Trust Me

This story is by Timothy.911.2001@gmail.com and was part of our 2018 Spring Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.

Trust Me by Timothy Pierce

A decision made in confidence is not sure to please you…at least not for long.

Rebecca, a teenage girl, craved beauty as one starving craves food. Her closet contained the latest clothes and her drawers held the latest makeup. But still, she felt unattractive. She believed Alexis, a girl from her school, owned what she needed to feel beautiful and accepted: an emerald necklace. She thought it impossible to take it from her until Alexis invited her to her party. “You have to come!” Yelled Alexis. “My mom hates my friends, but she likes you. It’ll be fun. Trust me.”

As Rebecca’s mother drove her and her friend, Morgan, to the party, they noticed more and more pine trees came into view, and loss of signal was present.

“I’m so proud you made it! My mother and I need you!” said Alexis, giving Rebecca a hug. She stared blankly at Morgan. Rebecca looked at Alexis’s chest. She wasn’t wearing the emerald necklace. This meant she had to search her home.

“Though the weather is nice, I suggest you stay inside.” said Alexis, walking into her home.

“Why?” asked Rebecca.

“At 12 a.m, the wolves come out. They’ll eat anything in sight.”

Rebecca and Morgan shared a worried expression.

“Well…thank you for finally coming with me,” said Rebecca.

“Whatever to make you stop bothering me,” said Morgan with a smile.

Then, Alexis ushered them into her living room.

“Where is everyone?” asked Morgan.

“They’re…not here yet…make yourselves at home, i’ll be back.”

When Rebecca saw Alexis disappear around the corner of the kitchen, she said to Morgan, “I have to use the restroom.” Instead, she walked up the stairs to Alexis’s room. The door’s creek itself, increased the speed of her breathing. She searched under her bed sheets, and through her clothes in the closet, touching them only with her fingertips as if fully grasping them would take her life. Unfortunately she found no necklace. As soon as she stepped foot in the next room, she held her breath. It smelled like a deceased animal. She gagged and hurried out the room.

When she joined Morgan watching television, she noticed Trina, Alexis’s mother, staring at them around the corner of the kitchen, biting her bottom lip. When Trina saw that Rebecca had eyes on her too, she yanked her head back into the kitchen.

“Rebecca! Morgan!” Yelled Alexis.

“Yeah?” they said.

“Could you help me carry these snacks?”

“Sure!” said Rebecca.

When Rebecca and Morgan entered the kitchen, the lights immediately went off, and both girls screamed. They felt Alexis and Trina squeezing their bodies and holding them still. When the lights came on, Rebecca froze and started to sweat. She saw Morgan tied to a chair, and her heart beat faster when she realized that she was too. They both screamed for help until Trina slapped the pigment from Rebecca’s face, and instantly, they stopped producing noise.

“I don’t remember asking for her,” said Trina, scowling at Morgan.

“I’m sorry mother! Please forgive me! Sh-she wasn’t supposed to be here, but-”

Trina placed her hand in the air, as a sign for Alexis to stop talking.

“Are you healthy?” Trina asked Rebecca.

Rebecca nodded.

“Are you?” she asked Morgan.

Morgan nodded as well.

“Well…I don’t need both of you. One will do. But which one will do?” She squinted her eyes and smirked at Morgan. “You choose.”

“Me?” said Rebecca.

“Yes.”

They all waited for her to answer. Rebecca’s eyes watered as she looked Morgan in her’s. Her throat felt sore. Her heart demanded to escape from her chest, and her shirt stained with sweat. She looked around the room as if she could spot the answer and grab it. In the process, she saw what made her more apprehensive: the emerald necklace. The pathway to beauty, self-love, and acceptance from society, only arm length away. But in front of her was a friend that took care of her, loved her, and accepted her. She had to choose herself to be the one Trina needed. There was no question.

“I’m waiting,” said Trina impatiently.

After swallowing her spit and biting deeply into her lips, Rebecca answered in confidence, “Morgan.”

Morgan gasped at Rebecca in disbelief.

“If I let you go, promise you won’t tell anyone,” said Trina.

Rebecca nodded her head rapidly, then Trina untied her. Before leaving the house, Rebecca stared directly at the emerald necklace on the counter. She felt like it was a mile away. After assuring herself that no one was watching, she sprinted to the counter, turned around, and ran out of the house.

“My necklace!” Yelled Alexis, going after it. Trina stopped her.

“Don’t chase her,” she said. “It’s twelve o clock.”

Rebecca stopped running, and put the necklace around her neck. It didn’t feel right. She didn’t feel beautiful. She felt like the same teenage girl with insecurities that could never fixed. She looked down at the emerald and cried. She felt like the ugliest being that lived. The emerald did not represent beauty, it represented a trader with the courage to abandon a friend. Now, all Rebecca wanted to do was get rid of it. It was too late. Surrounding her was three large wolves, with arches in their backs, growling. Her last words were ‘I’m sorry’ before one by one, the wolves attacked her. Chewing her flesh and eating her insides, leaving a bloody mess for no one to clean.