VICIOUS

88.

The next morning I wake up on the couch, a blanket draped over my body.

I don't remember lying down on the couch last night, which means that someone must have lied me down on the piece of furniture. 

I sit up straight and rub my eyes. My jacket lies on the other side of the couch, my shoes standing next to the coffee table. My phone, a lighter and a pack of cigarettes are placed on top of the small table. The curtains in front of the windows hang open, lighting up the room. 

As I look around the living room, my gaze turns to the kitchen. I can look straight inside it and my jaw drops at the sight of it.

I thought I had seen all of the mess last night, but it's even worse than I had imagined. The doors of the cabinets are open, the cabinets themselves empty. Mugs, cups, plates.. All of it is scattered around the counter and the floor, in broken pieces. The space between the living room and the kitchen is scattered in glass and liquid and it smells like alcohol. 

How did I not notice this last night? I could've slipped over all of this shit. 

In shock, I stand up from the couch. I carefully walk towards the bedroom and open the door. I expect to see Brandon asleep between the sheets, but the bed is empty and it looks like no one has even slept in it. 

Did he leave me here alone? 

I walk back into the living room, looking around, hoping to see if he may have left a note. 

Nothing.

I assume he isn't in the bathroom, since not a single noise comes from that room. I sigh and sit down on the couch again, grabbing my phone from the table, hoping he may have texted me. 

Again, nothing. 

Annoyed, I walk into the bathroom. I'm not going to worry about him. I begin to take off my clothes, dropping them on the floor. I'll just pick out some new ones out of Brandon's closet. Now I'll just take a shower and move on with my day, instead of worrying about the asshole that lives here. 

Today it's time for Sylvia's death. I want to be done with this list, so it's time to hurry things up a little. I have a plan and the only thing I need for it is a gallon of gasoline and a match. 

I smile to myself as I rub some shampoo in my hair, thinking about my plan. It's perfect. It might be cruel, but I love it. This is a great way for her to pay for the shit she has done. 

She's going to burn.. And I'm being serious about that. 

________________________________________________________________________________

40 minutes later I step inside one of the cars and shut the door. I throw a bag on the passenger seat and eventually drive away. 

I look at my phone in my hand, following the travel directions. Apparently Sylvia and Rose moved away from Oblivion, to a new house where they should be safe. I glance at the time and see that it's 11 AM, so Rose should be at school. I'll handle her another day. 

They all deserve their own pathetic death. 

Their house is located in the middle of nowhere. Inside a forest, surrounded by trees. Perfect, since no one can call for help then. 

Suddenly a text message pops up and I quickly look at it. My eyes shoot from the screen of the phone back to the road. 

Brandon: Where did you go?

I roll my eyes and with one hand I type back a message. 

Taylor: I could ask you the same. 

Brandon: And now I'm back, but you're gone. Where are you?

Taylor: I'm working. No time to text. 

I ignore the rest of his messages and keep on driving. After what feels like an eternity, I park the car in front of a house. It looks pretty normal, and I think that most people would assume that an older couple would live here, since they wouldn't have to work anymore. 

I grab the bag from the passenger seat and step out of the car, closing the door with almost no noise. If Sylvia hears me, I'm dead. It's game over for me then. Help will be here in no time and I already know I can't talk nor fight myself out of that. 

I walk onto the porch and carefully place the bag on the wooden floor. I open the door using a simple paperclip. A classic trick that never gets old, also because it always works. I push open the wooden door and step inside, trying to make as little noise as possible. 

With my bag in my head, I quietly crouch to the floor, taking out a cloth and the classic bottle of chloroform. Just a little will make her pass out. I quickly put it on the cloth and stand back up, leaving my stuff in the hallway. I won't need it right now. 

I walk through the house, looking inside the living room first. Like I expected, it's empty. A few pieces of furniture stand around the room, but it's clear that this place is for emergencies only. 

The kitchen is also empty, so I head towards the stairwell. Several paintings hang on the walls, decorating the place a little. I raise my foot and place it on the first step, which creaks. I softly curse under my breath. I can't use this right now. A deafening silence follows and with a racing heartbeat I wait for a reaction. 

''Rose?'' A female voice echoes through the house. ''Is that you, honey?'' 

This has to be Sylvia. Barely anyone knows about this house, Brandon was the one who gave me this tip. 

''I didn't expect you until 3 PM,'' She continues. 

The voice comes closer and I quickly duck behind the wall, hoping she didn't see or hear me. I hear her walk down the stairs, her footsteps approaching me. 

This is my chance. Once she turns around the corner, I can grab her. 

It always surprises me how calm I stay in situations like this. 

A figure walks around the corner and gasps at my sight. Before Sylvia can react, I grab her hair and press the cloth against her nose and mouth, so that she can only breathe in the chloroform. Her body tries to fight back, but I firmly hold her. She's not going anywhere. 

She stares right in my eyes and I smirk at her desperate sight. I bow my head down, next to her ear. 

''Surprise.''