“Red”

            Thinking back on that day, I never imagined it would end this way. 

***

            I woke up dreading the day already. My alarm didn’t go off, the wind was beating the rain into the window glass and my coffee maker was probably cold by now. It was my day off and I had it planned since last week. I’d finally wake up early for once, start off the day at the gym then cook a healthy breakfast. Power through the house chores and then find a nice spot to eat a warm meal. 

            Throwing my legs off the side of the bed and decided to make the best of it, regardless. I pulled on the nearest and least smelly t- shirt and shorts combo, snatched my keys off their hook and ran to the car. The radio wasn’t working thanks to the overcast weather, so I turned on some tunes on my phone. 

            I was about 5 minutes from the local gym, when I saw a car pulled off to the side of the road; smoke coming from the lifted hood of the car. Normally, I wouldn’t care to stop but as I neared the red vehicle, I saw the driver throw up her hands defeatedly and look up. Her soft face was drenched from the pounding rain. I flipped on my signal light on and slowly pulled over. 

            Instinctively, I reached around to the backseat and grabbed my coat from the back seat, slipped my phone into the front pocket, and walked out to see if I could lend a hand. I wasn’t the best at cars like my dad was, but I picked up a couple things while he was around. 

            “Hey there, is there something I could help with?”

            “I don’t know what could be the matter,” she whimpered. “There was no indication of anything wrong this morning. Then it started to buckle and smoke.” Then she burst into tears. “Worst of all, my dog ran off into the trees when I opened the door.”

            I wasn’t good with tears, but I managed a, “What’s more important?” That threw her off a bit. 

            “Excuse me?” she sniffled and wiped her nose with her coat sleeve. 

            “Like would you like me to check the car first or should we search for your dog.”

            “Oh. Um, I’d like to find my dog if you wouldn’t mind. Thank you.”

            “Sure thing, lead the way.”

            She headed in the direction I assumed the dog went. I didn’t bother making small talk. I never was a fan; I just repeated the name she kept saying. “RED! Come here, boy!”

            This went on for a while. Red didn’t seem to hear though, but she seemed certain of the direction she was going, as we went deeper into the trees. The sad sound in her voice was gone, replaced by an almost sing-song tune about the way she was calling out to the dog. 

“RED, where are youu, Red?” She giggled.  

            “You sure we should keep going this way, Miss?” I said as I pushed my hands further into my coat pockets, feeling the secure weight of my phone in my palm. I was hesitating my decision about now. I’d be at the gym already by this point. 

It was then I saw it. “Red,” it was alright. Out in some clearing was the brightest shade crimson I had ever seen. Mixed in with the remnants of what looked like a “somebody.”

            “Oh, Red! I’m glad I found you!” Red lifted his head and the darkest set of eyes narrowed on me and smirked. 

            I felt a shiver run down my body and turned to run, but the girl stuck her foot out and I tumbled falling flat on my face.

            “Don’t leave yet,” she sneered, “the fun is just about to begin.” Then I heard the squishing of the leaves approach me. My mind went blank, but my thumb instinctively pressed the emergency button on my phone. A little too late though. I rolled over to see “Red” looming over me, an ax in his gloved hands. 

            “This one will do alright.” Red chortled, “Good job, Ruby.” The lights went out. 

My eyes flew open to the sound of sirens blaring. The blinding lights made the pounding in my head sting but didn’t compare to searing pain in my mouth. I was in the red car on the side of the road surrounded by cop cars. The ax from the clearing in my lap and my clothes soaked in blood. A note lay on the ground with the message, “My lips are sealed.” Scribbled and marked with an X. 

No truer words could’ve been written, for my tongue was missing and I was now on my way downtown in the back of a cruiser. I was mumbling the best I could to say that they had the wrong guy. It made no difference; I’d never be able to speak after today. 

“Take it easy now, you’ll have your time to tell your story to the judge. Oh wait.” The snarky sheriff chuckled. “Maybe you won’t, after-all.” 

Three months ago, I was found guilty of the murder of “Kyle” some poor guy I’d never met until the moment in the clearing. My eyes had fallen upon him, well what was left of him, the bits of him all scattered apart. The ax that Red used on him was found in my lap, in Kyle’s car, along with my “confession.”  Ruby and Red were nowhere to be found, seemed they drove off in my clunker. 

I wrote down what happened to me that fateful day, but the jury couldn’t be convinced. All evidence pointed to me. Shoot, hearing all that they had on me, almost convinced me that I was the culprit. If it wasn’t for my missing tongue- I would have been a believer too. 

***

            Now my days have all the order I was lacking. I get woken up at the same time, the alarm never fails here. I work out regularly, thanks to all the motivation. Plus, I eat pretty healthy too, not that I can complain about the taste.