Longing

Hugh stood at the top of the gravel driveway shielding his eyes from the late afternoon sun. His eyes slowly appraised the curvy female form bent over a heap of something on the stone walkway leading up to Mason Miller's place. As he walked down the drive, he realized what was lying on the ground. He was shocked, but only because he hadn't expected to find her here.

"Whoa there Lisa, what the hell is going on? What have you done?"

"Hugh Anderson what are you doing way out here? It's not what it looks like. I'm just gonna... bury him. Here, give me a hand." She stood upright, cocked her hip out to the side and looked at him provocatively.

"Lisa, what are you doing? You didn't even like the old man. Come on, just leave him. You shouldn't be here. Didn't Jamie tell you never to come 'round his dad's place again?”

Hugh wiped the sweat from his forehead and shook his head. Lisa had blood smeared down the front of her tight white t-shirt; he couldn't help but notice how it clung to her body. He breathed hard and sweat beaded on his upper lip.

Lisa had dragged Mason's body by his feet, out of the house and down the steps. She was halfway to the car, leaving a faint trail of blood that seemed to be oozing from the side of his head.

“I don't care what Jamie said, he's gone now. And Mason called me. He said I could come 'round and pick up some of my old things. Letters and stuff Jamie had from school. And I found him, not moving, bleeding on the floor. He wasn't breathing Hugh, and I couldn't just leave him like that. He must've fallen and hit his head or something. And not too long ago either, he's still kinda... warm. Now are you gonna help me or not?"

Hugh grabbed her wrist, “just call the police. They'll take care of it... this kinda stuff happens all the time. Or better yet, just leave him here. It's not like he's anything to you - anymore."

"Yeah, well he used to be. He was almost my father-in-law Hugh..."

"You're kidding right? He's the reason he never became your father-in-law. He hated you, didn't want you anywhere near his precious Jamie. You weren't good enough, remember?"

"Hugh... please? Can't you just help me?" She looked up at him, her lips quivering as her hand went to her chest.

He wanted her.

"Fine. What do you want me to do?"

"Just...pick him up and put him in."

She moved to the side of the car and smiled. She watched as Hugh lifted the body and dumped him not so gently into the trunk.

“Be careful you idiot. And show some damn respect.” Lisa's true nature always came through and ruined his fantasies.

“Well if you're so worried about him, why don't you just call the police? A funeral home or something... why are you doing this? It's unnatural. You find a dead body, you call the police... you don't take it upon yourself to..."

“Look, I know he hated me, but... well I loved Jamie. It was real, I mean, in the beginning. It was a fairy tale that I won't ever get over. And, Jamie loved his dad. It's the least I can do. Take care of him, you know? If I call the police, they'll just ask a lot of questions that I don't have answers for. Why would I be here now to get my stuff? It's been almost ten years since Jamie died. And everybody knows how much Mason hated me. How he shut me out after Jamie's funeral. I just can't afford to get dragged into some sort of investigation. There isn't any other family now, and I think Mason would've wanted it this way.”

Lisa handed him a blanket; he took it and covered Mason's body, then slammed the trunk shut.

"You're crazy." Hugh looked her over again. She really was crazy, but she was gorgeous and he couldn't keep his eyes from wandering all over her body. Lisa smiled and shoved her hands in the pockets of her too short denim cut-offs. Hugh would do anything she asked him to.

"So now, we're gonna take him to Evans Quarry... and... we're gonna say a few words over him before we...well you know."

"We? What is this 'we'? I don't want any part of this. You found him, you get rid of him. Besides, he's in your trunk, not mine." Hugh threw his hands up as he gave her the once over again. He couldn't deny his lust; yeah, he'd do whatever she wanted.

"Hugh.., please. You know I can't get him out of there by myself, much less throw the body down the quarry. You gotta help me. I'll... I'll go out with you." She blurted it out seemingly without thinking. Hugh had been plaguing her with unwanted advances ever since high school, and she'd always turned him away. But she needed his help now. And she knew it was the only way she might actually convince him to help her. He stepped towards her and touched her face. He couldn't tell her no, she was so beautiful. He wanted her right there. His arms slid around her and he roughly pulled her to him, but she pushed him away.

"I said I'd go out with you, nothing more. But you have to help me first."

He nodded and they got in the car and headed for the stone quarry out next to the county line. Hugh wasn't stupid. He knew she'd killed old man Miller. But it was okay, he was going to have his way with her, and then she would join the old man at the bottom of the quarry. That would put an end to his longing.