Writing Prompts

Prompt #20) Returning the Favor

Vanessa held her breath as the cold steel made its way to her forehead. She gulped hard, trying to stop herself from appearing too vulnerable.

"Charity, we can talk about this." She attempted to suade the gunman- or woman, in this case. "Just- just, please, put the gun down and- and we can work this all out, like adults."

Charity eyed her friend, puckering her lips in deep concentration.

"What possibly makes you think that I wanna work this out?" Charity pressed the gun harder into Vanessa's skull, causing her to pull back a little.

"Be-be-because I, uh... I believe that deep down," she saw that Charity was unamused, "way, way deep down that you don't really want kill your only friend from your childhood, right?"

"Alright," Charity put the gun to her side before continuing. "If you can tell me what my last name is, then I'll reconsider shooting you and sending you to Hell."

Vanessa flustered, and then wittily replied, "Don't tell me it's Rumplestiltskin?"

Charity held the gun back up at Vanessa.

"It's time for you to pay for what you did to me all those years ago," Charity growled.

"I- I don't understand- please, please, help me- help me to understand." Vanessa held her arms up in the air in surrender.

"Don't tell me that you don't remember," Charity lightly kicked Vanessa down, so that she laid in a supine position.

"Charity, please, I have a family-"

"A druggie little brother, alcoholic mother, and a daughter that lives with her father," Charity cut her off, "That doesn't sound like much of a family to me."

"Please, Cha-" Vanessa had resorted to simply begging for her life, but her voice was starting to sound hoarse from the cold temperature and the amount of crying.

"Beg." Charity said, standing up and laying her gun to her side. Vanessa stared at her, confused. "I said, 'beg'!" Charity shot her gun in the air.

Vanessa sat up onto her knees, her limbs trembling. "Charity. Please. Don't hurt me."

"Why." Charity asked without a sense of interrogation in her tone. "Why. Shouldn't. I. Hurt. You."

"Because, because... because-"

"Because!" Charity was beginning to grow impatient.

"Because I'm sorry!" Vanessa blurted out, eyes closed in case of any impact.

Charity lowered the gun once more. "You're sly. Thinking that an apology would get you out of this." She lightly laughed. "You don't even know what you did."

"Whatever it is, I am so sorry." Vanessa stared up at Charity, both of their eyes dark, but for different reasons. "I truly, sincerely am, Charity."

Charity bit her bottom lip. Was that enough for her?

"You ruined me," Charity explained, squatting down before Vanessa and grabbing her by the chin. "I plan on returning the favor."

Vanessa began to cry even harder than before.

Charity hushed her, standing up. She turned and walked away, her heels echoing through the walls of the dark, empty alley way.

Vanessa sighed in relief, before a distinct bullet made it through her skull.