Summer's End

Chapter 26

The room grew mute. The only sound was Celeste's harsh breathing. The voice pulled down the hood covering their identity.

Recognition spread over her face.

"Dario?" Celeste couldn't believe it. It was the guy Remy talked about. The one who was accused of killing his mother. Now he was in front of her, aiming a knife in her direction.

"That's right." Dario said, drawing closer to her. She staggered back, eyeing the knife.

"What are you doing with that?" She gestured to the silver object.

He peered at it casually, as if it just happened to be in his possession. "You're not the one who should be asking the questions. You just stand there and listen to what I have to say."

Celeste's roommates observed the interaction with fear. Although Dior appeared amused. They knew they couldn't do or say anything. Dario couldn't even see them. Nor hear them.

"What do you want Dario? Whatever it is I'll help you." Celeste tried to reason with him with her hands above her shoulders.

Dario let out a stale laugh. "No you can't help me. I'm wondering how you'll help yourself explain what I'm going to ask you." He carelessly flipped the knife around in his hand.

Before Celeste could say anything Dario went on, "The night my mom died, she was at your dad's office. She was severely depressed you see, she didn't have any other choice. She needed something. Anything to get her hands on. To end the pain......"

Celeste didn't understand what he was getting at. What does my dad have to do with this? I didn't even know he knew Dario's mother. Still she listened on, hanging onto every sentence he spoke.

"....So she asked your dad to prescribe some anti-depressant pills. Not only one though, but a lot. Your dad didn't even warn her that taking too much at a time, could cause an overdose. He gladly handed them all off to her."

Dario was shaking now. The knife practically quivered in his palm.

"So that night." He paused a second to take a deep breath. "She told me goodnight and went to bed. I knew something was wrong though because of her tone. Her expression- something was off." He explained, scratching his neck.

"So I followed her when she went to her bathroom. I hovered right near her door and watched it all. Swallowing pills after pills. I couldn't even stop her. I was frozen. My voice was caught in my throat."

By the tone of his voice Celeste could clearly see he felt guilty. The way his voice was masked with hurt and anger. She would've consoled him too if a knife wasn't pointed at her.

"I thought she would be okay." His voice cracked at the end of that sentence.

"But she wasn't. After it was all gone, she was unconscious. Her body was convulsing. Now I ran to her and put a hand on her cheek. I tried to open her eyes but they wouldn't budge."

He didn't say anything for a while after that. His eyes were glued to the ceiling. Celeste decided it was time for her to speak up.

"Dario... I'm so sorry for-" She was caught off by his sharp voice.

"Just shut the fuck up and let me finish!" Dario hissed at her, stabbing the knife in the air.

Celeste obliged with her hands up again. All she wanted was that knife to get out of his hand.

"As I was saying. I screamed at my mom to wake up. I was shaking her shoulders, yelling in her ear, and anything you can imagine. My neighbor heard and barged into the door. She didn't even say anything before she called the cops."

"Before I knew it, I was charged with my mother's murder. Except I was a minor so they sent me to juvie first." He sighed.

Dario slowly stalked over to Celeste. She stared at him intensely, waiting for him to strike.

"But you know what's funny?" It was rhetorical.

"I didn't get charged. Those dumb asses finally realized she overdosed. Then I got to get out. But no not without getting justice. I wasted 3 years for something I didn't even do." He stood in front of the bed frame and etched something into the wood.

"So of course I tracked down the daughter of the doctor who prescribed my mom those pills." He turned back to Celeste, the knife facing her.

"Finish what started everything."

Celeste stayed out of his reach. She needed to get to the door without him stabbing her. Except her brain was empty.

"Dario! That wasn't even me! It was my dad- and I'm sorry for what he did. But he's a doctor, it's his job to prescribe pills. Please!" She pleaded clasping her hands.

He didn't respond only drew even more near her.

"Dario stop. I'm sorry for what my dad did. I'm sorry about your mom overdosing. I'm sorry for every single pain you're feeling right now." Celeste rambled on.

The rest of the girls faces were in horror. Mel covered her eyes, Tiara averted her gaze, Janet bit her lip in uncertainty, and even Dior looked almost remorseful.

Suddenly Dario briskly edged toward Celeste. Everything seemed to be in slow motion to Celeste. All she knew was there was no time to escape.

The knife was the only thing that blocked her vision. She could even see her reflection bouncing off of it. In an instant, the knife plunged into her side.

The pain was appalling as she felt her body hit the cold floor. She could feel herself lose consciousness.

Celeste's eyes dropped lower and lower. The last thing she saw was red.