"Please, come on up," Max said for the second time, beckoning her with his hand. Cristiana still didn't stand. "Aww looks like someone is shy."
She took one last large gulp of her daiquiri and made her way up.
"There you go, a little liquid courage," said Max.
The audience laughed, and Cristiana felt her stomach rumble with embarrassment. She wished she was sitting in the back of the audience, laughing with them. It was an entirely different feeling to be the one laughed at.
Cristiana walked nervously to the stairs that led up to the stage.
"We don't have all day here," Max said impatiently. "Come on."
She crossed the stage over to him, shaking his hand politely.
"What's your name, my dear?"
"Cristiana Bertelli," she said into the microphone.
"Very good, Cristiana. Welcome. Have a seat."
There was a scattered applause from the audience as she sat in the second of the three chairs, next to the first man who had been called up.
"And now for our final contestant…you there," Max said, pointing to another young woman in the crowd. She made her way to the stage.
"What's your name, ma'am?"
"Madeline."
The audience applauded and she sat down next to Cristiana.
"Alrighty everyone. Deepest Secrets! Who knows what we'll uncover today! First up, Now, you guys, there's only one way to win this. The more laughter or shock that the audience feels, the more points you get. I will also throw a little bit of my own judgment in there when grading your secrets. So, first up, Chad. Start out kind of small, let's hear a secret," Max said, turning the microphone to the first contestant.
Chad thought for a moment. "Umm…I guess I'm thinking about the one time I ran over my dog…."
The audience gasped, and Max turned toward them with a look of surprise on his face.
"Wow…wow. I was not expecting that one! How did this tragedy come about?"
"Well it all started when…."
His voice began to fade away, and Cristiana found herself staring into the distance. How had she gotten here? In this situation? A thousand eyes were on her at the moment. What did they see? A drunk woman, who had a little stage fright? Or someone who had something to hide?
A microphone was shoved up to her face, and she realized that Max had just asked her a question. "Um…could you come back to me?"
Max nodded. "Sure thing." He stepped past her chair and looped around the other contestants, stopping right back in front of Cristiana. "I'm back."
The audience roared with laughter.
Cristiana sank into her chair, a wash of red burning across her cheeks.
"So, I'll ask again. What's your secret, Cristiana?"
Her mind went blank. She had nothing to say. Nothing.
Just make something up, she told herself. Say something. Before they really thought she had something to hide.
"Come on, Cristiana! Give us at least one small thing! You guys want to hear it, right?"
The audience boomed with noise, and Cristiana felt as if she would go deaf. A chant started from the back of the crowd, slowly spreading until almost everyone was in unison.
"TELL US! TELL US! TELL US!"
She still couldn't say it. She wouldn't.
"TELL US! TELL US! TELL US!"
Cristiana couldn't breathe. Her vision went black. Suddenly, all of the noise stopped.
"What did you just say?" Max asked.
She opened her eyes and found that the audience looked scared.
The words continued to spill out of her mouth.
"I'm a murderer. I've killed two people now."
Max hesitantly took a step back. "That's…serious. She's joking everyone! She's joking!"
Cristiana stood and stepped over to Max, snatching the microphone from him. "I'm not! I'm not joking! I did it! Okay? First was my baby…I drank the poor thing to death before he was even born! Reckless, disgusting, I know! And I also killed my boyfriend! Not ten hours ago. He tried to hurt me, so I stabbed him to death. His dead body is just underneath my bed. Check for yourselves, I don't care! I'm done!"
The crowd began to panic, and she heard screams of terror. Some people ran from the room.
"You murderer!"
"Fucking bitch!"
"Lock her up!"
The words bounced off of her, as if a barrier had blocked all the words away. She felt happy. The truth was out. Her deepest secret would be known all around the world now. And that was fine.
Cristiana tossed the microphone to Max, who fumbled and dropped it. Bending down, he spoke into it. "Security! Security! I need help on stage! Now!"
She still didn't care. They could lock her up. Maybe then, she would finally get peace and quiet.
The other two contestants looked at her with fear and uncertainty. Uncertainty about what she would do to them. But Cristiana wasn't like a serial killer, murdering randomly and without remorse. The first had been an accident. And killing Liam was justified. They would never understand, because they hadn't been in her situation.
There were footsteps behind her, and she spotted three security guards closing in on her. Two of them held guns.
Instinct took over, and she ran. Why? She had been so ready to give herself in. But now…she wanted to escape.
It was a fleeting feeling.
One of the guards tackled her from behind, and they tumbled off of the stage.
She felt her body smack into the first row of chairs, and her right shoulder popped from its socket. Her head pounded in pain, and once again, her vision had turned to black.
"Help!" She screamed. "What's wrong with me! Help!"
She felt herself hauled to her feet. Cristiana winced as her arms were pulled behind her and a pair of handcuffs were wrapped around her wrists.
"Please," Cristiana said desperately as two unyielding pairs of hands wrapped around her arms. "You need to understand! None of this is real! This is not reality! I'm not here!!!"