goforitifudare
02-05-2007, 06:19 PM
Another quick story i wrote for a 30 minute challenge.
I havent edited it, so this is exactly as it came from my head.
Ten Minutes
============
As the black Dodge sped along the highway, the night sky was giving way to the light of the morning. Slowly, the trees on the horizon became more visible, and the mountains turned from silhouettes into more distinct features in the distance.
“Where the hell are we going” Stacy wanted to know. They had been driving like this for over 2 hours now, and he hadn’t said a word to her. All she knew was that there was something in the trunk of the car that he didn’t want her to see.
“You’ll see when we get there.” Carter replied abruptly. His eyes were focused on the road ahead, and he had barely acknowledged her all night.
Four hours ago, when the she got home from her shift at the diner and found him loading something into the boot of the car, he had simply told her to pack some clothes quickly, and get ready for a drive. She had insisted he tell her where they were headed, but he refused, simply telling her that it was a surprise, and she would enjoy it once they got there.
She loved surprises, and knew from past history that when Carter organized a surprise, it would be a good one. She also knew that when Carter didn’t want to tell her something, Carter wouldn’t tell.
This time however, his mood had changed as soon as they got onto this highway. Instead of the chatty, friendly person she knew, and had married three years ago, Carter seemed distant, moody and unwilling to communicate in any way.
Stacy had tried a couple of times to ask about the bag she saw him stuffing into the trunk, but with no success. Each time, her questions had gone unanswered, with Carter staring ahead, and simply saying she would enjoy the surprise when they got there.
Last time he had organized a surprise like this, they went to a Day spa, and were pampered by women who were at their beck and call, providing drinks, soaps, towels and anything they could want. Carter had kept on asking for more and more drinks until, by the end of the day, Stacy was somewhat drunk, and stumbled at one stage, falling into the spa bath. Luckily, the attendant had been there to help her out quickly, and Carter cuddled her, and helped her dry off. Later that night, they had made love and fallen asleep in each others arms. But somehow, Stacy didn’t think they were headed to a Day spa tonight. They had covered over 180 Miles now, and there didn’t appear to be an end in sight. She was tired, and decided she should try to get some sleep. If Carter was determined not to talk to her, then she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of trying to get anything out of him. Though it would be nice to know what was in the trunk, and where they were going.
The thump from the rear of the car woke Stacy with a jolt. The Dodge was parked now, and she could see Carter in the rear vision mirror, looking through the rear window at her.
“Are we there?” Stacy asked as she unbuckled her seatbelt, and reached to open the door.
“Yep. We’re there”
“Where are we?”
Clearly not a Day spa she thought, as she looked at the barren terrain around them. In the distance, the mountains were barely visible, causing no more than a slight bump on the horizon.
“At the place I used to come to when I was a kid” Carter replied “I have been dreaming of bringing you here for years now”
“When you were a kid? What on earth did you come out here for?”
“My father and I used to come out here and watch the sun rise and set on the horizon. We used to pitch a tent and camp here for days”
Looking around, Stacy noticed there was a tent already pitched not far from where Carter was standing. In the blank landscape it looked a little out of place.
“Funny, you have never mentioned it to me before. So that’s what was in the bag huh, a tent?” Stacey started toward it, eager to see what was inside.
I guess this explains some of the secrecy. He clearly wants to show me his secret place. The place he fondly remembers from when he was younger.
“Yeah, the tent. That’s what was in the bag” Carter said, almost as if the thought hadn’t occurred to him. “Don’t look in yet though. I have something else to show you.” He rummaged in the boot of the car, and pulled out a box, with a big red ribbon tied around it.
Oh how sweet Stacy thought. “You bought me a gift? How lovely.” She reached to take the parcel from him.
“Wait, you can go into the tent to open it.”
They both moved towards the tent, and Carter pulled the zipper holding the flap closed. As she peered inside, Stacy noted there were no sleeping bags. No bedding of any sort.
Carter knelt in the opening, and waited while she slowly pulled on the ribbon, unfurling it and letting it fall to the ground. Stacy noticed, almost absently, that there was also no base in this tent. She was sitting on the dirt.
As she took the lid off the box, Stacy let out a scream.
“OH MY GOD!!! What the hell is that?”.
The box contained the remains of some kind of animal. It had obviously suffered a terrible death, it insides almost wrapped around its fur, which was matted with blood. One eye was gone, and the other was hanging out of its socket, looking at Stacy as it wobbled against the poor creature’s cheek.
Carter had closed the tent flap behind him, and was now kneeling beside her, with a grin, looking into the box himself.
“It’s my best work yet” he replied. “My dad taught me how to skin an animal in ten minutes. One day I decided to try my skills on him. But it was messy, far more difficult than I had imagined, and I had to bring him out here to bury him. Since that day, I have been practicing, trying to hone my skills. Now, finally, I am ready, and I wanted you to see my handiwork before I tried again on a human. The next one will be even better though, of course, as it will be you.”
As he spoke, he reached for Stacy, closing his hands around her neck. “I have been waiting for this day, dreaming about it, every detail. Ever since we went to the day spa, and you fell in, I realized how stupid I have been to waste my life with you. This is the ultimate way to end the suffering. And in my finest hour, you will know the suffering I have endured”
Carter pulled the hunting knife from behind him, and with the precision of a surgeon, began his work.
“This wont take too long.” He whispered as the blade began to slice through her flesh. “Ten minutes is all it will take, just ten more minutes”
I havent edited it, so this is exactly as it came from my head.
Ten Minutes
============
As the black Dodge sped along the highway, the night sky was giving way to the light of the morning. Slowly, the trees on the horizon became more visible, and the mountains turned from silhouettes into more distinct features in the distance.
“Where the hell are we going” Stacy wanted to know. They had been driving like this for over 2 hours now, and he hadn’t said a word to her. All she knew was that there was something in the trunk of the car that he didn’t want her to see.
“You’ll see when we get there.” Carter replied abruptly. His eyes were focused on the road ahead, and he had barely acknowledged her all night.
Four hours ago, when the she got home from her shift at the diner and found him loading something into the boot of the car, he had simply told her to pack some clothes quickly, and get ready for a drive. She had insisted he tell her where they were headed, but he refused, simply telling her that it was a surprise, and she would enjoy it once they got there.
She loved surprises, and knew from past history that when Carter organized a surprise, it would be a good one. She also knew that when Carter didn’t want to tell her something, Carter wouldn’t tell.
This time however, his mood had changed as soon as they got onto this highway. Instead of the chatty, friendly person she knew, and had married three years ago, Carter seemed distant, moody and unwilling to communicate in any way.
Stacy had tried a couple of times to ask about the bag she saw him stuffing into the trunk, but with no success. Each time, her questions had gone unanswered, with Carter staring ahead, and simply saying she would enjoy the surprise when they got there.
Last time he had organized a surprise like this, they went to a Day spa, and were pampered by women who were at their beck and call, providing drinks, soaps, towels and anything they could want. Carter had kept on asking for more and more drinks until, by the end of the day, Stacy was somewhat drunk, and stumbled at one stage, falling into the spa bath. Luckily, the attendant had been there to help her out quickly, and Carter cuddled her, and helped her dry off. Later that night, they had made love and fallen asleep in each others arms. But somehow, Stacy didn’t think they were headed to a Day spa tonight. They had covered over 180 Miles now, and there didn’t appear to be an end in sight. She was tired, and decided she should try to get some sleep. If Carter was determined not to talk to her, then she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of trying to get anything out of him. Though it would be nice to know what was in the trunk, and where they were going.
The thump from the rear of the car woke Stacy with a jolt. The Dodge was parked now, and she could see Carter in the rear vision mirror, looking through the rear window at her.
“Are we there?” Stacy asked as she unbuckled her seatbelt, and reached to open the door.
“Yep. We’re there”
“Where are we?”
Clearly not a Day spa she thought, as she looked at the barren terrain around them. In the distance, the mountains were barely visible, causing no more than a slight bump on the horizon.
“At the place I used to come to when I was a kid” Carter replied “I have been dreaming of bringing you here for years now”
“When you were a kid? What on earth did you come out here for?”
“My father and I used to come out here and watch the sun rise and set on the horizon. We used to pitch a tent and camp here for days”
Looking around, Stacy noticed there was a tent already pitched not far from where Carter was standing. In the blank landscape it looked a little out of place.
“Funny, you have never mentioned it to me before. So that’s what was in the bag huh, a tent?” Stacey started toward it, eager to see what was inside.
I guess this explains some of the secrecy. He clearly wants to show me his secret place. The place he fondly remembers from when he was younger.
“Yeah, the tent. That’s what was in the bag” Carter said, almost as if the thought hadn’t occurred to him. “Don’t look in yet though. I have something else to show you.” He rummaged in the boot of the car, and pulled out a box, with a big red ribbon tied around it.
Oh how sweet Stacy thought. “You bought me a gift? How lovely.” She reached to take the parcel from him.
“Wait, you can go into the tent to open it.”
They both moved towards the tent, and Carter pulled the zipper holding the flap closed. As she peered inside, Stacy noted there were no sleeping bags. No bedding of any sort.
Carter knelt in the opening, and waited while she slowly pulled on the ribbon, unfurling it and letting it fall to the ground. Stacy noticed, almost absently, that there was also no base in this tent. She was sitting on the dirt.
As she took the lid off the box, Stacy let out a scream.
“OH MY GOD!!! What the hell is that?”.
The box contained the remains of some kind of animal. It had obviously suffered a terrible death, it insides almost wrapped around its fur, which was matted with blood. One eye was gone, and the other was hanging out of its socket, looking at Stacy as it wobbled against the poor creature’s cheek.
Carter had closed the tent flap behind him, and was now kneeling beside her, with a grin, looking into the box himself.
“It’s my best work yet” he replied. “My dad taught me how to skin an animal in ten minutes. One day I decided to try my skills on him. But it was messy, far more difficult than I had imagined, and I had to bring him out here to bury him. Since that day, I have been practicing, trying to hone my skills. Now, finally, I am ready, and I wanted you to see my handiwork before I tried again on a human. The next one will be even better though, of course, as it will be you.”
As he spoke, he reached for Stacy, closing his hands around her neck. “I have been waiting for this day, dreaming about it, every detail. Ever since we went to the day spa, and you fell in, I realized how stupid I have been to waste my life with you. This is the ultimate way to end the suffering. And in my finest hour, you will know the suffering I have endured”
Carter pulled the hunting knife from behind him, and with the precision of a surgeon, began his work.
“This wont take too long.” He whispered as the blade began to slice through her flesh. “Ten minutes is all it will take, just ten more minutes”