W: EVERYTHING CRIME FROM A – Z

Whispers

Life is imperfect.

I finally landed the perfect job. It suits the man I am. Quiet and peaceful, just like the pretty spot I happened across; well-suited for a romantic tryst. I desire a woman to make my life complete, but nobody stays with me.

I’ve tried. I take her on a picnic for two. Spread out the blankets in the shadow of the sarcophagi hidden deep in the woods. In all my visits, I’ve never seen another soul.

At dusk, the setting undergoes a subtle change. The atmosphere grows thick and she becomes nervous. Can she hear the whispers floating on the wind? Or see the faces peering through the tree branches? Listen. Do you catch the sound of footsteps rustling through the leaves?

Her mood upsets me when she demands to leave my special spot. The voices grow louder in my ears and I know the occupants of the sarcophagi just want to play with a new friend. Again.

As an undertaker, I have access to all sorts of tools. Neither sarcophagus resists my movements. I promise I’ll be back to take her home. But when I return, they never want to leave.

I wrote this for the 2015 Writers’ Police Academy’s Golden Donut contest. It’s an interesting challenge. There are 2 major rules. 

The first is that the story has to center around a picture that is featured on their blog.

The second is that the story has to be EXACTLY 200 words (title included). The hard part is that every word counts—if you’re using a contraction (see what I did there—you’re  is a contraction), it counts as 2 words (you are).

I had a blast coming up with the story.