Short Stories

The Forgiveness Bridge

The darkness was overwhelming. I felt it like a giant hand squeezing my body, but I kept moving. I had to get home before nine, when all of the murderers came out to search for a new victim. The murderers started showing up a month ago. They claimed to be "fixing" the town by killing people who've done terrible things.

And yet, their last murder was killing my fiancé.

His name was Eric and we knew everything about each other. We lived in the same apartment two blocks away from where we both worked. We were real estate agents and loved each other and our jobs a lot. I knew everything he did and vise versa because we were always together. Except that one night two days ago.

He had gone out to buy me an anniversary present for our second anniversary in a week. He was supposed to be back by 9:10, but never came back. I waited for thirty minutes before I went out to look for him.

It was the dumbest idea in my life.

I remember that night very clearly. It was dark-like tonight- but I didn't have the same constricting feeling. I searched the path to go to the store he went to, then to all the short cuts and long cuts to get to our apartment. He wasn't anywhere.

My next thought was that he was at our bridge. We called it the "forgiveness bridge" because we went there whenever we needed forgiveness from the other or to be comforted from the other.

I ran there right away. When I arrived, I didn't see him at all. But I heard muffled voices.

I looked around, trying to see where it was coming from when I heard a scream from underneath the bridge.

I knew that scream.

I sprinted to the road and throws climbing down the hill to get under the bridge. The fog forming kissed my cheeks while the overgrown grass stuck to my legs. It was like they were telling me not to go down there.

As I walked into the shallow, warm water and looked around. I saw three figures in the moonlight just far enough under the bridge to have cover from prying eyes.

One of the figures was lying on the ground, while the other two were standing over the first.

I jogged closer with dread rising in my blood. When I got close enough, I knew Eric was the man lying on the ground.

"Eric!" I shouted, running towards his lying form. I pushed the two men dressed in black away from him and placed his head on my lap.

He had been stabbed three times. Once in the left leg, once in the gut, and the last one just below his heart. He was covered in blood, and he struggled to breathe.

"Why would you do this? He was a good and innocent man! He's never done anything worthy of this!" I yelled at the two men who were staring at me blankly.

I heard Eric coughing and looked back at him. He was spitting up blood and staring me straight in the eye.

"Kara... please... forgive me." He said and started coughing again. I knew nothing I could do would save him, it was too late. I spent the last five minutes of his life hugging him close and crying. The men stood there the whole time, not speaking a word. When Eric stopped breathing, one of them decided to speak.

"Kara, your fiancé was not the innocent man you think him to be. He killed four women for their money after he married them. He was going to do the same with you."

I glared at the one who spoke. "You're a liar! He loved me! We had been dating for seven years before he proposed! He was never going to kill me!"

"He still killed four women he had married before you. How do you explain that?" The other man asked.

"I don't care! You think I didn't know about them before he proposed? I always do background checks on people I'm dating. Plus he told me about it and agreed to go on trial and to prison if he had to. What you do is no better!" I shouted.

"Go home and sleep Kara. You have a funeral to plan." The first man said indifferently.

I said nothing and went home that night. Now I was hoping to get home, but couldn't shake of this feeling of being constricted by the night.

As I rounded the next corner and saw my apartment, I immediately noticed something was wrong. My lights were on in the dining room and kitchen.

I ran the last of the distance home, fearing that the murderers were coming in my house to "talk".

At my door, I struggled at finding my house key and dropped them twice. When I finally opened my door I rushed into the kitchen.

I froze, and dropped all my stuff on the floor. This could not be happening. The figure was cooking on my stove, but when I dropped to my knees he turned around.

It was Eric, my fiancé.

He smiled and wiped his hands on a napkin.

"Kara! Welcome home!"

To Be Continued...

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A/N: Hey guys! Like I promised I posted this in a week! This prompt was 'Your character witnesses a death or a dead body'. I hoped all of you liked it! I plan on making a second part to this but with the other prompt next week. Please follow, comment, and vote! 'Til next time and Merry Christmas!!