A Tale of Two Deaths

The ocean was calm that day. The type of calm that's unnerving and uncomfortable. The water sat still. Not a wave in sight. It was the kind of day that had the beaches empty, save for the few fishermen doing their jobs. The kind that would leave the sandcastles at the water's edge for hours, toying with it as to say, "You're going to drown. Guess when." The wind blew cold. It felt as if sandpaper was scratching all over my body. Seagulls swarmed over, looking for their next meal. It was the kind of day you didn't wear your bathing suit for. The kind that only people looking for an escape would swarm to.

So here I sat, jeans and hoodie adorning my body. I relaxed on one of the many empty beach chairs, book in hand. My headphones sat atop my head as I leaned against the chair. My music turned up loud to ignore the noise of the small talk between the fishermen and the cawing of the birds ahead. Escaping to the beach had become a part of my day-to-day at this point. In March, the beaches were coldest in Cali. It was the best time to hide away from everything.

My book had most of my attention until a flash of light caught my eye. Looking up, I noticed a woman had joined me on the beach. Of course, like all people who had no common sense or spatial awareness, she chose to sit in the closest beach chair to me. I attempted to flash a small smile at her before looking back at my book, turning my music up louder. I sat there for a minute before glancing back at the woman. Her eyes were red, dried tears outlined from where her makeup had worn off. I sighed, pausing my music on my phone and taking off my headphones.

"Look, I'm not exactly a genius or anything, but you look upset. Are you okay?" I said, looking toward her. I watched as her lips opened, then closed again. She glanced my way.

"Are you willing to listen?" Her voice was softer than I had expected.

"If I'm honest, I'm a terrible therapist, but sure. I'm all ears." I said, trying to produce a small smile. It came out as more of a grimace, but still she proceeded.

"I'm trying to find a job. I need to get away from my family. I need my own money without strings. They want me to stay there. It seems perfect. I don't have to work if I stay with them. I just follow their rules and stay in school, but I can't. I need my independence." As she talked I looked her up and down. Her hair was a light brown, wavy in all the right spots. Her eyes so green they almost matched the emerald dress she was wearing. The dress hugged her body in all the right ways, making me suddenly insecure about the skinny jeans and tight hoodie I was wearing. Her body was adorned in the most gorgeous jewelry I had ever seen. "In the most cliché way, they want me to get married to the son of Hellio Doree. You know, the tech genius everyone loves. I don't want to. Their family is hell. I'm genuinely scared for my life with their son."

I nodded. Everyone knew Hellio Doree. He owned the company that had taken control of the cellphone industry. I also had personal relationships with the family. I knew how bad Julian Doree was. He was dangerous, and he knew it. He loved to throw threats out about what he could do if you upset him.

"Sorry, I don't mean to bother you. I just needed to get that off my chest. I'm Sera." She said softly. I smiled at her.

"Vidia."

"Vidia. What are you doing hiding on the beach on such a cold day?" Her face was beautiful. Her teeth perfectly aligned when she smiled. Her cheeks a shade of pink that matched cotton candy. The kind of pretty you only saw on TV.

"Escaping. Same as you, it seems." I smiled a sad smile. "Sera, I'm a stranger. You...You need to be careful with what you say. You never know what they will do to keep their secrets."

"I know," she paused. "I just...need someone to know me. Who I really am. Just in case I lose myself." Her face dropped with each word.

That day would go on to change my life. Sera gave me her number, and we grew close over the next few weeks. She was a vibrant woman. Her smile could light up a room. Her laugh was so happy that everyone would break out along with her. I didn't know that I would be saying those exact words at her funeral. By Wednesday, April 8th, the whole world would know what type of smile she had. The type of laugh she had, and I would never see her again.

The day before had been hell. I had been stuck at the police station for hours. I gave the same story over and over. I would get a text that morning that Sera would be at the beach. She needed to vent, and that was our safest place. By the time I got there, it would be too late. Sera would be found lying on the ground, near a large rock that hid her body from anyone not looking for her. I would hold her as she cried. Her body bruised and beaten to the point she couldn't breathe. Her once perfect teeth would have chips in them from where she was hit. Blood would run down her cheek. I would hold her as she screamed in the last minute of her life. I would call the cops and give them our location while she cried. I would tell them to hurry and hang up. I would look down at Sera, who had slowly quieted her crying. I would pull her close and tell her how everything would be okay. Then I would kiss her forehead. Tell her I love her. How she was my best friend, even for the short amount of time I had with her. I would hold her body tightly as she let out a final gasp. I would cry until the sirens got close. I would hold her hand as they ran over to examine her. I wouldn't let go until I was forced to. Until one of the cops pulled me into a hug, telling me they would do everything to catch the one who did this. I would get into the cop car as asked and go to the station with them. I would sit and answer their questions to the best of my memory. That night, I would go home. Lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I didn't sleep a minute that night.

By the time I forced myself into the living room, the TV showed pictures of her face. I looked over at my mom sitting on the couch. "Turn it off," I said. Tears filled my eyes as I looked away from the screen.

I heard her grab the remote and power the TV off. She put the remote down and came up to me, pulling me in tight for a hug. "Baby..." She said. I couldn't do anything but cry. We stood there for what felt like hours. I cried into my mom's arms. Eventually, I stood up straight. I wiped the tears away and looked over to where my dad was sitting on the recliner.

"I'm going out," I said, looking to both of them. "I know who did it."

I ignored their pleas to stay in today as I went towards the door. I had on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. I had worn the same thing the day before, but I didn't feel like changing. After all, the day after your best friend gets murdered, you don't feel like the clothes you wear are that important.

I walked that day, instead of taking my car. The walk felt like hours until I finally got to the house I was looking for. A giant mansion on the waterfront. It was gated with security sitting at the opening. I looked at the guard. "Hey Kimmy," I said to the woman standing there. "Is Julian in?"

"Hey Vidia. He is. Want me to send someone down to get you? Just so you don't have to walk the driveway."

"No, thank you," I said to her. She opened the doors and let me in. I walked the way to the house. The driveway nearly a mile long to get to the actual front door.

Once I reached the door, I was let in by Flint, the guard who watched the front door. I walked upstairs past all of the housekeepers and hired hands in the house. I got to a bright orange door upstairs and knocked. I looked down while I waited for a second before I felt the door move in front of me.

"Vidia?" Julian looked down at me. He towered over me when we stood face to face.

"I needed somewhere to go. You heard about that girl Sera?" I played dumb. There was no way to know for a fact without playing into this.

"Yeah. I saw the news. Sad thing. She was pretty. Did you know her?" I had him. He would pretend not to know her, and that's how I would catch him in the lie.

I walked that day, instead of taking my car. The walk felt like hours until I finally got to the house I was looking for. A giant mansion on the waterfront. It was gated with security sitting at the opening. I looked at the guard. "Hey Kimmy," I said to the woman standing there. "Is Julian in?"

"Hey Vidia. He is. Want me to send someone down to get you? Just so you don't have to walk the driveway."

"No, thank you," I said to her. She opened the doors and let me in. I walked the way to the house. The driveway nearly a mile long to get to the actual front door.

Once I reached the door, I was let in by Flint, the guard who watched the front door. I walked upstairs past all of the housekeepers and hired hands in the house. I got to a bright orange door upstairs and knocked. I looked down while I waited for a second before I felt the door move in front of me.

"Vidia?" Julian looked down at me. He towered over me when we stood face to face.

"I needed somewhere to go. You heard about that girl Sera?" I played dumb. There was no way to know for a fact without playing into this.

"Yeah. I saw the news. Sad thing. She was pretty. Did you know her?" I had him. He would pretend not to know her, and that's how I would catch him in the lie.

"Yeah. She was my best friend." I cried as he pulled me into a hug."

"I'm sorry. Do the cops have any idea of who did this to her? Did she have a boyfriend or anything?"

"I don't know. She hated talking about boys, so I really didn't bother her with asking that."

I hung out with Julian for the rest of the day. I cried in his bed as he held me. We would lie until he decided we should play video games to change the topic for a bit. I would have to keep this up until he got justice. I just had to make sure he couldn't run from it when it came.

It would be a week before the cops told me they didn't think Julian had any part of it. That the guards at the house could prove he was there. I went back to his house after. We hung out in his room again. Eventually, his Dad came into the room.

"Vidia, welcome back."

"Hello, sir." I smiled at him. He was even taller than his son. His hair a dark brown and eyes to match. He wore a pair of black glasses that made him look smarter than I knew him to be. "I'm sorry for being here so much. Julian has been helping me get over some stuff." I said as I stood up.

"No need to pack. I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright. Julian told me you knew that girl. Have the cops said anything?"

"They won't tell me anything since I'm not family."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Please stay as long as you need." With that, he went out. Julian and I went back to our games for a bit.

When I decided it was time to go, I packed up my stuff and let Julian walk me out. I drove my car that day, so instead of walking, it was shorter. I got home after a few minutes and went straight to my room. I put my backpack down on the bed before throwing open the doors to my closet. The terribly made murder board was put together on the back wall of my closet. I looked over it. The pictures proving Julian was home were obviously faked. His height didn't match at all with the person in the picture. Everything on the board tied back to him, but the cops said he was innocent. These weeks of waiting and waiting for them to get him were useless. He would get away with it, and nothing would happen. I knew the truth. I wouldn't let him get away with it.

Grabbing my phone out of my back pocket, I sent him a quick text.

I think I know who did it, Julian. I need your help. Can you meet me at the beach? The killer is waiting there.

He responded quickly that he would be there. He didn't want me to go alone. I looked around my room. I grabbed a boxcutter sitting on my desk and made my way to the beach.

Here I sat, in the same beach chair I was sitting in when I met her. I watched as Julian ran down to meet me. "Vidia!" He yelled as he got closer. He pulled me in for a hug as he reached me. "Why did you come alone? Why didn't you wait for me? Where is he?" He looked around.

"Julian. I know it was you. I've known."

"Vidia. It wasn't."

I grabbed him and pulled his arm to the rock. "Tell the truth," I said as calmly as I could.

"Vidia." He said, looking down at the way my hand was in my hoodie pocket.

“Tell the truth!” I screamed. “I know it was you. Sera was terrified of you!"

"I'm sorry, V. She was telling people things that I couldn't let get out. I didn't know what to do. If my dad found out." He said quietly.

"So you killed her?"

"I didn't mean to kill her. I was upset and scared."

"You killed her!" I screamed as my hand flailed outwards. Before I even knew it, my boxcutter was in his stomach. I wasn't scared, unlike him. I knew what I was doing. I wanted to do it. I felt no sympathy as he screamed. I stabbed him again as I cried out to Sera. He deserved this. I would take the boxcutter away and put it back in my pocket. I would punch him over and over, ruining his once-perfect teeth also. I would scream out with every punch. Once I was done and he was struggling to breathe, I would call the cops. I would give them our location and tell them to hurry. Just like I had that day. This time, I wouldn't hold him. I would let him lie against the rock like the trash he was. I would listen as he would cry out before taking his last breath. I wouldn't cry for him. I would cry for her. I wouldn't hug the cops when they got there; I would hold my hands up. I would smile. I would smile in my mugshot. I wouldn't stop smiling till the day I died. The day I would smile forever. I would meet Sera again. We would hang out together. Forever. I never would have to worry for her again.