Deception

15. Baking and Intruding

Samantha pouted as she read the box of cake mix. "Who came up with this?" She had spent the last forty-five minutes trying to figure what vanilla extract.
"Obviously someone who likes to bake." Ellie snatched the box. "I'm glad we came."
"Exactly," Ava responded. "If we weren't here to help you, lord knows what you would be cooking."
Samantha couldn't even argue on that one. She had realize that her cooking skills weren't up to par when she tried to cook her mother breakfast in bed on Mother's Day. It resulted in the Fire Marshall being called because she left the toast in the toaster for too long. 
"Why don't you just buy a cake and put your name on it." Ellie snacked on a bag of chips. "It saves time."
"That's taking the easy road out." Ava said. "She wants something's that she can be proud of."
"Maybe she's right." Samantha spoke. Buying a cake would be easier, but making something of her own would do wondered for her self esteem.
"Who?" Ellie and Ava said in unison.
"Ava." Samantha sighed. "I'll just make the cake." 
Ellie pouted. "Fine."
Ava pulled out the needed amount of sticks of butter, milk, eggs, and etc. to create their masterpiece. Ellie begin to chop of pieces of butter rigorously throwing it in the blender.
"Ellie what's the attitude for?" Ava asked.
"I really don't want to make a cake." She responded.
"Well, too bad." Samantha interrupted. "It's for a good cause.
"Whatever." Ellie mumbled before throwing in the last sticks of butter in. Samantha followed behind her pouring a cup or two of whole milk with a mixture of eggs and let the blender spin away.
"How much are you going to win if you get first place?" Ava plopped on the sofa.
"5,000." Samantha responded.
"Is that going to be enough to cover the bills?" Ellie asked.
"I don't know." Samantha shrugged. "But it's a sure start."
"Well if you need any help-"
"I'm fine Ava." Samantha interrupted. "I know your trying to help but I got this covered."
"You sure?" Ellie asked. "Because its nothing to help."
"I said I'm fine." Samantha spoke. She didn't want to look like a charity case even though she was one. She was going to get the money if it took all day and night. "I got it taken care of."
An awkward silence crept in the conversation that led to the girls giving awkward looks.
"I think it's time to put the cake in the oven." Samantha leaped from her seat back to the kitchen counter. She stared inside the bowl to see the ingredients mixed well into a cream thick substance.
"Damn. This taste pretty good." Ava stuck her finger in putting it to her mouth. "I think we may have a winner."
"She's right." Ellie agreed. "This is really good."
Samantha smiled knowing she didn't take the easy way out and actually got something accomplished of her own. "Thanks you guys."
"No problem." Ava smiled.
"If you ever need us you know where to call." Ellie cheered.
Even though she didn't want to admit it, Samantha was glad to have the company for the night. She couldn't bare another night without hearing the voice of someone else.
"Samantha." Ellie whispered knocking her off her train of thought.
"What?" Samantha spoke.
"Do you hear that?" Ava crouched to her knees. "Someone's at your door."
Samantha listened closely to hear her door knob twisting and turning. Her mom had went on a retreat for the weekend so it couldn't have been her.
Samantha slowly crouched down behind the counters with an angle where she could see the door. It crept open making a creek like noise echo throughout the house. Faint footsteps followed after. As she looked she could only make out a black hoodie. Samantha let out a quiet gasp.
"Who is it?" Ellie mouthed.
"The Hooded figure." She responded. Ellie's face went into a panic as she relied the message to Ava.
What the fuck? She thought to herself. Why my house?
The sound of drawers being ripped open made her heart jump a little. The knowledge of someone breaking into her house made her heart increase its rate.
"What do we do?" Ava whispered.
"Don't worry," Samantha mouth. "Just follow my lead." She got on all fours and began to crawl around the counter closer to the door. She watched as the hooded figure rummage through her and her mother's possession. Smashing through family picture, destroying prize memories. She saw from the corner of her eyes Ava and Ellie crawling around the counters behind her.
"Are we going to corner him?" Ava asked. "If so, I'm staying close to the knives." She gripped on a sharp one and pulled it close to her side.
"On my signal we get up and go for him." Samantha whispered. Samantha crept close by the front door, as Ellie got close to the archway. Samantha's heart beat raced faster and faster.
"1..2..3.." She mouthed. All three girls got up flicking on the lights. The hooded figure's head popped up like it was a dog for a bone.
"Hey!" Samantha yelled. "What are you doing?"
"Don't you know breaking and intruding is illegal?" Ellie shouted.
Ava gripped the knife tight getting ready to attack.
The hooded figure crept closely to the door but Samantha had it blocked.
"You aren't going anywhere." She smirked. "Who are you." The hooded figure remained silent. All it do was try to push Samantha but she put up a struggle. Ellie came behind shortly punching it on the side, the hooded figure gripped her and pushed down the floor, Ellie slipped down smacking her head against the wall.
"Ellie!" Kirsten screamed before the hooded figure knocked her off her feet. Ava came behind running like the wind forcing the knife into the shoulder blade of the hoodie. The hooded figure let out a quick Yelp before dropping to the ground. Samantha and Ava got to Ellie cuddling beside her.
"Ellie, Ellie wake up." Ava cried. Soft warm tears streamed down her chestnut colored face.
"Ellie," Samantha whimpered. "Come on girl."
Ellie let out a little noise, before waking up gasping for air.
"Ellie!" Samantha smiled. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," Ellie said. "What did y'all do." She pointed to the body that laid on the floor with a knife sticking out of the shoulder.
"I-I-I stabbed it." Ava stuttered.
"Well let's not just sit here, let's see who this person is." Samantha started crawl to the body.
"No," Ellie grabbed her arm. "Messing with the body is like contaminating evidence."
"She's right." Ava agreed. "Let's just call the police, they'll know what to do."
Shortly after the call was made, the light from the police cruiser flickered in the window.
"They're here." Ava whispered. The three girls got up, stepping around the lifeless body, outside to the front lawn. Two male officers met them on the lawn.
"Finally you made it." Samantha cheered.
"Yes, I'm officer Barkley, and this is officer Carter." The first officer spoke. "Are y'all the ones who made the call on the body?"
"Yes." Ellie mumbled.
"Is the body dead?" Officer Carter asked.
"We aren't sure." Ava said. "It's just laying there."
"Well can one of you explain what happened?" Officer Barkley said.
"We were baking a cake-" Samantha started
"And then he broke in-" Ellie interrupted.
"I stabbed him." Ava exclaimed.
"You did?" Officer Barkley asked.
"Yes, but it was in self defense." Ava cried.
"It's okay." Officer Carter consoled Ava. "Just show us the body and walk us through what happened."
Ava calmed down as she Samantha, Ellie, and herself walked the officers in the house.
"Oh my god!" Ellie's mouth dropped.
"What the-" Samantha couldn't find the words to finish the sentence.
"It's gone." Ava's mouth dropped. "It" meaning the body she stabbed to death.
"Are y'all sure there was a body here girls?" Officer Barkley asked. "Because if so, it surely doesn't look like it."
"It was right here!" Samantha exclaimed.
"It really was!" Ellie cried. "You have to believe us."
"How about we at least look around before we can make any permeant decisions." Officer Carter spoke. The officers begin to look around the house, trying to collect some sort of evidence.
"What the hell." Ava whispered. "How does a body just disappeared. A dead body at that."
"I don't know," Ellie followed behind her.
"I told y'all we should of revealed the identity." Samantha pouted.
"Well that's not the point." Ava sighed. "There's a dead body looming around the town. And I'm the reason."
"Well if it disappeared then it can't be dead." Ellie suggested.
"I stabbed it for god sakes." Ava whispered.
"You made a flash wound," Samantha spoke. "It's probably not dead."
"You sure?" Ava asked.
"Positive." Samantha crossed her arms.
"Well we can't find anything." Officer Barkley came behind them. "Are you sure you stabbed it."
"Yes, I'm sure." Ava said. "I got him in the shoulder."
"The shoulder?" Officer Carter asked.
"Yes." Ava confirmed.
"There's not much we can do at the moment." Officer Carter. "But if you find something that could help find this body, here's my card." He slide a small piece of paper in her hands before leaving the house.
"What are we going to do?" Ava asked
"I don't know." Ellie responded.
"We need-" Samantha's sentence was interrupted from the sound of her phone. Ellie and Ava's phone begin to make another sound of a notification.
Each message was from an unknown sender.
"Girls," Ava gasped.
Each let out a look of fear as they read the following: Looks like there's a dead man walking. Watch out, these secrets are the ones you take to the grave.