Crevasse.

Chapter 2

Standing in the kitchen next to Ava, we talked as we made breakfast. “That killer better get his sorry ass out of town,” she ranted, “I mean how much longer are we just going to sit around scared?” I just nodded, flipping pancakes and looking out to the porch where Isaac was standing. It was easy for her to say. She had no clue how dangerous the stalker was. The way he watched, like a snake about to strike. He knew everything. And when he locked in on a target, they were doomed.

I gasped as the pan caught fire and my pancakes were ruined. “You know what, let’s just go to the café and eat something,” Ava looked at me worriedly. I nodded again and went up to Lucas’s room to wake him. I stood outside the door and looked fondly at my sleeping twin brother, an irony since he looked nothing like me. At six feet tall, he towered over my five-foot-nothing frame. His quick, easy smile, dorky glasses and vast knowledge about everything under the sun gave him an air of intellectuality that was unmatched. He was a fan of Mumford and Sons. I loved The Killers and The Talking Heads. Despite his nerdiness, Ava had fallen for him the moment she saw him and he did make her happy. It was really gross.

I walked in and conked him over the head and laughed as he jumped up, squinting because he’s blind as a bat without his glasses. I passed him his glasses and told him to get ready since we were going out for breakfast. As I walked out of his room, I saw a shadow disappear into my bedroom, which was just opposite Lucas’s. “Ava?” I called. “Isaac?” When no one replied, I stormed into my room and looked around. There was no one. I thought I saw something moving in my closet. My blood ran cold. I covered the distance in three strides and threw open the closet door. Nothing. I turned around and stared at the couch where Isaac had spent the night. The cushions were lying on the floor, and I picked one up and sat on the couch, clutching it. I looked at the bed, my favorite red blanket lying twisted on it. I checked under the bed too, just to be sure. I stood up and took a last look around, grabbed my jacket from the couch, then strode out of the room.

Once in the car with Isaac, we hardly talked. He insisted on driving and I let him. As I stared out the window, I saw dark shadows everywhere. Behind the trees, under cars, in windows of houses we passed… he was everywhere. Why wouldn’t he leave me alone?

“I’m sorry about yesterday. I wasn’t much of a comfort,” I said, looking at him. He smiled and looked at me, “Chloe, it wasn’t your fault. I know you didn’t like Emily much. But it still must have shocked you.” “Yeah well you clearly liked her more than I did,” I said, looking at him flinch. “Look I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up,” I said, immediately regretting it. “Its okay,” he said looking at me again. I heard Lucas ask Ava, “So, where were you last night?” “I was at home. With you. Remember?” She said looking at him, amused. “No, like I said, when I woke up to get a drink of water and to check on you, I couldn’t find you anywhere,” he frowned. She looked at him saying, “I was out sharpening my knives and spying,” Ava grinned, “Just kidding, I was in the bathroom. Felt sick again. Isaac laughed and ruffled my hair saying, “Anyway, I heard from one of the guys that the police soon found whatever was left of Emily on the beach and they took it in for a post mortem.” “Oh. I hope they find out who did such an awful thing and end our fear of being the next one to be taken out.”

There was a huge crowd at the café as Isaac helped me out of the car. Ava and Lucas quickly went made their way inside the parking lot, standing with a circle of our classmates from school as they talked, one her hand clamped over her mouth. Lucas was holding her up as her face was turning green. I pushed through the crowd and my vision tunneled as I saw what everyone was staring at. Then I felt as if the ground moved from underneath my feet.

 Nick. Just lying there. His face… covered in blood, the stab wound on his chest so obvious. His usually tan, handsome face unnaturally pale. His blue eyes open and terrified. Nick. My classmate. The tennis player. The math genius. The adrenaline junkie. Nick.

My eyes fluttered open as Isaac gently tapped the side of my face. My tunnel vision broadened and I saw Ava and Lucas standing and looking at me worriedly. I sat up and took the bottle of water Isaac was holding out to me and drank. Ava and Isaac helped me up as Lucas was being questioned by a cop who had just arrived. I saw the others there, some racked with loud sobs while others just let silent tears slide down their faces. He had had a lot of friends and he was nice to everybody.

 As soon as I saw Nick’s body again I felt last night’s nausea returning and I ran to the nearest tree and threw up. I felt the sobs shaking my body uncontrollably as I curled up under the tree, wishing he’d just kill me already. Why did he have to prolong it so much? Why did have to kill everyone around me? Why didn’t he just kill me and get it over with? Why? I realized someone was sitting next to me and I looked up from where I’d pressed my face into the cool grass. It was the shadow. “Why are you doing this to me? Why? Just kill me. Please!” I pleaded with him.

“Chloe? What are you talking about?” I heard the voice that I could recognize even if I was hearing it from across the Pacific Ocean. Then my vision cleared and I realized it was Isaac. I started crying again when I saw the hurt and confusion in Isaac’s eyes. He looked at me like he wanted an explanation, like he wanted me to tell him what was going on. But I couldn’t. I just crawled to him and buried my face in his chest, sobbing into his jacket. He pulled me closer and we sat there like that for God knows how long. Somehow, sitting there in his lap, him hugging me like he actually meant it, made me feel like maybe there was a reason in the world that I’d want to live.