He Could Not Let Her See It

[zinovia]

There was glass everywhere. Jack scrambled to clean it up. Any moment Popuri would be home and he couldn't let her see it. The vase that had rested on their table had been a wedding present from Rick. Now the shards were everywhere. The window was also shattered. The glass was everywhere. It was an accident, however. Surely Popuri would understand, wouldn't she? It would break her heart, however. He could not let her see it.

Jack still held his sickle. He had been harvesting hay for the stock and had brought it into the house with him. He threw it hastily into a corner and quickly grabbed a couple of shards of glass. The glass was sharp and there was blood on his hands. He was mesmerized by the reflection of the blood in the glass for a moment and then he dropped the glass back on the floor. There was blood on the floor. How would he clean it up in time? He could not let her see it.

Jack grabbed a broom and barely noticed the blood from his hands staining the handle. He feverishly swept the mess on the floor into a garbage bag. Jack stole a glance at the clock. She would be home soon. She must not see it. He found every last piece of glass and swept it into the bag. However there was the blood. The blood remained. He stared at the blood. How badly did it stain the floor? Would he clean it in time? He could not let her see it.

For the moment, he ignored the blood and ran to the barn. He found a large pane of glass there, and hastily refitted it to the window. The window was repaired, but through it he could still see the mess he had made. Popuri would be home any moment. He could not let her see it.

He ran into the house and scoured the floor. He also cleaned the broom handle and got the blood off of his hands and clothes. He was just tying up the handle of the garbage bag when Popuri walked in the door. Jack glanced anxiously at the garbage bag. He could not let her see it.

"Hi honey!" Popuri said brightly as she walked into the room.
Jack answered her nervously. Was she suspicious? He inched closer to the bag. He could not let her see it.

"Rick may come over today." Popuri continued.
Jack glanced nervously at the bag.
"I thought we could invite him to stay for dinner." She moved closer to the table.
Jack was sweating now. Did she notice the vase missing?

She walked over to the garbage bag.
"I'll take this out honey; you finish your work so you can relax until dinner time."
She grabbed the handle of the bag, but she could not lift it. The bag did not budge. Jack snatched it out of her hands.
"I'll take it out with me." he said. He could not let her see it.

"You're so sweet!" Popuri said pleasantly.
She took his hands in her own and gave him a kiss. Then she put his hands to her face.
"Harvesting hay today? It's amazing you never cut yourself with that sharp sickle!" She examined his hands. "not one scratch on them!"

Popuri went to the kitchen and began to get things ready for their meal. She noticed the sickle lying in a corner.
"I wish you wouldn't leave that lying around the house sweetie. If it fell on the baby, it's so sharp that it could cut off his arm, or worse!"

These words had an effect on Jack. He snatched up the sickle and heaved the bag over his shoulder before exiting the house. Would she notice? She had to forgive him! It was an accident after all. A person could slip, hit their head on the window and break it and then crash against the table and knock off the vase.

Jack glanced at his sickle and was horrified. There was still blood on the blade. He glanced anxiously at the house. She was preparing dinner and wanted to invite Rick. She had to forgive him. Jack had not meant to push Rick so hard. But he had to hide the mess. Jack glanced at the sickle again. Rick was not coming to dinner, but he could not let her see it.

[zinovia]

A/N: warning! MAJOR spoilers ahead! if you want to "figure it out" on your own, don't touch this!

Okay. I’ve seen the obvious confusion from people (including a handful of others who didn’t actually post a review) from this story, so I decided to explain some things here for those few who are interested.

First off, this is indeed a one shot story. That’s it. It’s done. No more. Please wait until I’ve left the room to break out the champagne.

Now on to the story itself. There is a specific scene or turn of events that occurred between Rick and Jack that I had in mind and that I hinted at in this story. If you follow the clues correctly, you should come at a basic conclusion of what exactly happened.

I tried to trick you. That is, I tried to make it seem like Jack was trying to hide the fact that he broke a vase from Popuri when in fact, he was hiding something else. Then I begin to drop clues which are as follows:

1.) Jack picks up shards of glass and there is blood on his hands and the floor.

2.) He cleans the blood off the floor, his clothes, his hands, the broom handle…just how much blood is there?

3.) He keeps looking at the garbage bag every time Popuri mentions Rick.

4.) Popuri tries to lift the garbage bag, but can’t. How heavy is that vase? What’s in there?

5.) Popuri examines Jack’s hands. Not one scratch on them. Where did the blood come from?

6.) Popuri mentions how sharp the sickle is. It’s sharp enough to cut off the baby’s arm…or someone else’s…

7.) A person could “slip,” hit their head on the window, break it, fall, knock the vase off of the table.

8.) There is blood on the blade of his sickle.

9.) Jack didn’t mean to push Rick so hard. A person could “slip” indeed.

10.) He had to hide the mess. In comes Mr. Sickle and Mrs. Garbage bag.

11.) Rick was not coming to dinner.

For those who asked: yes. Rick is dead. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men can’t put Rick back together again. Although if you like jigsaw puzzles, you might give it a try.

So here is the scenario that I was hinting at:

Rick comes over. He and Jack argue or something to that effect. Jack pushes Rick. Rick hits his head on the window, breaking it and getting killed in the process. He falls, knocking off the vase. Woopsies. Now what? Jack needs to hide the evidence and then clean up the mess. Good thing Jack had brought his sickle in with him. What if it had been the milker? That would have been a lot more annoying. Anyway, Jack didn’t have much time. Chop chop. Rick goes out with the trash.

[Butterscotch]

AWesome story! It really makes you think a little bit.

[Pickle]

Yes. I like the whole thing! I love stories where it all unfolds at the end (short stories, at least)

[fxeni]

Heh, yeah. nicely done, zinovia! It's great ;D

[Kyattsuai]

Snazzy XD Me likes!

[Entegy]

Hmm... This sounds familiar... Why?

[moko]

yeah, it was a good story.

it reminds me of my sister's story about a woman who is putting on a nice dress and some make-up, so it seems like she's getting ready for a fancy party, when she's actually getting ready for her husband's funeral.

i would post it, but my sister's an idiot, and deletes her short stories as soon as she finishes them. waste of talent is you ask me..........

[Pickle]

Try to save them before she does delete them!

[moko]

she writes them behind people's backs. i only know about that one story because she told me about is.

[Pickle]

Go and search, my friend!

[allmighty]

Excellent Story!

[LC]

it's a little bloodthirsty but then again so am i, good story

[pendulous threads]

0_o

Reall nice story...wow, Rick is dead. Do you kill Rick in all your stories? He dies in Elpitha too...lol.

[Ember]

Intresting...