Stalking Charlie

The Accomplice

Stalker

"Dig deeper."

My grieving little helper obeyed, shovelling dirt without complain. This went on for a long time, me and him digging on the ground silently.

"That's good enough." I said breathlessly, surveying our work. We had dug a neat rectangle on this patch of dirt, near the edge of the woods, about four feet deep.

He climbed up the hole effortlessly, and went to the wrapped up body near us. Once again, for about a million times now, I heard a sob break out from him. He knelt before her, as if she's a goddess or something, and cried.

Pathetic. I rolled my eyes. I climbed up the hole myself, and went to stand before him, thinking if it's worth it to smack him in the head with the shovel and bury him with her.

He's a liability. But no. He still got his uses. After that, after I get what I want, I'll bury him too. And since he's been obedient and helpful, I'll make sure to let his pretty face stay intact.

"Come on, we don't have all day." I pulled him away from the girl. He was holding her lifeless hand, and I felt a surge of anger swell inside me.

"STUPID FUCK!"

I pushed him to the ground and punched his face. I was surprised when he took a swing at me, his fist making contact with my jaw. I stumbled to the side, and he used that opportunity to make more damage to me.

Not that he can anyway.

I flipped him to the dirty ground with minimal effort, weakening him with a strong punch on his stomach. He writhed in pain, and I held on his neck tightly.

"I told you not to touch her, you dumb fuck." I gritted my teeth. What if her body was found, and this stupid boy's fingerprint was traced? I don't have to bet to know he will spill my name.

I really have to kill him, too. Dammit. Waste.

I was planning on doing that after I reunited with my Princess. But if this is the case..

I watch as he tried to pry my fingers off his neck. His pretty face is turning blue, his eyes red and teary.

"P-please." he pleaded.

I thought about it for a second.

"Will you be a good boy?" I asked, watching his face more closely.

He nodded. I contemplated about that, but then he's more useful alive than dead. For now.

I loosened my hold on him, and he immediately suck in air. I pulled his hair and made him look at me, determined to brand fear in his stupid mind.

"You know what this means?" I whispered to him. "This means you'll need to shut up. You need to be more careful. You need to be more discreet. Because, congratulations, you are now officially a murderer."

He twitched beneath me, and I need to clamp a hand on his jaw to make him look at me.

"You killed her! It was you who stabbed her!" he spat at me, scared but defiant.

"True. Too true, my friend." I smiled wolfishly at him. "But if you had been smart, if you didn't thought about sniffing around my back, if you had gone home instead of trying to know everything about my business, you wouldn't have seen her. I wouldn't have the need to kill her, because she saw you."

I felt a wave of triumph inside me as I saw realization dawn on him.

"My friend, I'm trying to protect you." I tried to look concerned at him. "If she had escaped us, she will babble about you. And you will be damned, forever. Can you imagine the look of your lady love if she learned about this?"

Tears welled in his eyes again. Really, is he a man or what?

"You know, she's actually a wonderful girl. A beautiful one. I liked her. I didn't have any intention of killing her. Because she didn't know who I was. But you.. she knows all about you. You were her.. what? Friend? Ex-boyfriend? It really doesn't matter now, does it? Because she's dead. And it's because of you."

Hurt passed his eyes, and fear. It felt wonderful, how good I am with words. It's easier too, because this boy's mind is very vulnerable.

Like Cassandra.

I stood up, towering over him who's still lying on the ground. He looked up at me fearfully.

That's right.. fear me.

---

Accomplice

I tried to hide my tear-streaked face from my companion, bending myself over the hole and pushing some dirt in it with my hands.

I'm burying a friend.

I remembered his words. It was painful, and true. It echoes inside my head, burrowing to the deepest recesses of my heart.

Murderer.

I just watched a dear friend die in front of me. I dug her grave. I'm burying her. I killed her.

I'm so sorry, Maddie.

All I can see is her bright smile. Her beautiful doll-like face. Her auburn hair. She's one feisty girl. And I killed her.

Oh God I killed her.

She died because of me.

Murderer!

I whimpered. I remembered how the knife pierced easily through her flesh, like a hot knife on butter. Her face showed the pain, and the shock, upon seeing me.

I grew up with her. We played together. I watched her grow. I saw her fall in love. I danced with her on her last birthday. I embraced her when she was heartbroken. And she had done the same thing to me.

My brain fumbled for something, anything, that will take my mind off the fact that I'm doing something illegal. The fact that I'm a criminal now.

My mind gave me my favorite image. Ignoring the bleak, depressing situation at hand, I thought about a beautiful girl with a shy smile. Her natural obsidian hair as black as a raven's. She's lovely.

And her eyes.. a lapis lazuli is nothing compared to it.

She's my angel. My own piece of heaven. And my heart is bursting with need to have her.

Thinking about it, I can't see any difference between my silent companion and I. We're both crazy about a girl. And we'll do everything for it.

That's why I helped him in the first place. Though I might have done a very, very big mistake.

"That's probably good enough now." he told me, his voice normal and friendly as ever. It's as if we hadn't spend the last few hours carrying a dead body and burying it.

I frowned as he started covering our work with some leaves and branches. In a minute the grave is unnoticeable. No one would think someone was buried here, if they don't know it beforehand.

"There." he straightened his back, smiling at me. "I'm starving. Let's go."

And with that he picked up his shovel and put it on his shoulder, walking away from there, whistling. I watched his retreating back, and realized just how crazy he really is.

I thought about stopping him. But then I remembered his words earlier, and those before.

They'd hate you. They'd cast you out. And trust me, you won't like it.

I gritted my teeth, swallowing my fear. My body trembled, not with cold or fatigue. Somehow, my heart knows just what to do.