Death to Ms. VAL-entine

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A white shiny casket presents a butterscotch tinted female figure while somber chapel music plays. She lays at peace while the waves of her chestnut colored hair flow past her shoulders almost endlessly. Her Husband, Troy and best friend, Olivia stand nearby observing the lifeless shell that used to be Val.

“I can’t believe this is real,” Olivia whispers to Troy.

“Me either,” he replies. “I miss her so much,” he chokes on a sob and cups his hand over his mouth.

Inaudible, Val’s agonized soul explodes like a grenade, rattling through her bombshell frame.

WHAT  the FUCK  happened HERE?! I’m not supposed to be dead right now! I’m supposed to be burying Troy right now and living happily ever after – dating boy toys and going on shopping sprees. Arrrggghhh!

I’m too gorgeous to die….and who the fuck asked for daisies! Troy knows I only prefer red roses. Hmmph his cheap ass probably tried to save money. Even in my death he’s penny-pinching. He probably ordered carnations, but Olivia made him spend the extra few dollars…Liv…hmmm, my fave mechanic turned bestie always looks out for me. As for Troy,  I …bet…he… asked one of his boys to drive us all to the burial site in his old clunker Expedition. I can’t even die as the princess I’ve always been. Wahh!

Val’s body permanently rests,  but her soul is sleepless and rationalizing.

I don’t get it. How did my plan with Olivia fail?

Val reflects on what lead her to this rigor…mortis.

“So, tomorrow night,” Val whispers on the phone “I’ll go to do my usual grocery store trip around 7:30.”

“…and I will call the house telling Troy there’s been an accident and for him to come right away,” Olivia adds in.

“Yes, but make sure to stop by as soon as it gets dark to cut the brake line on the BMW, the black car” Val instructs.

I’m sure Olivia did it correctly.

Troy and Liv, admire in a daze on the dearly departed Val.

“I miss my wife so much,” Troy whimpers.

He turns, and bends at his waist towards Olivia. She quickly reaches up towards his shoulders to embrace him.

“Do you know what happened to her?” Olivia asks in a low murmur.

“Something about her brakes in her white Mercedes gave out,” Troy whispers back with a confused frown.

“…and your car is okay. Right?” she asks.

“No problems,” He blurts in between his whimpers.

“Oh,” she replies in a sullen tone.

Olivia continues her squeeze on Troy and gazes up to the  sunlight showing through the stained glass window. It spotlights onto the casket as Olivia’s eyes glisten in a bright beam, and her  frown turns to a delightedly sly grin. Val’s demise is Olivia’s prize.

In a Memento

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A gray midday spotlights on an upright rectangular pane. Water spills onto the dusty glass as if to clean the filth that lingers on the other side.

A frail, petite frame is laying on a twin sized bed. Slowly, she extends her arms and legs in opposing directions awakening her senses while freeing her emerald eyes from their lids.

“Ahhh” releases from her lips while sitting up and draping her legs over the side of the bed.

“Oh shit! Where’s my phone?!”

Her hands flailinging hunt through the white snack stained sheets.

“Got it!” She holds it as if it’s a trophy.

Her feet race to the bathroom located through a white wooden door in  the bedroom. With the insert of a thumb into the elastic band and a hippless waist wiggle her sleep shorts are at her ankles. Morinne’s  elbows are resting on her knees while she taps away on the touchscreen of her smartphone. Her body sits in a 45 degree angle on the frigid white seat.

“Hehehehe…groupchat was crazy last night”

This is the Happiness she lives for.

“Oh…aww” her head tilts to the right with a lovestruck grin “Drewwww! He said good morning beautiful”

” I hope he’s coming by later” her smile holds for a beat then she snaps out of her daze.

“Let’s get the day started” her feet steady to the floor before her legs straighten and lead her back into the bedroom.

Morrine’s throne hisses behind her then fades to silence while she plops onto the unmade sheets. She reaches her right hand towards her head scratching her scalp lightly to not disturb the messy nest held by a skinny elastic on top. Her twig of an arm points forward holding a slim silver remote.

“I can’t wait to catch up on Netflix” the TV chimes on.

A golden midday spotlights onto a rectangular window pane. The sun gleams through the dusty glass as if to overpower the gray filth.

A frail, petite frame is laying on a twin sized bed. Slowly, she extends her arms and legs in opposing directions awakening her senses while freeing her eyes from their lids.

“Ahhh” releases from her lips while sitting up and draping her legs over the side of the bed.

“Oh shit! Where’s my phone?!”

Her hands flailinging hunt through the white snack stained sheets.

“Got it!” She holds it as if it’s a trophy.

Her feet race to the bathroom located through a white wooden door in the bedroom. With the insert of a thumb into the elastic band and a hippless waist wiggle her sleep shorts are at her ankles. Morinne’s elbows are resting on her knees while she taps away on the touchscreen of her smartphone. Her body sits in a 45 degree angle on the frigid white seat.

“Hehehehe…groupchat was crazy last night”

This is the Happiness she lives for.

“Oh…aww” her head tilts to the right with a lovestruck grin “Drewwww! He said good morning beautiful”

“I hope he’s coming by later” her smile holds for a beat then snaps out of her daze.

“Let’s get the day started” her feet steady to the floor before her legs straighten and lead her back into the bedroom.

Morrine’s throne hisses behind her then fades to silence while she plops onto the unmade sheets. She reaches her right hand towards her head scratching her scalp lightly to not disturb the messy nest held by a skinny elastic on top. Her twig of an arm points forward holding a slim silver remote.

“I can’t wait to catch up on Netflix”. The Tv chimes on.
Curiously peering through the square shaped window held by Morrine’s locked door.

“She seems harmless…poor girl” Sandra says.

                                                             “Hmmmph…not really” Patty snickers.

             “Oh come on…I heard she had a six figure job, luxury apartment, and handsome fiancé before ending up here.”

                                            “Yea …and…thanks to CATCHING  her handsome fiancé with another woman….poor girl …”  Patty nods her head left to right. “She had a nervous breakdown and couldn’t function”

Sandra stares observantly at the patient with pity in her eyes. 

“She taps on a disconnected smart phone and watches movies on VHS all day”  Patty says before a long pause.                                 “I wouldn’t want a man so handsome to ruin my life; causing insanity to become my eternity ” She matter of factly adds.

“They. Never. Found. The. Body” she nods with every syllable to Sandra. 

The two women swivel their hips,  pivot from the door and  stroll away in unison.

A blue midday spotlights on an upright rectangular pane. Fluffy flakes dance outside the dusty glass as if taunting the filth that lingers on the other side.

A frail, petite frame is laying on a twin sized bed. Slowly, she extends her arms and legs in opposing directions awakening her senses while freeing her emerald eyes from their lids.

“Ah…”

*pronounciation: Main character’s name Morinne sounds like Mawr-in or more-in

** for a better understanding of this piece and where the ideas came from read Memento Mori (the short story) by Jonathan Nolan.