Mr Brightside (short story)

Mr Brightside

James Klarkson came home from work, irritated with a lack of sleep and income, when he heard a giggle come from his bedroom. His wife, Carley Klarkson. He sighed and dropped his work bag on the floor and was just about to call out to her when he heard another voice coming from his room. This voice was one that he didn't recognise, a gruff sound. The voice said "I should go." His wife replied with "No, come one. James won't be home until six, it's only five minutes past five. Please stay." There was hesitation, and James walked closer to his bedroom door. With a sigh the voice said " Fine, but I'm leaving at five fifty."                                                                                     "Oh Greg, thank you." Greg? James thought as he edged his way silently to the bedroom door which was slightly open. He peaked through the crack and saw his wife with some guy who looked like he was in his early thirties. Greg had Brown hair, and tanned muscular arms.

Carley had her hands all over him. She finally left them on his chest, and  he gregariously took off her silky yellow dress. James' vision swarmed with red spots of anger and all the times Carley had said  'I love you' and 'you're the only man I'll ever want' floated in his ears. He gritted his teeth and turned away from the door because the sight was killing me and taking control of my mind. James had serious anger problems, and he'd acted out before because of his anger and had ended up in trouble for it. But those times were just the tip of the iceberg. This? This was the whole shebang. James walked over to the kitchen with a scarily calm front and opened the knife draw and picked out a particularly large and sharp one. The light gently reflected off the silver surface, the beautiful mahogany handle sat comfortably in his hand. The scent of cigarettes hung low in the house, the perfume that had been sprayed to mask the smell of cigarettes didn't work leaving behind a bitter smell. 

A calm rage was over James. He gripped the knife tightly in his hand, he stormed over to his room and knocked over a vase in the process. "What was that?" Carley asked nervously, Greg responded by saying "I'll go check it out.". This is working out perfectly for me, is what James would've thought but didn't because Carley's sick lullabies were playing and replaying in his mind blank with anger. Greg came out and was face to face with a man whose sanity had snapped. James' blond hair fell in front of his icy blue eyes, the mahogany handle  hung loosely in James' pale hand. Greg's green speckled eyes clouded with worry and his naked body was ridged. James gripped the knife tightly and thrust it forwards into Greg's abdomen. Once. Twice. Thrice.

The colour drained from Greg's face and he fell on the floor with a dull thump. Carley called out worriedly "Greg? Greg! Are you ok?!" she came rushing out the bedroom door, to see Greg pale and lying with blood flowing rapidly out of his sternum. The Blue shards of the broken vase lay surrounding him. She looked up off the floor and saw her husband, chest heaving and a knife clutched in his hand. Carley's throat was suddenly tight "J-James?" she sputtered. James gave no sign of recognition of the woman in front of his eyes. He didn't even seem to acknowledge the fact that she had spoken to him. 

"James I-it's not what it looks like." she chocked out. James said something that was just inaudible to Carley's ears, "Sorry?" she questioned. His blue eyes bore into her brown ones "Liar." he said louder. "Liar! LIAR!" he yelled the rage clear in his voice and spittle collected by the corner of his mouth. "Liar, liar! LIAR!" he repeated. The tension in the room was so thick that James could've cut it with his knife. James jumped up at grabbed Carley's throat. He pushed her against a wall and started chocking her. Carley struggled for air, clawing at James' hands. James let go of her throat but kept her pinned to the wall. "How long?" he asked. Her form was shaking but silent. "How long?!" he yelled. her body shook with sobs as she tried to answer, but didn't. James held the knife up to her neck "S-s-six m-months." she cried. James' eyes narrowed, he dug the knife deeper into her neck and she cried out with pain. A small trickle of blood ran down her neck. He took the knife and held it above her breasts. Studying her like an artist would study a blank canvas. He took the knife and made a downwards facing slash above her right breast. 

Carley yelped and tears fell down her face blood  dripped down the neat cut. He added three more slashes so that it represented the letter M. Carley cried out in pain but couldn't move. The next letter that James carved was R. So far it read MR, but James wasn't finished he carved ten more letter. He looked at the finished carving, it readout MR BRIGHTSIDE   .Carley was crying her eyes out but there was no more sound left as she had screamed her voice raw. James laughed at her pain. "Please" her voice croaked, sounding as scratchy as nails on a chalkboard and as dry as the moon. James smiled heard her request. She wanted him to end her suffering. But James had been suffering for six months so Carley could suffer for a few hours. James grabbed the hammer from the table and hit her right leg. There was a crunch as the bone broke. James' insane laugh filled their small home. He then hit her other leg. There was another crunch and Carley flinched in pain. James then took the knife and stabbed her in the heart, before taking own.