The rain pounded on the living room window, but it wasn't loud enough to drown out the sound of glass breaking on the kitchen floor. I let out a long breath, trying to ignore the sound, trying to subdue the anger that was growing.
"Ryan!" Luna's voice echoed from the kitchen, cutting through the silence like a sharp knife. I remained silent. It was the best option.
"I know you heard!" Luna appeared from behind the kitchen door. Her eyes were red, her hair was disheveled, and she had a broken glass in her hand. Her face was full of anger.
I stood up, folding my arms across my chest. "What now, Luna? What else this time? You want to accuse me again? Cheating on me? Who was it with this time-the cashier at the supermarket? The hotel receptionist?"
She approached, her steps quick and full of anger. "Don't you try to turn this around on me, Ryan! I know you're lying! I know you're hiding something!"
I chuckled, a sarcastic laugh I couldn't resist. "What kind of something, Luna? Do you want me to help you create a new, more interesting story?"
She gripped the broken glass tighter, her eyes wild as a beast. "You think I'm stupid? You think I don't know what you're doing behind my back?!"
I shook my head, holding back the anger that was beginning to boil. "I didn't do anything, Luna. You're just paranoid."
"PARANOID?! You're saying I'm paranoid?" her voice broke, her eyes wide with hatred. "So am I crazy now? Is that what you think? I'm crazy?!"
I took a deep breath, trying to contain myself. "I'm not saying you're crazy. I'm saying you're overreacting."
She came closer again, closer and closer, her face just inches from mine. Her breath was warm, but her gaze was cold, full of anger that was about to explode. "You're going to leave me, huh? Like the others? You think I don't know what you're planning?"
"It's not about leaving you, Luna," I said, my voice starting to rise. "It's about you never trusting me! I have no space, no freedom, not even in my own home!"
"Your home?" She emphasized the word angrily. "This is our home, Ryan! Our home! But you're always trying to escape! You'll never get away from me!"
"Because you make my life hell!" I finally shouted. "I'm tired, Luna! I can't go on like this!"
She swung the broken glass to the floor, the sound like a bomb going off in this small room. "I told you, Ryan," she said quietly, but in a more sinister tone. "If I can't have you, no one can."
---
She came closer again, her hands raised, and I reacted. I don't know what I was thinking-I just pushed her, trying to get her away from me. But I didn't see the table behind her.
Her body fell, her head hitting the corner of the table with a loud thud that made my chest feel empty.
"Luna?" I whispered, my body freezing. She didn't move. I stared at her, my knees shaking, my body feeling like it was paralyzed. Blood began to flow from the side of her head, pooling on the floor.
I fell to my knees beside her, shaking her body with trembling hands. "Luna? Wake up. Please, not like this." My voice broke, barely able to hear myself. But she didn't react. There was no breath. No pulse.
I checked once more, longer this time, with trembling hands. Still nothing.
"No... no way..." The whisper came out of my mouth, though I wasn't sure who was speaking.
I stepped back, looking at her body lying on the floor. There was no time to think. There was no time to feel. I had to do something.
I stood up, my chest rumbling with agonizing guilt. No one could know. No one could ever know. I looked down at Luna's body one last time before running out of the house, looking for a shovel in the shed.
Panic Decision
The rain was still pouring down as I stood behind the house, in front of the small shed where all the gardening tools were kept. My hands trembled as I grabbed the handle of an old shovel full of dust. It felt like there were thousands of needles piercing my skin, the night air felt so heavy that I could barely breathe.
"It was an accident, Ryan. Just an accident," I muttered to myself. My voice sounded unfamiliar, like someone else was speaking. I wasn't sure if it was to calm myself or to make myself believe.
I ran back into the house, my breath coming in short gasps. Luna's body was still lying on the living room floor. The blood around her head was starting to dry, leaving a deep red trail on the shiny wooden floor. My gaze locked on her face. She looked... peaceful. How ironic.
"I'm sorry, Luna," my voice broke, more of a whisper. I knelt down, touching her cold face. But I knew regret was useless now. I had to act.
I wrapped her body in a thick cloth from the closet. My hands trembled even more as I lifted her up. It felt like the whole world was looking at me, even though there was no one there. Just me, the rain, and Luna's motionless body.
---
I drove to the secluded forest we used to visit when we wanted to spend time together. This place used to be full of good memories, but now it's turned into a battlefield with my own mind.
The car's headlights shine on the rain-slicked dirt road. I stopped at a spot far enough away from the main road, making sure no one else was around. With a shovel in hand, I began to dig through the wet soil. Sticky mud clung to my shoes and pants, but I kept digging.
"Hurry up, Ryan. You have to hurry," I kept repeating in my head. Every shovelful of dirt I threw made me feel further away from reality. The heavy rain obscured my vision, but that was probably for the best-I didn't want to see what was ahead of me.
I went back to the car and lifted Luna's body, carrying her to the hole I had dug. Every step felt heavy, like I was dragging the entire weight of my own life.
When I lowered her into the hole, my chest felt like it was being stabbed. This was wrong. Everything was wrong. But I couldn't stop. I couldn't let anyone know what happened tonight.
"I'm sorry," I whispered once more, the sound of the rain almost drowning out my words. I began to cover her body with dirt. One shovel. Two shovels. My hands moved automatically, while my mind went blank. There was no turning back.
---
When I finished the burial, I stood at the edge of the pit, looking at the now level ground. It felt like a part of me was buried there with her.
But something made my hair stand up. The night air felt colder than before, and the sound of rain suddenly sounded too quiet. I looked around, trying to figure out what was wrong.
"Ryan..."
I froze. The voice was barely audible, just like a whisper that flew with the wind. But I knew that voice. I recognized it. It was Luna's voice.
My head turned toward the hole I had just dug, my breath caught. "No... No way," I whispered, more to myself. I took a step back, my hands shaking so much that the shovel fell to the ground.
"Ryan..." the voice came again, more clearly this time. I didn't know if it was real or just the sound of my shattered mind, but it felt too real. Too close.
I turned and ran towards my car, not caring about the slippery mud or the rain that kept blocking my view. I had to go. I have to go now.
---
When I started the car engine, something in the rearview mirror made me freeze. The shadow of a person stood where I was digging. The figure didn't move, just stood still under the rain.
I widened my eyes, my body shaking violently. That can't be. It couldn't be. I sped up the car, going as fast as I could on the muddy road, though the tires almost lost control.
However, in my head, the voice kept ringing. "Ryan... You'll never get away from me."