(“Ring around the rosies.. Pocketful of posies.. Ashes.. Ashes.. We’ll all fall down.. We’ll all fall down.. down.. down..”)
A horrifying scream broke the silence of the neighbourhood.
“NOOOO..!! (breathing heavily in between sobs) No..no..NO!”
These words repeatedly came out of her mouth. In the dark of the rainy night, she was shedding tears. Silent tears fell from her eyes, down to her bloodstained sleepwear. The wetness of which made the crimson dull shade of red. Catherine was shivering in the moist and icy feel of the night wind through her windows. Her broken windows. Glass shards were everywhere, and so was blood.
“No.. God.. This can’t be real! John? John! Please.. please!” she whispered as she caressed the pale figure sprawled across her bed. She sank her head to the man’s chest, not able to accept the apparent possibility of his eternal slumber. Blood were all over her, but she did not care. Because she loved this man. She loved John. And his blood meant everything to her. And his death meant the death of her soul..and her whole being.
“Oh dear.. How can you tear for a man like that?”
Again. Time and again, she felt like she was missing something. Like she was on a daze, and she spaced out and time froze.
And this happened.
“Why John..why..? WHY?! Why did YOU take him from me..?”
“Who? Really, who did this to your beloved man?”
She was shaking badly. The sight of her husband’s body was bizarre. It was beyond imagination. It was ruthless. Inhumane.
“Poor little thing. He was pretty useless, you know? All he did was make his wife cry.”
Footsteps on the stairs. Someone was on his way to the bedroom.
“Catherine? Is everything okay up there?”
Moments later, Eloise was sitting next to Catherine. She needs no explanation from her, and wrapped her friend in her arms.
“It’s okay, honey. Everything’s going to be fine.” Eloise soothingly whispered.
“He did not deserve this.” Catherine managed to say.
“We both know he did. Catherine.”
“Damn right he did. He was a bad man. A very, very bad man.”
Silence fell between Eloise and Catherine. Eloise was the one who broke it.
“I always thought this would happen one of these days.” She started.
“What?”
“I always thought you would give in.”
“Give into what?”
“The darkness.”
“I don’t get you.”
“The silly girl don’t even know that.”
Eloise exhales in disbelief.
“Remember when you found yourself beside the cold body of his mistress?”
Catherine nodded after a moment of recollection. Eloise sighed.
“He’s better off dead. He only hurts you all the time.”
“He loves me and---”
“He just uses you. He leaves you behind. You know you hated him. You always have.”
“Otherwise, I won’t be here.”
“I loved John, and I always will.”
“But you wanted this, Catherine..”
“NO. I did not!”
“This was what you always wanted, believe me.”
“I never wanted this. I’d never want---”
“..but you were the one who did this, Catherine.”
Pause.
“You amuse me.”
Catherine looked down on her bloodied hands. She was crying again. She was shaking all over. She was crying and laughing. Hers was a scary laugh that reverberates throughout the room.
“I..did..this? HA! Are you calling me a murderer?!” she almost shouted.
“You must know you are one.”
“I never killed anyone!”
“You just did, Catherine. You just did.”
“I did NOT!”
“..well, technically speaking, you are the real murderer, my dear. I am merely a fragment of your thoughts..”
Catherine stood up, and became restless. She touched her husband, walked around, touched the broken window, and touched her bloodied finger to her lips. She tasted her blood.
“Too bad, John. You should have been alive. My dear Catherine shouldn’t have dirtied herself with you and your mistress’ filthy blood.”
Eloise was quietly watching as Catherine walked around the room.
“I want to die!”
“These bruises and cuts in my Catherine’s body.. her tears.. it was all your fault! It was your own fault you’re dead now!”
“I want to die!”
The sound of tires skidding on the wet road is heard. As well as the alarming sound of a siren. Catherine stopped moving around. She seemed to found herself.
“Catherine?” Eloise finally said.
Catherine’s eyes lost focus. They seemed lifeless. She reached down for a glass shard on her foot.
There were poundings on the door from downstairs. Someone was shouting something, but Catherine couldn’t care less. She didn’t care who or what it was. She didn’t care about anything. She didn’t care about anything. She didn’t care about herself.
“Oh dear.. I hadn’t seen this one coming. No..No.. My dear..”
Eloise watched as the glass shard pierced through her wrist.. she watched as blood trickled. She watched as Catherine collapsed. She watched as Catherine slowly died.
“..Farewell..”
And the police bust into the room. There was not a single witness. Not a single suspect on the scene. John and Eloise Catherine Morgan were reported dead in their residence.
(“Ashes..Ashes..we’ll all fall down...”)
This story was written by my roommate (Lea Gonzales). She asked me to post this to wattpad to know what other people might think about her work. Leave a comment please!
