second degree murder

here we go

"Well, now what?"

I looked over at Nicholas, covered in more blood than me. He got sprayed with the initial fountain of blood.

In front of us laid the corpse of the once corrupt landowner of the old funeral home down the way only a couple minutes from the local suburban neighborhood.

His neck torn open, blood had sprayed everywhere onto the floor, furniture, and like I said, Nicholas.

He took the shot, barely missing his head and hitting the old coot in his Adam's apple.

I practically heard it pop as soon as the shot rang out and then came the blood. I only had a couple splatters on me but Nicholas was practically covered.

Speaking of which, I should answer him.

I blink at him, shrugging, then looking at the corpse than lie before us both.

"We could dice him into individual pieces and bury 'em, or just try torching the corpse in an incinerator, or-"

He interrupts me, going over and hoisting the dead senior citizen onto his shoulder and facing me.

"That's a good idea."

He brushes past me. I raise an eyebrow, not totally understanding what he meant.

"What is?"

He doesn't look back at me, walking out of the room and having his voice echo throughout the beige colored hallway.

"Torching him. It gets rid of everything."

I sigh, muttering a remark about his pushiness before following him out.

We stuff the corpse in the back of our van, peeling out of the parking lot and rushing further down the road from civilization.

The road's details are a blur, as well as the surrounding scenery barely visible in the light emitting from our headlights.

Safe to say, we were speeding.

Nicholas scanned the road intensely as he averaged around 70 MPH, a test of his cognitive ability as well as his patience.

I always worried he'd slip up and get us wrapped around a tree - van and all.

A worrying thought, even if we are killers.

We're all human, after all.

He finally jolts the van, putting his foot on the brake as a dreary building comes into view, the light finally reaching it.

We pull into the gravel and grass-ridden lot as he swiftly gets out the car.

I follow suit as I hear him opening the backdoors of the van and dragging the corpse out by its feet.

He hoists it back on his shoulder and nods to me, then we both walk over to the building's rusty door.

It's a miracle this place still has power. It sure as hell makes our jobs easier. Working for the gang has never been easier.

Though, it'll only get worse as time goes on, so count my blessings if I have any, I guess.

We push open the door, it being ajar from the last time we visited.

A couple of steps and we sit in front of a large machine, a giant steel monster that is supposed to heat up metal, not flesh.

"Hold him for me."

He holds the corpse up by its shoulders as he hands it to me. He goes to grab a ladder.

"Where the hell did you put it last time?!"

His voice echoes throughout the room.

"Behind the barrels near the fire exit, laid out horizontally against the wall."

The dragging of metal approaches as he into view with a metal ladder, which he props up against one side of the machine.

He outstretches his arms, taking the corpse and hoisting it onto his shoulder, then putting his foot onto the first step of the way.

"Don't break your neck."

He scoffs.

"I'd like to see you do this, asshole."

I snort. Cocky bastard. Save for his impatience.

It took a while, but he finally dumps the corpse into the machine, and I switch it on, watching the thing slowly rev up.

He finally climbs back down and looks at me.

"Wanna go get some pizza?"

"Sure."

What a life.