turn off to Taylor’s house, and stopped.  This time it was drizzling out, and her breath billowed out in plumes before her face.  She looked past his dew covered mailbox towards the front window.  She gave a start as she realized that she was looking at his face framed by the crimson red window sill.  He was standing just inside the window, smiling and waving at her.  He began to beckon her in, but before she reached the front door he vanished and her alarm clock went off. 

            She picked out the outfit Taylor liked best, and then hopped in her mom’s old Honda to pick up Alexis for school.  She and Alexis had been best friends ever since junior year when Alexis had transferred to her school, and she didn’t mind giving her a ride.  An old blue fixy that Sara did not recognize was leaning against Alexis’ fence. 

            “Who’s bike is that?” Sara asked as Alexis threw her backpack into the rear seat.

            “Oh, that’s just my older brother’s, but usually he lets me use it.  My parents decided it would be best if he came home.  He’s been having a tough time on the west coast with school and all, so his therapist thought that it would a good idea for him to be home for a while and find himself.  Apparently he was “disrespecting” some of his female classmates as the school put it, and was trying to start fights.  We’ll just have to see what happens, I guess,”  Alexis explained.

            That day at lunch, Sara found a note that had been slipped into her locker that read, “You won’t be his number one forever.”  It must be that jealous girl from work; she’s just mad that our boss likes me better and gave me a promotion rather than her, Sara decided.  She walked over to Jenna who was just closing her locker and confronted her, only to receive a confusing answer. 

            “No, I would never write you a stupid letter like that.  Plus, I was just promoted a week ago.  I start my new shift next week.  I would recommend you make it to work on time though.”

            That evening, Sara grew excited in anticipation of Taylor’s home-cooked meal.  After swooping her dark hair up into a knot, she slipped on a raw silk cream-colored dress and decided to add her favorite gold heels, even if it meant walking would be a bit tricky.  She closed her windows and locked the front door on her way out, shivering a bit in the frigid dusk. 

            As she walked down Taylor’s drive, she stopped, remembering standing in that very spot in her dream the previous night.  She felt eyes on her, and she glanced at the window from which Taylor had waved to her.  It was empty, and all she could see was the warm light glowing from the dining room light fixture inside.  As she clicked up the front steps, the edge of a bike tire leaning against the other side of his shingled house caught her eye.  Sooo typical; Taylor is always leaving his expensive biking stuff all over the place; he’s going to be sorry when it’s stolen one of these days, Sara thought with exasperation.  She lifted the brass knocker on his door but he whisked it open before she could bring it down. 

            “Wow, don’t you look beautiful,” Taylor greeted her, giving her the once over. 

            He was dressed in his navy blue button down that made his eyes look ocean blue next to his soft, dirty blond hair.  She sighed; he was perfect, they were perfect. 

            “Aw, thanks, Taylor, you don’t look bad yourself.  And it even smells good in here, nothing burned yet?” she teased. 

            “Hey, you’re underestimating my abilities, once again!  Just you wait.  It’s going to be the meal of your life, I promise,” Taylor said, giving her a suggestive look. 

            “Where are your parents? I though your mom helped you cook?”  Sara asked quizzically.

            “Oh, yeah, my parents, they’re up our cabin, and won’t be home till tomorrow night.  They decided to give us some alone time tonight, seeing as it is our anniversary and all…”

            “Wow, a night here all alone, with you?  Im scared...” Sara whispered in a sultry voice.

            Taylor had kept his word, his fresh spinach and Greek cheese salad and pot roast were quite good along with the wine he had snuck out of his father’s cellar.  For dessert, Taylor had prepared a fruit tart, with the help of his mom, he admitted, and a coffee with a pleasant, nutty aroma.

            Halfway through desert, Sara saw a pair of biking gloves laying haphazardly on the floor in the hallway reminding her about the bike outside. 

            “Oh, Hon, just so you don’t forget later, I think your road bike is outside,” Sara reminded him.

            “My road bike?  What do you mean?”  Taylor said looking confused. 

            “I mean, you left a bike outside and you might want to bring it in.”

            “That’s strange, that bike is in the shop getting the hubs replaced…oh, wait, you know what, that’s just my old frame out there.  Don’t worry about it,” Taylor answered. 

            Sara looked out the dining room window past the beautiful Taylor and down the blurry lane where the sun was slipping behind the flat horizon.  God that window pane is dirty, she thought to herself.  She gazed back at Taylor, and realized his tan face had blurred as well, hiding the freckles on the bridge of his nose.  The halos ringing the candles set on the tables glowed larger and larger.  She surveyed the room slowly; her eyes couldn’t keep up with where she wanted to look, and shapes were fuzzy on the edges.  What is going on? Sara’s head felt light, and she couldn’t concentrate on the conversation she was holding with Taylor. 

            “Excuse me, babe, I’m going to go splash some water on my face to wake myself up; I’m feeling kind of funny,” Sara said as she scooted back her chair. 

            She lost her balance but recovered, grasping the chair back.  She made it into the bathroom, only to discover that ice cold tap water splashed on her face did absolutely nothing to improve her vision or balance.  Sara’s breath quickened and she back out into the hallway where she stumbled over one of Taylor’s gloves laying in the hallway.  Kicking it towards the staircase, she could make out a rusty colored smudge where the glove had lain previously to where it rested now.  Kneeling down, Sara swiped her finger across the smudge.  Panic set in as her breath shortened.  Why is there blood on Taylor’s gloves? Why can’t I think straight?

            Questions flooded Sara’s head but she couldn’t complete a thought in her head.  She stood up, blood rushing from her head, and had to reach out for the wall to steady her self and keep from tumbling down the staircase to her left.  Looking down, she saw more blood drizzled over the staircase leading to the cellar and her stomach gave a lurch.  Backing up into the wall behind her, Sara knocked her head into the wall, sending her crumpling to the floor in blackness. 

                                                            *          *          *

            Slowly, Sara became conscious, finding herself slumped in a dank room lined with fishing gear and rows and rows of wine bottles.  The flickering fluorescent tube dimly lit the corner of the room where she could just see a dark shape, and a low buzzing from the light made her head want to explode.  Hesitantly, when she could push herself to all fours, Sara felt her way along a row of bottles until she heard a muffled moan.  She knelt, perfectly still, her dulled senses straining to hear one more noise, but everything was silent except for the ceaseless hum of the light.  She continued on, but halted once more when her hand landed in a sticky black puddle.  Squinting her eyes, Sara could make out a glassy pool of blood seeping under the wine bottles, just as soft scraping noise came from the end of the cellar.  Crawling around the corner, Sara let out a shriek.  In front of her was a blood splattered wall and a huddled Alexis against the moldy cellar corner. 

            “Oh my God, Alexis!!  What happened!?” Sara pulled herself to her knees in the pooling blood and tugged Alexis’ shoulder back, only to have Alexis fall heavily in the other direction against the wall.  Her once glistening platinum blonde hair was snarled with clots of partially dry blood and there was a gash across her forehead.  Her eyes fluttered half way open.  She looked at Sara, then at her surroundings, hopelessness passing through her shadowed eyes.

            Struggling for strength to speak, Alexis mumbled, “He…he did this…Sara, please, get help…Taylor, he’s…”

            “Right behind you,” a voice crooned.

            Sara’s blood ran cold and she tumbled around to come face to face with a smiling Taylor. 

            “Hang on, Sara, you have something there,” Taylor said sweetly, wiping her cheek with his thumb.  “Your suicide won’t quite work if you have blood smeared on your pretty face, now will it?”

            “My suicide?”

            “Yes, your convenient suicide.  You poisoned yourself.  I never told you to drink that cyanide-laced coffee now, did I?  How would I ever be with Alexis if you were around?”

            “Be with Alexis? What the hell are you talking about?”  Sara demanded, heart thumping.

            “Oh, I’m sorry, Alexis didn’t tell you?  It’s almost our one year anniversary.  Yes, that’s right; ever since she moved here last year.  The secrecy of our relationship made it so…exhilarating, didn’t it Alexis?  Sneaking behind your back all those Thursdays when we were supposedly at tutoring?”

            “Sara…please forgive me…I’m, I’m so…sorry…I didn’t know what I was getting into.  He’s crazy.  I never had the strength to end the affair, or tell you how controlling and disturbed he really is.  He made me put the awful note in your locker…please, just…I’m so, so, sorry,”  Alexis breathed. 

            “Oh, Jesus…Alexis??  Wait…you POISONED me!? What is wrong with you?  Why would you ever do this?  Why would you ever do this to Alexis, especially when you two are, are lovers?!”  Sara screamed with difficulty as her breaths stuck in her chest. 

            “Oh, be reasonable!  She brought it on herself.  Alexis and I were what I would call a happy couple, but when she decided that the affair had to end with our anniversary tonight, I told her I would kill her if she told you.  Apparently, she didn’t take me seriously.  She rode her brother’s shitty old bike over here to try and reason with me and convince me it was best for you and me to be together, since were the ‘perfect couple’ and all that bullshit.  I decided, out of respect for the both of you, to follow her wishes.  I doubt that she bargained it would end like this, though.  I guess she didn’t know what I was capable of doing.”

            Sara couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  The stench of the cellar was overwhelming, and white spots were blotting her vision.  With each rasping breath, she grew less and less aware of her surroundings.

            “Wait.  What about loving me? What about the past two years?!  Your just going to kill me like that?”

            “Well, yes, quite simply.  With you gone for good, I could do with Alexis as I pleased.  It’s a shame that I’m going to kill her-”

            Alexis let out a shriek and made an attempt to get to her knees, but Taylor was swift and pushed her down, hard, against the blood smeared concrete.  She lay there sobbing, head bowed.

            “As I was saying…because I really like her.  She’s a nice girl.  And I mean, sure I loved you at one point, but I don’t live in the past.  Once Alexis moved here last year, you were as good as gone.”

            “I can’t …believe …you,” Sara whispered.  “To think I ever loved you, or trusted Alexis…”

            Alexis’ sobs grew louder and more frequent, and Taylor viciously spun on her and slapped her across the face.

            “QUIET, ALEXIS” he raged. 

            Alexis began screaming, her whole body trembling. 

            “I SAID QUIET!”  Taylor yelled as Alexis kept howling.

            Taylor shook his head with pity and turned around, retrieving a dull rusty knife from the bottom row of the wine holders. 

            “I wasn’t going to do it like this, but since you won’t cooperate…”

            Her eyes grew large in shock and a blanket of silence filled the cellar as she pathetically scuttled into the depths of the corner.  As Alexis shook noiselessly in convulsions, Taylor jammed her chin upwards, and in one swift moment, slashed her throat.

            Sara sat in the pool of blood, stunned, waves of nausea rolling in the pit of her stomach.  He killed Alexis.  He KILLED Alexis.  In one rush, Taylor’s entire dinner was splattered on the floor, but the nausea still lingered, stronger than ever. 

            “That’s what I think of your dinner,” Sara choked, her chest still heaving. 

            “Ooh, still got some feistiness left. I like it!” Taylor said with amusement as he carved lines in the floor with the still bloodied knife.

            Even through Sara’s blurred vision and teetering view of her surroundings, she could see the glazed eyes and lifeless complexion of Alexis.  A surge of new weakness swept through her, and her muscles strained to keep her body propped up.  The cyanide had almost completed its job.  Sara slumped to the ground, her mind almost gone, but she could still match the scratching noise of the blade against concrete with Taylor’s moving hand guiding the knife over the floor.

            “Well, that didn’t go as planned, but it works in my favor,” Taylor said with a smile of satisfaction spread across his face.  “Looks like you just killed Alexis out of jealousy and decided to down a cup of cyanide to because you couldn’t have me.   Life isn’t always as it seems, Sara.  You’re just learning that the hard way.  And a little late, I might add,” Taylor chuckled as he crouched down, sliding his hands though the almost unconscious Sara’s hair.

            The cellar was revolving around her, and no thoughts passed through Sara’s mind, but she instinctively slapped away Taylor’s hand from her hair.  His intense blue gaze left her sick, as she struggled unsuccessfully to get on all fours. 

            “It’s no use fighting it, Sara.  It’s over,” Taylor said quietly.

            The oxygen supply to her head and body and was declining steadily, and she couldn’t suppress her body’s desire to let herself fall to the hard ground in complete blackness, but not before she grabbed the knife out of Taylor’s hand.  There was no way she was going to let him get away with her murder.  Managing to exhale one last time, she locked eyes with the confused Taylor and clumsily plunged the dirty blade into her own chest. 

            White heat penetrated Sara’s body, and with one last glimpse of Taylor’s handsome face, looking down on her from above with utter horror and shock, Sara’s heart filled with hatred, and she was gone.