Idle Tales

The Lakehouse

March 23, 2020

N I C K

Natalia could only stare at him.

Nick's whole demeanor seemed to shift. He was calm, at ease, like an artist relishing his masterpiece.

"I put Ally upto it, in APChem class. Knowing her, she wasn't about to keep calm, she found out about you two," he says, addressing Lana and Natalia. "She'd want to seek retribution, I knew it."

"Wait, what did Lana do?", asks Nat.

"Oh sweetheart, you are so unperceptive." Natalia felt the hair rise on her skin with the tone of Nick's contemptuous voice. "She was the one responsible for Alex's accident. She'd called the emergency number from Ally's phone – a clever move I thought she wasn't capable of – and then fled the scene. It did speed things up for me, I won't lie."

"How –"

"Because I was there; I was Ally's designated driver. She must've forgotten, for she'd called Lana. I was returning home behind them, thinking the night to be a waste. It turned out to be a fateful one, though." A smirk lighted his features. "Where d'you think Alex's body went?"

A look of dubious comprehension dawned on Natalia's face. Beside her, Lana and Alyse were breathing rapidly, looking dizzy.

"Human nature favored me too ... I knew Ally would seek out the truth; however, her efforts were only limited to finding her innocence and plotting vengeance against you and Lana. Little did she know; had she looked at the clips longer, she'd have found me guilty. But," he gave a small laugh, " ... basic human tendencies.

"Anyway, I'd taken him with me – he was very uncompromising in that state, mind you – and fixed him the best I could. He has TBI, might die in a couple weeks," he adds nonchalantly.

At the look on Natalia's face, he begins, "Oh come on, Nat, don't you see it yet? I'm shielding you from him. I love you – I have loved you for years. But you had to fall for my good-for-nothing cousin, always in trouble instead of class; getting in fights with anything with two legs.

"And here was I, top of the class, helping you for tests, guiding you, protecting you. Tonight, too, those beans were for you and Lana; I merely switched the garnishing. 

"Lana wasn't a good friend to you, (she helped my cause though); Alyse was out for blood. No offense to you guys–", he adds to the two girls, on the verge of fainting, "Sorry you were dragged into this. But I did everything, only for you. I was – am – keeping you safe", he softens, looking at Natalia.

"You're sick", Natalia breathes heavily, backing into the wall; thinking of viable options. The lakehouse had top-notch security, she knew it. Even if she could get out, it was lockdown. No one would take her in for fear of infection.  

Her stomach drops as a horrific realization hits her: She was stuck there with a psychopath.