Sandra Part 2:

Brutus whispered to himself quite frequently. Decisions, decisions…he couldn't think of what to get? Brutal thought to himself for another five minutes, irritating the individual in front of him. Brutus lowered the menu, and glanced at Sandra across from him.

Both Brutal and Sandra were out on that Friday night, enjoying the early evening at Casaloma. It was a bar and restaurant filled with an enormous amount of entertainment at eight. Casaloma was a fancy place, so dresses and suits among them were the main décor for the event. Brutal only had one suit. He wore the same suit as he did at the funeral. And Sandra was a city girl, for she shopped till she dropped; she had a gown for every occasion, and it blew Brutal's mind completely. He could never understand women, and yet it seems like they understand men more than themselves.

Sandra tapped her fingers on the table while waiting for Brutus to finish deciding. Her glass of wine was diminishing and she noticed that the waiter wasn't coming by the table like he used to. It's as if he's getting tired of waiting himself; oh, how she wanted another glass of wine; hoping to get herself on the brink of being drunk. She wasn't in the mood for dating, especially a man like Brutus, but she needed something to do in her life that wasn't work, work and more work.

Sandra wasn't supposed to be here anyway. According to Brutus, it was a men only night, but something in Brutus' mind told him to ask Sandra out for another date. They would come early, before the party and have a bite to eat, whilst waiting for their friends to come along later in the evening. Dean would still be at the mile, along with Paul; though it was only six o'clock. Brutus was getting anxious, along with Sandra.

A worker walked by; Sandra tugged on their shirt as they did so. Once turned, she whispered into the waiter's ear, asking for another glass of wine; it was her third. Brutus bit his lip then lowered the menu.

As soon as he placed it upon the table, like magic, their waiter came to their side, the pen and paper in his grasp, ready to write with pure relief. "Took long enough," he mumbled, in which Brutus could hear perfectly clear.

Brutus clasped his hands together. "I would like the house beet salad, with potatoes on the side." Brutus ordered as he handed his menu back to the waiter. Sandra helped aid the menus back to their source.

Sandra spoke once the waiter turned his attention towards her. She smiled, "I'll just have a Caesar Salad, thanks."

And with that, the waiter was out of sight. Sandra placed her hand against her cheek, and leaned forward. Brutus did the same, just to make the pretty woman smile. He loved it when she did so. She said:

"What?"

Brutus raised an eyebrow, "Just a salad?"

Sandra nodded, "Of course. I'm a grown woman. I have to watch my weight, unlike someone I know." Sandra pointed at Brutal. His cheeks flushed a bright red.

"W…what…I'm not fat, if that is what you are saying!" Brutus felt self-conscious. He pulled at his tie. He would probably be self-conscious for the rest of the night.

Sandra leaned in closer, and tapped on Brutal's hand. "I'm just pulling your leg."

"So, I don't know much about you," Brutus started. "It would be nice to get to know you a little more if you'd let me."

Sandra laughed, "As you know, I live in the city."

"That I do know," Brutal added.

Sandra continued with her hands folded together in a tight fashion. "You also know that I'm a secretary for the governor, and a florist by hobby." Sandra picked up the glass in a ladylike fashion and continued to drink. "You also know that I hate crowds."

"No I did not," Brutus said in defence.

Sandra looked up upon Brutus and snickered, "Where do you work? I would like to know."

"At a prison," said Brutus, now playing with the table cloth.

Sandra pulled at her dress from below, "Cold Mountain prison?"

"Yeah, I'm a guard there," he continued to answer.

Sandra placed a hand upon her chest, "You are humane right?"

Brutus raised an eyebrow, not comprehending the question the way Sandra intentioned. "Of course, but I'm afraid I don't understand."

"What section of Cold Mountain?" she finally asked.

Brutus took a deep breath, "E block. E block is Death Row; the electric chair. Is it humane…no; but the electric chair is what each convicted man deserves." –

"If it is justified," she interrupted.

"It is," Brutus said with irritation, hoping that Sandra would change the topic as quick as possible.

"Brutus, I've been meaning to ask you, are you alright?" she said with her hands clasped together upon the table.

"I'm sorry?"

"You seem very pale," she leaned forwards and placed a hand upon his forehead, feeling the heat radiate from his body. "Are you sure you are alright?"

"Yes," he replied, hoping to flee that subject as well.

"I'm sorry," Sandra said melancholy. She then looked up in surprise and soon the food was upon the table. It wasn't long before the both started eating, and a body sat down beside them. It was Paul.

"Good evening everyone," Paul looked towards Sandra, and spread his palm in front of her, gesturing a handshake. "I'm Paul Edgecomb. It's nice to finally meet you. Brutus has been talking about you almost 24/7; it's beginning to become a chore." –

"Paul!" Brutus exclaimed, his cheeks turning red instantly.

"Oh, you guys are eating. Maybe I should before the party starts," Paul commented, staring at a lone menu at the table across from him, "I see, the lobster here sounds delicious. Is it?"

Sandra shrugged, "I don't know, I don't come here often."

Paul licked his fingers and turned the many pages. He then looked up and spotted women servers, now dressed in a sexy and glittering costume. Paul grinned, "I see that the Flapper girls are already out."

Brutus looked at his watch. "It's almost seven thirty. Everyone else should be here soon," he directed his attention towards Paul, "Dean must be on his way."

Paul fastened his tie while speaking, "He's at his farm. He should arrive later in the evening. I'm sure the two of you will still be enjoying the night with us."

Brutus nodded, "For sure."

The waiter rounded the table, and Paul ordered the lobster that he died to try. Soon the food came, and the three dined together. It was then that Harry joined the crew. It took him a while to find their table, for it was now dark, and the shows had already begun. There was a comedian first, who to Paul was hilarious, to Harry enjoyable and to Brutal and Sandra, amusing. The four drank together. At Casaloma, there were no such things as beers; vodka and gin were the main luxury at the entertainment facility. It was then that Harry drew a cigar from his pocket, and inhaled the large amount of smoke from it. He stared upon the fabulous girls in the chorus, dancing and pleasuring the many men amongst the theatre. He was lost in a trance, with a smile gleaming upon his face. And the funny thing was, he wasn't even thinking about the women upon the stage.

Paul chuckled, "It's been a while since you've been here."

"It has," Harry drew a breath of smoke, and slowly exhaled. Sandra beside him, coughed. "It was twenty-five years ago. Never came back since, until now."

Sandra was confused, "I'm afraid I do not understand your riddles."

Paul snapped his fingers towards Brutus and Sandra. "Alright love birds, listen up. If you are to have a stable relationship, take after this man. His love story should be turned into a book. Isn't that right?"

"Life is too dramatic. Unfortunately, I do not have the time or the patience to write a book about my love life." Harry dipped his cigar in the ashtray. "But if you are dying to know, before my wife became a secretary, she used to be one of those flapper girls upon that stage. Mary was never the shining star amongst the many fabulous girls, but I was sure to notice her."

Paul continued the story, "Turns out that he stalked the poor woman, until she gave in."

Harry shook his head. "I did not stalk her. I just spent the little money that I had to attend every show, in order to show her that I cared."

"Awe," Sandra said. "This is adorable."

Brutal rolled his eyes.

Sandra urged Harry to continue, "So how did she notice you?"

"I didn't look at the woman who was front and center; she was nearly naked. Instead, I looked at that beautiful dressed woman on the side, and never lost sight of her. Soon, she caught my glimpse, and at first, she thought of it as creepy, but then something inside told her that something about me was right."

Brutus entered the conversation, "Then what happened?" He was slightly curious, for he never knew much about Harry's past; even though they were close friends. He liked to keep to himself most of the time.

Harry placed a finger in front of his lips and continued speaking, "I found the dressing room, and asked her to dinner. She never attended another show, and she soon found a more professional job. We got married a year later –"

"I was his best man," Paul whispered towards Sandra.

"And she gave birth to three children. We've been merry ever since." Harry continued to smoke his cigar. "And what's the moral of this story? Be faithful to each other, and if you ever get serious, a reminder that marriage is not only about love, but about commitment. No matter how boring your partner may be in the future, struggle through it, and you shall do well and be highly respected. Paul has done the same. However…" he stopped for a moment, "This is Brutal's first relationship, so I won't be surprised if you two won't be together" –

"My first relationship?" exclaimed Brutal.

Paul stopped Harry there, and laughed. "Okay, Harry I think that's enough."

So the four continued to enjoy themselves amongst the table, and soon the night for them was almost over, and Dean was nowhere to be found. Brutus left the table momentarily to give Dean a quick call. After, he sat back down with the party.

"Where's Dean?" Sandra asked.

Brutus answered, "He's at home. He said that his wife was out and about and that it was his turn to look after the kids."

"That's too bad," Paul said with pure sarcasm.

Suddenly, Sandra spoke up, "I was looking forward to meeting him," she said as she drank a large glass of water. She gulped it down, thirsty as ever from the alcohol and salty foods. The others continued to drink straight scotch and vodka as they watched.

Two minutes had passed, and suddenly, Sandra felt sick to her stomach. She felt something burning inside of her; inside of her throat. It tingled at first, but within seconds, burned to a huge extent. She coughed, her body out of control, spitting up the remaining water clogged inside of her throat. Brutus clasped her arm to hold her steady, while the others were caught by complete surprise. They jumped from their chairs to find the source of the problem.

"Sandra, what's wrong," Brutus questioned with concern.

Sandra pointed to her throat, and yelled, "IT BURNS!"

Paul started, "Are you choking?"

She soon lost her voice, and heaved. It was then that she screamed. "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Harry turned towards the audience and screamed for help. Many people gathered, attempting to help the poor woman. She shook violently, and turned blue; holding her throat, which burned as if it was on fire. After several agonizing minutes and terror for everyone surrounding, she didn't feel anything for once, except a small tickle. It was then that she stared into vast space. Her eyes rolled back, and she fell backwards upon the cold, hard ground; motionless.

Everyone inside the bar was in complete and utter shock.

Brutus fell to his knees and slapped Sandra's cheek. "Sandra, Sandra! Answer me!" He grasped both her shoulders and shook them violently, but there was no response. Paul dropped to his knees, and checked for breathing; none. He checked for a pulse; nothing. They all stared upon Sandra with wide eyes, not sure what to say or do in a situation like this. Paul looked out and about, and yelled at the people who couldn't help but stare. "Someone, get a doctor! Please, hurry!"

Then several other screams were heard; ranging from the bathrooms to other tables around the facility, with their drinks in hand. Paul could not bear to see the outcome of those poor people enduring the same thing as Sandra.

Brutus stroked Sandra's hair. He looked upon her throat, and saw small bubbles form from her dead skin. He wasn't quite sure where those sores came from; but he knew for a fact that she did not have those sores before or during the party. Suddenly, both Harry and Paul had a thought.

"Oh no," Harry whispered. "That looks like acid to me…Mary!" he yelled, and left the scene.

"The water," Paul murmured. "The water!" he shouted at the others, causing them to scramble from the room. "Don't drink the water!"

"SANDRA!" Brutal wailed, as he cradled her head into his arms.

Harry scrambled towards the phones. He dialed several numbers; first, a familiar one. He waited impatiently, hoping that a certain someone would pick up the phone. He feared for the worst, but soon breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hello," said the sound of Mary's voice.

"MARY!" he screamed.

She pulled the phone away from her ear. "Yes, Harry." She seemed unamused.

Harry breathed quickly, "What did you drink tonight?"

Marry thought for a moment, "Nothing, why?"

"Don't drink the water from our taps, and don't use the water…JUST DON'T TOUCH IT! I beg of you!"

Mary seemed slightly concerned about her husband, "Why Harry, what's wrong?"

"A girl just drank a glass of water from our party, and dropped. She's dead. We suspect it is poison. Others attending are possibly dead too. Paul and I believe that the water is contaminated. I'll explain everything later. Phone Jan, and Emily, please." He hung up, leaving his wife in major concern. He returned to the others, soon finding the many people gone from the scene. A doctor was at Sandra's side, and he confirmed that she was in fact, dead as a doornail.

Paul thought for a moment or two, wondering why on Earth the water in the city was poisoned. He pondered on who would do such a thing to innocent citizens. Then a thought came to mind.

"I phoned Mary. She's alright, and she's spreading the word about this to your wife and Dean."

Paul rubbed his chin. "Shouldn't they be alright, considering that we live in the outskirts?"

"No," the doctor said. "Your water comes from the river. The river might be contaminated. Even if that water is tainted, I wouldn't take any chances."

Paul stood up, and reached Harry's height. As Brutal mourned, Harry locked his eyes with Paul. "Do you know who could have done this?"

Paul licked his lips, "I wish not to say. It's too early. The news tomorrow morning will decipher what's going on? We'll know if the water is poisoned by seeing how many are dead in the morning."

Chapter eighteen coming soon...