Deeds by Isabelle Fraser

Period 3

Vic by Isabelle Fraser

Wednesday: October 17, 5:30 am: Tess’s apartment, Downtown Demton

“Now what?” Tess asked herself.

Her roommate had been shot. Not so surprising in this neighborhood. You can get shot by just minding your own business, like Tess’s roommate.

She was just walking down the street when a creepy guy drove beside her and asked if she needed a ride. She said no and she was shot.

Now the police have been asking questions and are suspecting Tess of murdering her roommate.

“That’s one huge mistake! A mistake the size of hell!” She had said to those cops who called her that following day. She was to be questioned that morning.

Someone was buzzing her. They had been for several minutes and she didn’t expect them to let her sleep.

So she finally got up from the couch and pushed the button on the speaker.

“What?”

There was no answer.

“Who ever this is, it must be important.”

“I know you didn’t murder your roommate,” said a man’s calm voice, unlike her own, which was almost screaming with anger.

She didn’t say anything.

“Let me in and I’ll explain.”

No way was she going to let this stranger up into her apartment. But Tess being Tess, she let him in.

The television was playing some sort of symphony. She wasn’t really watching it, just listening to the sound instead of hearing the arguments next door.

The man came up and she shut the TV off.

He had a lit cigarette between his fingers and she could see his biceps through his dark coat.

“Would you like me to put this out?” he asked when he found her looking at it.

“No,” she laughed. Tess hadn’t been smoking since she got out of high school and moved downtown. “I was just wondering if you have an extra.” She was feeling a strange high.

“Yes, but you can’t have one.” He told her.

This wouldn’t have bothered her but for some reason this made her hyperirritable. “What do you want?” she screamed. Someone in her head was telling her to be a spectacle for this jerk.

“Why do you come up here and start smoking and-” she stopped, the voice in her head sounded oddly like this man in front of her. And it wouldn’t shut up.

“Stop it! Stop it!” she covered her ears. “Get out of my goddamned head!” It made her angry. But it also made her hypervigilant just as the man had hoped.

“Think fast Tess!” and he threw her a cigarette.

She caught it between her fingers and lit it by dipping it into a flame of a near by candle. She did not realize what she had done until she took a drag of the cigarette.

“Okay, explain, dude.” And she blew out smoke from her mouth.

“First of all, that’s enough.” He reached for the cigarette but with superhuman speed, Tess knocked his hand back and jumped onto the couch.

“Mister, I deserve this. Cause a: my roommate was shot last Friday and b…” She paused for a drag. “Ah, b: I haven’t been smoking since I graduated high school.”

He shook his head. “Fine then.” He said sternly.

Tess felt badly but she shook her head.

“I’m here to tell you that we are both accused of murder.”

“Oh, is that all, that’s ‘cause only innocent people in this dang city are the ones bein’ blamed for all the murders.”

“Tess, be serious.”

“Fine…wait,” she looked at him suspiciously. “How do you know my name?”

He opened his mouth to answer but another voice came over the intercom.

“Listen Holland, you can hide in your pathetic apartment, but not for long. You’re under arrest for murdering your roommate Natalie Deeds.”

The man turned his gaze to Tess, “We’ve got to get out of here.”

She pulled back.

He sighed and caught her wrist. “I’m Victor, Victor Grant, please call me Vic.”

“Vic…” and they leapt out the window.

Wednesday: October 17, 9:00 am: Vic’s Penthouse, Midtown Dempton

They had lost them by the time they slid down the clothesline to the bottom of the hill.

But they kept running until they reached the plaza by Vic’s penthouse.

“Phew, I’m nearly hyperventilating here.” Tess complained.

Vic did not say anything, he wasn’t even breathing hard.

Tess concluded he was a superhero just stuck in this megalopolis until he saves the world from Doomsday. She found herself getting interested in him and scolded her self when he looked over his shoulder and smiled.

“Didn’t get any ideas,” she muttered.

“Ms. Holland!” Hissed a young man’s voice behind the fountain.

They jumped.

“No, no,” he stuck out his hands in a type of surrender. “I’m not with them.” He referred to the cops.

“What?” she said monotone, “You want my photograph?” she said looking at the camera around his neck.

“We have to go Tess.” Victor pointed through the crowd and she saw some men in black police uniform.

Tess started to hyperventilate. “I’m sorry,” she said to the reporter.

“My name’s Aric by the way!” he shouted after her.

“Hey son,” the officers gathered around Aric.

Up close their weren’t just black but had tricolor scheme to them; a black coat, with sliver accents, and what really stood out was their triangle shaped red ties.

“What direction did that couple went in?”

Aric was still in a daze. He wasn’t expecting Tess to be that spectacular looking. The prospect of her being innocent must be true!

“Report, sir! Where did they go?”

His retrospect was over and he must give an answer or he’ll suffer consequences.

“That way!” he told them truthfully. It was hypercritical to keep quiet but to lie? He had to go after them.

Wednesday: October 17, 10:30 am: In front of Vic’s penthouse, Midtown Dempton

“We have you surrounded!”

Both of them stood back to back as the cops closed in on them.

“Stop!” Aric ran toward them.

“You!” Vic pulled out his gun and pointed it to Aric’s forehead. “You told on us, you told us where we went.”

“Yes…” he shut his eyes for he feared Vic was going to pull the trigger. He didn’t.

“Argh!” Vic covered his ears.

“Why are you afraid?” Aric started his monologue. “Just because someone’s gone doesn’t mean you can’t love any more!”

“Shut your mouth!” he gripped his head. It was throbbing in pain. So many people so many emotions.

An automobile drove up and a man stepped out. “I confess of killing Natalie Deeds, ha, ha!” he laughed crazily.

“It’s him! Get him!” and they chased after the crazy man.

That night, they sat down. The rest of the day they defended each other in court. And both Tess and Vic cleared their names. Natalie’s murderer was a jealous boyfriend and Victor’s case was discarded.

“So, we’re never going to know who killed you’re wife?” Aric asked as he held Tess’s hand.

“No,” Vic actully smiled. “She was never dead to begin with.”

To Be Continued…