Child ...
Granny whispered. She whispered very seldom, for her clear voice usually rang crystal bells of love.
Child, she said once again, do not go to aunty Mable's room ... she is very, very ill.
The little girl nodded. She did not look up, but scribbled some apples on the sheet of paper Granny gave her. Granny left to tend to her garden.
It was early morning and the cottage basked in the golden, penetrating kiss of the sun.
Charlotte! Her voice was shrill and the child jumped to her feet. Come here immediately!
Used to being obedient, Charlotte rushed to the room of aunty Mable ... Grannie's words forgotten.
The woman stood at the window, looking out on the apple trees in the small garden.
Charlotte, how old are you?
I am five, aunty Mable ...
Do you know of Adam and Eve?
Yes, I do, aunty Mable, Granny told me.
The woman hastily continued: Do you know of the apple?
Charlotte looked up with bright eyes: You cannot say an apple, aunty Mable, none is sure which fruit it was.
It was an apple! The woman shouted.
She grabbed the little girl by the arm.
Did you ever eat an apple, Child?
Yes, yes, aunty Mable, Charlotte stuttered, Granny often picks an apple for me ...
Well, right now I need to eat an apple too. Go fetch me a sharp knife.
Charlotte ran to the kitchen, pulled open a drawer, but it got stuck. Aunty Mable stood right behind her. This knife will do! she hissed and once again grabbed Charlotte by the arm.
Charlotte started to cry.
Charlotte, did Granny tell you of the man who offered his child?
NO! He did not! Charlotte cried, the buck came ...!
Okay, if you are innocent, the buck will come...
Charlotte started to scream: Help, Granny, help!
Granny was there almost immediately. Mable, go to your room! she snapped.
Granny phoned uncle Tom, asking him to fetch Charlotte. Mable will kill her!
-----
When Charlotte turned 17, Granny died.
Aunty Mable axed her to death.
Author notes
This is a true story. I do not write fiction.
In a list
Comments
1 - 7 of 7
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i just wanted to thank you for being the only new poem in my contest, all the others are prewrites
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'Used to be obedient' should be 'used to being'
Well, an incredibly dark piece, laced with overtones of mother goose and the brothers grim.
I felt there could be a little more detail, maybe another snippet or slice of life in between the axe murder and the foretelling.
Overall as always a well written piece. -
What beautiful prose my dear said the wolf, slavering.
YOur story is short (if not sweet) and conveys its climax beautifully. The matter of fact delivery is where the true horror lies.
The skill of the writer allows us to deduct the whole tragic back story to this horrific tale with a few well placed and phrased sentences.
Oh the love of a mother.....
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Mable and the axe powerless to resist the nefarious impulse of the entity spawned by one obscure perversion opposing what destined itself to annihilate all opposition. Time cannot prevent the return of souls to the realm where opposition will be dealt with in ways that will make it regret that it ever existed. Thank you for creating and sharing, precious soul. i wish you the best of luck in the contest. Ack,
Chris
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Oh, my!
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Wonderfully-well-written!
This is a wonderfully-well written piece. I love the way that you told the story, but I hated to see that it actually happened. I know the bible story, but was Aunty Mable someone that you know or knew?
Great work!
Damon
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oh the joys of reading the Bible...
believe don't question
even if not each one carries an axe
the world is full of aunty Mable
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