Mid week Wednesday and last night I got jumped by plot bunnies. A murder mystery plot, would you believe it. They were persistent little things. Wouldn’t let me go until I made enough notes to sort out the plot. kind of a fun one actually. So there will be much coffee this morning. But first the morning fifteen. Ready? Excellent. Let those timers go.
This was just plain fun.
Wednesday, November 18th: I’ve come for you, Herbert.
“I’ve come for you, Herbert,” Death intoned. His voice was sonorous, resonating throughout Herbert’s chest cavity. For a moment Herbert let himself rattle with the tones. Then he remembered Justine. He took a deep breath and leaped off of the couch.
Cheetos crumbs went flying in an orange poof of air and the remote landed on the floor with a clattering thump. He cracked back of the plastic battery compartment fell off with the impact and the batteries went flying across the floor.
“You’ll never take me alive,” he yelled defiantly.
“That was sort of the idea,” Death replied, sounding somewhat startled. The tones still vibrated through Herbert’s chest but now they were tinged with amusement. He could practically feel the humor bouncing off his ribs like a pinball.
Herbert ignored it, spun around placed a foot on the couch cushion where he had been sitting and used it as a step up to the couch, another step and he was over it, standing on the table behind the couch. He knocked over the small bowl that generally stood there causing his keys and loose change to fly off and jingle in a merry rain to the floor.
There was no time to stop even though he saw his lucky quarter roll off under the couch. There was no time to stop, he had a mission.
Justine.
Herbert raced towards the back door.
“Herbert, really,” he heard death say behind him. “It is inevitable.”
Herbert didn’t stop he flung the back door wide open slamming it against the wall and cracking the glass in its small window. Leaving it gaping wide he raced out of the back door.
He forgot the three steps down into the yard and went flying face first into the turf. He spat out grass as he scramble to his feet half crab walking the first few yards until he could get his feet under him again. He neatly dodged the bench and dodged around the old apple tree. He almost went skidding into the back fence as his foot rolled on a forgotten and somewhat squashy apple hidden in the long grass of the back yard.
He caught himself on the fence and took a look around, death in his long black robe was following. Herbert propelled himself through the back gate and into his neighbor’s back yard.
Justine. She of the long flowing hair and confident easy stride. Music played in his head when she walked and he was certain there was a beam of sunshine that waited just to spot light her, even on the gloomiest of days. He was certain she didn’t know he existed. How could she when she was an angelic creature and he a mere human.
Then something magical happened, she asked him if he would water her plants while she was out of town. As the weather was still fine she arranged them on the back porch so all he would have to do is spray them with the hose if they got too dry.
He agreed and promised not to let her down.
Herbert made it to Justine’s house, turned on the hose and sprayed the plants. When they were watered, he turned off the water, neatly coiled the hose back against the house. Justine would be home in the morning and he could not let her down. Herbert was panting, sweating. His chest heaved mightily. Death stood at the gate, waiting as though he dared not cross into the sacred space held by Justine’s yard.
Herbert took a shuttering step forward and gasped as his heart was squeezed in a fist of pain. Herbert sunk to his knees and went white as he saw death stand over him.
“I was hoping we could watch Final Jeopardy together,” Death said. He looked around. “I suppose this is nice too. Just out of curiosity, why does your neighbor grow deadly nightshade in pots?”
Ten til Midnight 