Hillary_Flesh and Blood (43 page)

That was then and Hillary was no longer the weak, stupid, pathetic victim she used to be. She was the strong one now and she had no time or patience for fools like Jax who had no clue about life. Sure, Jax was acting sweet and nice now, but Hillary remembered the things she had said to and about her once her life started spiraling out of control and she began withdrawing. Hillary would make her regret it. She would pay for her insolence

Before walking up to Jax
’
s room, Hillary quietly strolled to the kitchen and grabbed the largest knife that she could find. She could hear Jax fumbling with things in the hall, most likely in the utility closet. She hid the knife in front of her and slowly ascended the spiral staircase up to Jax
’
s bedroom.

Hillary scanned Jax
’
s familiar pale blue-walled room. It even had the same smell that she remembered
—
vanilla. It was Jax
’
s favorite scent. She used to light those big vanilla-scented candles while they did homework together. It stirred feelings of nostalgia th
at Hillary quickly shrugged off
. After all, she wasn
’t here to
rekindle a friendship. She placed the knife within the side pocket of her backpack.

Jax returned
several
minutes later carrying a full roll of duct tape.

“
I had to go all the way to the shed for this, she complained, handing the tape over to Hillary.

“
Thanks, Jax,
”
Hillary exclaimed eagerly,
“
I really appreciate it.
”

She tore off a long piece. Jax frowned at the loud, foreboding sound the ripping adhesive made.

“
What are you
—”

The duct tape was over Jax
’
s mouth before she could finish her sentence. She never saw it coming. She looked both confused and angry as she began grabbing at the tape on her mouth. But she didn
’
t get far. Hillary
’
s fist connected with the side of her mouth with such speed and fury, Jax fell to the floor. Hillary could hear her suppressed cries of protest and outrage. She wasted no time in ripping off more of the tape and securing Jax
’
s hands together.

Jax
’
s protests grew more desolate. Jax was crying now, long tears dripping from her terrified eyes. It was a look that exhilarated Hillary
—
that look of sheer terror and desperation. She felt a surge of power. She felt strong and unstoppable. She could rule the world.

“
Quit struggling,
”
Hillary warned Jax, who had been kicking her legs wildly and thrashing about.
“
You don
’
t want to get hurt, do you?
”

Hillary stepped to her backpack and pulled out the long, sharp knife. Seeing the knife made Jax panic even more. She rolled to her side and tried using her elbows and knees to propel her
self
to an upright position. Just as she was using her right leg to stand, Hillary plunged the knife deep into the muscle of her thigh. Jax cried out in pain as she fell to the floor.

Hillary pulled the knife out of Jax
’
s leg and blood gushed out of the deep wound, tur
n
ing the surrounding area of the pretty blue carpet a deep burgundy color. Jax was trembling and breathing fast. She knew that Hillary was going to kill her.

Maddie
was right,
she thought, panic-stricken,
she
’
s crazy...she
’
s crazy...and she
’
s gonna kill me....

The sound of a baby crying caught their attention. Jax began flapping about like a fish out of water, despite her injured leg. Hillary grabbed the roll of duct tape, approached Jax and threw herself to the floor, right on top of Jax
’
s leg. Her body weight against the open gash sent blood spurting out like a small geyser. Hillary used her weight to keep Jax
’
s legs in place while she taped them tightly together from her knees down to her ankles.

She stood up and stared at her terrified friend, bound and hopeless. She laughed as she quickly yanked the
strip of tape
off Jax
’
s mouth.

“
Your sister is calling me,
”
she said menacingly, clutching the knife firmly,
“
which one is it? Chelsea or Chyna?
”

“
Don
’
t hurt them,
”
Jax begged,
“
they
’
re just babies.
”

“
Uh-huh,
”
she replied callously as she began walking out of Jax
’
s room.

“
Nooooo!
”
Jax called after her,
“
please Hillary, leave them alone, please Hillary, please don
’
t hurt them....
”

The nursery was a picture perfect room complete with matching sets of white wooden cribs, changing tables, dressers, and rocking chairs. Beatrix Potter bunnies decorated the pale pink walls. Touching scenes of Mama
R
abbit, clad in her dress and apron, lovingly tending to her fuzzy brown bunnies plastered all four walls, ad nauseam.

Hillary peered down into the crib where Jax
’
s noisy ten-month old baby sister fussed. Hillary
’
s family had received the birth announcement, but this was the first time Hillary had ever met the twins. They were identical twins. She knew their names, but didn
’
t know which one was which. She walked over to the other crib.

How can anyone tell them apart,
she wondered as she stared down into the crib where an exact replica of the fidgety baby she
’
d just left slept peacefully. Hillary walked back to the fussy twin and
snatched
her up by one arm. The baby squealed in pain as Hillary dislocated her shoulder then dropped her back into the crib.

“
Shut up, you little bitch!
”
Hillary screamed as the baby
’
s ear-piercing cries awoke her tiny sister. The other baby shifted and rolled to her stomach. She turned to her side and grabbed onto the wooden slats of the crib. She used them to pull herself up to a standing position. She held on to the bars as she smiled at Hillary.

“
Aww,
”
Hillary cooed,
“
aren
’
t you a brave one? What? Don
’
t you like your sister?
”

The quiet twin stretched out her little arm, gesturing for Hillary to pick her up. Hillary obliged. She gently lifted the little girl into her arms, careful not to let the knife cut her. She carried the smiling little angel to Jax
’
s room. Jax was still screaming and begging for Hillary to leave her sisters alone.

Hearing her big sister shouting and seeing her cry made the baby upset. She began to pout. Her tiny lips quivered for a few seconds and she whimpered quietly before it erupted into a full-blown wailing sound just like her twin in the other room.

“
Now look what you
’
ve done,
”
Hillary shouted to Jax,
“
you had to go and upset the good one.
”

“
Put her down, Hillary,
”
Jax begged nervously. The bloody knife in Hillary
’
s hand was nearly as long as her baby sister
’s body
.

“
Which one is this anyway?
”
Hillary said, bringing the baby closer so that Jax could get a good look at her.

“
Please, put her down....
”

“
Who is this? Chelsea or Chyna?
”
Hillary demanded angrily.

“
Ch-Chelsea,
”
Jax cried.

“
How can you tell?
”

“
Her pink earrings,
”
Jax whimpered,
“
Chyna has blue ones.
Please…
can you
please
put her down now?
”

“
If you insist,
”
Hillary said haughtily.

Hillary lifted Chelsea up over her head as high as she could as Jax
’
s eyes grew wider and she held her breath in fear. Hillary swung the baby down rapidly to ground while Chelsea fought to catch her breath.

“
Just kidding,
”
Hillary said teasingly, as she placed Chelsea on the floor beside Jax,
“
I wouldn
’
t drop her.
”

As Jax attempted to slither toward Chelsea, Hillary squatted down and sliced through the baby
’
s delicate throat with the knife. Chelsea
’
s crying becam
e a sickening gurgling for just
seconds before she became
still and
silent.
The only sound now was
Jax
’
s hysterical sc
r
eaming and crying. Chelsea was motionless, clearly dead.

“
One down,
”
Hillary said tauntingly,
“
one to go....
”

“
N
ooo
o,
”
Jax cried loudly,
“
Noooooo...
NOOOOOOOOO!
”

Hillary could hear he
r
begging all the way in the nursery, even over Chyna
’
s frantic hollering.

“
Yuck,
”
Hillary said as she lifted Chyna
’
s wet
body and held her at a distance.
“Y
our nasty little sister peed through her diaper.
”

“Hillary, please…
please don
’
t hurt her....
”

Hillary carried the squirming, hysterically crying baby over to Jax and dropped her on the floor beside her. Her head struck the carpet with a
loud
thud. She was silent for a
couple of
second
s
before she began wailing again.

“
So babies don
’
t bounce!
”
Hillary exclaimed sneeringly.

“
Oh my God, please, please Hillary....why are you doing this?
”

“Because I hate you Jax. Y
ou and your stupid little snotty-nosed sisters.
”

“
Why? Why, Hillary?
”

Jax was distraught. One of her baby sister
s was dead and
the other
one
was suffering beside her. She was taped-up and helpless to do anything but watch the horror
unfold
. Her cell phone chimed.

“
Ooooh
you have a message,
”
Hillary said, dropping beside Jax to fish the cell phone out of her pocket.

“
Let
’
s see who it
’
s from....
”

Hillary read the message from Maddie. Apparently, she had changed her mind about going on a picnic with a
“
freak.
”
Hillary became incensed. She lifted her hand to launch Jax
’
s phone but stopped herself. She placed the phone in her pocket. She would need it tomorrow.

“
Your slutbag friend says she can
’
t wait for the picnic,
”
Hillary lied.

“
Is that why you
’
re doing this? Because I
’
m friends with Maddie now?
”