Best Friend Lost

“Tick, tack, tick, tack”, I can clearly hear the clock as it turned three in the morning. And slowly, memories of the past rushed in.

I grew up striving to get loose of poverty. She grew up with all riches the world could offer. I longed to be someone. She had it all. I was poor. She was rich. I’m Delilah. She’s Carol. We are opposites and we’re best friends.

Carol and I met during a summer camp in our high school. We became partners and since then we were inseparable. We enrolled in the same university with the same course, Bachelor of Science in Biology. Everything was great, until Eden came.

Ed was what you would call a boy-next-door. He was cute, charming, caring, intelligent, rich, famous, and hot, he’s everything. And he loves me. Well, that’s what I thought. We dated for quite sometime and eventually became a couple. I was very happy, ecstatic to be exact and I called my best friend for the good news. She was happy, I think, when I broke the news.

Everything moved on smoothly. But, then something happened. Ed and I broke up. He said he doesn’t love me anymore and that there’s another girl. I was hurt but I accepted it.

Months later, everyone was busy preparing for the upcoming prom night. My attention was diverted from my broken heart to my look during the big night. The prom’s going to be a masquerade/costume party where everyone can be what they want to be. I was planning to be someone elegant and enchanting.

I was going through the mall when a pair caught my attention. Ed and Carol were holding hands and affectionately looking at each other. I was shocked and dumbfounded. I quickly got out of the mall and went directly to our house. I was hurt.

“I can’t believe it!” I cried.

“How could she do this to me? I’m her best friend.” I helplessly thought.

"She had everything and Ed could have been the best thing that had happened in my life."

I cried and cried. I cried my eyes out. Then, an evil plan crossed my mind. I was hesitant but then wrath overpowered me.

Prom night came. I was dressed like the Goddess Nemesis. Everyone was at their best, wearing costumes and masks. And then, I saw her. She was in her nymph costume. She was gorgeous and feelings of envy and hatred surge in.

It was around two in the morning when I made my move. I walked to where she is and luckily Ed’s not around and she’s drunk.

“Carol! You look dashing!” I half-heartedly commented.

“Really! Ha, ha, ha!” She laughed, obviously intoxicated with the drink.

“So, what’s with you and Ed?” I asked.

“Well, actually I was going to tell bit I was waiting for the right moment to break the news to you, looks like someone has told you already. I hope you’ll understand Lilah.” She said.

“What? Me? Of course, there’s nothing to worry about.” I said. “You wish! You betrayed me!” I thought.

“Well, there’s something I wanted to show you!” I exclaimed.

“What?” she asked.

“I had recently found a half-century old morgue/funeral house. And it has old equipments that aren’t present nowadays.” I said.

“Are you kidding me? Are there remnants of the bodies that were stocked in there?

“I think so.”

“Then, let’s go.”

We hurriedly went to the morgue. The morgue looks like it’s going to fall any time. It was near a creepy cemetery. We went inside and a filthy smell greeted us. But we continued and went down to the basement where the corpses are supposed to be stored years ago.

“How did you found this place?” Carol asked.

“I was strolling in the area and suddenly found myself in front this place.”

“Oh, like it showed itself to you?”

“Well, yeah sort of. It feels like it chose me for reasons only this place could knew” I laughed.

Then, we reached our destination. When we pushed the door open, it creaked loudly and brought creeps to Carol.

“Wow, the place really old ha?” Carol commented.

“Yeah, fifty years is quite long.” I said.

As she explored the things around, I found a metal rod. It was two inches in width. I grabbed it and wet beside Carol.

“So, you and Ed that serious?”

“Uhmm, yeah. He said he loved me so much.”

“Oh!”

“He often tells me about his plans for our future and….”

Carol didn’t finish what she was about to say. I smashed the metal rod to her head. She was unconscious. I dragged her into the incinerator. Flames engulfed her body as I closed the incinerator.

My heart felt heavy. I cleared my throat. Maybe it’s conscience, maybe not. Or may be it’s just the eerie atmosphere. As I walked away from the place, I looked back and murmured “May you rest in peace, Carol.”

Carol’s disappearance that night gave me everything I wanted including Ed. Years later, we married and had a family.

The sound of the chimes brought me back to the present. And as the clock strikes, reminding me of Ed’s 1^st death anniversary. He died in a car accident and coincidentally died in the same date with Carol's. Exactly forty-one years, my best friend disappeared and hasn’t been found.