ECHOES OF US

CHAPTER 4

It didn't take long for his body to go slack beneath me, his head tipping back against the sofa. His chest rose and fell unevenly, then stilled into the quiet rhythm of unconsciousness

I slipped off his lap and reached for my phone. Two taps later, the line was ringing.

“Come over” I said when Holly picked up.

“Now”.

Minutes later, the apartment buzzed with her voice as she stepped inside, “you always move fast, Alayna”, she teased,eyeing the man on the sofa. “Why didn't you leave with that drunk creep from the club? He looked eager enough”.

I poured myself water, smirking faintly. “The bartender stepped in. I had to adjust”.

Before she could press further, the distant wail of siren cut through the night. Holly pulled the curtains shut just as the red lights painted the walls. An ambulance pulled discreetly to the curb, Nathan climbing out of the driver’s side in scrubs that looked far too professional for this hour.

“Let’s move him”, Nathan said briskly, and with practiced ease, the man’s body was lifted into the back of the ambulance. No one on the street gave it a second glance.

The ride was silent except from the hum of the engine. We reached the hospital through a side entrance, one that Nathan long ago for nights like these. The air inside was sharp and sterile, the kind of cold that clung to your skin.

We wheeled him into a restricted room where bright lights flickered on at the touch of a switch. It could have been mistaken for a operating theatre, if not for the way shadows seemed to press around the edges

“Tools”, I said simply

Holly passed them without question,her movements quick, precise.

Nathan stood by, opening a cooler that waited against the wall, his gloved hands steady.

The room filled with the click of metal against metal, and the faint rush of the cooler lid closing and opening again. To anyone else,it might have looked like a surgery In progress. To us, itt was routine

When it was done, the silence settled heavy in the room. Nathan locked the cooler,sealing its contents. Holly wiped down the tools and slipped them back into their place.

I peeled of my gloves and dropped them into the bin. My reflection in the steel cabinets stared back at me–calm and u bothered, as if I had just finished another late night work.

“Clean”, Nathan confirmed.

“Efficient”, Holly added.

I smoothed my hair, lips curving faintly. “As always”

When Nathan finished sewing, the body looked whole again, untouched except for the stillness that lingered.

“It’s time to dump it” I said, putting on another glove and glancing at them both.

“I'll go get his car from my house”, I added.

They nodded without a word.

We moved the body once again into the van, covering it carefully before slipping out into the quiet night. I drove ahead ,the city lights flickering against the windshield until I reached where the man’s car was parked where we’d left it earlier. Sliding behind the wheel, I guided it to the meeting spot.

Nathan and Holly were already waiting.

Together,we transferred the body into the car,moving with practiced precision. Every surface we touched,we wiped. Every trace we left, we erased. When the door finally shut, the car looked exactly as it had hours before, waiting silently by the roadside.

By morning,someone would find it. By morning the story would no longer belong to us

And then it was done.

We left the scene behind like it was nothing more than a dream

Back at my apartment, the air was lighter. Holly had already kicked her heels off at the door, groaning about herr sore feet, Nathan carried in bags like we’d just come back from shopping instead of dumping a corpse.

“Soju and tteokbokki, straight from the little place down the street”, I said setting the steaming bowls on the table. The rich, spicy scent curled through the air, comforting.

“God, finally”. Holly nearly over at the food, chopsticks already in her hand. She blew on a rice cake before popping it into her mouth, only to start fanning her tongue a second later. “Too hot! Why do I always do this to myself?”

Nathan chuckled, already unscrewing a bottle of soju. “Because patience isn't your strong suit”. He poured three little glasses, sliding one toward Holly and one toward me

“Cheers”.

The glass was cold in my hand,but the liquid burned all the way down to my throat. Warmth spread through my chest, loosening the tight knot inside me. I leaned back, letting the spice of the food and the alcohol blur together.

Holly leaned back with a laugh, pouring herself another shot. “Honestly, that club was wild. I swear half the guys in there were eyeing me”.

Nathan smirked, picking at his food.

“That's just your ego talking. But hey –i’m sure Alayna had her own admirers at the club”

“Yeah, she did” Holly teased

I lifted my glass, rolling my eyes. “He was just a bartender doing his job and also just being polite. Don't make it sound like more than it was”

“Polite? Please “.Holly smirked. “The way he kept looking at you? That wasn't just customer service, babe”.

Nathan chuckled. “Careful with bartenders, Alayna . They notice everything. They remember faces”. His gaze lingered on me for a beat too long.

I swallowed a mouthful of soju and forced a laugh “stop flattering me. You're both ridiculous”.

I quickly turned the attention to Nathan . “Alright, doc, what about you? Did you see anyone you liked?”.

He chuckled, shaking his head as he topped off his drink. “Plenty of cute guys, but none caught my attention”.

“Thats a shame”Holly teased

Nathan only smirked, sipping his soju

we laughed, clinking our glasses, letting the warmth of food and drink fill the room. To anyone it would seem like three friends unwinding after a night out .

No one would ever guess what the night actually held.

Holly yawned, stretching. “I think I'm crashing here tonight. Too tired to move”.

“Same”, Nathan muttered, already sinking into the couch.

I just smiled, gathering upp the empty bottles and setting them in the sink. My friends drifted into sleep, their laughter still echoing in the air.

I stayed awake the longest. Cleaning the whole house.

Silence crept back in. Holly curled on the couch,her head pillowed on Nathan's lap,already fast asleep. Nathan leaned back,half asleep

In the bathroom mirror, I stared at my reflection. My lips were still tinted from tteokbokki sauce. My eyes looked tired but calm. Normal.

“Nobody suspects a thing”, I whispered to myself and I almost smiled

I wiped a faint red smear on my wrist,hidden beneath my sleeve and whispered to myself

“Clean. Perfectly clean”