Speakeasy #149
The Crusader
“Don’t blame the sinner, “whispered the cloaked figure, bending over the terrified, supine girl, a dagger poised over her heart.
“CUT!” shouted the Director.”Robert, for Pete’s sake put some menace into that whisper. You sound like you have a bunch of tadpoles jammed up your throat!”
The unit sniggered. This kind of scenario was common when Robert was shooting.
Robert shuffled his feet, looking like an errant school boy, embarrassment writ large on his angelic features. His face was his biggest asset and helped him get some bit roles. This time it had been a meatier role as he was playing the Villain.
“Take 22! Let’s roll-Robert, no mistakes this time”, the Director growled at him.
Robert sighed and took his position.
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It was drizzling and the streets wore a deserted look.
The inky darkness of the night pressed on from all sides, making visibility poor. The atmosphere burgeoned like a pregnant woman, on the verge of giving birth to some evil spawn.
Through the gloom, the lights looked almost feral.
The dark figure stood in front of the cottage in the second lane. There was something about the stance which made even the street dogs stay away. The hood was drawn over the head and there was no trace of anything below-as if darkness had swallowed it whole, leaving behind an empty shell.
A woman‘s silhouette could be seen through the lacy curtains on the window. She was reading.
After a while, the figure moved and disappeared into the house through the shadows.
The figure entered the room and silently went and stood behind the woman. Sensing a movement, she turned and opened her mouth to scream but before she could, the figure held her swan like neck and snapped it and her head lolled.
Picking up the body, the figure moved out of the house and dumping it beside the neighbour’s garage,walked away.
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He is 10. He has been naughty and so has been sent to his room. But there is a party at the house and he loves parties and good food. So he decides to slink into the dining hall before the guests arrive. As he enters the passage leading to the dining room, he hears strange noises from his parent’s bedroom and peeks in. He is surprised first and then angry to see his Uncle and Mom kissing each other. Then his heart jumps to his throat as he hears them plotting his Dad’s murder. That night he hides and watches helplessly as his handsome Dad sips the poisoned wine, standing under his favourite painting, “The Chess Queens”.
When the Police arrive, well placed clues lead them into believing that the butler has a hand in this murder and so he is jailed.
His mother acts the bereaved wife perfectly, looking oh so fragile and heart -broken. To him, she looks eerily like the lady in the black gown and veil in his father’s favourite painting.
Ironic, for soon she will look like the ghostly white one standing opposite the lady in black.
Six years later, he kills his Uncle in the same manner and manages to pin the murder on his mother. She rots in jail for a murder she did not commit, mourning for her lost love, yet unable to express her grief openly. He enjoys seeing her lose her rosy hue and gradually become ashen and frayed, falling to pieces like a moth eaten blanket.
Vengeance is his.
Growing up, he realizes that there are more Moms and Uncles in this world than he cares for and they all need to be taught a lesson.
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Sometimes it is his angelic face and at others his bumbling manner which makes the needle of suspicion always point elsewhere-lucky Robert!
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This is written for speakeasy writing challenge #149.For this week’s challenge we were required to use the following sentence as the FIRST line: “Don’t blame the sinner.”Secondly, we had to let the artwork above ,”“The Chess Queens,” by Muriel Streeter, influence our writing and last but not the least ,submissions had to be fiction or poetry and be under 750 words.(mine is 633,including the title).If you are interested in reading more submissions or joining the challenge,click on this link- http://www.yeahwrite.me/speakeasy/149-open/
@Zebra Crossing 