‘I know what you did.’
The words spring out from the page, my legs instantly weaken.
‘I want £10,000.’
I sit heavily, winded. Black dots dance before my eyes. I grip the letter so tightly my knuckles turn bone white. Shivering, despite the radiators blasting out heat, I wrap my cardigan around myself and close my eyes.
I can see the colourless clearing, smell the fern, hear the sound of the shovel penetrating the earth.
‘How can you live with yourself?’
I can’t. I stumble up wooden stairs and pull sleeping tablets from the bathroom cabinet.
I am sorry.
To find out who wrote the letter read The Secret (Part II).
Written for Friday Fictioneers. A 100 word story inspired by a photo prompt. Read the other entries here.
fabricating fiction 
hear the sound of the shovel penetrating the earth. Excellent! This puts the reader right there. Great job, Louise 🙂
Thanks Lyn. I hope you’re feeling better?
A nightmare to follow the earlier nightmare. Lots of tragedy here.
There is indeed. I have actually followed this story up as I was intrigued!
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I could sense the panic, beautifully described down to the ‘black dots’. Well done.
Thanks Sandra. A good prompt!
Before I read the second part, I could sense only the fear and the malice. But now I can see so many layers of tragedy and sadness, an excellent piece.
Thanks very much.
The shovel added a layer of possibilities to this…
Thanks.
You told just enough, leaving us to feel the fear and despair of the narrator. I have to confess that if I got a letter of that sort, I’d have to wondered what I could have done worth paying any amount of money to hide. 🙂 Thank goodness for that!
janet
I’m not interesting enough to warrant a letter like that! Thanks.
How horrible!
Thanks!
Dear Louise,
To sleep, perchance to dream….
This was a wonderfully written story that stands alone yet begs for enlargement and examination. Very well done.
Aloha,
Doug
Thanks Doug.
Can’t help but put yourself in her shoes and feel what she’s feeling. Excellent! Like others have said, “hear the sound of the shovel penetrating the earth,” pretty much confirms what was done to cause her so much guilt.
Thanks very much.
You describe the feeling of shock and then guilt as this person reads the letter beautifully. Great story!
Thanks Ali.
Oh, I can hear that shovel and feel the weight of the narrator’s guilt. Well told
Thanks Siobhan.
Dear Louise,
You’ve crammed a lot of story into a hundred words. Packed with emotions. It does stand alone.
shalom,
Rochelle
I liked the sequel, too, but I very much liked this as a standalone. It makes the reader wonder what the deed was. Murder, burying a corpse, a dark secret, great food for the readers’ imagination.
Thanks.
Really morbid and creative, great job!
Thanks very much.
Very intriguing. I imagined all sorts of mayhem. Reading Part II, I felt bad about believing her to be a murderer. I wanted to grab the pill bottle away from her!
Thanks Jan. It’s so easy to jump to conclusions isn’t it?
That was awesome! So much feeling shoved into so few words.
Thanks Samantha.
Her predicament is horrible, and you’ve shown her desperation so well. Great writing.
Thanks Margaret.
Another chilling story, leaving much to the imagination. Nicely done!
Thanks!
somber tale, well told
Thanks very much.
Compelling and powerful, without having read part 2… yet. A completely told story, that leaves the reader to think. Nice, Louise!
Thanks. It wasn’t going to have a follow up originally.
A sad tale. Part 2 not needed but adds another layer to the story, Well done.
Thanks Irene.
you’re screwed whether you give in to blackmail or not. better save the money.
Absolutely. Thanks.
So intense and macabre without the ‘blood-n-guts” nicely done!
Thank you.
Neatly told tale, full of intrigue.
Thanks very much.