Ah Friday, it has arrived. This weekend we move the plants outside for a day in the sun. They’ll still need to come back in at night but soon, soon (or at least after Easter) they’ll finally move to the garden. It will be nice to see them planted. But that is for Saturday. Right now, we have the last prompt of the week to tackle. Everyone ready? Fabulous, lets go.
I think this may be my favorite prompt this week.
Friday, April 1st: A shriek pierced the night.
A shriek pierced the night. Alan sat up in bed. His breath caught in his throat like a solid thing, his heart hammering against his ribs. Leonard half rolled over on his cot.
“Monkeys,” Leonard said before rolling back into sleep and leaving Alan to calm himself. He took a deep breath. Yes. He could hear them know, knew what they were. It didn’t make the sounds they made as the cavorted through the night drenched jungle and better, but they were identifiable.
‘And not close to camp,’ he told himself. Another shriek sounded, followed this time by hoots and cackles from the assemblage around him. ‘Well not that close,’ he corrected. He would have preferred a greater distance, preferably several hundred miles, but he knew that was not a possibility. Not anymore.
His heart slowed to something approaching normal and he lay back down on the cot, attempting to follow Leonard’s example. This wasn’t where he was supposed to be. The thought circled through his head, running on a well-worn track.
He was an accountant. And a low level one at that. Lord Stanwick was an important client of the firm. Someone more senior should have been dispatched. Instead he had been sent.
‘Or at least one of the lawyers,’ Alan thought grumpily wishing the all night simian gala would disperse and let him have just one night of uninterrupted sleep. He felt as though he hadn’t slept since his arrival.
Things were changing back home, especially for the family Lord Stanwick left behind. It was thought hs should know. The lawyers though it an accounting issue and somehow Alan was dispatched to join Lord Stanwick and talk to him about the matter. At least that’s what he was told. It was clear that what all of the others wanted was for him to bring Lord Stanwick back with him so that he could deal with the rather urgent affairs requiring his attention. No one thought Alan had a hope of executing that order however, Alan included.
He still had no idea how he was assigned this task. He knew why at least in part. He knew his step brothers wanted him out of the way. He knew they despised him and only bothered with him as a means to keep their inheritance intact. Alan smiled tightly into the dark. He knew they at least hoped he would perish in this little venture as they called it. No one said it to him directly, but still it was something he understood.
It was why before he left he put his affairs in order. He knew they hoped to profit by his death, his inheritance being split between them. He knew they continued to count on the annuity as long as he lived in the family home. His lawyers were from a different firm and the family lawyer understood his predicament and his intentions. While he was gone, the annuity would not be going to the family as he was not in the house and should something happen to him in this venture, none of them would inherit a cent. Should he survive he would not be taking up residence in the family home and therefore not a penny from his grandfather’s estate would they receive. The monkeys began howling and Alan’s small smile faded. ‘Now if only I could get some sleep.’
Ten til Midnight 