Bloody Christmas

by Nneka Sophie Amalu

with guilt because he was the one that persuaded him to come. “It’s it’s a…” Todd coughed as he tried telling them something. “Its aman…” he coughed out blood this time and gave up the ghost. Max couldn’t hide his emotions anymore, he started crying because he felt so guilty. They couldn’t decipher what he was trying to tell them. They had continued slowly as the moved in the thick forest, with long trees and crawling insects. “Please don’t kill us, I beg you please” Lucy and Amanda said respectively, when they heard the bushes rustle, Max had picked up a stick for defense and was battle ready. He had never been in such a daring situation like this this one; he had to protect himself and two extra people. Amanda and Lucy looked up to him as their protector. “No where to run, no where to hide, Hahahaha” the human figure came out from one corner of the bush. They were all speechless and scared to the bones as they saw the figure come out with a mask. “Look at you, hmmm, I pity your sorry butt; you won’t go scot-free, you think you can have everything you want hahahaha” the masked figure directly talked to Max. They were confused, Max had never been here and he doesn’t know anyone here, so who would have a grudge against him. “I know probably I may have angered you with my questions but you didn’t have to kill our friends, you killed Antoine too? It isn’t fair,” Amanda said as she felt it was they tour guide doing all this. “You’re forever mine, if I don’t have you, no one can, not even him,” the masked figure shouted. What do you mean, I was never yours, I don’t even know you please I beg you don’t kill us” Amanda still begging. The masked figure was now coming closer to them with a machete on his hand, they retreated backwards but Max fell down and the masked figure cut him on his hand. Max pushed him down and struggled to take the machete from him, but mistakenly removed the masks. “Geez!” Max exclaimed with so much surprise. It was Antoine. “What! Antoine! You, how could you do this” Amanda broke down in tears as she said this. The police had spread everywhere in search of them, they had seen some bodies and suspected the woods. They carried dogs as it led them to where the found those bodies. “What a Christmas!” agent Tom said to himself as he was tired, he should have been with his family by now.

  In the woods, Antoine had narrated how he saw the vacation as a way of winning her back as his girlfriend but found that she and Max was becoming an item. Max now understood why Antoine had always attacked him on simple jokes that shouldn’t stare up a fight. “Antoine, you can never have me again, can’t you get it?” Amanda shouted at him. “No one can have a nice Christmas when am not” he said as he ignored Amanda. I decided to leave pashville but I thought why I should? When I could have my own fun alone in pashville,” he continued and laughed as if he was high on laughing gas. “Is this what you call fun, killing your friends?” Lucy who had been quiet spoke in a more soft tone. “Fun is fun and I would enjoy it to the last,” he concluded as he tried hitting Max again but they police had sighted him and shot on his leg. “Thank God” Lucy said in tiredness as she saw the police and tried helping Amanda up. This was about three o’clock. “Help! We need an ambulance, Max has a serious injury,” Lucy shouted as the uniformed men came towards them. “You’re under arrest for the murder of seven people” agent Tom told Antoine as he handcuffed him and took him away. Amanda consoled Max “Don’t worry help is on the way, you will be fine,” she kissed him and told him I love you. “I bought a gift for you, its under my pillow incase I don’t make it always know that I have and always would love you, I love you so much” he said it in pain as he stroke her hair” The ambulance was here to carry them to the hospital. “You’ll be fine, I promise you,” Amanda said as she watched him been taken into the ambulance. “You made it, I told you,” Amanda told max, as she stood at the entrance of his ward. “It’s beautiful, I love green, thanks,” Amanda continued and she leaped to sit beside him. “I knew you would like it,” Max said trying to get up a bit. Max had bought her a lovely emerald bracelet and chandelier earrings that shone under the sun as she was going to the hospital. She had gone back immediately to the motel after the first aid attendants had fixed her fractured leg. She went straight to his room, looked under his pillow and found the jewelry case. She had thought it was a watch but was mistaken. She immediately took a shower and wore a black cloth that exposed the beautiful earring especially. She wanted Max to see it on her even if he was going to die, but inside her, she knew he would make it. Lucy had no injury at all; she had sat down at one corner of the hospital, remembering what her mother told her she thanked her stars that she came out of this alive. She knew if anything had happened to her, her mother would commit suicide. She was they only person her mother has since her father left her for another woman. Lucy was barely four years and can’t even recognize her father even if he passes in front of her. She was six years, she had wished for her father to return but she’s twenty now and has lost all hope of him ever coming back to them. She felt so guilty for disobeying her mother and made up her mind to listen to her always. “Common he’s okay” Amanda told Lucy who didn’t want to enter because she had thought Max wouldn’t make it. “Merry Christmas to you two” Lucy told the both of them. “We’ve lost our best friends, Antoine couldn’t stand the fact that it was over.” Amanda sighed as she said it, feeling a bit guilty for the death of their friends. “It’s not your fault Amy, Antoine would definitely pay for all this, they police has him now.” Lucy said rubbing her back to make her feel better. “Indeed, this wasn’t the type of fun I needed on a day like this,” Amanda said as if she regretted ever saying she wanted some thing different from the usual Christmas fun. “Going to the moon would have been a lot better, maybe you should be careful when making a wish next time,” they all laughed as Lucy said sarcastically.