Page 4 of Shhh…It’s A Killer Story

No one who uses a smiley face that aggressively is simply checking in. They’re threatening you politely. Gerald smirked.

“You should’ve finished the chapter.”

“I was busy.”

“Doing what?”

I looked toward the object waiting by the front door.

“…Research.”

Frank followed my gaze.

“Research with sparkles?”

I looked at the bright pink suitcase.

“The sparkles were on sale.”

Gerald let out the kind of sigh reserved for people who had given up on life years ago.

“Of course they were.”

I smiled sweetly.

“Beauty comes in many forms.”

“It also comes with better wheels,” Gerald muttered.

“…Don’t remind me.”

I grabbed the glittery handle. It didn’t move. I frowned.

“Oh…”

I gave it another tug.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Gerald smiled.

“I told you to buy the black one.”

The suitcase was heavier than I’d expected. Correction. Everything is heavier than expected if you are 5 feet nothing wearing heels in the middle of the night. Don’t judge, I feel sexy shhh. I gripped the sparkly pink handle and dragged it across the gravel. It scraped across the gravel with all the grace of a dying walrus.

Honestly…

Whoever invented plastic wheels deserves jail. Minimum sentence: Fifteen years. No parole. Gerald voted for life. I froze. Nothing. Just the wind and the moon. Good. I hated audiences. The moon looked enormous. Which was rude. The moon has absolutely no business judging me from up there.

“Remind me,” I whispered.

Gerald looked offended.

“About?”

“Never buy luggage with plastic wheels again.”

“I told you to get the black one.”