Trapped

The worst roommate

"You've got to come," lisa pleads. "There's a bunch coming and we want you to be there."
Katie rolls her eyes and groans from her bed, where she was reading a book about baking.
"Besides, it'll be so much fun." Adds Sammantha.
" I don't know guys... A club??" Katie says. "I mean I really am tired."
"Exactly, you work loads of hours in the bakery, you need to lighten up a bit." Lisa says, sincerely.
"Come on, Katie," Sammantha begs "I promise you will have fun."
"Plus there will be a band and a bunch of hot dudes," says Lisa getting excited "it's time for you to find someone."
Katie looks up over the top of her baking book and says "Finding a hot dude is the last thing I want right now."
"Ughhh," says Samantha. "There is no changing your mind, then?". Samantha was always the smart one.
"Yes." smiles Katie. Feeling like she won. "Girls, it's not like I don't want to go," she looks especially at Lisa "I'm just really tired and I can't go."
Both Lisa and Samantha nod at her.
"Okay," says Lisa. "But you are officially the worst roommate." And walks out of the room.

"What's with her?" Asks Samantha.
"Since I broke up with John, she feels like it's her duty to make me happy," Katie says "she thinks I'm broken or whatever."
"Are you?" Samantha asks, eyeing her.
"No," Katie says, firmly. "Really Sam, I'm okay."
"See you later." Sam says and hugs Katie, then walks out.

I'm not broken about John, I just wish he didn't find out about me that way.
I was going to tell him.
I was.

Lisa and Sam went to the club.
They were actually having fun. It wasn't every night they get to enjoy music, bands and hot guys. Lisa worked as a marketing assistant and Sam worked as a low income model, even though she was pretty smart, and could find a better job.
After the party was over, they decided to walk home so they could catch up, since they both were busy and hadn't talked in a long time.
"So, how is it with you and Connor?" Sam asks.
"We're fine, what about you? Are you dating someone?" Replies Lisa.
"No, I'm done with guys"
Sam always says this and within a few days or two weeks, you'll find her with someone new.

"Um, Sam?"
"Yes."
"What do you think of Katie?"
"What?"
"She seems a bit...off lately."
"Well, it's because of working a lot and her break up with John"
"Doesn't it seem a bit weird that she cheated on him?" Says Lisa. A bit suspicious. " I mean she loves him."
"Loved him." Sam corrects her.
"Still, she wouldn't do that," Lisa sighs "I think there is more than she is letting on, and that's why she is broken."
"She isn't broken," says Sam " you should stop."
Lisa rolls her eyes.
Sam stops and grabs Lisa's arm "You really need to stop."
"Let go of me." Lisa cries out.
"Sorry, but don't you think you might be hurting her like this?"
"How...um" says Lisa concerned.
"You reminding her of John all the time, and of the horrible mistake she has done!" Sam snaps "She knows what she did was horrible and that is why she is broken," she takes a deep breath then continues "and we as her roommates, we must stay out of it"
"But we're also her friends." Lisa says.
"Then as her friends, we must help her forget."
"Okay" says Lisa.
"By never talking about it." Sam adds to clarify what she means.
"I'll just apologize for being an annoying ass, then we can order pizza and watch the notebook."
"Oh god," Sam rolls her eyes. "No I can't watch it. My eyes will bleed."
They both laugh and walk to the building.

Sam is opening the apartment door.
As they walk in "Katie we're home." Sam shouts.
"I'll go talk to her." says Lisa. Sam nods
Lisa knocks on the door.
Nothing.

"Katie open up."
Nothing.
"Come on Katie, I'm sorry but we need to talk."
Says Lisa thinking that Katie is mad at her for calling her the worst roommate.
"I'm coming in," she says while pushing the door.

What she sees in front of her is unbelievable. Unpredictable.
She feels her heart pounding so fast, almost as trying to escape her body, she could actually hear her own heart thumbing in her chest, her eyes fill up with burning tears, she couldn't see anymore... Couldn't breath anymore. Her lungs are about to explode due to the heavy breathing. No no no no, thinks Lisa because she couldn't speak.
It felt like someone cut her vocal cords. She leans against the door so she doesn't fall.
Hold it together. You might be able to help. You cant break, she keeps telling herself.

But once she knew for sure that she isn't going to do anything. She knew she had to scream. To let it out so maybe someone will hear and help.
So, she opened her mouth but nothing came out.
She kept trying.
Finally, she lets out a scream. And she keeps screaming and shouting and calling for help.
"HELP, OH NO KATIE," she cries out "NO THIS CANT... CANT NO NO."

Her aching body fell to the floor, as she kept sobbing, crying, screaming, and shouting for help.

Sam rushes out of the bathroom in a towel.
"Oh my god," she says resting her hand on her chest, trying to breath. Trying to focus.
She couldn't believe her eyes. Sweet innocent little Katie on the floor, blood running out of her stomach to the floor, the whole room was covered in blood. She was in blood pool. Her blood pool.
It smelled like death.
Death, Lisa thought.
"Sam please... Go see if she is alive."
"Yes, right" says Sam walking to Katie's body. not her body, to Katie. She is still alive, Sam assures herself.
Sam sits next to Katie and put her hand on Katie's nick, trying to find a pulse.

Nothing.
Sam felt nothing.

"She's gone," she told Lisa "we need to call 911."
"I...know," replies Lisa "but...I...can't move." she says with a cry "why can't I move?"
"I'll do it" says Sam Calmly.
While Sam walks to the telephone. Lisa keeps crying and sobbing and wishing she was as strong as Sam.

"She was stabbed," Lisa's mother tells the girls neighbor, she lived upstairs from them and always sent them food when she cooked, she was by all means nice.
"Oh dear god, how are the girls?" replies the neighbor.
"Awful. Lisa is in shock, she hasn't spoken a word."
"I could try to talk with her."
"Oh... I don't know if she will talk," sighs Lisa's mom "Ever again." and she tears up. "The poor girl, she is so," she stops herself "was," she corrects herself "so sweet and innocent, who could do such thing to her."
The neighbor sighs and shakes her head "I just hope they find him, I'm Sheryl by the way."
"Right, I'm Ronda."
"I'll just go check on the girls."
"They're in their rooms."
"Yes" she stands to walk.

"Hey..." Says Sheryl.
Lisa doesn't reply.
"You don't have to talk, but please let me know if you are listing" she says getting closer to where Lisa is sitting, on the floor in front of the balcony, staring at the clear sky and buildings.
"I made you a cup of hot chocolate," she hands her the cup. Lisa doesn't move.
Sheryl sits down next to Lisa and says "You know, talking could help. I'm not going to sit here and act like I know what you're going through because I don't... I really don't and I can't even imagine," she lets out a breath "but I've been through a lot in my 56 years in this life and I know for sure that talking helps."

She sure doesn't look like a 56 year old. I always thought she was 42 or 45, Lisa thought and took the cup.

Sheryl smiles to herself, and tries so hard to find the right words.

"The last thing I said to her was, you are the worst roommate," Lisa confessed. Her voice broken. "I don't want that to be the last thing I said to her" she cries.
Sheryl puts a hand on Lisa's shoulder.
"And I was going to apologize for every annoying thing I've done to her, but I'll never get to do that now."
"Apologize" Sheryl demands.
"What"
"Just say what you were going to say."
"I'm sorry Katie, I am... I'm just so protective of you," she breaks "because I love you and... I swear I'll never annoy you again or make you go on blind dates or talk about John ever again," she takes a deep breath " I want you to know that I'm sorry and things will change." She wipes her tears "but she'll never hear that." Sh coughs
"She won't."
"Then why make me say it?"
"Because you needed to let it out"

They sat quietly for what felt like forever.

"Talk Lisa."
"Which part do you want me to talk about." it sounded like a statement more than a question.
"Which part do you want to talk about"
"It's unbelievable."
"Isn't everything?"
"But, why?"
"Because life."
"I want to change what happened."
"You can't. You only move forward."
"But I don't want to," her voice got higher.
"You don't have a choice."
"What? I do" her eyes getting serious.
"You really don't Lisa."
"Neither did she, okay," she shouts "someone came in and stabbed her a dozen of times" her voice breaks "she was in pain, she was dying, she was so little and pure and she died." She cries. "No, she was killed." She throws the cup. "SHE WAS MURDERED." she covers her face with her hands and sobs.
Sheryl hugs her. And Lisa hugs back.