Chapter Twenty-Seven

Alexa

We pulled up to the cabin around noon. I took a long sip of my monster-sized Coke. The sweet carbonated substance slid down my throat and quenched my thirst.

“How did you find this place?” asked Abriana as she eyed up an old wooden sign reading, Half Moon Lake.

I shrugged. “I found it online.”

Abriana frowned and looked around. “It’s pretty secluded.”

Hell yeah it is, I thought with a wicked smile.

“Are there any other cabins on the lake?” asked Abriana.

Forcing a sweet smile, I looked at my sister and tugged on my long braid. “Of course there are!”

Abriana’s brow remained furrowed as she looked around our surroundings.

Walking around the back of the car, I opened the trunk and pulled out one of the bags. “Come on! Let’s get unpacked!”

***

A few hours had passed and we had managed to unpack, blow up two plastic floats, and set out some carrots and dip for a quick snack.

“Want to go to the lake?” I asked.

My sister twisted her ponytail as she looked out the window. “Yeah, that sounds good. We can bring our food down there. I just need to make a drink first.” 

I reached for two cups in the cupboard. “I’ll make the drinks. You go change.”

Abriana threw her arms around my neck. “Love you, Lex!”

I returned the embrace. “Love you too, Bri.”

Abriana continued to squeeze me tightly. “I think this is just what I needed.”

“I’m glad you’re happy. It’s been too long,” I said shooing her away. “Now, go get changed! It’s time to lay out!”

As my sister made her way to the bedroom, I pulled a water bottle partially filled with a red liquid. I licked my lips as I dumped the antifreeze into a large cup. I quickly filled the rest with fruit punch and several ice cubs from the freezer.

I rinsed out the water bottle, added dish soap, and rinsed it out again. That should be good.

Without warning, a hand clamped down on my shoulder and a scream escaped my lips.

“Oops! Sorry,” apologized Abriana. “I didn’t mean to scare you!”

My heart thumped wildly in my chest. “It’s okay.”

“Is this mine?” she asked picking up the drink.

“Yup,” I said with a smile. “Just one more thing…” I pulled out a bottle of vodka. “Wasn’t sure if you’d want any of this?”

Abriana bit her lower lip and tugged on the towel around her neck. “Hmmm… I don’t know, Lex.”

Arching an eyebrow, I gave my sister a playful smile. “Maybe just a little bit?”

She debated it a few more seconds before finally nodded. “Okay, okay. Just a bit though.”

Tipping the bottle, I added about two shots to her drink.

“Whoa! That’s enough,” she said reaching for her cup.

“Sorry,” I said, giving her an apologetic smile.

“Where’s your drink?” she asked.

I grabbed the empty cup and filled it with ice. Nothing like a little liquid courage... I poured a shots worth in and then topped it off with fruit punch. “Perfection.”

Abriana picked up the carrots, dip, and our drinks. “You go change, I’ll bring the drinks and food down.”

“Thanks, Bri. You’re the best.”

***

Taking my time, I changed into a hot pink and orange bikini. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Picking up my towel, I slung it around my neck. Why can’t I be as pretty as Abriana? Shaking my head in anger, I spun on my heel and left the bedroom. Time to take care of that brat once and for all!

I walked out the back door and down to the sandy beach surrounding the quaint lake. What a lovely secluded place to commit a murder… Secluded seemed like an understatement. There were two cabins, both barely visible on the far end of the lake. Even if they were occupied, our fellow vacationers would never see us.

I plopped down next to Abriana. “You look relaxed.”

“I am,” she responded.

“How’s your drink?” I asked.

“Super sweet,” replied Abriana. “But good.”

I bit my lip, forcing the wicked smile to stay at bay. “I’m glad you like it.”

Abriana took another sip and then stood up. “I think I might grab the tortilla chips. Do you want anything else?”

Yeah, to kill you! But that will have to wait just a little bit longer.

“Lex? Do you want anything else?”

“Sorry,” I said, shaking my head. “Nah, I’m good.”

She gave me a grin. “You are such a space cadet sometimes!”

I dipped a carrot into the dill dip. “Hey, now! At least I’m a cute space cadet.”

Abriana grinned. “See you in a minute.” She took a step toward the house and stumbled. “Whoa.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked, my voice dripping with concern.

“I guess that drink was stronger than I thought,” she replied.

Standing up, I put my hand on her shoulder. “Here, you stay. I’ll go get the chips.”

Abriana threw her arms around me for the second time that afternoon. A moment later, I felt a hot tear drop on to my shoulder.

“I meant what I said earlier,” she said. “I love you so much. I’m so lucky to have a sister like you!”

I wrapped my arms around my sister’s petite frame. “Love you too, Bri. Love you too.”

***

After I returned with the chips, we sat in silence and enjoyed the peaceful surroundings. The occasional fish surfaced, leaving an expanding ring in the otherwise calm water.

“Want to get in the water?” I asked my sister.

She turned her head to look toward me. “I don’t know.”

“Come on,” I said standing up. “Get in with me!” I walked over and pulled Abriana to a sitting position. She reluctantly stood and walked to the edge of the water.

Abriana dripped her toe into the water. “It is pretty warm.”

“Here,” I said picking up the two floats. “Let’s get in.”

Holding her arms out for balance, Abriana said, “I feel a little tipsy.”

I took a step into the warm lake water. “Let’s just stay near the shore. It’s pretty shallow here.” Reaching down, I splashed some water over my legs and picked up a small rock with a sharp edge. Clutching it in my hand, I kept it out of sight.

Abriana stuck her foot in the water and wiggled it around. “It is warm.”

Pulling the float behind me, I headed deeper into the water. Once the water hit my knees, I maneuvered my body on top of the float.

Following suit, Abriana lowered herself on top of her matching float. Paddling her hands in the water, she made her way toward me.

“This is too nice,” I murmured.

“It is pretty fantastic,” said Abriana.

Reaching over, I grabbed on to the edge of the plastic on my sister’s inflatable raft. “I might never want to leave.”

“Me either,” murmured Abriana. “Me either…”

***

After twenty minutes had passed, Abriana had fallen asleep. I had managed to quietly paddle us to deeper water without waking her up.

I studied my sister’s face. I bet you’ll look just like this in your casket. Without another thought, I took the rock I had clutched in my hand and began rubbing it against Abriana’s plastic float.

Finally, the hiss of escaping air became audible. I quickly pinched the rip and tossed the rock into the water behind us.

“Abriana, wake up,” I said gently.

She didn’t respond.

I let go of the rip for a moment and shook her shoulder. “Abriana,” I repeated. “Time to wake up.”

“Mmmm,” she murmured. “What do you want? I’m sleepy.”

Arching an eyebrow, I let out a giggle. “I need to tell you something important.”

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ONLY TWO CHAPTERS LEFT! 

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*This chapter has not been formally edited, please ignore any errors you may encounter.