The Deathtrap

“Can’t you ever be happy with anything?”

“I’m just saying... we’re coming from where most people go for vacation, to where most people want to get away from.”

Donald tightened his grip on the steering wheel of the rental and wore a thin line frown. Maggie was going to send him over the edge, he knew it. They had discussed this trip for weeks. After eight months of counseling and a narrowly avoided divorce, the offer from his brother to stay at his Ohio cabin was received as the perfect therapy. Los Angeles was a rat-race; a fast pace, shallow and hedonistic existence that soured marriages like bad Chinese. This was supposed to be the escape, a time they could focus on one another.

“Maggie... this isn’t about the location, this is supposed to be about us.”

“I know, I know... I just don’t understand why we couldn’t have grabbed a hotel in Vegas or something. We had to come... here...” She looked out the passenger side window and narrowed her brow at the rural landscape of farmland, just thirty miles south-east of Columbus.

“Do you remember our last trip to Vegas? I couldn’t find you for three days!”

“Ha! You were the one glued to that craps table, I couldn’t pull you away to save my life... you did your thing, I did mine. Don’t whine about it now.”

“I’m not...” Donald had to swallow to control his anger. “I’m not whining about anything... I’m just pointing out why Vegas is such a terrible idea. We need less distractions... we need a slower pace...”

“We need to milk cows? Slop the hogs?”

“There aren’t any cows... you know it’s not a farm. It’s a nice secluded cabin in a wooded area, and still only fifteen minutes from town.”

“Define town.”

Donald ran his tongue across his lower lip and fixed his glare on the road. He was tired of justifying a decision they had both agreed upon. He was tired of arguing for arguments sake. Even if they had went to Vegas, she would be complaining about the noise, the lights, or any other element of existence that could be encountered by human senses. Maggie lived to complain.

As they drove along in the pre-dusk sunlight passing the desolate and eerie skeletal woods, Donald thought of the Evil Dead movies, and how no one would hear you scream out here. There was a point in their relationship where that was all it took to make them happy. A good horror flick and a decent bottle of wine was the peak of romance when they were two twenty-somethings in love and working on degrees. Neither of them liked to socialize beyond a small get-together or drinks at a sports-bar. However, after her bachelors in business was obtained, Maggie went straight to work for a modeling agency and quickly became one of the hottest agents in the industry. Donald, on the other hand, passed the bar exam and managed to maintain his position as a Los Angeles public defender, but just barely. Maggie surpassed his income by nearly double.

“Is that it?” Said Maggie.

Donald squinted his eyes to see the structure through the woods. His brother had called it a “cabin”, Donald expected to see a small shack built with rustic looking logs, not the polished looking house before him. But as they approached, He saw his brother standing on the patio deck waving.

“Looks that way... I thought it’d be smaller...”

Donald turned the sedan into the large arch driveway and came to a stop, just as a legion of light colored flakes floated down from the sky to land on the windshield and hood. Maggie frowned and dropped her jaw in irritation.

“Is that snow? It’s April for Pete’s sake!”

Donald watched the particles fall and settle upon the windshield wipers. “I don’t think it’s snow.” Opening the door, he stepped out to greet his brother.

“Well, look at this pair of city slickers...” Jason clasped his brothers hand and pulled him to himself for an overdue hug. “It’s good to see you, bro... you’re going to love it here, I promise.”

After giving her makeup a once over, Maggie stepped out of the car with her most inviting smile.

“And look who he brings with him...” Jason looked to his brother, his hand squeezing the back of his neck. “Does Maggie know you’re dating her clients?”

“Hello, Jason.” Said Maggie, walking up to the older of the two men and placing what seemed to Donald like a flirtatious and lingering kiss on Jason’s lips.

“Jason, what is that all over our car?” Maggie said, turning to the sedan and tilting her head in the same cheeky manner she used to behave with Donald once upon a time.

“Ah, you see that?” Jason pointed to a tall looming tree to their left. “Every spring it starts dropping pollen like that. And that’s nothing, I’ve seen trees around here shed so much pollen, people have to shovel it off their driveways... beautiful... but annoying.”

“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like that... honey, you think your allergies will hold up?” Chimed Donald, in his most earnest attempt at maintaining the illusion of a loving couple.

“Don’t be silly, my medication virtually eradicates my allergies, you know that.” Maggie cut her eyes back to Jason. “What a worry wart... he drives me crazy...”

“His mind’s just thinking of every angle... that’s what makes him a great lawyer.” Said Jason, as Maggie cocked a brow to Donald, in a sarcastic refute. “Come on, let me show you guys the place... I’m tellin’ ya, you’re going to love it here.”

Jason led the couple into the respectable ranch home. The title “cabin” turned out to be a quaint nickname for what was in reality a nicely furnished two bedroom house, complete with a patio deck and half basement. The only aspect that still satisfied Donald’s expectations was the eight mile distance between any other human civilization. After about an hour of nostalgic chatter, with Maggie’s attention glued to Jason, and Donald’s resentment slowly churning, Jason excused himself and was gone. Once again, Donald and Maggie Preston were alone.

“Can you believe that? Eight miles to the nearest neighbor!”

“It didn’t seem to bother you when Jason was here.”

“Well, I’m not going to be rude, Donald. But really... suppose something happens? What if the car breaks down and some... wood creature chews through our telephone lines... this can be downright dangerous. And my allergies are already beginning to bother me.”

“But, you just said...” Donald lost his will to speak. His eyes desperate.

“You brought us out into a deathtrap, Donald... I’m going to be miserable here. This was all your idea from the beginning. You only think about yourself. Never did you consider my allergies, or that maybe I wanted to occupy my time with something other than watching pollen fall from the trees. A serious allergy attack can affect my asthma too Donald... then what? How far is the nearest hospital?”

“Maggie...”

“Really Donald... I wanted this to work... I should have said something before we left. But maybe it’s time we go forth with what we’ve been holding back for so long... maybe this is it, Donald.”

Flashes of life after divorce raced through Donald’s mind. Having a case of infidelity already on his rap sheet pretty much insured things ending badly for him. As it was, Maggie was responsible for his current standard of living. The lifestyle and the toys he enjoyed so much were primarily funded with her paycheck, not his. Losing her income was a bleak thought.

“You shouldn’t talk like that...”

“I’m just being honest with you, you should appreciate it... but then, I suppose you are a lawyer. Listen, if I had it in me to keep the peace and attempt to go on with this charade, I would. But the thought of you touching me tonight just leaves me cold. This has burdened me for a long time now... you can go back to her, and I’ll go my own way...”

“Her? This is about that? Maggie, we’ve been through this... I made a mistake, you said you had dealt with it...”

“Well maybe I haven’t... maybe at the end of the day I feel I’m entitled to a man who doesn’t make those kind of mistakes. Maybe I’m worth just a little more than what you value me at... I carry you Donald. You wouldn’t drive the car you drive or golf at the club you golf at if it wasn’t for what I’ve accomplished in life... but you have no respect for that... no gratitude... you’re selfish, and I think you’re even jealous of my success. We can’t fix this... I’m tired of trying.”

Donald let the words sting and swallowed back a bitter knot in his throat. Had it come to this? A nagging voice in is head had been warning him that this trip would only bring detriment. In retrospect, every event leading up to this moment had carried with it an ominous ring. He thought of the phone conversation with his brother. Had Jason expected this as well? Is that why he offered such an isolated location? Is that why he made sure the gun cabinet was left unlocked and stocked with a loaded twelve gauge? Hadn’t Jason winked when he suggested Donald might want to do a little hunting?

Maggie walked over to her purse and pulled out her cell phone.

“I’m going to call a cab... I’m sure with enough incentive they’ll even come for me out here... I’m going to a hotel.”

Donald approached her and clasped his hand around his wife’s, forcing the flip phone closed. “Wait... you can go... just let me show you something.”

Maggie frowned, retracting her hand from his touch. “I don’t think I want to see anything you have to show me Donald...”

“Please, just come... it won’t take long... twelve years of marriage, you can do me this one favor...”

“You’re acting odd, Donald. I don’t know what you have in mind, but you need to face facts... just accept it... it’s over...”

“Just one...” Donald pressed his lips together, seeing Maggie wouldn’t bend to his will. “Fine... I’ll be right back.”

Donald disappeared down the hallway and Maggie flipped her phone back open. She dialed four-one-one and waited for an operator.

“City or state please.” Came the hollow sounding voice.

“Yes, actually I’m from out of town and I need a cab... I’m close to the city Columbus Ohio, any taxi service you have will do. In fact, better give me a couple just in case...”

“Ok ma’am, I have a Buckeye Taxi service in Columbus, that number is...”

“Put the phone down Maggie.” Donald said, aiming the twelve gauge at her middle.

Maggie’s eyes went wide, her mouth agape. “Have you lost your mind?”

“Put it down...”

“Donald, this is...”

“Put it down, bitch!”

Maggie closed the phone and let it drop to the ground. Her heart began to race, suddenly realizing the very real disadvantages of the complaints she had posed to him earlier. There was no one around for miles. Could he really do this? He had always had a temper that scared her, not because he was violent, but because he would hold everything inside and stew.

“We can talk about this...”

“You already made that decision didn’t you? I wanted to talk... I wanted to work on it... try to repair whatever broke... but you just want to hold grudges... you want to try and belittle me, just because you think you’re so successful... you think you carry me... that’s fine... you won’t need to carry me any longer...”

“Donald...”

“I don’t want to hear another word... I’m going to blow your head into a million pieces unless you do exactly as I say. We’re going to the basement.”

Maggie’s mind raced. Could he really go through with it? If he shot her, there would be no way he could cover up that kind of evidence. Surely he must know that, he’s a lawyer. But what if he intended a murder-suicide? It happened all the time, under these precise circumstances. Maggie was furious with herself for letting him bring her out here. She should have followed her initial instinct and ended things before they left Los Angeles. Her only chance now was to appease him as long as possible until she figured out a way to talk herself out of this. With cautious movement she took her first step towards the basement door.

“Look... you’ve made your point... neither of us want this... maybe I over-reacted...”

“Just keep going, all the way down.”

Maggie took the first step into the dark stairway that led to the basement, knowing that if she didn’t convince him to put the gun down it would soon be her tomb.

“Baby, we’ve known each other for so long... things have been so crazy lately...”

“Maggie, I swear if you keep talking I’m going to start pumping buckshot into your flesh, starting with your feet. I’ll make you suffer Maggie... I’ll make you suffer so badly that you’ll beg me to kill you... I swear, one more word, you try me...”

Maggie descended the steps. The icy grip of fear closed in around her heart and she felt her lungs tighten up. Anxiety was triggering her asthma. She wanted to plead her discomfort, but couldn’t. When they reached the basement, Donald flipped the light switch on and pointed to a chair conveniently tucked into the corner.

“Sit.”

Maggie sat down as Donald walked over to a utility shelf and took a bundle of twine. He proceeded to tie her wrists together behind her back, then her ankles to the front chair legs. In a strange way, she felt relief. He wasn’t planning to kill her immediately. He wanted to detain her. He wanted to talk. She was good at talking. She would go after all of his soft spots and eventually talk him out of this insane notion.

When he finished securing her to the chair, he turned to leave. Lowering the shotgun, he began climbing the stairs.

“Wait... don’t leave me here...”

“I’ll be back...”

Donald flipped the light switch off then reached the door and closed it behind him, leaving Maggie in pitch black darkness.

~

Maggie stopped struggling against her restraints an hour after Donald left her. The exertion was restricting her breathing even more than her anxiety, and she had no way of relieving the bronchial stress with her inhaler that was tucked into her purse upstairs. All she could do was wait. She was sure it had been hours since Donald had left, but it was impossible to tell. No distinction was made between when her eyes were open or closed. She thought she may have fallen asleep briefly, but couldn’t be sure. The combination of total impotence and smothering blackness was a frustrating and constant torture, that fed her need to break down and sob uncontrollably. Maggie was determined not to let that happen. Footsteps filtered through the floorboards above her head, and then the door opened, spewing in fresh light that made her wince.

“Good morning, sunshine.” Said Donald, as he happily trotted down the steps carrying an electric fan in each hand.

Maggie only watched in contempt. Her chest hurt from the strain on her lungs; Not quite an asthma attack, but an uncomfortable labored breathing. Donald placed one fan in the corner opposite of Maggie and plugged it into the available outlet. He brought the next one to her corner, set it down, then abruptly jerked her chair backwards, placing her in the middle of the basement.

“I thought there might be only one outlet down here. No worries, I saw an extension cord upstairs...”

“It’s cold down here, Donald. I don’t need a fan.”

“Ah... you just wait and see...” He replied and bounded upstairs two steps at a time.

Having pondered what to say all night, she was confused. His mood was almost chipper now. Was he coming to his senses? Could this be taken as a positive sign? Maggie shuddered at any other alternative. The door opened once again and Donald bounced down the stairs, this time carrying two large green garbage bags, both packed full. An orange extension cord also hung around his shoulder.

“Donald, honey... you picked one hell of a vacation. The role-playing was fun, really... but I’m all stiff, please untie me...”

Setting the garbage bags at her feet, Donald walked to the corner and plugged in the extension cord, leading it to the opposite corner where he plugged the second fan in.

“I sure hope breakfast is in those bags, because I’m starving...” She said in a desperately faked casual tone.

With a boyish smile Donald approached Maggie and stood above her.

“You’ll forget all about breakfast when you see what I have for you. I drove all over collecting your present, Maggie... I think you’ll like it...”

The tone in his voice was eerie and detached, making her spine tingle. “Honey, please just untie me for a minute... I really need my inhaler...”

“You mean this?” Donald produced the medicine from his shirt pocket and regarded it curiously. “Are you having trouble breathing?”

“Yes... please just let me take it...”

“How about your allergies? How are they holding up?”

“They’re ok now... but I need my medication, it’s preventative...”

“Right... preventative... I wonder...” Reaching down, he lifted one of the garbage bags, untiing its drawstrings. “...how well your medication will prevent this?”

Greenish flakes and powder showered over Maggie as Donald shook out every last pollen spore from the bag. Unable to shut her eyes in time, dust settled into them, stinging in pain.

“It’s really like he said, Maggie... it collects on the ground in droves...”

“What are you doing!” Maggie pleaded between spiting out the wretched dust.

“Well, it’s like this...” Donald knelt, making himself eye level with his wife, as the spores slowly drifted downward between them. “As much as I would enjoy it, I can’t just load you full of lead. I mean, I’m a lawyer, Maggie. I’m too aware of the predicament that would leave me in.”

Maggie struggled to pay attention as her nose and throat began to burn intensely, adding to the torture of her already stinging eyes.

“So... I figured, why not just let your ailments do the dirty work?”

“You’re... crazy...”

“And that’s all thanks to you, dear, go ahead, complain... I want to hear how bad you’re doing...”

“You...” Maggie sneezed. “You won’t...” Maggie sneezed again. “

“Get away with it? I don’t see why not. You have bad allergies coupled with asthma. I go hunting for a few hours and come back to find you passed out... I try my best to get you to a hospital in time... but, like you said... this place really is a deathtrap, isn’t it?”

Maggie sneezed repeatedly, each ejection making her inhale deeper and perpetuating another sneeze. Unable to catch her breath, she felt as if she would suffocate. Donald took the other bag and emptied it over her, then walked to the corner switching on one of the fans. Immediately the flood of pollen particles blew away from her, offering the illusion of relief, until Donald switched on the other fan, creating a wind tunnel vortex. Billions of greenish yellow fragments struggled against the two currents, engulfing Maggie in a nightmarish blizzard. Donald quickly darted towards the stairs and ascended them to avoid being caught in the storm. Looking back, he watched his wife sneeze uncontrollably, making short agonizing moans in between.

The scene reminded him of a snow globe. He mused how delightful it would be to have a miniature of Maggie made and set into a glass sphere, so he could shake it and relive this moment whenever he pleased. The doorbell rang. Donald’s eyes went wide at the introduction of an outside party. His mind racing, Donald moved out of the basement and towards the front door grabbing the shotgun laying on the end-table. Cautiously he peeked out of the front window first, when he saw his brother. Opening the door as relief washed over him, he greeted Jason with a broad smile.

“Hey bro, just thought I’d check on you guys. Never too safe to leave a couple of city-dwellers alone in the woods. How’s it working out?”

“Better than you could have possibly expected, come in, I’ll show you...”

Jason stepped inside and was surprised to see that Donald was holding the shotgun.

“Woah, easy tiger...”

“Too easy actually, it would have never worked. I came up with something much better...”

Jason looked at his brother confused. “What are we talking about again?”

“Alternatives to divorce, come on already, I have to show you...”

Donald turned and headed to the basement as Jason followed. Before opening the door Donald stopped to give his brother warning.

“Don’t go all the way down, it’s so bad it even bothers me a little.”

“What’s going on Donald?”

As he opened the door, he motioned for Jason to step inside and have a look. Jason could hear a wheezy muffled whimper through the rush of fans. He began to feel highly uncomfortable as he looked to Donald holding the shotgun with that strange narcotic sheen in his eyes.

“Is Maggie down there?”

“Is she ever... go on, check it out... it reminds me of a snow globe...”

Suddenly feeling a sense of urgency, Jason rushed into the basement and stopped in horror half way down the stairs seeing Maggie tied to the chair, with her mouth open gasping for air. Her cheeks were flushed and swollen, and her eyes looked almost sealed shut. Pollen blew wildly around the basement swirling and dancing in erratic fashions.

“What did you do?” Jason shouted at his brother and ran to untie Maggie.

“It’s better this way, easier to pass off as an accident... they won’t be able to touch me.”

“Have you lost your mind?” Jason left Maggie in frustration to switch off each fan.

“What are you doing?”

“She’s going to die, Donald. We have to get her out of here.”

“That’s the point, are you dense? This was your idea in the first place.”

“You’ve lost it man... you’re having some kind of breakdown...” Said Jason and continued to work on Maggie’s bindings.

“Come on, Jason... the secluded cabin, the shotgun...”

“I never had any of this in mind! This was supposed to be a vacation for you!”

Donald raised the double barrel and frowned. “Stop it, Jason.”

“What are you going to do? Shoot your own brother?”

“I said stop it...”

“Relax Donald, it’s over... we’re going to get you some help... I’m sorry for all of this. I never thought that...”

Donald pulled the trigger as buckshot ripped into his brother’s flesh at the shoulder and neck. Jason was blown clear against the wall, his jugular pierced. In horror, Donald watched his brother bleed into the cement floor. His stomach sank in deep regret and he moved towards Jason’s lifeless body.

“Bro...”

“They’ll... get... you... now...” Said Maggie between raspy wheezing.

“What have I done?” Donald dropped to his knees sobbing.

He reached out to touch his brother’s body, but couldn’t bring himself to make contact. Jason was dead. He had killed him. What would their parents think? He would go to jail now for sure. There seemed only one option left. He had considered it briefly before he had conceived his brilliant plot. Now it was the only way out. He leaned against the wall next to his brother and placed the shotgun barrel inside his mouth. One slug for Jason, one for me, he thought. With an outstretched arm Donald pressed down on the trigger, bathing the wall in crimson.

As loud as the blasts were, Maggie felt like her ears were full of cotton. She wheezed as if she were breathing through a pinhole. She sneezed. How was she going to get out of here? She sneezed again. They would come looking for Jason, but how long would that take? Would she survive until then? With the fans off it seemed a relief, but the underground dungeon was still full of floating spores. Her vision was dim and everything kept going in and out of focus. The lack of oxygen began making her head light. They would come. They had to. Maggie fought to take in another lung full of pollen soiled air and slowly lost consciousness.