My Roommate Isn't A Vampire

Day 8

"You're not telling me something, aren't you?" John asked. I turned my head, unable to look at him. "Caroline, I'm trying to prove to the court that you had no involvement in Phillip's murder two months ago. Your anecdote is the most crucial evidence to saving you from life in this... this... Hellhole!"

"So what?" I asked. "I belong here. When I'm here, I can't hurt anyone else."

John covered his face in his hands and groaned. "Caroline! You've got to start telling me details that are actually important to this case. I love hearing about your everyday life with Phillip as much as you do, but they moved the deadline for your anecdote to next week! You need to start giving me details that actually led up to his death! Please! I don't want you to stay in this place!"

I sighed. "I like it here, John. Here, I'm just another inmate causing trouble among other prisoners, Jackson treats me like a normal human being like he used to, and I can live my life however I want in here without the consequences of real life actions." I sat up in the bed and felt pain shoot through my back. "I'll give you what you want, but the result won't be what you expect."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was just after school had let out two days before finals were supposed to begin. During that month, tensions have been rising between Phillip, Jackson, and I. Phillip was constantly trying to tell me something but he would end up hiding in his room, saying it was nothing important. Eventually, Jackson somehow heard what Phillip was trying to say, so the two would fight every night. One night, was different though.

After school, I was walking to my room with Phillip when Jackson appeared in the parking lot. "Phillip, let's settle this once and for all," he shouted.

Phillip shook his head. "Jackson, we don't have to do this. What happened to us being friends!?"

Jackson stomped on the ground. "If you don't have the nerve to push yourself forward, then I'm going to push you forward! You've gotta man up!"

The two started fighting, punching each other in the chest and face, trading blow for blow. I tried to break up the fight but they kept their distance from me as the brawl continued. I got sick of it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When John noticed the tears in my eyes, he sighed. "I know this is a hard story to tell," John said softly, "but you can't stay here without being guilty of something. Just let it out..."

I nodded.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phillip knocked Jackson to the ground. As Phillip walked away, Jackson pointed a small BB pistol from his jacket. "You walk away, and I'll be sure to give you Hell!"

Phillip turned around. "I can't do it, Jackson! You know I can't and I won't subject myself to getting embarrassed because you think I should be a man! It's not even worth it!"

"Do you really think that!? You won't get another chance once your time has come! Do it already!"

I ran toward Jackson. "Put the gun away!"

Jackson threw the gun aside and turned away. "Phillip... after being gone for so long, not only are you going to lie to both of us but you're going to deprive yourself a chance at redemption? What the Hell is wrong with you!?"

Phillip hung his head. "Jackson... I-"

A gunshot erupted from an unknown location. A nearby window? A staircase? A car? I don't remember. All I remember is that large bullet hole in Phillip's chest as he stood there, eyes filled with confusion as he slowly fell to the ground.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I started crying. "I didn't give you... all the details... but... all you have to know... was that I... I... I killed him... I killed Phillip..."

John shook his head. "According to your story, an assassin shot him from a nearby location. There is no way that you-"

"Do you know what he said to me... as he waited for me to finish him off...?" I sniffled, trying to stop myself from breaking down any further than I had already. "He told me he loved me... he told me that he was sorry he was such a burden to me... sorry that he had even came into my life... only to cause me trouble..." I tried to wipe my tears in vein and sobbed. "He said... even though he was sorry... that he made my life... so difficult... so miserable... he was glad... glad that he had the chance... to meet someone who was not only willing to help... a total stranger find meaning in life... glad that he was able to fall in love and be man enough... man enough to... to... confess it..." I wiped my nose and buried my face into the blanket. "And the whole time... the whole fucking time...! I had no idea... I had no idea that he loved me... after all the nice things he did for me... all the places he took me to... and all the times he had been there for me... I could never see the love he had for me..." John sat quietly as I cried into my blanket for a few minutes. He didn't move, didn't speak, didn't even blink. I was glad he didn't do anything, because I'm sure if he did something, I would've lost it. After crying for a few minutes, I said, "To answer your question, John; I was the one who murdered Phillip. I stabbed him with the same knife that killed my sister... and my father..."

John stood up and sighed. "I'm sorry our little story couldn't end on a better note, Caroline." He pulled out a folder filled with white sheets of papers. "These are the stories you told me about your life with Phillip. I want you to continue to type up the story until you have reached the point where you escape this damn place. Don't leave out a single detail."

As he walked out of the room, I saw Jackson staring at me with sorry eyes just outside my room. I reached out to him, ready to call his name, but he closed his eyes and walked out of sight. I was alone. Again. No one there to help me. No one there to clean me of my sin. No one to save me from my own tears. I opened up the folder and looked at the documents. I read about my first days with Phillip, I read how Jackson saw it, how he tried to protect me, and how he was always standing up for me. I felt bad, but I knew where to go with it. I reached for the pen on the nightstand beside me, grabbed the notepad John left for me, and began writing.

My first line: "Day 7 (Continued): Once we finished watching the series, we couldn't help but feel split. Did we support the humans because of their fear of becoming undead or did we support the Shiki for their desire to survive in the world that hated them so much?