posted by eandrews on Sep 2
“Albert is Dead”
Along with romantic scenes, many writers find writing a scene when a character is killed, a challenge. Here is your chance to write a scene where a truly objectionable character dies.
Step 1. Go and read “Doggone” – a Friday Fiction first draft piece from a week ago.Step 2. Decide who, what and how Albert dies. It may be accidental, a blundered break in, alien attack – or by one of the many characters within the short story who may or may not have a motive.
Step 3. Now write… You can choose to be as graphic or lyrical as you like, choose to show but not tell – or just tell it all.
The only rule is – Albert must be dead by the end of the story.
Albert manage to slug his body from his computer chair. Goddamn that Linda for not coming back sooner and bringing him a beer!
Ha! Albert grinned. She’d get what’s coming to her. Once he show’s Marco’s wife the video of her taping that note to their door there’d be no more rendezvous to the goddamn karaoke bar.
Damn Linda. She should be grateful to have a husband like him! Damn the Council! They should be grateful for such a conscientious member of the community! Just wait until the newspaper does an expose using all the videos he forwarded them. There’d be no one left standing except he, Albert, future leader of the Community Council.
Grabbing the door the the fridge Albert pulled it open and reached for a cold Milwaukee’s Best. He didn’t hear the footsteps rushing behind him until he felt the sharp pain in his neck and by then everything went black.
When Albert woke up he found himself naked and wrapped tight in plastic, his arms pinned to his sides and immovable. His mouth was stuffed tight with something soft, most likely a cloth. Looking around he saw he was in a well lit room lined entirely in plastic. There was a camera set up in the room aiming directly at him.
What the fuck? Whoever was doing this was going to pay big time! Didn’t they know who he was?
“Ah, I see we’re awake. Good.” A man wearing big gloves and a butcher’s apron approached the table. He was wearing a clear face guard and held a small knife.
Albert tried to talk but the cloth in his mouth stopped his speech.
“What? You want to say something?” The man’s smile sent chills down Albert’s spine. “All right.” He took the cloth from Albert’s mouth.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Do you have any idea who I am?”
The man laughed. “Oh, you’re the most important man in the neighborhood.”
That stopped Albert. He was the most important man in the neighborhood. He was the man who knew what was happening. The man no one had better cross!
“You’re going down, pal. I’ve got cameras all over the place. One of them caught you coming in here so you better run tail right now and maybe I’ll think about not turning you in!”
“Here’s the problem, dear Albert.”
Albert’ shivered at the sound of his name on the man’s lips. As if he were already dead.
“You have been a very bad boy. And it’s time you are punished.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I work for justice. If it weren’t for me this place would be a dump!”
“And those two boys? Were they just the trash?”
At this Albert paused. Was it possible? “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!”
His captor took a small scalpel and sliced a line in his cheek, drawing blood, slathering it on a small piece of glass before putting it aside.
“I’m talking about the two twelve year old boys you killed, Albert. After you lured them away from their parents and raped them.”
“That was fifteen years ago!” Albert sputtered out, trying to defend himself. He couldn’t be killed for something he did fifteen years ago, could he? It wasn’t fair.
“That’s right, it was fifteen years ago. Those boys would have been 27 now. Grown men. Not quite as appealing when they’re grown are they?” The man smiled and lifted a large machete into view.
“I haven’t…in so long. I’d never…”
“Really? So you’re telling me when those kids egged your house the thought didn’t cross your mind? You’re telling me that all this paranoia…” he swung his arm to the camera set in front of them “…isn’t from fear you’ll finally be found out?”
“One can’t be too safe in this world!” Albert sputtered out, defending his paranoia.
“I’ll let you live.” At Albert’s look of relief the man’s eyes lit up… “If you tell the world what you did. And you accept punishment for your crimes!”
“What? But I’ve got a wife! I’ve got responsibilities! You put me away and you’ll make other suffer!”
“Suffer what? Privacy in their own neighborhood?” He pulled the camera directly in front of Albert’s face and turned it on, the bright light blinding him in the eye. “Here’s your opportunity, Albert! Rid your soul of that nasty burden! Tell the world what you’ve done and I won’t slice your throat!”
So Albert did.
He spewed out the whole horrific story. Who the boys were. Why he chose them. What he did to them and where he even put the bodies. The words tumbled out of his mouth like vomit from a man so inebriated his body can no longer hold onto the poison.
When Albert was done and the tears were flowing down his cheeks the man pulled aside the camera and turned it off.
“Now don’t you feel better? I always recommend dying with a clean conscience.” He asked as he lifted up the machete one more time.
“Wait! I thought you weren’t going to kill me?” Fear slammed back into Albert like a Mack truck. “I did what you told me to! I told you everything!”
"Oh, Albert. I didn’t say I wasn’t going to kill you. I said I wouldn’t slice your throat.” He grinned.
Albert’s last words weren’t the most eloquent, but he needed to know. “Who the fuck are you?”
“My name is Dexter.”
Mmm..Adrien vintage wine. LOL
