The Eyes of Death

word count 258

Nora picked up the tattered patchwork quilt off the ground. It’s unsalvageable, she thought looking at the mud and rust stains that covered the blanket. I may as well throw it away. Still, it reminds me of the quilt I gave to Jane before she disappeared. Instead of tossing it into the plastic trash bag, she folded it carefully, carried it to the enclosed patio and laid it on the table. Then she continued removing the trash last night’s windstorm had blown into her backyard.

Carrying the full trash bag to the garage, she put it in the black plastic trash container and wheeled it out to the curb. Going into the house, she locked the front door, checked the patio door to make sure she had locked it, went into the bathroom, and ran a hot bubble bath.

“Finally,” she said to her reflection, “I can relax before Joe gets home from work.”

Thirty minutes latter, a scream echoed through the house. Getting out of the tub, Nora put on a silk lavender robe and ran into the dinning room. The sliding glass doors to the patio stood open and the mud-covered blanket lay on the white carpet. As she stooped to pick up the blanket, she saw the body of a woman, wearing a robe identical to the one she wore, lying behind the patio table.

Going onto the patio, she turned the body over and screamed. She stared into the two pale blue eyes looking at her from her own dead face.