Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Write for the SUSPENSE and/or THRILLER Genre (10/23/14)
-
TITLE: Leave of Absence | Previous Challenge Entry
By stanley Bednarz
10/27/14 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
He breathed in the moment and admired the bulbous moon. It looked like something out of a cartoon, low enough to chase down on some long and forgotten road like fools who seek the end of a rainbow. Instead his feet tripped forward over the threshold and down the narrow hall of glowing hardwoods.
A deep growl stopped his momentum toward the bedroom door. A bulldog appeared ready to pounce. The man took a knee, reached into his jacket, and pulled out a couple of milk bones, the kind dipped in bacon that that could make a werewolf lick your face. The dog skittered forward and took the bait.
He stood and flirted with the doorknob to the master bedroom until it opened. The man’s heart raced like a rabbit without a hole to hide in. There was no turning back. He’d come this far, far enough that as he stood between the door and her bed, he could smell the fresh linen and see the silhouette of her body dressed in a flimsy nightgown. If she had heard him, she pretended to be asleep.
As he closed the door, the dog pawed it once, then skittered away. He slipped off his jacket and then all of his clothes until he left a trail leading to her bed. His shadow covered the dim light of half drawn shades where he loomed over her. He slipped under the sheet and spooned with her, extinguishing all space between them. He breathed the scent of her ivory skin and lavender hair. She probably hoped it was just a bad dream—a living nightmare really.
***
His breathing on her neck sent shockwaves down Karen’s spine She pretended to be immersed in sleep, but her eyes were wide with fear where a lone tear spilled. She’d seen too many Lifetime movies not to imagine what a jilted husband with a restraining order might do next. She feared the cold edge of a sharp blade between her shoulder blades or the drumming, and then the pressing of his fingers around her neck until she couldn’t scream and would choke to death. The dire words she’d heard on television snagged her mind. “If I can’t have you, nobody will.”
Dustin locked her in his embrace until he rode the wave of her uneven breathing. “I only wanted to hold you one last time. I’m…I’m lost without you. I just want to hold you for one more night. Please, don’t hate me.”
Karen let go a sigh. Maybe she wouldn’t die after all. Perhaps they both could get the help they needed. She blinked away the tears falling like a waterfall soaking the edge of her pillowcase. She struggled for something to say. She swallowed the knot in her throat. “Dustin, you don’t want to do this. You could lose your job on the force.” She appealed to his job as a police officer and his distinguished career.
A heavy silence filled the room.
“I took a leave of absence.”
There’d been too many sharp words exchanged in the past, too many open wounds not yet healed. Maybe it was best to say nothing more for now. Sharon’s mind took leave of her body. She floated on the memories of happier times when love knew no bounds.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
I was feeling a little jarred in the first half, thinking that I wasn't sure I wanted to know how this story ended. But, the twist was quite poignant and a relief.
Wonderful writing!
God bless~
Two red inks you probably already noticed.
He looked back to see if anyone one was out late walking their dog.
Was it intentional to call the woman Karen all through the piece and Sharon in the second to last sentence? Are they the same person?
I loved the ending that leaves it open for a reconciliation between husband and wife. :)