Proverb Flash Stories

Bad News Travels Fast

She dragged herself out of the chair, ignoring the discarded tartan blanket on the floor and stumbled into the harsh light of the kitchen. Her phone vibrated and clattered to the floor - she left it there - not wanting to face people living normal lives when hers had just shattered and fallen to pieces around her. Her eyes fell upon a bottle of water, and she suddenly realised how thirsty she was. She grabbed it, then crept back into the darkness, sank into the chair and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

She was startled awake by a pounding on the door. Wearily, she started to rise, then fell. What was the point? Who would want to speak to her anyway? No one. There was a brief pause, then her eyes flew open. She knew who it was! The pounding continued, her boyfriend's murderer was there and she knew exactly why, they was here for her. She ran into the kitchen and grabbed a vicious looking carving knife before walking to her front door. She took a deep breath, grabbed the door handle and pulled. The door swung open, and her best friend jumped up to hug her, nearly in tears.
"I've been so worried! We've only just heard about what happened and you wouldn't respond to any of our calls or messages!"
She was confused, then the harsh reality dawned upon her.
"You! You were the one who did it!"
"What?"
She brought the knife back round with startling speed and stabbed it into her friend's chest again and again.

Suddenly she was done - exhausted - sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. She was vaguely aware of her surroundings; the mutilated body on the doorstep, her blood covered arms and the man walking slowly up the drive towards her. The knife fell numbly from her fingers and he picked it up, sliding a finger along the blade. Horror overcame her as she realised her mistake and her sobbing became more violent. She collapsed over her innocent friend's body and stayed there. 

The man paused, then said, "Bad news travels fast, you of all people should have known that."

 She felt the knife brush against her skin, then push into her neck in a split second of pain before everything went black.