Walled In

"Okay, Roger, let's get this party started," Mark said to his friend. "Where did you want this wall put you've been talking about?"

"Right across this end of the basement," he answered. He pointed to a stack of concrete blocks, several bags of concrete mortar mix, a large tub, water hose, and shovels and trowels.

Man, you must have been some kind of busy to haul all of this down here." Mark looked over the area and couldn't quite place what looked so odd about it other than it didn't look to be the size of any useful space for a room. He shrugged and started dumping the heavy bags of mortar mix into the tub as Roger turned on the water and began mixing.

Roger went up stairs and brought them down some sandwiches and beer as they broke for lunch. Sitting on upturned buckets, they ate while the stereo played old Hank Williams songs.

"Say, where's Gina? I thought every time you and I got to doing man cave stuff, she brought in the beer."

"Oh, she isn't here. She left me Mark," he added sadly.

"I'm so sorry. I know how much you loved her. What happened?" Mark picked up another block and mortared it into place.

"She had someone else. She's gone to be with him." He glared at Mark behind his back.

"Jeez, I don't know what to say. Do you know who it is?"

"Yeah, I do. Say, why don't you go on the other side and fill in the gaps. There's a light so you can see."

Mark went through the small opening left in the wall and turned on the light. He grabbed the bucket of mortar and trowel Roger handed him and went to the other end. He didn't pay any attention to what Roger was doing.

About thirty minutes later he got to the other end of the wall and realized Roger had filled in the small opening with more blocks, sealing him in. He pounded on the new wall and noticed how sturdy it was already. Quick set, he thought, sure is tough.

"Hey, Roger!" He called. "What the hell, man? You didn't put in a door and now I'm stuck." He looked around and realized Roger had also blocked in the two small windows. He hadn't noticed that before, and just what was that patched place in the floor? Had the floor developed a leak and he tried it to stop it?

"I know you're blocked in," Roger said from the other side. "I planned it that way. Now, you and Gina can be together forever." Roger walked away from the wall. "Don't worry; no one will hear your cries for help. I soundproofed it down there. I'm going on a trip for a couple months, to get over Gina's leaving me." He laughed as he heard Mark sobbing and left the room.

"But it wasn't me," Mark screamed, staring at Gina's grave in the floor.