Magpie 79

Just hours before their brutal death, they left in the black car, smiling like it was the happiest day of their life. But I guess it was-if you minus the murders 8 o'clock onwards that night. With Mary in the front, and Candice and Matthew in the back, they drove away with smiles ear to ear. Mary's timid smile, only just revealing her two rows of perfect teeth still seemed to reduce her mother to tears. Tears of happiness for her children, but also tears of pain to see them finally leave. Mary's younger and more confident sister Candice who laughed and waved to the people that waved them goodbye was elated just like her sister to be starting this new adventure. Matthew also smiled, peering over his sister, Candice's shoulder. It was his idea for this adventure.

"We'll drive right along the beach, just like you always wanted. We can swim and run from the waves. It will be great," he could remember promising Mary one morning at breakfast.

"I expect it will be far too cold for swimming!" she had said, frowning. Then Candice, the chirpy personality she was in the morning came skipping down the stairs.

"It sounds like a surely swell idea, Matthew. But how on earth shall we get around?"

"Did you not hear? I almost have enough money for my car. We can finally go on our adventure, further than the front garden. We'll go right up to Bounty Hills, mabey you will end up seeing your old friend Kathy," Matthew had tried to persuade.

"Mother will never allow us," Mary had said, glancing up from her cereal. Sighing, Matthew turned back to Candice, "Candy...you think it's a good idea, right?"

"I certainly do. Seeing Kathy will be great."

"Hold that smile, Candy!" he instructed. She went along with it, the goodnatured person she was. Matthew gestured towards Candice.

"You wouldn't want to destroy that lovely happiness, would you?" Candice saw what Matthew was trying to do and played along once again, beginning a fake weep. Mary held back a smile, "I'm only worried about your driving. Well not really, but mother is. You said you plan this trip in a month, correct? To leave when the weather is just right, correct?" Matthew nodded.

"Well," Mary continued, "that's too soon. Mother will not think your driving is quite right. But really, I'd love to go. Let me drive away and get us started. I want us off to a good start. Oh, and we're going to the hills first. I want to remember the beach more!" Candice shrugged, closed with a smile and Matthew jumped up with joy, simply glad at the final acceptance.

And then it was just one month later, they found themselves driving away from Kendal Square. Smiles on each of their faces-Mary's nervous but also excited smile. Candice's same, happy smile as that breakfast one month ago and Matthew's smile that reveals less than it really means. But not one of those smiles on those faces, was ready for their terrible fate, the very first night of their adventure.

This is my response to Magpie Tales, prompt 79 :)

Magpie 78

I drop the last paint roller onto the pile of other paint brushes and palettes. It makes a loud noise as it hits the other things I've spent the last fifteen minutes gathering.

I shouldn't be doing this.

I look around, the room is bare now; all the things boxed up in the next room. But I can still imagine our bed in the middle of the room, with the bed-side-tables beside it, along with the half-price lamps we'd bought just after buying the house. I can still visualise the shelves that sat on the furthest wall, that we'd spent ages getting the right position for. We had stood there for a long time, 'oohing' and 'ahhing' and sighing frustratedly.

"They would look so nice here, since this wall is so bare." We'd spent so long on deciding-our first home had to be our perfect one. It's funny, a shelf was such a big deal...and now it's those things that you realise just dont matter. They're not important.

There were four marks, where i'd pulled out the screws from those shelves.

Man, this feels so wrong.

'KRISTY LOVES LUCAS' is written on the wall. The wardrobe used to be there, covering it. The writing brings back memories from that night, when we'd stumbled to bed after a couple of drinks. We sat there the whole night, laughing at everything like we weren't just lovers but also bestfriends. Because we were. She was more than a lover, and more than a bestfriend. She was everything.

She wrote it on the wall, laughing hysterically, her long, gorgeous brown hair running curly down her back. Her teeth almost sparkled, even in the dimmed lights, as did her eyes which I'd always loved about her. We hid it with the wardrobe, the next day. I don't really know why. Not in shame or anything, but it was just something we did. And that was why the wardrobe was unevenly spaced between the window and the door.

Not anymore. It's gone. It's outside, just like everything else. I'm getting rid of it, just like the bed and the shelves, the sheets, the pillows, the quilts, her clothes, the pictures, the silly ornaments she loved to keep, the lamps, the picture of the ocean she'd had since I met her, her little stuffed bear, her candles, her alarm clock and also mine. Her jewellery, her makeup and her mirror. All gone. Just like her. I had boxed up almost everything that I could that reminded me of her. I would get rid of it whilst the paint was drying, most probably.

Everything is just too much. I keep count of the days that she's been gone. It brings me to tears but I just know I have to do this. I have to get the last of her out of my life. If I can't have all of her, then I don't want any of her. I'm going to paint the room and destroy all my memories of her. I need to. I just cant quite work out why. I kneel down to pull the lid off the tin of paint. She hated this colour, I remember she told me it was the one we would definitely not use, the day we went out to pick room colours. Mabey this wasn't such a good colour to use.

I can't believe I'm going to do this. I sit on the floor and cross my legs, giving myself something I hadn't in such a long time; a moment to think it through. I'd done alot of thinking since she was gone, but only about her. Not really what I was doing to myself. I sit like we had to, right up to year twelve at school assembly. All of a sudden the memories flash back. Kristy and I had gone to school together, but she was real shy and so we never dated until after we graduated. We hardly even knew each other in high school, but there wasn't one day I didn't melt over her and everything she did. She was perfect. The tears prick at my eyes again and a lump forms in my throat. All of a sudden, my stomach begins tossing and turning with some form of butterflies. Exactly like on our first date. It's been 874 days since then. I keep count because it was one of the most important and happiest days of my life. I can't seem to let go of it...or her. My stomach stirs again, and the memories, although so long ago are fresh and magical in my mind. Straining my heart. I fall back and lay on my back. The tears run down my face and I cry. I just cry to get it out. I cry because I'm hurting; because I miss her and I cant have her, I love her, she's gone, she was everything, she was perfect. I cry because I've held it in for so long.

Who am I kidding? I can't do this, I shouldn't do this.

I thought this urge to clear her from my life was just like the reason we covered up the writing on the wall; it was just something we did with no real explanation needed. I wipe my eyes with my sleeve and sit up again. I feel like suddenly I'm awoken. I realise the silence I've been living in, what I've put myself through. Like something magical, I suddenly realise that I can't change what's happened. But she's safe and oneday I'll rejoin her. I turn on the radio, I call a friend and I swap the brushes and paint for everything I tried to get rid of.

Magpie 71

"Ouch!"

"You're it!" Ray squealed, as he poked me on the arm and ran away.

"Don't touch me! Especially on my sunburn!" I yelled back at him.

He pulled a face and poked out his tongue. Joel, my other annoying bundle of a brother ran and jumped onto my back, his arms almost strangling me as he wrapped them around my neck.

Of course, Ray saw this as his opportunity for attack. He too, ran towards me, yelling, "charge!" Their little fingertips were not as innocent as they looked. They, mabey even unintentionally, took advantage of the sunburn I'd received on our Summer holiday to put me through a world of pain. Screaming at them to get off me, it was mum to next step into the scene.

"Please!" Mum hissed at us, as she attempted to pull Joel from my back, "The other people here would like to view the museum in peace." I looked around, and counted a whole of two people in the dusty room that smelt of the sea." As much as I was a total advocate for getting rid of my brothers, I had to admit there wasn't really anyone here to annoy anyway.

"Aw, but c'mon mum! There's nothing to do here!" Ray moaned.

"Yeah!" Joel, growled on to agree, "This stinks! You said this holiday would be fun."

Dad called over to mum, motioning for her to come and look at something. This beachside holiday, 1000 kms away from anything half decent to do was all dad's idea. But I guess mum was right in saying, this was dad's only break from work in the whole year and he should get to spend it how he wished.

"Tell you what...twenty more minutes. Find something to look at, and if you all behave we'll get nice, cold ice-creams." That was enough for Ray and Joel and I nodded, as not to be a nuisance.

The three of us trudged off into the next small room. There were some paintings of the ocean on the walls and a couple of disgusting fish plastered to the walls also. In each corner of the room there was a glass cabinet filled with clams and pearls and sand, obviously taken from the beach. The room at first seemed boring, with it's brown timber walls and floors and only one small window at the end. It was all very plain when we realised there was a doorway to another room. Walking through to that one, it was a complete transformation. This one was so much different, with a larger window and much nicer walls and floors. there was a bench with a cushion also, and the three of us sat there straight away.

We all seemed to be completely consumed by the ornaments in the centre of the room. It was probably the brightest thing we'd seen since arriving in this town. I dont know how, but we all sat there for so long. We hardly even had to speak, we were all daydreaming, thinking, wondering-what on earth this masterpiece was.

"Those boats in venice!"

"Fish..."

Our eyes were all set on the mysterious objects hanging by the thinest of wire or string. Mabey thats why, for twenty whole minutes neither of them hardly spoke. It was something unexplainable. Something completely amazing.

Mum and dad walked in shortly, and explained we had been so good. Like we'd all been in a trance we suddenly jumped back into the disorganized, loud family we are known to be. I smiled. That was the quietest Joel and Ray had been in a very long time. Even I hadn't been that quiet in forever. It was completely indescribable, the simplicity of the object, yet the complexity of the 'illlusion' of it all didn't fail to amaze even me.

Magpie 37

This piece follows on from my others: Magpie 29, 31, 32 and 34 (that can be found by clicking my blog title above).

Thankyou to Magpie Tales that has supplied the picture prompt.

Paulie sat on the edge of the bed looking out the window to her garden. There was a chill in the afternoon air with the sun still bright, setting slowly over in the ocean. Paulie looked down to the ring on her left ring finger. She fiddled with it, moving it side to side until she could easily pull it off. She stared, admirably at the words engraved on the inside of the gold ring: Paulie, my one love, my only love, my love forever. She smiled as the beautiful face of her husband filled her mind. She stood up, pushing the ring back onto her finger to look into the mirror that hung from the wall above her chest of drawers. She stared into her sky blue eyes and smiled.

"You have the most amazing eyes in the world," she could just imagine her husband saying, "they bring shame to the stars." It was quite a cliche line but her husband was much of the romantic type. Going out of his way to make her feel like a real princess. To always put his beautiful princess before himself was what everyone knew him for.

Remembering her husband, brought tears to Paulie's eyes. He had loved her more than anything in the world and it was much the same feeling for her. But mistakes resulting in a not so great past ended up with Paulie's beloved husband missing and then found dead. She sat back down on the bed, wiping away her tears with her sleeve. She ended up crying alot more than she first thought she would and got up for a tissue from the pink patterned box sitting underneath the mirror. Jerking the box carelessly in an attempt to get out a tissue a small brown bug climbed out from the box and up the wall behind the mirror. She was startled by the bug but she'd never been disgusted or afraid of them and attempted to get it out from behind the mirror. Living on her own for so long she never really moved things. So the gold framed mirror had always stayed exactly there, hardly ever touched. Paulie reached up to the corners of the mirror and slowly, carefully pulled it off the hook it hung by on the wall. It was much heavier than Paulie could ever remember and she was quick to drop it down onto the bed. There, tucked under a corner of the frame on the back of the mirror was a folded piece of paper.

Paulie was extremely curious and eager to see what this was. When she unfolded it and saw a page of writing, entitled Dear my princess Paulie, her heart skipped a beat with excitement.

Dear my princess Paulie,

I am terribly sorry if I am never able to lay my eyes on your beautiful face ever again, sweetheart, but I hope you find this letter and it is some sort of closure for you. I am sorry for the terrible place I have hidden this letter for you-I was in a rush at the time.

Given my past, and the secrets I have kept from you for your own safety you will know I have dealt with some very dangerous people. I hope that they do not find this letter before you. I hope you never have to see these people, or ever hear of them again.

My darling sweetheart, I have written on the back of this letter information I need you to take to the police as soon as you read this letter. It will explain what I know about the missing information of Wentering Place and hopefully clear your name. I hope it brings you freedom and you don't have to worry anymore.

Paulie darling, whether I return tonight or not I want you to know I have never loved anyone as much as you. You are more beautiful, special and important than anything and anyone I have ever layed my eyes on.

I hope this letter brings you freedom, my beautiful princess Paulie.

Love always, Damian.

xxx

Hope you enjoy, your comments are much appreciated! (:

Magpie 35

This was written with inspiration from this picture prompt supplied by Magpie Tales. It follows on from my other short pieces: Magpie 29, 31, 32, and 34 that you can view by clicking my blog title above. Enjoy...

Everytime April woke up in the arms of her husband, Jeremy she simply forgot about the world. She let everything go and slip her mind until it was only filled with the joy of the moment. She thought moments like these were perfect, well to her atleast and she admired her sleeping husband.

There was complete silence apart from Jeremy quietly breathing and a running shower down the hall. All of a sudden it stopped and as she listened carefully she heard the shower curtain run along the rail and Paulie humming to herself. Smiling April rested her head back down on Jeremy's chest and felt the movement of his chest up and down, up and down, the beating of his heart steady and relaxed.

The door to the bathroom swung open a few minutes later and Paulie walked out in her dressing gown. She disappeared to her room and a few minutes after that re-appeared in some fresh clothes. She saw April was awake and smiled brightly, "Morning."

"Morning," April whispered quietly, making sure not to wake Jeremy.

"Would you like some breakfast?" Paulie asked as she loudly opened drawers and cupboards, "I was thinking some bacon and eggs."

"Sure," April said, "that'd be great."

"My spare bed looks alot more comfortable than that rugged old chair," Paulie said.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep," April explained. Paulie nodded in understanding. Washing her hands in the sink, overlooking her yard Paulie clicked her tongue.

"Those leaves have made a real mess of themselves now," she said, "they're everywhere. I'll need to get out there today and rake them up."

Jeremy moved around in the seat before opening his dazed, tired eyes.

"Good morning sweetheart," April said.

"Goodmorning," he said shifting her wait off him so he could sit up.

"Now you're both up you won't mind some of my terrible music," Paulie said flipping the switch on the radio. The small radio burst with volume and suddenly came alive. The speakers blowing a song neither April nor Jeremy had ever heard of but Paulie knew word to word of.

"And your darkness may faaaaaaaaaaade," she sang as the song finished. We all laughed and clapped playfully and she did a cute bow.

"Thankyou, thankyou," she said.

The beautiful moment was basically ruined when the news came on the radio a moment later.

"A search for two people by the names of April and Jeremy Egnezi has begun again after two years. The two are suspected and at this point held responsible for 3 deaths. Some associated with the Okakii Gang. They have gone undetected for two years, with their whereabouts no way to be known and the police are now again on high alert for anyone who may recognize these two people, have any information about them or the crimes. In some sport news; Jason..." The voices on the radio left her as easily as the worries of the world did when she woke up in Jeremy's arms.

She got up with tears in her eyes, a lump in her throat, and an ache in her stomach. She shrugged off Jeremy's hands that tried to hold her back. Paulie looked down at her hands in the soapy water and then dried them on a nearby tea towel before following her out into the yard.

"The seasons are changing," Paulie said as she sat beside April with a leaf in her hand. April wiped her face with her sleeve.

"You've made mistakes; we all have," Paulie said, "I, myself have made alot. Some very bad ones and one very horrible one that led to a huge long chain of other mistakes and tragedies."

Paulie placed the leaf in April's lap, "Mabey it's time to turn over a new leaf."

Magpie 34

This piece is for Magpie Tales (that supplied the prompt) and follows on from my Magpies 32, 31 and 29 that you can find by clicking my blog title above. Hope you enjoy...

April dazily opened her eyes and looked out the window to the unfamiliar places and people. The small clock in the car read 3.47PM and she relaxed at the gentle smile of her husband, Jeremy.

"Afternoon gorgeous," he said softly as he stared ahead out the windscreen, occasionally glancing at her tired face.

"Wow," she said, "how long have I been sleeping?"

"Just a few hours," he said, "we're almost there. I'd say about half an hour." April nodded but her heart leaped. Her stomach dropped and freaked out at the thought of meeting with this person after two years. If Jeremy had taught her anything in the time she'd known him it was who to trust under their circumstances. This was the only person.

They both felt unsteady when they stepped out of the car and onto the pavement after the long drive. They'd stopped at a lonely, isolated deli to grab something to eat and drink once, but only once. And when he'd gone in and seen the paper he kept his head down, being careful to not make eyecontact with the old lady reading her own copy of the paper.

"That's seven fifty," she said, holding out a frail hand with her eyes not leaving her newspaper. Jeremy had placed a ten dollar note in her hand and quickly left. He shouldn't have even worried though; It took her long enough to realise he'd given too much, let alone get a look at his face and match him to the face on the front of the newspaper.

But now, at their final destination, hard ground once again beneath them they slowly made their way to the front door.

Three quick knocks on the door with a sweet 'Welcome' sign. Although they hardly showed it the two of them were nervous, they were scared. This was the one person that had always been by their sides, one person they could always trust-no matter what. So why were they nervous? Were they scared it would ruin the trust, that this person had changed. Jeremy thought not. This person was unique, forgave the right people. He'd known this person long, the trust couldn't be broken. They heard a key in the door and the twisting of the knob until it was pulled right open.

Her face lit up, her long hair messily draped over her shoulders. She looked them both up and down until she fixed her eyes on Jeremy. That was when he saw it. He knew she was glad he was here. She would take them in. It would be alright.

She hushed them quickly inside and then hugged him as tightly as she could.

"You mischief maker, I missed you."

She turned to April and hugged her too. She'd taken a quick liking to April two years ago when they'd met.

"Paulie, you've seen the paper?" he asked.

"It's great to see you too," she said, "anyone up for tea." He smiled at the way she took nothing seriously. As far back as he could remember she never had. When neither of them replied she turned back to face them.

"We'll talk about it over some tea," Paulie said in an insisting voice. And with that she turned back around and walked to the kitchen.

"You don't know how much I've missed you," she said as she put on the noisy kettle.

"All the same here," Jeremy said.

"Well, tell me," she said, "tell me how on earth you two did so well for two years."

April sat on a cushioned stool by the bench and Jeremy joined her on one next to her.

"Okay yes, we've got you to thank," he said. She falsely acted flattered.

"The cottage was okay then?"

"It was lovely," April spoke for the first time since arriving, "It was such a shame we had to leave."

"Yes," Paulie said. She reached up to a cupboard and pulled out three mugs.

After the tea was made they all sat down in the lounge.

"So yes," Paulie said suddenly, and softly, "I saw the paper this morning." They all seemed to sit there quietly. Unsure of how to go on. Unsure of what to say.

"The whole country's on a lookout for you now," she said, "they know your faces." Their stomachs turned and April pushed away her tea onto the coffee table.

"And I'm sorry but I don't know what to do," she said, "But you can stay here as long as you need to."

"Thankyou," Jeremy replied.

"I'm just sorry I can't help more."

After dinner April, still extremely tired and her body taken over probably more by anxiety than anything decided on an early night. After reading for a while Paulie went to bed as well and it was 2 the next morning when April woke again. The other side of the bed was unthouched, neat. She slipped out of the bed and opened the door to the pitch black hall. At the end of the hall there was a faint light and she walked slowly towards it, feeling the walls either side of herself. When she reached the end of the hall she ended up at the lounge room.

There Jeremy sat on Paulie's vintage couch. A lamp above him shining brightly on his dreaming mind. A book lay open on his chest. She smiled at her husband despite anxiety running right through her. She sat beside him and lay her head on his shoulder. He woke, startled.

"I'm sorry," she said guiltily, "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay," he said smiling, looking right into her eyes.

She sighed, "What are we going to do?"

"I dont know," he said as he put his arm around her, letting her head sit on his shoulder. They both sat there in silence, both thinking. Despite being searched for by the country they tried to enjoy the moment that was as close to perfect as they would get for a while.

They both felt the heat from the lamp above them and tried hard to see light of the situation.

Magpie 32

This piece for Magpie Tales continues on from my Magpie 31 and 29. Enjoy...

April pulls the second drawer out of the dresser and piles the clothes into her bag. She pushes them down hard on top of the previous pile. It's like de ja vu and her stomach stirs sickly. She sits on the edge of the bed and remembers back to when she was packing at home. Her old bedroom. Painted the lightest and calmest shade of purple with her purple sheets and purple doonar. With posters of singers on the walls stuck tackily with tape. The room was her haven but she had to run from it and now again she had to run from her haven. Outside the window it is pitch black with no verandah light like her childhood home. Her eye begins to twitch with worry. For the first time in two years she feels anxious. She's worried for her future. Jeremy had always taught her from the day they met you have to take each day as it comes, not dwell on the past and not worry about the future.

She lays her back down on the bed with her legs dangling off the edge. Slightly swaying she hears them hit against something. She sits up and sees the small box she'd packed with bits and pieces not too long ago and had forgotten about.

Sticking out of the old books and magazines sits a little hourglass she had been given just before having to run away. She remembers clearly the last frantic minutes she'd spent in the purple room. Shoving clothes and a toothbrush with an old teddy and the last thing she grabbed as she ran from the room was the hourglass that sat out of place by her little ornaments. She'd stood by the door and stared at it for several moments. She tapped her foot impatiently with thoughts racing around her mind confusing her. With the sound of a door opening she shoved it into the bag and ran. The last time she left her teenage bedroom it was through the side window.

She clutched the hourglass in her hands and felt the tears push their way out her eyes. Time was something she wished she had had more of. Something she wished she still had more of now. Time had always rushed them. It had rushed her and her husband away. It had rushed them to make decisions, that including some not very good ones. Time was something she wished she could go back in and change. But as she watched the sand move through the tiny little hourglass she realised she was running out of time and she had to make good decisions because time was something she was never going to get back.