ShortShorts

Just a Set

     He looked around to see only the blackness which matched his clothes. Everything should go as planned, he hoped. He felt softly for the door handle and gave it a gentle twist. It was unlocked just as he knew it woud be. He slipped silently inside, as the moonlight sifted pale through the curtains, knowing exactly where she would be, passed out cold on the recliner. He knew she wouldn't fight � she couldn't have the strength after all she had drunk through the dinner date with him.

      She was just as he pictured she would be. He slipped his gloved hands gently around her throat, and located the right pressure points, as he didn't want her to suffer. He adjusted his grip and started to squeeze. As her pulse began to quicken, he squeezed harder, feeling his fingers bite through the flesh almost to the bone. She began to tremble, her tremors decreasing as the life ebbed from he body. After she died, he leaned over and kissed her sweet lips one last time.

         Turning to leave, he tripped over the ottoman, crashing to the floor with a loud thump, smashing his head on the edge of the desk. A brief blackness filled his vision until he dazedly opened his eyes to a room filled with lights and people.
"That's a Wrap!", someone close to him shouted.

The End
Copyright 2002 Sandra Elizabeth Johnson

The Wait
By
Sandra Johnson
The young woman was waiting for the second time in her life. This time she waited at the bus depot, not under the flagpole like so many years ago. The quiet at the depot allowed her to reflect on the memories of that first time when the waiting had turned out to be so painful. For years she couldn�t think about it without wanting to die too. If Allan hadn't died so violently it might have been him that she was marrying tonight. The years after losing her best friend had closed her heart off. Neil had crept in without her even noticing until ti was too late. Mother had always told her that you have to hurt a little in order to love. Well this time she loves with all her heart and Neil's late. Thinking receding thoughts of the past the woman glanced impatiently at her watch. In another forty-five minutes their bus would be leaving. What could be taking him so long.
There was only the two of them to get on this bus she'd told him on the phone. Well if he didn't hurry there would be no bus, it would be long gone and so might Sue, even though she'd promised to wait for him.
Alone with his thoughts the man didn't pay as close attention to the road as he should have. The spilled oil signs had been showing at the side of the road for the last mile. Turning the bend, Neil stepped harder on the gas. He saw the oil slick the instant before he drove through it. The car, thrown into an immediate spin, flew straight off the road down into the waiting line of trees down in the gorge. Neil didn't stand a chance of surviving the crash. His last thoughts were "Why didn't she tell me there was an oil slick?" and then he remembered in the instant before death that Sue had come the opposite way to the bus depot.
Sitting on the bench in front of the depot doors, Sue jumped at the sounds of sirens in the near distance. "Dear God," she thought " this can't be happening to me again." Thinking just how ridiculous her thoughts were Sue sat down. Opening her purse to look at the marriage license she took out again. Another ten minutes and the bus would be ready to board. The last ten minutes crawled by as Sue tried to think of what could be keeping Neil other than the sirens that were already fading in the distance.
The bus driver came through the door with the ticket master telling him "You should have seen it. Man I'd have hated to be the poor beggar in that car." The ticket master asked "Where will the clean up crew be taking the car?"
"It will be going past here in a few minutes," the bus driver replied before turning in Sue's direction. "Miss? You can board now if your're ready?"
Sue was already on her way to the front door of the depot to see the car as it came past. In the dusk she saw the lights of the approaching tow truck. With her heart in her throat blocking the scream of denial, Sue numbly looked at the car as the tow truck dragged it away. Dropping everything in her hands she pushed open the depot door. Listlessly she walked, as if in a daze, straight into the oncoming path of the tow truck.
The bus driver and the ticket master stared in shock at the woman.
Possibly more to come for this story.

The author of this website ....... me.....Sandra Elizabeth Johnson

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