“That was excellent, mate,” Ben said. “Glad you liked it, Sir,” the clerk replied. The clerk grabbed a video from a shelf, the cover was all red, and it showed a woman shoving a knife in a chap’s chest. The clerk said, “This one’s titled, “Common Interests”.”

Northern Area Lots Of Snow

6 explorers are walking around a deserted snowy area.

Explorer #1: Well that’s great we’re bloody lost and we’ve only been here for 2 hours.

Explorer #2: Calm down Richard we’re not lost.

Richard: Yeah sure, Do you know where we are Linda we’re in the middle of nowhere!

Explorer #3: I have to agree with Richard.

Linda: Oh come on Carl. We’ll find our way soon.

Carl: I’m not sure about that.

Explorer #4: You guys stop arguing.

Linda: You’re right Ted.

Ted: Anyway we’re not going to get anywhere arguing.

Explorer #5: You’re right about that.

Ted: Thanks Seth. Anyway does anyone know where we are?

Explorer #6: I don’t have a clue.

Richard: We’re bloody lost that’s the problem!

Seth:  I don’t have a clue either.

Carl: Do you think we should just keep on going?

Ted: We don’t have much of a choice.

Linda: Hey I think I see something.

Seth: What?

Richard: Let’s pray it’s somebody who can get us out of here. Whose bright idea was it to

take us exploring?

Seth: It was part of that stupid contest we won all 6 of us won a trip to Alaska.

Richard: I don’t even know why I even entered that shitty contest.

Jennifer: Well, anyway what do you see Linda?

Linda: I think it’s a cave.

Richard: Wow! Like a damn cave’s going to help us there’s probably a bear in there anyway.

Ted: Maybe not I say we should camp there.

Seth: Are you a nut or something?

Ted: Seriously we could stay in there get a fire started get out of this snow and get up tomorrow and continue on after a good night’s sleep.

Richard: I’m not sure if I’ll be able to sleep in a damn cave.

Jennifer: We have no other choice.

Carl: She’s right.

Richard: Whatever. There’s nothing else we can do I guess.

Linda(jokingly): That’s the spirit Richard.

The 6 explorers make their way to the cave they finally reach it 15 minutes later.

Richard: About time we made it.

Jennifer: Know what you mean.

Carl: Now what?

Ted: Let’s go in.

Seth: What about bears?

Linda: He does have a point.

Ted: I’ll go in and check it out everybody else stay outside for a second.

Ted walked in the cave and showed up later.

Ted: No bear’s in there.

Jennifer: Are you sure?

Ted: Positive. Let’s camp in.

The explorers went in the cave and dropped their bags on the ground.

Richard(jokingly): Gee, this is nice.

Linda: It’s better than camping outside in the snow.

Carl: I’ll start the fire.

Ted walked outside and came back with some sticks.

Ted: I’ve got some sticks for the fire.

Seth: Perfect.

Everybody got the fire started.

LATER THAT NIGHT

Everybody was asleep except for Seth and Linda who stayed up talking.

Seth: So anyway what brings you here on this contest.

Linda: Actually I just tried it out to find some artifacts here and hope to make some money.

Seth: Can’t blame you so far I’ve found about 3 odd relics. How many have you found?

Linda: About 2.

Seth: Oh! Need to get some more sticks for the fire.

Linda: Mind if I come with you.

Seth: Sure.

He walked outside with Linda behind him.

He started lighting a cigarette.

Seth: Pretty damn cold out here eh?

Linda: Yeah.

Seth bent down to pick up some sticks only a knife went through his chest.

Seth: oh…

He fell down in the snow dead.

Linda: Takes care of one of them.

She carried Seth’s body and threw it down a hill and covered it with snow. She then kicked away the snow that had blood on it. She wiped the knife clean of Seth’s blood and walked back in the cave. She reached in his bag and stole his 3 relics.

Linda: And there’s going to be a lot more relics for me ha-ha.

THE NEXT MORNING…

The 5 explorers woke up.

Richard: Hey where’s Seth?

Linda(lying): That’s odd where’d he go?

Jennifer: That is weird.

Carl: Maybe he left.

Jennifer: What kind of idiot would leave with that weather outside.

Richard: She’s right it’s basically freezing out there.

Ted: Plus he’s left his bag.

Carl: You think aliens got him.

Richard: Don’t be a bloody jackass.

Jennifer: This is strange.

Richard: Should we look for him outside?

Carl: We could try.

The explorers got in their coats and walked outside.

Linda: Seth would be an idiot to walk out here in this weather.

Carl: I agree with you.

They searched around the area the whole day.

Richard: Well, the bloody bastard is nowhere to be found.

Ted: Richard’s right we haven’t got a choice but to stay here again tonight we’ve wasted most of the day searching for Seth. I don’t have a damn clue where he’s at.

Linda: None of us do.

Ted: We’ll begin walking again tomorrow morning and hopefully find somebody that can start a search party for Seth or something.

Jennifer: That’s a good idea.

The 5 explorers went back in the cave.

THAT NIGHT

Linda lay awake in her sleeping bag planning her next murder.

Linda: I’ll just wait and see if anybody gets up tonight then I’ll kill whoever does.

Suddenly she heard somebody it was a yawning Carl.

He got up and walked to his bag pulling out a Gatorade bottle.

Carl started drinking the Gatorade when suddenly a knife cut the back of his neck.

Carl: Ah! Shit! What the hell was that?

He dropped his Gatorade on the ground. He turned around seeing Linda.

Carl: You! You tried to kill me!

Linda: Course I’m trying to kill you, you stupid dumb ass!

She swung her knife slicing Carl’s throat open. He fell on the ground in a puddle of blood dead.

Linda: Takes care of that asshole!

She bent down and looked in his bag finding 4 artifacts. She grabbed them and put them in her bag.

Linda: Now to get rid of his body.

She grabbed Carl by the arms and dragged him out of the cave burying him in snow down a hill near Seth’s body. She walked back in the cave getting rid of the Gatorade bottle and cleaning up the Gatorade juice on the ground.

Linda: 2 down, 3 to go. Ha-Ha!

THE NEXT MORNING

Everybody got up.

Richard(waking up): Where’s Carl?

Ted(pointing at Carl’s sleeping bag): Isn’t he ..

Ted stopped in mid-sentence seeing Carl was not on his sleeping bag.

Ted: Where is he?

Jennifer: Great! Two people are gone now!

Linda: That’s odd.

Richard: Well, I guess we should look for him outside.

Linda: We have no other choice.

The 4 people walked outside. Linda was the only one carrying her bag.

Ted: Do you think we should spilt up to try to find them?

Richard: Not a bad idea, I guess.

Ted: Alright me and Jennifer will go on this side. Richard, you and Linda go down that hill.

Richard: Okay.

The 4 of them spilt up into two groups and went their ways.

Down the hill Richard and Linda were walking around looking for Carl.

Richard: Where could that bloody idiot be? I’m bloody freezing out here!

Linda: It is stupid of Seth and Carl to run off this weather.

Richard: I agree….

He stepped on something funny. He looked down and saw Seth’s face sticking out of the snow.

Richard: What the bloody hell! It’s Seth!

Linda(worriedly): Yeah, it is.

Richard got down on his knees and started uncovering the snow seeing the stabbing in Seth’s chest he uncovered more snow seeing Carl’s body with a slit throat buried in the snow.

Richard: They both have been murdered!

Linda pulled out a knife from her bag.

Linda: And you’re about to be too!

Richard: What the!

The knife came stabbing his stomach 4 times. Richard fell in the snow dead.

Linda: Now where do I put these damn bodies?

She started carrying Richard’s body but while she was carrying him around she wiped away some snow on the ground seeing ice on the ground.

Linda: It’s a frozen lake this is perfect! I can bust the ice and throw the bodies in here.

She got out an ice pick from her bag she brought with her. She started chipping away at the ice and made a big enough hole in it to fit Richard’s body in. She then threw Richard’s body in the hole.

Linda: Takes care of one of the bodies.

Suddenly though the ice started cracking beneath her.

Linda: Oh Shit!

The ice cracked beneath her and Linda fell in the freezing lake screaming.

Linda: Help! Somebody Please!

She saw Ted rushing down toward her.

Ted: Linda!

He walked to her and grabbed her and pulled her out of the lake they landed on the snowy ground.

Ted: You okay?

Linda: Yeah. Thanks for saving me.

Ted: Couldn’t let you die out there.

Linda got depressed thinking Ted risked his life just to save hers, he should’ve left her to die she thought I’m just a murderer. She decided to tell the truth.

Linda: Ted.

Ted: Yeah Linda.

Linda: I haven’t been really honest. You shouldn’t have saved me.

Ted: Why, what do you mean?

Linda: I’m just a murderer. I murdered Seth, Carl, & Richard all for the artifacts they found. I was going to kill you and Jennifer also.

She started crying.

Linda: Where is Jennifer?

Ted grinned.

Ted: We all have dark secrets Linda.

Linda: What do you mean?

Ted: In ways I’m like you. I’m also a murderer. I was going to murder everybody here just like you for the artifacts. In fact Jennifer’s dead I took care of her near the cave when you and Richard left.

He laughed at the frightened Linda.

Ted: Now the artifacts are mine. Ha-Ha!

He pulled out his knife from his pocket and swung it at the screaming Linda.

Author's Note:

 “Common Interests” is one of me favourites in this collection. The character development in it, was better then in some of me previous stories, the plot is excellent, and I thought it had one of me best twist endings ever. I remember that I wrote the story the day that I was hired at Applesauce Records. Overall, the story and twist ending are both excellent. This is definitely one of me favourite stories out of this collection.