An Eye for an Eye Angelina stepped off the bush plane and was immediately greeted by a cloud of dust. Ah, home sweet home, she thought miserably. “Are you sure this is the place, miss,” the pilot questioned, his voice shaking. Her pilot, she reminded herself but just waved him off. “Yes, Reginald, I’m quite sure this is the place,” she replied and looked at the glowing symbol on her wrist. “Believe me.” “Would you like me to take your bags, miss?” “Really, Reginald. I do believe I can carry one suitcase. I’ll call you when my vacation is over. You may go.” Her pilot went red. “Of course, miss.” As she walked away, the engine started, and the plane took off in another cloud of dust. She brushed some off my Prada suit and made her way into the small town that she used to call home. The voice that called her here echoed in her mind. One last time, he had said. You owe me. “Angelina,” someone called as she came into the town square, “glad to see you back.” “Oh, it’s good to be back, darling,” Angelina replied, though that was a lie. She was here on business, nasty business. Still, it had to be done; it couldn’t be helped. If she didn’t do it, she’d lose everything, and she certainly wasn’t going to let that happen. Just one job, she reminded herself and held her head high. Angelina walked to the town hotel, careful to avoid any mud puddles on the sidewalk. “Ms. Carlyle, um, Aunt Angelina,” a child started as he walked up to her, “can I have your autograph?” “Of course, dear,” she said, setting down her purse, trying to recall this small boy. “I’m Richard.” Her blood ran cold, but her composure never wavered. She was an actress, after all; her job hinged on her ability to fake every emotion. “Richard, of course,” she muttered. Of course, his name would be Richard. It’s not like the universe could spare me one moment of peace, she thought to herself. Her necklace felt like lead around her throat. It was a thick chain with a heavy ruby pendant cased in silver. She’d had it for years; it rarely ever left her neck. “Yes, ma’am. I was named after my daddy.” He’d grown, but she really should have recognized him. The boy looked exactly like his father. The same brown hair, the same green eyes. She knew the two of them shared those piercing eyes. “Here you go, then,” she said and handed him back his slip of paper, eager to get to the hotel. The sooner she did the job, the sooner she could leave this wretched town behind for good. The child scurried off to his mother, Christine. Angelina and she had been friends, once upon a time, but that was years ago. Now, the woman just gave her a smile before both she and Richard started home. Meanwhile, Angelina continued to the hotel. The Greek Hotel was oddly named for no Greek had ever owned it. As a child, she’d always found it fascinating, but now she couldn’t care less. It was of no importance to her the hotel’s name. The only thing that mattered was the plan, and the plan was to get in and out of the town as quickly as possible. One last time, the voice echoed. One last job. “One room, please,” she told the desk clerk. As the woman busied herself with the arrangements, Angelina looked at the board still hanging on the wall behind the desk. “You still have that poster up.” The woman looked to the paper in question. “Oh, yes, Ms. Carlyle. It’s the greatest mystery to ever shake our little town,” she exclaimed. “Though, it’s been some years.” “Three years, five months, and six days,” she muttered, mostly to herself. “What,” the woman questioned, turning back to her. “Oh, nothing,” she replied quickly, cursing herself for being so careless. “It’s still unsolved, then?” “Unfortunately, it is. Poor Richard’s family has never gotten the closure they deserve. I supposed that includes you, Ms. Carlyle. Anyway, here’s your room key. First door on the right. You’ll only be with us a few days, correct?” “Yes. I shouldn’t be here any longer than a week.” If all goes according to plan, she thought and took the key. The room was small and quaint as was everything else in that town, which was why she had left in the first place. She always thought she deserved better. No, she knew she deserved better. She supposed it was just lucky that she found someone else who felt the same way. With a sigh, she threw her bags on the bag and collapsed on the floor, muttering the incantation that would tell her what she needed to know. “That was fast,” the man said, appearing before her. He was dressed, as usual, in a black suit, and his hair was slicked back. When he smiled, it sends a shiver down her spine, but Angelina managed to keep her composure. You’re doing this for a good reason, she reminded herself. Everything you’ve done is for good reason. “You said to call as soon as I was settled,” she replied. “That I did.” “Well, I’m settled.” “That you are.” She hissed. “Just promise me that this is the last one. Swear it on your life.” “I solemnly swear. Honestly, Angelina, after all, we’ve done together, I’d thought you would have more faith in me.” “I have no faith in the Devil.” He laughed. “Well, if you believe in one, you have to believe in the other.” “Just tell me what I need to do.” The Devil grinned. “You are to remain here in this town for two weeks, participating in every single town event.” The color drained from her face. “That’s not what we agreed.” “On the contrary, I only said this was a job. How quickly you assumed that you’d have to kill again.” Her hands started to shake. “If I refuse?” He snarled. “Then, I’ll destroy your career, and we both know that that would be a shame.” Angelina took a breath and nodded. She had to do this for her own sake. Everything is for a reason, she reminded herself. Before the man started to disappear, she asked him a question. Though it was so soft, it was more of a whisper. “Are you trying to torture me?” The man just laughed and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Tears rolled down Angelina’s cheeks. Two weeks in this place, she thought. Two weeks to remind me of everything I’ve done. She took a breath and made her way to the front desk. “I’ll be extending my stay,” she announced, though she wished with every fiber of her being that she wasn’t. +++ The next day was Saturday when everyone in town gathered to the small chapel for service. Perfect, Angelina thought as she filed in with the rest of them. She caught the glance of Christine and her son. Instantly, she looked away. “Gather ‘round, brothers and sisters, so that together we may hear the word of God,” the preacher announced, and Angelina sat in the back. She had to participate in these events, but that didn’t mean she’d enjoy it. “I will begin today’s message with an announcement. Someone has returned to us. Welcome, Angelina Carlyle,” he continued. The congregation clapped, and she just faked a smile. The first bits of the service began with the offering and song service. It was really lovely, but Angelina wasn’t listening. She didn’t actually start paying attention until the sermon started. “Today, we will talk about our sins and their effects on our lives,” he declared, and Angelina perked up. This ought to be good. “The Devil himself was cast out of his home for challenging the authority of his father. He believed himself more powerful than our Lord, our God. In that, he brought sin into the world. Yes, my friends, from God’s divine plan, from his gift of free will, sin sprung up. And, we know, my friends, that the wages of sin are death. Every small lie, every little sin, has earned us death. Because every being God ever created was given a choice, to do what was right or sin. Every evil that has faced this world is a result of that choice.” Her heart grew heavy, and she ducked her head as if millions of eyes were watching her. I did what I had to do, she told myself, but that did nothing. “We should all be dead, my friends. That is what we deserve: punishment. But our Lord knew every choice we would ever make. He died for our sins, my friends. For us.” The preacher continued, but she stopped listening, too wrapped up in her own thoughts. The weight, the guilt, threatened to drown her. She tried to gasp for air to no avail. She was drowning in blood. The blood she shed. Without another word, she stumbled out of the chapel to the open air. Breathe, she told herself. Breathe. “Aunt Angelina,” Richard muttered, “are you alright?” But, the sight of him only made things worse. She could only see the face of the man she killed. The face of her brother. “Richard, why don’t you go in and sit at the back, sweetie? Mommy will be with you in a minute,” Christine suggested. The boy ran off, leaving the two women on the front steps of the church. “Are you okay, Angie?” “He just looks so much like him,” she rasped, trying to sell that fact. It wasn’t hard, though; the boy’s uncanny resemblance to his father did shake her. “I know,” Christine whispered and sat beside Angelina on the steps. “He’s all I have left of Richard. Well, him and you. You two always did look so much alike, Angie.” Don’t I know it, she thought. She couldn’t help but see her brother’s face whenever she looked in the mirror. “Yeah, I know.” “Oh, I’ve missed you, Angie. I haven’t seen you since—” “Since Richard’s funeral.” Christine chuckled. “I mean, of course, Richard and I have seen you on the television. Thank you for the gifts, by the way. Richard absolutely adores you.” He shouldn’t, Angelina thought. “He’s grown quite a bit since the last time I was here. Looks more like him.” “Yeah,” Christine sighed. “Hey, tomorrow is his birthday. You’re invited, obviously.” Participating in every single town event, the Devil’s words echoed in her ears. She gulped and nodded. Of course, she knew it would be her nephew’s birthday, but she didn’t think her presence was actually requested. “I’ll be there,” she promised, and her friend beamed. “Good, it’ll be nice to catch up properly. We should be heading back in, though.” Angelina nodded and stood on shaky legs. Both her and Angelina walked inside. This time, though, Angelina tried to listen and ignore the heaviness of the chain around her neck. At last, the service ended, and she was allowed to go home. At least, she thought she was. “Aren’t you coming to the potluck,” Christine asked when Angelina started for the hotel. “Oh, of course, I’m going. I just, uh, almost forgot about it,” she stammered and followed her friend to the preacher’s house. “Angelina,” he greeted. “It’s so great to have you back in town.” Keep it together, she willed and faked a smile. “It’s good to be back, sir.” The rest of the meal went in a similar manner. People welcomed Angelina back to town, though she insisted she wasn’t staying. “Ah, come on, Angie. They’re just glad to have a celebrity in their midst,” Christine laughed, and Angelina just smiled. “So, how have you been all these years, Christine,” she asked. “Please, call me Christy. We’re friends after all. We ought to be, anyway.” Not after what I’ve done, she thought. “We’ve been good, Richard and me. I mean, he misses his dad every day and so do I, but we’ve been getting by. What about you? How’s the life of a superstar?” “Oh, not that interesting,” she answered. “Don’t get me wrong; I love it, but I miss you guys. I miss the way things used to be.” Before I made a deal I’ve regretted every moment since, she thought. Before I made the biggest mistake of my life. Her friend just laughed. “Come on, Angie. It can’t be that bad. You have everything you’ve ever wanted, right?” The chain around her neck seemed to weigh tons. “Yeah, I have everything I’ve ever dreamed of.” Except for a moment of peace. “What brings you back anyway?” “I decided to take a vacation,” she lied. Embed a kernel of truth, she told herself. “And, something just drew me back.” “Well, in any case, I’m really glad to see you, Angie.” Angelina forced a smile, ignoring the pounding in her heart. +++ The next day, Angelina attended her nephew’s birthday party. In the small town, nearly everyone was invited. She saw people she hadn’t seen in years and wished she could go her entire life without ever seeing again. Still, she faked a smile and did everything she was expected to do. She even brought a present for the birthday boy. “A lightsaber? That’s so cool,” Richard cried, already swinging it around. This time, Angelina’s smile was genuine. “Yeah, your mom said you liked Star Wars, so,” her voice trailed off as Richard beamed, and his friends oohed and ahhed. “This is so great. Thanks, Aunt Angelina.” “You know,” I added, “your dad liked Star Wars, too, and I know your mom still likes them. That’s why there are two sabers. The two of you can play together or you can play with your friends.” The boy’s smile faltered, and Angelina knew they were thinking the same thing. If Richard were here, he’d play too. Still, Angelina’s smile stayed true as her life depended on it. The festivities lasted all day since the adults kept chatting, and the children kept playing. Angelina didn’t leave her friend’s house until five in the afternoon. After that, she watched a movie or two before falling asleep. She found herself reliving the same nightmare that had plagued her for three years. Angelina was sitting cross-legged on the floor in her old room, muttering words she didn’t understand. Then, like magic, a man appeared in front of her. “What’s this,” he mused. The dream-Angelina took a breath. “They say you can give me what I want,” she said, but her voice was shaking. She’d found a slip of paper in her drawer with explicit instructions. The reward was anything she desired. “Yes, I can. So, what is it you want, and how much are you willing to pay?” Like a fool, she told him she’d do anything. She wasn’t expecting his response, but she was desperate. She needed to get out of that wretched town. She needs to do what she always knew she was destined to do. So, she did what the man asked. She walked into her brother’s room where he was fast asleep, and she wrapped her beloved necklace around his neck. He struggled and tried to scream, but she held a gloved hand over his mouth. “You said you’d do anything for me,” she whispered in her ear, but there were tears streaming down her face. “Do this, please.” At last, her brother went lax in her arms. Carefully, she lowered him to the ground. Her hair was tied back as the man instructed. At once, Angelina jolted awake in her bed, sweat dripping down her back. Her necklace had never felt heavier in her life. It seemed to pulse in the night. She scrambled out of bed and ran out of the hotel. “Angelina Carlyle,” the sheriff greeted when she barged into his house. “What brings you here in the middle of the night?” “I killed him,” she blurted. “I killed my brother.” The sheriff laughed. “Are you okay, Ms. Carlyle? Do you need to come inside and sit down?” “Look at me,” she cried. “Look at my necklace. Look and see that it matches the marks on Richard’s neck.” He looked, and his eyes widened. “Arrest me, please,” she pleaded, close to tears. She didn’t relax until her hands were in cuffs. The ruby pendant was as light as a feather on her neck. Angelina Carlyle was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, and she was smiling the entire time. And, somewhere in the pits of hell, the Devil laughed.