Slater | Nick Goode

6.2

    She could barely reach it, but she managed to grab her knife. She flicked it open, jabbing Logan in the shoulder and kicking him off of her. He yelled out in pain, clutching his shoulder and dropping the bat.
     "Can't we talk this out?" Ellie joked, she was gasping and desperately trying to catch her breath.
     "You didn't come here to talk out some unresolved trauma, Estella. Get real."
     "Okay, let's get real, then," Ellie swung a left hook, aiming for his eye. He ducked, and she missed, critically, and ended up hitting his jaw. He didn't stumble very far, just enough for him to hit the wall. Ellie took her chance, grabbing her knife and pushing it against his throat, "I want answers."
     Logan's chin was pointed up, he was looking down at Ellie with fear in his eyes, "you really are just like me, Estella."
    "I am nothing like you. One last name, Logan. That's it. That's all we have in common."
    "Look at you! You have a knife to my throat," he chuckled, but didn't move his head that much to try and not snip his skin, "you're going to kill me. Who else have you killed, Estella?"
    Names and faces reeled through her mind.
    Gary
    Cindy
    Melissa
    Alice
    Jeremy
    Arnie
    Tommy
    Joan
    Stacy
    Sean
    Rod
    Astin
    Simon
    Kate
    Heather
    Ryan
    Peter
    Or did he mean more than physically?
    More faces, more names.
    Ziggy
    Sage
    Kat
    Nick
    Sabrina
    The parents.

    Oh god, all of those fucking parents.

    "Fuck you," she spat, pressing the blade deeper into his skin, "you'll be my last."
    "Wait! Wait," he squirmed under her grip, "you want answers? I can give you the answers, I'm the only one who can anymore."
    Ellie was silent for a second, "how long?"
    "Since you were 15," he answered, immediately knowing what she meant.
"Why you? Why did Melissa pick you?"
"It wasn't her choice."
"...Chris?"
He nodded slowly, still avoiding the blade.
"How'd you... oh. Ruby Lane," everything started to make sense to Ellie. Logan was a bondsman. He could get someone out of huge legal trouble. Chris must have talked to him before sacrificing Ruby to see which one would better play out for him after the affair.
"Melissa originally chose Brian Howard, that boy she had grew up with."
For a second, Ellie's gut was filled with pity. This is why she hated the Slater's, Logan's kids were a constant reminder of what she had to do, what she had no choice in. The pity washed away quickly.
    "Why Tommy? Was there a reason behind it?"
    "Dear god, no. I didn't pick your brother, Estella. You think I wanted to kill my own son?"
    Ellie already knew the answer, but she asked anyway, "who's name was supposed to be on that rock that summer?"
    He took a breath, still trying to reach his chin away from the weapon, "there were a couple of different options. The head boy, Jimmy's son."
    Kurt.
    "Nicholas, but Melissa refused."
    Nick.
    "The druggie, the one Melissa told me about. She used to sell to you," he laughed, "but she was apparently 'too nice'."
     Joan.
     "Our favorite one, though, was you."
     Estella Slater.
She could see it, her name carved into the rock that she just passed in those cave systems.
     "So, why Tommy? Why didn't you pick me?"
     Ellie couldn't tell what emotions were trying to break through. All she knew was that Logan was slightly muffled, her head hurt, and her vision was blurring. Maybe it was the loss of blood. But it definitely wasn't shock.
     "It was supposed to be," Ellie slightly lifted the weapon, it wasn't on his skin anymore, "Melissa went into the camp with the intention of sacrificing you."
     Now, she was hurt. She remembered the words that Logan spoke to her that afternoon. He was threatening her. "Estella, so help me god, if I find out you've been up to no good." Were those really the last words that he would have ever said to her? He was okay with that?
     "And? Why was I not picked?" Her voice was angry, there was a slight pain in her chest.
     "I don't know exactly what happened, but Melissa got into an argument with him. She called me that afternoon, saying she was ditching our plan. I had no say in it."
     Ellie could picture it. The headlines.
     She pictured herself killing all of her friends. She pictured her swinging an axe at Gary, or Jeremy. Joan or Stacy. Who would've killed her? Who would've stopped it? Who would've plunged that knife into her?
     Would Tommy, Cindy or Alice still be alive? What would have changed?
     "You can see it happening," he laughed again, "trust me, I could too."  
     She was lost in her own thoughts, she almost didn't realize that he had taken her knife from her. He kicked her onto the couch. Her shirt opened, revealing her bare skin.
     "I have one more chance," he whispered, putting the weapon up to her skin and pressing down, "I have to make it right."
     His left hand held her down, covering her hands to keep them from stopping him. The weapon plunged deeper into her skin.
    E
    She felt the hot blood rush from the new hole.
    S
    She cried out from the pain as she tried to wiggle out of his grip.
    T
    "It should've been you," as she heard him say this, she felt his warm tears fall onto her skin.
    E
    "Stop," she mumbled, wiggling her entire body.
    L
    "Stop!" she yelled this time. He didn't stop, she didn't even feel him flinch.
    L
    "Tommy was perfect."
    A
    "He was everything I've ever wanted in a son."
    S
    "You took that from me!"
    L
    "Ellie," whispers filled her head. She heard so many voices. She recognized a few of them.
    "God, you're so selfish."
    "Stell, dude, look at me."
    A
   "Sister of a killer."
    "This is not your fault."
    "Sister of a killer."
    "Tell me the reasons, and I'll get rid of them all."
    "Sister of a killer."
   " A Shadysider?"