Duplicity by Charles Anikpe

how to drive a boat, but nothing lit up and there appeared to be no power. My plan was shot. It would seem the boat had been a permanent fixture here for some time, probably abandoned. Makes sense why my shadowy self would have chosen it.
     
    I only had one other plan, and I really did not want to have to put it into action, but I had no choice. I ran downstairs in search of some kind of cutting instrument. Yes, I was going to have to finish off what he…I…had started and cut her into pieces to get her off the boat undetected.
     
    I did not have time to ponder the psychological implications of this plan, or whether I would be able to physically cut up another human being, but I had no choice. It was my only way out.
     
    I found a saw and a role of plastic bags on a shelf downstairs. No doubt I had left them there for myself, but regardless, I considered it a stroke of luck. I opened the cage door which was jammed shut with a long wooden stick, and dragged her out by her feet followed by a trail of blood.
     
    I have read about these kinds of things every day for work, and looked at graphic pictures of crime scenes, but you can never grasp the intensity of these things unless they are actually happening to you. The actual smell of blood, the terrified look in the victim’s eyes when she realized that today was the day she was going to die. It can only be described as horrific.
     
    Luckily, I wasn’t too focused on the grotesque images in front of me, I was too consumed by saving my career and everything I had built for myself over the years. I was a little angry that my alter ego would leave me in this predicament, but obviously my alter ego did not have the same worries about our livelihood that I had. It just confirmed to me how different we were and that this girl’s murder had not been of my doing.
     
    The first limb was the hardest, the saw moved through her thigh much easier than expected as a small amount of blood spattered up onto my face making me close my eyes to complete the cut. It was very surreal, almost as if it wasn’t me doing it, I felt like I was watching some trashy hospital drama on some cloudy Wednesday lunch break. I went into autopilot after that, cutting and bagging as I did. It sounds bad to say that, as if I didn’t care that this was someone who was completely innocent. Someone was probably looking for this girl, and I didn’t care because I wasn’t really there. I felt nothing; I worked quickly with my mind wandering elsewhere to escape the reality of the situation.
     
    When I had finished I cleaned every trace of blood meticulously from the floor and cage. I scrubbed for what seemed like hours to ensure there was no trace of this girl ever being here, and hauled the bags up the stairs to the main door of the living quarters.
     
    I left the bags there and locked the door behind me to go get my car, as I did I heard a voice call out to me.
     
    “Hey buddy, you got a temporary rental?” the man on the boat next to Destiny shouted.
     
    “Awe, no…” I had to be very careful what I said here, they may know the owner after all. “My uncle asked me to give it a bit of a cleaning.” I smiled and nodded at them as I ventured forward to get my car, keen to depart from them. They seemed buy into my story, I was pleased that this was happening on a weekend when I was dressed somewhat casually. The chances of them buying into that story if I had been in my usual attire would have been slim. I was just hoping they had not recognized my face from my commercials.
     
    I had to walk at a normal pace to my car as I could feel their eyes upon me, watching my every move, but I wanted to run, I wanted to run like I never had before, and scream and shout, but my poker face was first class, I had used it so many times in court. I don’t think they suspected a thing, I think they were simply nosy sailors.
     
    I reached my car, and climbed in as quickly as I could, speeding back to the boat