Tuesday, November 17, 2009

"Three Times Two": A Murder Mystery Chapter 2

In case you haven't read the blog at all this week, I'm writing a 5 part murder mystery this week, and part 1 can be found a few posts below, so read that one first obviously. Wasn't in the zone last night, so I guess I'll just write two parts tonight instead. Hopefully this chapter goes better than the first one, which was not good, I always have a hard time starting my pieces, but get better as the story and the characters develop a life of their own.

CHAPTER 2

December 29, 2009 Aspen, Colorado, 7:15am MST

"I can't believe he's gone" weeps Carrie as she looks over James' lifeless body.

"What the hell happened last night?!" demands Mike to the three guests who were up late drinking with him.

"I don't remember anything after my first few shots" replies Carrie, as Samuel and Lynn nod in agreement that they all had WAY too much to drink, and James took it too far.

"Well how the hell did he end up in the living room?" asks Kathleen, "I mean nothing around here is broken, so he obviously just passed out, but why was he in here, and not in the bar, or the bedroom?"

"Sweetie. It's James, I mean I don't mean to speak ill of the dead, but he wasn't exactly the best decision maker when he was drunk". answers Mike.

They continue discussing the events of the past night, but fail to come up with any more answers, as the storm outside continues to fall at a ferocious rate, and the group realizes that they are going to have to wait a few days before returning to civilization.

"We should call his family" says Lynn.

"Can't" Samuel retorts, the phone lines are dead, and well of course we're not going to get any cell service up here. I can't even get online right now, to check the weather reports".

"I caught the news before we left. It said the storm is going to hang around until New Years, so it looks like we're stuck here. What are we going to do him him? His body I mean" Carrie chimes in.

"There's a walk in freezer in the basement, where we have some emergency supplies stored. I guess we could store the body there for a few days to help preserve it." Sam answers.

The guys carry James' body downstairs, as the girls all begin to lose it, and when the guys come back upstairs, they try and calm the girls down, but they begin to lose it too, as the realization that their friend is dead finally begins to settle in. Lynn prepares a meal for everybody "chicken and shrimp pasta, it's what he would have wanted us to have", and they share their favorite James stories, with Carrie reaching near hysteria.

"I just can't believe it. He was the best guy, the best boyfriend a girl could ever ask for. With him, I felt safe, every other guy I've ever been with has hurt me, but I knew that he would never do that. He was...the one."

"Hey Carrie..." adds Kathleen, "he felt the same way about you. Before he met you, he was the most anti-couple, anti-marriage wreck of a man you could find, but you gave him happiness, you gave him peace"

"You gave him the six best months of his life, and he wouldn't have traded them for another 100 years of living without you" chimes in Lynn.

As the day goes by, the group tries everything they can to keep themselves occupied, and prevent themselves from going crazy. They try to engage in other activities that James would have wanted them to do: playing board games, having conversations about anything and everything random, enjoying a wide variety of unhealthy foods, but abstaining from drinking because of the obvious connection.

Over a dinner of clam chowder, bacon cheeseburgers, and fries, Lynn makes an announcement: "James was always saying that people tell people how they feel all the time, so I want to tell each one of you here right now, how I feel: "Carrie, I've only known you for a few months, but you've instantly become one of my best friends, and I hope that we stay friends forever. Kathleen: You've been one of my best friends for a long time, and I've cherished all the great times that we've had together, and Mike: I can't imagine a more perfect match for Kathleen than you. You're a great husband, and the two of you are an inspiration to us all. And finally, Sam: You are the love of my life, and I can't imagine not having you in my life. I love you with every ounce of my being..." Sam stops her there, and they share a passionate kiss, as the rest of the group begins telling the rest of the group how they feel about each other tearfully.

After dinner, they all tired from a stressful and emotional day, retire to bed for the evening. Not wanting to force Carrie to spend the night alone, Sam finds some old sleeping bags, and the entire group spends the night together in the living room.

December 30, 2009 6:15 MST

Mike is the first person to awaken, and hazily walks up to go to the restroom. When he approaches, the door is closed, so he waits a few minutes, and after waiting long enough, he finally knocks on the door and nobody answers. He knocks a couple more times, and then says: "Alright I'm coming in" but the door is locked. He continues knocking, and then walks back to the living room, searching for an answer. He sees that Sam is not there, and starts to worry about Sam's condition, and the girls now very worried, urge him to knock down the door.

He does so, and when he pushes through, they all see Sam's lifeless body hanging from a noose. Lynn in near hysteria props him down, and hopelessly attempts CPR, but to no avail, and the rest of the group loses control as well, joining her in disbelief and mourning.

No comments:

Post a Comment