The Art of Short Stories

Over the Edge

I walked with a sense of urgency, not because the rain was pouring heavily, but because my best friend had just called me crying because her boyfriend of two years had hit her once again. Mark James, I never liked him and now never will. I don't see what Angela sees in him that interests her so much. I mean, it's not like he's an angel. He had cheated on her so many times, some she knows about and some she doesn't and through this entire ordeal, she still decided to stay with him. He must be something. After a couple minutes, the taxi finally pulled up in front of the house, I paid and quickly jumped out.

Approaching the house, their shouts and screams became deafening. How aren't the neighbors hearing this? I decided to sit on their porch and wait until they're finished because the last time I interfered in a lovers' quarrel, I almost lost my life, but that's another story for another time.

Looking around I realized it's been a while since I've been here. The once white picket fence was now painted in pastel pink and the once lovely rose garden is now a wild thorn bush. Angela has been neglecting it.

My daydream was interrupted by blood curdling screams and the firing of gunshots. I flung open the door almost flinging it off its hinges, and what I saw in front of me made by blood run cold and my face to turned ghostly pale. Angela had a gun and was pointing at Mark, with tears running down her face, who was on the ground bleeding profusely from the gunshot wounds. I was so afraid that I froze for a couple seconds.

When I regained control, tears like waterfalls poured from my eyes. I was terrified. I whispered to her asking her what happened. Over and over. But she wouldn't answer and I got even more anxious. I could feel the blood rushing to my head.

I screamed at her, shouted, cried, I shook her and shook her hard just to get an answer out of her. She acted as if she was in a trance with no knowledge of what was happening around her. She stared at the bloodied body of her boyfriend with great satisfaction in her eyes that sent me into a frenzy.

And with one final shake, she snapped out her trance and closing her eyes, she whispered "I did it". Then and there she confirmed my worst fears.