Member-only story
A Bloody, but Lovely Reunion at the Barn
A tale of murder, love, and loss
Part I. Jane
With each agonizing step, blood seeps from my wound and trickles onto the dry dirt.
Come on Jane, it’s right there, maybe 50 more steps.
You’ve come this far.
Don’t stop now.
My torso burns and my legs nearly collapse from under me, but I lug myself forward until I reach the colossal barn door.
Using my last ounce of strength, I yank the rusty wood door sideways, and let my eyes adjust to the cavernous space, spot a storage room stocked with hay bales, and limp towards my makeshift bed for the night.
I choke on thick specs of dust, and barely manage to avoid the fresh horse manure corroding the floor.
As the moonlight slips through a small broken window, I lie down on the dusty concrete floor resting my head on a patch of hay.
Okay Jane, you’ve got to get up early; no one can know you are here.
And clean up the blood, there can’t be a single trace, but for now…
For now, get some sleep.
Part II. David
EEEEERRRRR. The rumble of a tractor breaks the empty silence of the farm.
Shit. That has to be Jim.
As I cower behind a large oak tree, wracking my brain for a valid excuse, Jim’s raspy voice howls, “You know I can see your fat ass hiding behind that tree.”
I shrug, step out into the clearing, and make myself completely visible.
“Top of the mornin to ya, Jim.”
“Your Pops would be pissed if he knew you were waking up late when he’s not here. Get your lazy ass to the barn, start cleaning those stalls, and then load up some mulch.”
I chuckle, “Aye Aye Captain.”
“And don’t forget to lock up when you finish.”
I salute Jim, and continue towards the barn.
As I trudge closer, I notice a trail of red puddles leading up to the barn.
Is that blood?
