This story was written for Friday Fictioneers.
Ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for Peter.
—-
The bell on the porch clanged. Peter sighed and dropped his book on the coffee table.
He forced a smile as he opened the front door. “Help you with somethin’?”
“I know what you did.” The woman standing beneath the porch light stared at her toes, her long, black hair cascading down.
“Pardon?”
“I know what you did,” she repeated. She lifted her head, her gaze partially obscured by clustered strands of her hair. “You killed my mother, Peter.”
The knife in her left hand twitched. The blade bit into his stomach, sending a waterfall of gore splashing across his slippers.
February 19th, 2014 at 9:21 AM
Well done. That is one scary beginning. It leaves me wanting to know what happens next. Good job.
February 19th, 2014 at 9:39 AM
Wow hope she got the right man.
February 19th, 2014 at 10:32 AM
Exactly what I was thinking, Dawn! If he did indeed kill her mother, it’s too bad it didn’t happen before she was born. 🙂
janet
February 20th, 2014 at 5:00 AM
The fact that I had to stop and think about this comment might mean I need more coffee. 😉
February 19th, 2014 at 10:31 AM
I want more, I want more!
February 19th, 2014 at 10:42 AM
Grim! Oh my….. Now what??????
🙂
February 19th, 2014 at 10:57 AM
‘A waterfall of gore splashing across his slippers’ - I love the juxtaposition of these too images - gore and slippers. I don’t think there can be too many lines that they both appear in!
I think you might be missing an ‘a’ before ‘smile’.
February 19th, 2014 at 11:04 AM
Yikes! Hope Peter actually was guilty! That woman meant business.
February 19th, 2014 at 11:50 AM
Our minds were thinking along the same track for this week’s photo prompt.
February 19th, 2014 at 12:00 PM
I rather think this woman ought to be restrained…
February 19th, 2014 at 12:28 PM
Might she be insane?
February 19th, 2014 at 1:02 PM
Did he do it or was she just a crazy lady?
February 19th, 2014 at 3:16 PM
Ack! Poor Peter or serve you right Peter?A terrifying story.through and through.Great job Adam:-)
February 19th, 2014 at 4:10 PM
Ouch.. If so I sincerely hope she was right.. that aside I think that there should be a justice systems for thing like that.
February 19th, 2014 at 5:41 PM
I think when she said ““You killed my mother, Peter,” she meant her mother’s name was Peter. She got confused and thought the killer’s name was also Peter, which is why she killed Peter even though the killer may have been named Bruce. But it took me a while to figure that out! Very well-done story …
February 22nd, 2014 at 10:23 PM
That’s the way I saw it too, Perry. They should bring back that Columbo show with you in the Peter Falk role, or was that Bruce Falk, Peter’s smarter brother?
February 19th, 2014 at 5:42 PM
Or - was it his evil twin?
February 19th, 2014 at 5:44 PM
The story ends leaving the reader with just enough questions. Good flash. I especially like the John Donne allusion at the outset. Your answer “It tolls for Peter.” gives a touch of foreshadowing but not so much as to ruin the surprise at the end. Neatly woven.
Cheers!
Marie Gail
February 19th, 2014 at 7:34 PM
‘A waterfall of gore splashing across his slippers’ i like that line. and damn, i really hope she got the right man.
February 20th, 2014 at 3:13 AM
Whoa! This was really troubling, Adam. You really bring us through an event, a disturbing event! You can just sense the confusion Peter feels and this strange woman, assaulting him… Man! This is a doozy!! That final line is just stunning. Great job.
February 20th, 2014 at 5:02 AM
Dear Adam,
Peter should have listened to the tolling bell and not opened the door. Of course I hope it’s not a case of mistaken murderer identity. Good one.
shalom,
Rochelle
February 20th, 2014 at 12:14 PM
Crazy, darling. I love the lingering ambiguity of whether or not Peter actually did anything, or if this woman is just crazy.
February 20th, 2014 at 6:46 PM
With that sort of deadly knife wielding accuracy, I would say that woman framed Peter!
February 20th, 2014 at 7:00 PM
Great to leave us agonising about whether he was guilty or not. But we can all agree she was. Good one, Adam.
February 20th, 2014 at 11:05 PM
Great last line. If he survives, he should get a peephole installed in the door!
February 21st, 2014 at 9:19 AM
Him saying “Pardon?” says a lot to me. Seems like she might be on the wrong track. Either that or he doesn’t do well before his morning coffee. Lots of enigma here.
February 21st, 2014 at 12:13 PM
I really hope it was the right Peter.
And now I’m thinking what’s happened to my moral compass… 😉
February 21st, 2014 at 1:07 PM
Dark and gory. I wonder if Peter really did hill her mother.
February 21st, 2014 at 2:49 PM
Nicely done, tone dark and all. I do hope she got right Peter of course.
February 22nd, 2014 at 1:33 AM
Looks like his past caught up with him. I like the image of the gore on his slippers - something so awful on something so “homey”.
February 22nd, 2014 at 2:13 AM
I won’t be answering my door anytime soon.
February 22nd, 2014 at 1:38 PM
Whoa. Blood everywhere. Again?
February 22nd, 2014 at 7:47 PM
Yikes! Too bad he answered that door. Well done.
February 22nd, 2014 at 10:25 PM
And to think I used to hide when Jehovah Witnesses came to the door.
February 23rd, 2014 at 1:07 AM
Nice and gory 🙂 well done!
February 23rd, 2014 at 6:43 PM
That’s why we have porch lights so we can see who’s coming. Good job and well written! Nan