Mourning.
(Author's Note: Ladies and gentlemen. This story has COMPLETELY FAILED to be an answer to the original dare that was given to me.
But ain't it still the best? :P)
***
I simply sit on the kitchen floor with my eyes squeezed shut, rocking her lifeless body in my arms. Letting my tears fall into her hair. I had to have sat there for hours, because I only stop when I hear the camcorder run out of tape.
I walk upstairs and retrieve her clothing. I come back downstairs and dress her, shoes, socks and all. The only piece of clothing left was the bra that I ripped off in the car.
I put that in my purse after I dress in clean clothes.
I comb the house, removing all my belongings and putting them in my car. I take the camcorder to the car and remove the tape, placing the cassette in the glove compartment. I walk back into the house and take one last look at Lita's lifeless form.
I walk over to her to clean and bandage her wounds. Then I cross her arms over her chest.
I lean down and kiss her lips.
"Goodbye."
I pick up the black robe she wore the night before and take it with me.
I walk to her rental car and inspect it. It has one of those OnStar GPS tracking things built in. I turn it on and check the house once more.
When I'm satisfied that I have everything, I keep the front door wide open and leave. Making sure to back over 'Speed Bump's' grave a few times as I do.
***
(ONE WEEK LATER)
***
I am the luckiest bitch in the world.
For some strange reason, Lita had a clause in her last will and testament that made the entire document void if there was any investigation into the circumstances of her death.
Ever.
But before the authorities were informed of that, they found 'Speed Bump's' grave in the driveway, I.D.'d her and took her to a crematorium. Seeing as how none of her living relatives cared about her.
I'm not surprised.
But I'm glad that they didn't care, or else I'd be in jail by now. I was a sloppy killer. And I'm also glad for the clause in Lita's will, because I never wore gloves in that house. Not to mention all the DNA I left behind.
***
I go to her wake. Introducing myself as 'an acquaintance'. I walk around, taking in all the attendees.
I recognize a whole lot of them from when I was stalking her. The people she cheated on him with actually showed up at her wake. Almost all of them.
I guess I wasn't the only one who she talked with. A few of them offer their condolences to the family.
Then I saw him.
He stayed away from the people I recognized unless they walked over to him. I managed to listen in on one of the short conversations.
***
"Um, you don't know me, but I knew your girlfriend. And she was a genuinely good person."
"You don't have to tell me that. I know. And I also know how you knew her. I recognize you…Glenn. I saw the tape."
Glenn attempted to apologize, but he was cut off.
"Look…you're not the first one to try to apologize, and you won't be the last. But save it. Not that I don't appreciate it, but I forgave her for fucking you. And I forgive you too. So, just pay your respects and leave."
He hung his head. "I didn't know. If I had known that you were seeing each other, I swear I wouldn't have. I don't just go around fucking with women who are spoken for."
He put his hand on Glenn's shoulder. "It's ok. None of you knew. Don't think about it like you did anything wrong. If you had known, I do believe that you wouldn't have fucked her. In fact, if you want your tape, you can come by and pick it up. I don't mind. In fact, she had her will altered a few days before her death with instructions to return as many tapes as possible."
They shook hands, tears in both sets of eyes.
"Since it was in her will, I'll take it. But if it weren't…I'd ask you to burn it."
They didn't say anything else.
***
After a few hours, I'm one of the last two in the parlor. I waited until everybody else had left.
He is the only other person.
I'm standing by her open casket. Looking on her preserved face. I wait until he leaves the room, and reach into my purse. I place her torn bra and the black robe from that night under the closed part of the casket. Then I run my hand through her hair and kiss her forehead, the cold feel of her skin reminding me of my own mortality.
"How long was your tape? And why don't I recognize you?"
His voice startles me a bit. I turn around and look into his face.
"The entire tape," I respond. "And we didn't have sex on it."
He walks up beside me and looks into her casket. She's still wearing the clothes that I placed on her body from that night.
"She had some strange requests in her will. No investigation into the circumstances of her death. Returning the tapes she made of her infidelity. Being buried in the clothes she died in."
"Yeah. Those are strange requests."
"You benefited from the no investigation clause…didn't you? You were with her when she died, weren't you?"
"Yes, I was. That's why our tape is full. We talked about…you. Why she was cheating on you. And she died while it was recording."
"The cops found the night vision filter on the floor. Before they found out about the will."
"I knew I forgot something," I respond. "She made a request of me."
"What was it?"
"To not let you mourn her passing alone. To be here for you. If you want proof, I can show you the tape. It would also explain why she felt like she needed to die. I heard her explain it…but I still don't understand it."
"There is no understanding when it comes to suicide."
He ran his hand through her hair. "I know she asked you to mourn with me. But I think you need someone to mourn with you as well."
"I seduced her. Fucked her in my car. That's why there's no tape of it. I wished her harm that night, by my own hand. I don't deserve to mourn. I don't deserve to feel."
"Still, you were with her in her final minutes. You stayed with her. I'm willing to bet she died in your arms. If that doesn't make you worthy of emotion, nothing does. If that doesn't make you worthy of my friendship…nothing does."
"You're saying that you want to be friends with a woman who was planning on murdering your girlfriend? With a woman…who murdered one of your past girlfriends?"
He grinned. "You made that bitch's grave in the driveway. You made her into a speed bump. I find that hilarious. And I'm glad you killed her, because if I ever saw her again…I would have killed her. And she would have suffered."
"Oh…she did suffer. I sawed off her head with a bone saw while she was still conscious."
"Sweet," he responded.
"You want to get some coffee after the funeral? My treat…and I think we need something to cheer us up," I say.
He looked down at me, his eyes showing something other than sadness for the first time in the whole day.
"I'd like that."
***
(To Be Concluded Next Chapter.)