Wendy looked like a bizarro version of Kristen. She had the same blonde hair, the same electric blue eyes, and the same laugh lines. But her hair was short, styled into an edgy bob with bangs that covered her right eye. Tattoos decorated her skin from the top of her neck to her knuckles. Kristen either wore a hoodie or a blouse. There wasn't really an in-between. Wendy, on the other hand, wore t-shirts, typically of a heavy metal band, jeans, and Chuck Taylors.

She was always nice. It was as if she understood me. I felt like she knew what I was going through. She had gone to school for accounting and always hated it. Unlike me though, Wendy had guts. She knew what she wanted to do, and went after it. Most days I couldn't decide what I wanted to eat without Kristen's help. Wendy opened a jewelry store after quitting her accounting job and had become quite successful.  I don't mean monetarily. I'm sure she did fine, but more importantly, she was happy. As someone who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, and had his ass wiped with hundred dollar bills, I can say with confidence that having money and being happy isn't always conducive.

I was going to shoot Wendy in the back. Quick and painless.

"Hey so can we take the boat out?" she asked, squinting up toward the setting sun. 

"Not now," I answered. Once we reached the shed, I spotted the shotgun. Luckily, Wendy didn't.

"Well, why the hell not?" She took another swig of beer and stumbled past the shed, down the steep hill to my rowboat. The next thing I heard was the sound of glass shattering. "Hunt, there's a trail of...blood!

I took aim and wrapped my finger around the gun's trigger. But before I could fire, she spun around to face me.

"Oh my God!" With staggered breaths, she raised her hands in surrender. The look of utter shock and horror in her eyes made me pity her, I suppose. "Wh...what's happening?" Her voice may have been soaked in fear, but I swear there was a faint hint of a smile on her face.

"What's happening is, you're going to die," I answered.

Wendy's mouth dropped as she stared into the shotgun's barrel. "Wow, um...I wasn't expecting this."

What an odd thing to say.

"I'm sorry about this, Wendy. I had only planned on taking two lives." My hands were now trembling. Why the fuck was I shaking?

"Two lives? Wait so...so you killed Kristen?!" She didn't need to hear my answer.  "Wow," she responded with an icy tone. Her expression suddenly loosened. "You've made a mess, Hunter." She took a step toward me, and I followed by taking one back. I had the gun. I had the power. I held her life in my hands. So why was I backing away? "How about we put the gun down," she said cooly, taking another step forward. The gun barrel pressed against her chest, and she let out a giggle. "Or shoot me, and get this over with."

"I'll do it," I yelled.

"Clearly," she nodded. "How did you kill my sister? Is that her blood you're covered in?

Just do it! End this, now!"

"Shut up!"

"Oh, you've got a friend? How interesting you've become, Hunter."

Wendy's lips parted into a sly smile--the same smile Kristen wore before I suffocated her with my pillow. "Exhilarating, isn't it?" she asked. With both of her hands, she grabbed the barrel of my shotgun and lowered it to the ground. 

"Exhilarating?" 

She stepped even closer to me. Now our cheeks were touching. When I felt her breath, the hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention. Goosebumps began to rise as she traced a pointer finger around my ear.

And then she whispered, "Killing."