| Horror and Thriller Fiction posted January 6, 2010 |
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It's my party.......
Surprise!
by Begin Again
A wine glass half full Contest Winner
The wine glass was half-full. Its contents spread like sweet strawberry syrup across her kitchen floor. It certainly wasn't the way Judy would want to greet guests.
Was it wine or ... it couldn't be blood ... or could it?
* * * * * * * * * * *
Lisa's nerves were frazzled as she maneuvered her little sports car around the sharp curves of an unfamiliar road. A soupy fog hung in the forest of trees that lined each side of the road.
This is crazy! I can barely see where I'm going.
A constant battle was raging in her mind. Should she turn around and forget the whole thing or keep driving to God knows where?
A deer shot from the tangled underbrush onto the road. Slamming on the brakes, the sound of screeching rubber echoed into the silent night. She pulled to the side of the road and stopped, resting her forehead against the steering wheel.
What am I doing? I almost got myself killed, going to a party thrown by somebody I just met.
Earlier, Lisa, recently dumped by her playboy husband, was sharing a latte with her new best friend, misery, when a beautiful burnette with mesmerizing green eyes asked if she could sit down. The coffee shop was jammed with customers so she graciously offered the other half of the booth to the stranger. Within thirty minutes, anyone looking at the laughing pair would have thought they'd been friends for years. So it made sense when Judy invited Lisa to her party, she accepted.
Now, sitting on the side of the road, she was having second thoughts. Just as she decided to turn around, her eyes caught sight of a road sign - Mason Road, one mile.
Snatching the scribbled note lying on the car seat beside her, she read it for the umpteenth time. There it was - 'take Mason Road and it's the first and only house you will see.'
Fine, I've come this far.
Putting the car in gear, she headed toward Mason Road.
After entering the back door as the party signs suggested, Lisa was standing in the kitchen staring at a sticky substance dripping from tabletop to pristine white tiles.
"Hello, Judy. It's Lisa." No one answered. Tiny goose bumps covered her arms, and a chill ran down her spine as she realized how quiet it was.
"Judy, are you here? Any one home?" Her voice quivered slightly as she called out.
A noise behind her made her jump; a startled scream escaped her lips. Spinning around, she watched a Diet Coke can roll across the floor. A gorgeous Persian cat nimbly pranced across the kitchen counter, jumping down to rub against her leg.
As she reached down to scratch the feline's back, it skittered away, leaving tiny red paw prints across the floor.
Lisa's brain screamed 'run', but she couldn't. Shouldn't she make sure Judy was okay?
Stepping around the cat's red prints, she edged her way into an expansive great room, complete with a massive wall-to-wall rock fireplace. The glowing embers of burning logs snapped and crackled across the room.
"Hello, is anyone here?" Her voice sounded like a stranger to her own ears.
Stepping deeper into the great room, her eyes adjusted to the darkness and Judy's limp, bloodied body came into focus. Blood curdling screams exploded from Lisa's body as she spun around, racing through the kitchen toward the door she'd entered. Grasping the door handle, she pushed but the door didn't open. Slamming her shoulder against it, she pushed again. Someone or something was preventing it from opening.
Lisa gulped for air, struggling to breathe. Signals were short-circuiting in her brain. Get out. Get help. I'm going to die. What's happening?
She leaned against the door, trying to get control of her panicking mind. Get help. Yes, that's what she needed to do.
Her purse was still dangling from her shoulder. Grabbing it, she rummaged through it until she found the product of her search, a cell phone. Dialing 911, she waited, listening to her jagged breathing, praying. She didn't want to die.
After several agonizing moments, she realized there was no signal. Of course, all the tall pine trees were blocking any call.
There must be a telephone. Find the telephone, Lisa.
She could taste bile rising in her throat as her heart slammed against her ribcage. Not finding a telephone in the kitchen, she knew she had to return to the great room and Judy's body. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to step around the bloody paw prints, her eyes nervously darting in every direction. An eerie silence filled the house.
In the Great Room, she thought she recognized the outline of a telephone near Judy's lifeless body. Diverting her eyes from the gruesome sight, she moved around an enormous sofa to the table that held the telephone. Her fingers snatched the receiver and quickly dialed 911.
Placing the receiver to her ear, her entire body started to convulse. There was no dial tone. She banged and punched every button, but still no dial tone. Overwhelming fear gripped her and she wildly scanned the room for an outside door. The second her eyes focused on a door, she raced toward it. She had found her escape route.
Grabbing the doorknob, she tugged. Her head was spinning in every direction like in the Exorcist. She tugged again and again. It wouldn't open. Next, her eyes focused on louvered shutters. It had to be a window.
Her fear was escalating and her fingers fumbled with the latch. Finally, it broke loose and she threw the shutters open, prepared to break the window and escape.
"Nooooo!" An agonizing plea escaped her lips as she slumped to the floor. Sheets of plywood covered the window. Arriving in the dark, she hadn't been able to see it.
"Why?" Sobbing hysterically, she screamed into the darkness. The kitchen light and the small glow from the almost extinguished fireplace illuminated very little of the room. Getting on her knees, Lisa stretched to turn on a lamp. She wanted to be able to see her killer before she died.
Her nerves calmed just a bit as the light chased threatening shadows from the room. She looked around the room, searching for an escape or something she could use to try to defend herself. Recognizing a fireplace poker lying on the floor, she scrambled toward it, slightly relieved. Grasping the poker, she gained a small amount of confidence.
Keeping her eyes diverted from Judy's body, she eased her way around the room toward the hallway. She needed to search for an escape if she was going to survive.
Slowly, one-step at a time, she entered the long hallway. She flipped the light switch and basked in the brilliant illumination. Things weren't quite as terrifying in the light.
As she moved close to one open door, her heart began to race again. Holding her breath, she leaned into the opening, expecting the worse. She stretched her arm as far as it would go, gingerly pulling the shower curtain back. Her body trembled as she yanked it open.
Nothing! She could breathe again.
Searching for a window, she discovered a wall of frosted glass blocks. Light from outside flickered across them. She quickly decided it was moonlight filtering through the pine trees. Pressing her back against the glass, she fought for some semblance of composure. Losing her wits completely wouldn't save her life.
Ten minutes or more had passed when she finally stepped back into the hall. She hadn't heard a sound since discovering Judy's body. Maybe who ever did it was gone. That thought boosted her confidence and she moved down the remainder of the hallway with firmer step.
Reaching another door, she slowly pushed it open, peering inside. A bedroom fit for a King or Queen greeted her. Under normal circumstances, she would have been delighted to explore the room. Tonight, she merely wanted to escape.
She'd only taken three or four steps into the room when darkness flooded the entire house. Her fingers fumbled along the wall in search of the light switch. Finding it, she clicked it on and off. There wasn't any power and she knew she wasn't alone.
In the stillness, her senses heightened and she could hear breathing. As her heart raced, she spun around, trying to locate where it was coming from. Hysteria froze her in one spot. She awaited her death.
Sobbing, she beseeched the intruder. "Why? Why are you doing this? I can't see you, just let me leave."
A deep baritone voice laughed.
"What are you laughing at? Is this some horrible joke?"
This time his laughter was sadistic. She backed away from it, moving toward what she hoped was the door.
"You can't escape, you know?"
Somewhere in her terrified mind, those few words sounded familiar. "Do I know you?"
"You thought you did?"
His sadistic laughter rippled across the room, bouncing against the walls. He laughed and laughed until Lisa screamed at him. "Stop, please stop."
"Are you afraid, Lisa?"
When she didn't answer, he continued, "I planned this party especially for you."
"Me? I just met Judy this morning. How could you know?"
"It's my job to know, darling. Unfortunately, she was just an unwilling pawn."
Recognition exploded in her mind. She gasped, "Johnny?"
The powerful beam of a flashlight blinded her and a figure dressed in black moved toward her.
"Johnny, why are you doing this? I'm out of your life. We're getting a divorce. What possible harm could I do you?" The words tumbled from her lips as she tried frantically to understand what was happening.
"Divorce is such a messy business, darling. I couldn't see sharing what I'd worked years to get with you."
"You can have it all. Keep it. Just let me live." Her eyes pleaded with the man she once loved.
"It's better this way. No loose ends." Johnny raised a 45 mm revolver and aimed it directly at her head.
Lisa clamped her eyes closed and waited for the blast. Tears streamed down her face.
Her eyes sprung open in alarm when she heard a loud groan. Johnny stumbled backwards, dropping the gun and clutching his chest. His eyes met Lisa's as he collapsed on the floor.
Grabbing the flashlight, she searched the floor, kicking the gun across the room. Next, she moved the beam across the lifeless body at her feet. Carefully, she felt for a pulse.
For the first time that night, she was glad she felt nothing! She collapsed on the floor, sobbing tears of relief. Surprisingly, she was happy to be a widow.
The wine glass was half-full. Its contents spread like sweet strawberry syrup across her kitchen floor. It certainly wasn't the way Judy would want to greet guests.
Was it wine or ... it couldn't be blood ... or could it?
* * * * * * * * * * *
Lisa's nerves were frazzled as she maneuvered her little sports car around the sharp curves of an unfamiliar road. A soupy fog hung in the forest of trees that lined each side of the road.
This is crazy! I can barely see where I'm going.
A constant battle was raging in her mind. Should she turn around and forget the whole thing or keep driving to God knows where?
A deer shot from the tangled underbrush onto the road. Slamming on the brakes, the sound of screeching rubber echoed into the silent night. She pulled to the side of the road and stopped, resting her forehead against the steering wheel.
What am I doing? I almost got myself killed, going to a party thrown by somebody I just met.
Earlier, Lisa, recently dumped by her playboy husband, was sharing a latte with her new best friend, misery, when a beautiful burnette with mesmerizing green eyes asked if she could sit down. The coffee shop was jammed with customers so she graciously offered the other half of the booth to the stranger. Within thirty minutes, anyone looking at the laughing pair would have thought they'd been friends for years. So it made sense when Judy invited Lisa to her party, she accepted.
Now, sitting on the side of the road, she was having second thoughts. Just as she decided to turn around, her eyes caught sight of a road sign - Mason Road, one mile.
Snatching the scribbled note lying on the car seat beside her, she read it for the umpteenth time. There it was - 'take Mason Road and it's the first and only house you will see.'
Fine, I've come this far.
Putting the car in gear, she headed toward Mason Road.
After entering the back door as the party signs suggested, Lisa was standing in the kitchen staring at a sticky substance dripping from tabletop to pristine white tiles.
"Hello, Judy. It's Lisa." No one answered. Tiny goose bumps covered her arms, and a chill ran down her spine as she realized how quiet it was.
"Judy, are you here? Any one home?" Her voice quivered slightly as she called out.
A noise behind her made her jump; a startled scream escaped her lips. Spinning around, she watched a Diet Coke can roll across the floor. A gorgeous Persian cat nimbly pranced across the kitchen counter, jumping down to rub against her leg.
As she reached down to scratch the feline's back, it skittered away, leaving tiny red paw prints across the floor.
Lisa's brain screamed 'run', but she couldn't. Shouldn't she make sure Judy was okay?
Stepping around the cat's red prints, she edged her way into an expansive great room, complete with a massive wall-to-wall rock fireplace. The glowing embers of burning logs snapped and crackled across the room.
"Hello, is anyone here?" Her voice sounded like a stranger to her own ears.
Stepping deeper into the great room, her eyes adjusted to the darkness and Judy's limp, bloodied body came into focus. Blood curdling screams exploded from Lisa's body as she spun around, racing through the kitchen toward the door she'd entered. Grasping the door handle, she pushed but the door didn't open. Slamming her shoulder against it, she pushed again. Someone or something was preventing it from opening.
Lisa gulped for air, struggling to breathe. Signals were short-circuiting in her brain. Get out. Get help. I'm going to die. What's happening?
She leaned against the door, trying to get control of her panicking mind. Get help. Yes, that's what she needed to do.
Her purse was still dangling from her shoulder. Grabbing it, she rummaged through it until she found the product of her search, a cell phone. Dialing 911, she waited, listening to her jagged breathing, praying. She didn't want to die.
After several agonizing moments, she realized there was no signal. Of course, all the tall pine trees were blocking any call.
There must be a telephone. Find the telephone, Lisa.
She could taste bile rising in her throat as her heart slammed against her ribcage. Not finding a telephone in the kitchen, she knew she had to return to the great room and Judy's body. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to step around the bloody paw prints, her eyes nervously darting in every direction. An eerie silence filled the house.
In the Great Room, she thought she recognized the outline of a telephone near Judy's lifeless body. Diverting her eyes from the gruesome sight, she moved around an enormous sofa to the table that held the telephone. Her fingers snatched the receiver and quickly dialed 911.
Placing the receiver to her ear, her entire body started to convulse. There was no dial tone. She banged and punched every button, but still no dial tone. Overwhelming fear gripped her and she wildly scanned the room for an outside door. The second her eyes focused on a door, she raced toward it. She had found her escape route.
Grabbing the doorknob, she tugged. Her head was spinning in every direction like in the Exorcist. She tugged again and again. It wouldn't open. Next, her eyes focused on louvered shutters. It had to be a window.
Her fear was escalating and her fingers fumbled with the latch. Finally, it broke loose and she threw the shutters open, prepared to break the window and escape.
"Nooooo!" An agonizing plea escaped her lips as she slumped to the floor. Sheets of plywood covered the window. Arriving in the dark, she hadn't been able to see it.
"Why?" Sobbing hysterically, she screamed into the darkness. The kitchen light and the small glow from the almost extinguished fireplace illuminated very little of the room. Getting on her knees, Lisa stretched to turn on a lamp. She wanted to be able to see her killer before she died.
Her nerves calmed just a bit as the light chased threatening shadows from the room. She looked around the room, searching for an escape or something she could use to try to defend herself. Recognizing a fireplace poker lying on the floor, she scrambled toward it, slightly relieved. Grasping the poker, she gained a small amount of confidence.
Keeping her eyes diverted from Judy's body, she eased her way around the room toward the hallway. She needed to search for an escape if she was going to survive.
Slowly, one-step at a time, she entered the long hallway. She flipped the light switch and basked in the brilliant illumination. Things weren't quite as terrifying in the light.
As she moved close to one open door, her heart began to race again. Holding her breath, she leaned into the opening, expecting the worse. She stretched her arm as far as it would go, gingerly pulling the shower curtain back. Her body trembled as she yanked it open.
Nothing! She could breathe again.
Searching for a window, she discovered a wall of frosted glass blocks. Light from outside flickered across them. She quickly decided it was moonlight filtering through the pine trees. Pressing her back against the glass, she fought for some semblance of composure. Losing her wits completely wouldn't save her life.
Ten minutes or more had passed when she finally stepped back into the hall. She hadn't heard a sound since discovering Judy's body. Maybe who ever did it was gone. That thought boosted her confidence and she moved down the remainder of the hallway with firmer step.
Reaching another door, she slowly pushed it open, peering inside. A bedroom fit for a King or Queen greeted her. Under normal circumstances, she would have been delighted to explore the room. Tonight, she merely wanted to escape.
She'd only taken three or four steps into the room when darkness flooded the entire house. Her fingers fumbled along the wall in search of the light switch. Finding it, she clicked it on and off. There wasn't any power and she knew she wasn't alone.
In the stillness, her senses heightened and she could hear breathing. As her heart raced, she spun around, trying to locate where it was coming from. Hysteria froze her in one spot. She awaited her death.
Sobbing, she beseeched the intruder. "Why? Why are you doing this? I can't see you, just let me leave."
A deep baritone voice laughed.
"What are you laughing at? Is this some horrible joke?"
This time his laughter was sadistic. She backed away from it, moving toward what she hoped was the door.
"You can't escape, you know?"
Somewhere in her terrified mind, those few words sounded familiar. "Do I know you?"
"You thought you did?"
His sadistic laughter rippled across the room, bouncing against the walls. He laughed and laughed until Lisa screamed at him. "Stop, please stop."
"Are you afraid, Lisa?"
When she didn't answer, he continued, "I planned this party especially for you."
"Me? I just met Judy this morning. How could you know?"
"It's my job to know, darling. Unfortunately, she was just an unwilling pawn."
Recognition exploded in her mind. She gasped, "Johnny?"
The powerful beam of a flashlight blinded her and a figure dressed in black moved toward her.
"Johnny, why are you doing this? I'm out of your life. We're getting a divorce. What possible harm could I do you?" The words tumbled from her lips as she tried frantically to understand what was happening.
"Divorce is such a messy business, darling. I couldn't see sharing what I'd worked years to get with you."
"You can have it all. Keep it. Just let me live." Her eyes pleaded with the man she once loved.
"It's better this way. No loose ends." Johnny raised a 45 mm revolver and aimed it directly at her head.
Lisa clamped her eyes closed and waited for the blast. Tears streamed down her face.
Her eyes sprung open in alarm when she heard a loud groan. Johnny stumbled backwards, dropping the gun and clutching his chest. His eyes met Lisa's as he collapsed on the floor.
Grabbing the flashlight, she searched the floor, kicking the gun across the room. Next, she moved the beam across the lifeless body at her feet. Carefully, she felt for a pulse.
For the first time that night, she was glad she felt nothing! She collapsed on the floor, sobbing tears of relief. Surprisingly, she was happy to be a widow.
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Writing Prompt The wine glass was half full. Its contents spread like ______ across her kitchen floor. |
A wine glass half full Contest Winner |
 Recognized |
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