“I wasn’t sure you’d come.”
“You kidding? My curiosity is killing me.”
“I just thought that after what he did. To you, I mean.”
“And a whole lot of other women. Yeah, well. I’m over it. Getting over it, anyway. Maybe this will help.”
“The detective told me that nobody’s been in here since he was executed.”
“Who’s been paying the rent?”
“I guess he set it up to get paid automatically. A bank sends a check every month.”
“So he was expecting to be caught.”
“I guess guys like him get more brazen as they go.”
“Guys like him.”
Note: I often abstain when the prompt photograph comes from this particular contributor since his prose poems often feature brutal violence against women and sometimes children (always from the point of view of the perpetrator), but every so often I can’t resist poking the bear.
I liked the repeat in the last line. It says so much
Thanks!
Dear Josh,
You’ve done a great job of poking the bear. ;) Sounds like that guy got caught in his own trap. Good. I love it when Karma comes back to bite.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Very realistic narrative. And a positive note from one his victims. A survivor, for sure. Nicely done, Josh.
Just be careful how hard you poke that bear, he’s known to hold a grudge!
I’m sure.
Great story! I also like the repetition of the title line.
There is a certain trajectory. You’ve done the sordid end of one very well.
It’s disturbing to think how cherished this place was, a place we can infer was host to some horrific events, by your villain that he’s still paying the rent after he died.
Great dialogue. The story unfolded brilliantly. Chilling
My only suggestion is to put each time a person speaks on a new line for easy reading (it might just be my device though).
Never mind – looks fine on my laptop
All “good” things must come to an end eventually… I like that his latest (or one of, anyway) victim gets to know it’s over.
This is dark. The repetition of the last line is a good underscore. Btw, who is the victim talking to?
Sister, maybe? Friend?
Dark and interesting. Great dialogue cpatures the atmosphere brilliantly
What an interesting story! Lots of different paths you could have taken, but I think you chose the best one :)
He might have been expecting to get caught, but not the execution – that was a sruprise.