The Planetarium

PART SEVEN

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I was doing.

Staring down at her lifeless form, Juliet looked so peaceful sprawled on my bedroom floor. The blow had knocked her out cold. The dilemma hit me sharply - Ezra and Art would be home within the next fifteen minutes, and all I could do was disassociate like a ghost floating above, observing the catastrophe.

How would I explain it? How could I? There's no way that I pushed her - she tripped, tangled in my the garbage of my room. Even if we did call an ambulance to take her to the emergency room, Juliet would still emerge out of consciousness saying I was a criminal. A stalker.

Whether it was the dark blood spreading from the back of her head, or the lack of movement from her pale limbs - I was suddenly struck with a crazy, impossible idea.

But if I was going to carry it out, I had to be quick.

In our group of roommates, generally we relied on public transport or a traditional walk to get from place to place. However, there was Art's ancient old car that we kept in case of emergencies.

The vehicle was a model from the 1980's, and used to belong to Art's cousin, who was now a successful veterinarian with his own practice. His car hadn't been moved in months - none of us barely could afford petrol to run the thing.

I nipped out into the cold. No neighbors were out and about on the street.

Breathing hard, I threw off the decaying cover and climbed inside at the speed of light. Nothing felt real. It was like I was watching a bad mystery movie unfold. Despite my senses, the tank was just a notch above empty. I felt like my heart was about to leap out of my ribcage.

The apartment felt more hostile than I'd remembered. It was like it had dropped a few degrees, like it knew wrongdoing was in the air. In blind panic, I jogged through to check Juliet had remained where she had fallen. After confirming her body was still motionless, I wiped the excess blood from the corner of the desk with a tissue. Then, I drowned the evidence in the sink until it dissolved down the drain.

Leaving no piece unaccounted for, I surprised even myself. My subconscious seemed to be aware of what steps to take.

Sweat snaked down my back. Now came the most treacherous part, the part that really implemented the whole thing.

Juliet's body was heavier than I anticipated. Lolling over my shoulder, the dead weight was enough the cause ripples of pain down my own body. I was never the strongest guy. My calves burned. But it was nothing compared to the fear that she'd awaken and start thrashing about.

When I reached the door, I paused. Juliet dangled over my shoulder, my arms gripping the back of her legs. I had to be certain I drew no witnesses with my uncanny behavior. I was so focused on darting through the night, heart in my mouth, lungs screaming; that I barely questioned my own morals anymore.

A van rolled past just as Juliet collapsed into the backseat. Hastily, I stuffed her legs in. For one minute I thought Ezra and Art might be home - but then I remembered they had taken the bus on a extra stop.

Honestly, the rest of the night was just a blur. I could barely recall it.

Streetlights. The freeway. The dark woods. So much spare rope.

I just made it back through the door when the pizza arrived.

The morning greeted me with the sweet scent of herbal tea. Hannah wiggled into my bed, her thick braids tied into a topknot. For a moment I breathed in the scent of camomile and her fruit scent, replaying the night.