Free Mommy, May I? by A. K. Alexander

guttural sound she made as Janie Keaton, his so-called friend, collapsed. She made no more noise, no more movements. He swung the flashlight once more, giving her a final blow. The woods grew silent for the second time that evening.
    Janie Keaton lay on the ground; blood smeared across her face and on her hands where she’d tried to protect herself. Edgar Allan Poe’s book, opened to “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” lay next to her.
    Richard dropped the flashlight, staring down at her. “Why did you have to do this, Janie? Friends! We were friends! Don’t you know what that means? No, all you wanted was to be popular! I’m sorry, but not anymore. Now you’ll always be my friend!”
    He sat down next to her and cried almost as hard as the day he’d lost his mother. He didn’t know what to do. Richard had only wanted her to still be his friend in school, that’s all. Then none of this would’ve happened. If she’d only said, Sure, we’ll eat lunch together, and hang out after school , she’d still be here.
    But he’d killed her, and he had to do something—and quick. No one could know they’d been together. He thought fast as he wiped away his tears. He collected the book and flashlight, stuffing them down into the bag with the beer. It was almost midnight.
    Richard hefted Janie up on to his shoulder, struggling under her weight for a moment. She was heavy, but he was strong. Uncle James had set up weights for him out in the garage, and he’d been working out with them all summer.
    He made his way to the edge of the woods, and steadied himself. Richard knew exactly what to do. As quickly as his sadness had come upon him, it was gone, and now he thought with the mind of the orangutan in Poe’s story—by instinct, and with fury.
    Richard left her body buried under a group of bushes, wrapped inside the blanket they’d sat on earlier, then he walked to the back of the local market. The town was deserted, and he made certain to avoid any lights. He rummaged through a dumpster until he found a trash bag large enough to hold her. He went back and stuffed her body inside.
    “I hate doing this to you,” he said.
    The mortuary was close by. No one was around, and he was sure he hadn’t been seen. He made his way to the back of the funeral home. His stomach sank when he spotted his uncle’s car. Now what ? The bag was heavy, and he was afraid it might tear. He set it down between the building and some trashcans.
    An hour later, his uncle exited the building humming “Blue Moon.” Uncle James got into his car, and when he turned on the headlights, Richard’s nerves jangled, his ears buzzing, afraid that his uncle would see him. Richard remained still until he could no longer see the car’s lights. Though the air had grown colder, Richard’s clothes were soaked with sweat.
    He unlocked the mortuary and carried Janie through the back door. He took her immediately into the embalming station where he laid her down on the table. Although he kind of felt bad about what he’d done, he was excited about what he was going to do next. He knew he had to hurry, for fear his uncle would realize he wasn’t in the house and begin looking for him.
    After disinfecting Janie, Richard began the embalming process. Every fiber in his body pulsated. This was control.
    “I’m sorry about your face Janie. I didn’t mean to bruise you. But this isn’t so bad. Is it? We’ll be friends for eternity. Just you and me. And no one will think you’re a geek. I can save you. Did you know that? I’ll just put these fluids in your body, and I know you can’t really talk to me, but I think I know you well enough to know what you’d say if you could.”
    Draining the blood and fluids from her, then filling her back up with chemicals was like being alive for the very first time. The power of it all! Power—that was exactly what he felt—Powerful! He moaned aloud as he continued with the process, the blood rushing to his penis. Maybe