Short Stories.

In the town of H—, wherein dreary days were quick to subdue the sun forthwith upon its rising, it was good ease to the townsfolk when they saw the sun finally emerge victorious. There could be little wrong with such a day, for it was, from its very conception, of fine make and fashion – therein sang birds, and the wind blew, the townsfolk chattered. Its charm did not cease, even in the good cottage, wherein dwelt a woman of somewhat advanced age, whom all knew as Mrs Wright. Her morning was customary, and she brewed herself a good cup of tea, and then she was of the intention to have some stew she perceived in a pot. She was, indeed, in good spirits; however, it was soon wrought into the opposite, when she heard the slightest sound coming from her hind. Her turn was quick, that she immediately place its origin.

‘Where is the cursed thing?’ cried she, glancing around in terror. ‘Oh, grief, I do believe it is a rat! God save us, if I should only find it!’

Indeed, within some short time, the beast revealed itself, and she found herself shrieking louder yet. It was immensely large and its grey fur could hardly be visible amongst the vile grease and dirt which encased it. This time, she possessed herself of a large box, and, with swift movements, entrapped it. Then she only stared at the box, perceiving the barely audible sounds of the rat therein, when this practice was halted by a knock on the door. Indeed, she was terribly jolted by its sound, which pierced so terribly the calm peace lain upon the air theretofore, as she had accomplished the terrifying task of entrapping the beast that had assaulted her. She set down her pot of steaming tea – for she had indeed only prepared it, and had not the time yet to taste it – and she made her way hastily towards the door and unfastened the lock. On the other side stood another woman with a kind countenance; and she appeared of the intention to greet, indeed with quite excessive warmth; however, Mrs Wright was the first to speak and engage with usual pleasantries:

‘Good morning.’

‘Oh, well, how are you, dear?’ spoke the woman, with no diminishing of warmth. ‘How the weeks can be so torturous, when one does not see your face! You should have certainly called on me, but this is of no matter.’

The woman made her way in, and the horrified Mrs Wright took some time to compose her nerves ere she spoke again:

‘Are you come hither visiting someone?’

‘Yes, to visit you, my dear. How sweet your countenance is! – ’tis indeed the best medicine for any ailing.’

‘You must be mistaken – I beg you hear me, that – ’

‘Poppycock! It is you, who are mistaken. Why, I should be rather offended that you should not recognise me! Had my letter not reached you? Months has it been, my dear, months! Even Eliza has not seen you in many weeks!’ – and thereafter, the woman smiled with greatest vivacity.

Mrs Wright arrested her form as she heard the name of her sister – for such affairs would not be common knowledge to those who knew her not. She saw that the woman had borne a visage boding untold motivations, and to disallow the woman any belief that she bear her ill, she spoke with heightened courage and liveliness.

‘Yes, certainly, should I prepare some tea? I will make some for myself and it will be of no trouble.’

‘Nonsense! It has been weeks, dear Mary! Why, I have never seen you, even in the town!’

Mrs Wright was shaken by these very words, but she was most cautious in concealing this fear. She then spoke aloud.

‘But, I shall make some for myself, it would be no trouble for me to make a cup for you.’

‘Very well, if you must be so insistent. But be not long, I have truly been most anxious to meet you,’ – and the kind woman smiled thereafter.

Mrs Wright hurried to the kitchen and began preparing two cups of tea. The business was not long, nor did it employ significant efforts; however, she seemed to be in distinct lack of a teapot – and, not willing to seek it about the kitchen, brewed the tea in two cups. When it was done, she saw a pot, and was reminded of the stew she had prepared the day before. Indeed, she then, quite hurried and flustered, made two bowls of the thick red stew. She brought the first cup and bowl of stew hastily to the woman and the second for herself. When she set it aside, she enquired most timidly on the woman’s business at her cottage.

‘Why, to see you again, of course! Come, now what was become of that Mr Bell? Did you not see him anymore thereafter? Make haste and tell, my dear; come, make haste! It has been most tormenting to have such things brooding over my mind – and I am quite certain that it has changed my very disposition. Tell me, did he come to see you?’

‘Mr Bell?’

‘Why, certainly, Mr Bell! Of whom else should I speak? How very uncouth he was upon our last meeting, to be sure! It is of no wonder, that you have not left your place quite so often. Oh, with such longing do I recall the years of past! – with such yearning do I look at the days of yore! You should surely not think yourself guilty, should you? I should think it entirely his fault! Come now, make haste and tell, has he called on you? – had he offered any apology?’

Now, Mrs Wright had not the slightest idea whereof the woman spoke; however, she called upon all her memories with the greatest of strength to recall it. She shuddered, however, at the ills of the smallest hint of her failure to such a recollection, and spoke thus:

‘He has not called on me.’

‘Well, there is not much more to be expected from him! I shan’t wish to waste any more time on his businesses – I see it entirely futile. He is a perfectly horrid man, indeed! – and for him to speak such vile untruths, that too only after he had tried to cheat you! Evil, I say, evil he is. I say, what is then your business now-a-days? Do you speak to many? do you keep your acquaintances? has anyone visited you? I say, for this is an exceedingly quiet place. How then, have you had visiters?’

It was precisely this line of questioning which wrought Mrs Wright into further uneasiness, for this much was certain: the woman was of some motive – but she had yet to decipher it. It was ill to take upon oneself assumptions of evil; however, she was not quick to discard it.

‘Why, she hadn’t thought herself well to visit earlier,’ thought Mrs Wright. ‘Yes – yes, it is certain that something evil weighs upon her mind! She must wish me ill! Perhaps I had wronged her – but how would it be so? I cannot recall the wretched woman! Oh, dear God, what is it she wishes upon me? Perhaps, to confound me upon this very day! Yes – yes, I am quite right, and that she wishes to see if I be even slightly missed thereafter!’

Whether from fear or from inclination, she felt her trembling grow immensely, and she tensed her body to conceal it. Her mind was alive and invigoured by the thoughts her predicted consequences of each response, and she felt herself drown in its whirl. Indeed, after some time, she merely spoke, when she saw it too lengthy a silence:

‘No, I have not seen any visiters of late.’

The woman did not cease her smile. ‘Why, are you certain?’ – and she paused for a brief moment, – ‘well, then this is most improper! You should be amongst the loneliest women I have met yet! This will not do, my sweet Mary – nay, this shall not do at all! What an unhappy business it is. However, it is perhaps so, that for some, this might be even viewed positively.’

‘There!’ thought Mrs Wright, ‘I see her true face! Oh, grief! How terrible that my thoughts should have truth to them! It is indeed my very life which is in danger! Dear Lord – oh great Lord! Oh my grief, what am I to do! God come and save us all, how my heart beats!’

‘Positively?’ asked Mrs Wright.

‘Aye, how strange it is! Some might even hold solidarity to a greater height than they might good converse – and I spy this to be you, Mary. Thus, I certainly pray you forgive me dearly – forgive me for my intrusion and for all that I do. You might think me perfectly horrid, but you see, no other should admit me, as you have. Thus, I bede most earnestly my apologies – most earnestly, indeed,’ – and thereafter she arose suddenly, which jolted Mrs Wright so much, that her breathing could easily be perceived. – ‘Upon my soul, I am quite certain I hear a rat, Mary. You do not have such loathsome creatures traversing your grounds, do you, Mary? I hate them so vehemently. Make haste, dear Mary, he could be eating the bread or fish!’

Mrs Wright arose with precipitation. ‘Rats? Which do you mean?’

‘You must hear a rat. I am quite certain of its ghastly squeaking’s emanating from the kitchen. My dear, if he were to come attack me, we should be at great risk of hating each other. Haste, Mary, make haste!’

Mrs Wright set down her teacup, arose unsteadily, and, with the highest caution, approached the kitchen. Her body was stung with heat and burned with fear, and allowed not a moment, where her back would be upon the woman for too long a duration. The woman behind her possessed herself of her cane in a very timid manner, which instilled indescribable dread within Mrs Wright, who moved hastier yet. When she reached the kitchen, she perceived a curious box, whence the sound of a rat came. With trembling hands, she reached out to the box, and merely by touching it, allowed enough a gap for the rat to escape. The animal moved with precipitation across the ground, and loud screams were heard – and neither knew nor devoted time to ascertain whether of them was responsible for its production. The rat’s sole error was its assault on the woman, who was now visibly filled with the highest fear. When the rat had reached her, she struck her hand, quite by reflex, and smote the rat with enough force as to cast it towards a wall in the kitchen, whither it flew. It fell upon the ground after hitting the wall and the woman was quick to assault it in its incapacitated state, striking it with a her cane, till it appeared quite lifeless.

Indeed, thereafter arose a silence, pervasive through the cottage, and the woman was in dire assay of resuming her normal business of breathing. Mrs Wright stared at the woman and was confounded for several minutes. As she gazed at the lifeless rat, and how still it now appeared, she felt something uneasy grow within her.

‘How she killed it,’ thought Mrs Wright, ‘she killed it without even so much as a second thought! – without consideration. Oh heavens above, it is now, that I see her true nature! – her true intentions! – her murderous intentions! It is she, and she cannot conceal it. Why, I did believe I saw something within her smile – aye, it was this smile. She had revealed it without knowing! She killed the wretched beast, for she viewed it ill upon her. What is it that I had done? – tell me, oh dear Lord!’

The woman was not yet relieved of her heavy breathing or weighty countenance, and Mrs Wright then saw pain of old within her eyes. It must have been so, that she was not breathing from any anxiety, but from a thrill of such an action. Her heart must have been extolled in jubilation, and her inclination must have been unto laughter; however, it may have been so, that she disallowed herself such business, for Mrs Wright would then see her true desires, as clear as the day upon them. Indeed, there could be no other explanation for her sudden visit, nor for such sudden tendencies. Mrs Wright’s assaying to recollect was superlative, for she knew not how she had wronged the woman – and that perhaps there be a remedy for the circumstances; however, with this, she found none. Her fear commanded her body, and she felt faint in the mind, yet restless in body – but nothing could relieve her. How the woman now glared at her! Indeed, she must be reading Mrs Wright’s actions – seeking a means to achieve her hellish desires. Mrs Wright was certain she saw a smile grow upon the woman’s visage. Her vision grew dim and her body became feverish. The woman spoke only:

‘I am terribly sorry, dear Mary. I oughtn’t have,’ – and she reached for the table.

Mrs Wright was superlatively filled with angst, and when she saw the woman’s arms reach, she knew it to be for some weapon or instrument of evil. Thus, filled with unnatural phrenzy and strength, Mrs Wright grasped the first object near her – a teapot filled with cold tea – and cast it upon the woman’s head. The sound of the teapot’s breaking was extremely deafening, and the blow was so severe, that the woman staggered for some moments. The woman produced a guttural wail of anguish some moments, but Mrs Wright, hearing this and being jolted suddenly, brought a thick and sharp shard of the teapot down upon her head again, now with sudden and unnatural strength. The woman swayed back for some moments, and when she was backed against a wall, Mrs Wright charged towards her and produced a final blow on her forehead. The woman forthwith fell upon the ground not unlike a stiff sack, with a soft thud. Her head was certainly gashed open and Mrs Wright’s not being of excessive height resulted in the thick shard’s having been thrust just above the woman’s left eye. Upon the last strike, Mrs Wright had not the strength to remove the shard, and it had begun to rend into her eye socket. Thence trickled a dark red liquid, which soon reached Mrs Wright’s feet. Startled by this, she jerked and lifted them from the sticky puddle. She looked upon the face again, seeing the skin to now be leathery and exceedingly white, as if it were never alive. The eyes of the woman on the ground were strangely wide open, but stared at Mrs Wright with only the right, for the other was cast in a different direction, almost brought forth from the socket. It was completely coated in glistening red ooze and the skin around it was contorted and stretched. There were a few sudden gasps from the woman before she fell completely still. Mrs Wright’s mind was silent, and no words came to her, although she was breathing with unnatural speed. Her arms and body were shaking violently and her surroundings seemed to begin spinning around her. For a moment, she approached the woman again, staggering and unsteady, wondering if she truly be dead. She extended her hand to the woman to retrieve the shard; however, became suddenly immensely afeared and backed herself, supported onto a table. There was nothing yet to come to her mind as she stared at the woman upon the ground, who lay there extremely still, as if she were never moving before. Her face was quite mangled and completely unrecognisable, although Mrs Wright had seen it a mere minute ago. Indeed, with this, the silence was all too sudden fallen unto the air for her to form even one quick thought.

After around ten minutes, she slowly betook herself to the drawing-room and resumed her seat. Indeed, she caught sight of a dark red stain on her garments and became flustered.

‘Oh grief! Where could I be bleeding? How I must’ve struck myself – how careless I am!’ – and she caught sight of the bowl before her. – ‘Ah! foolish I am, how I must’ve dropped some of the stew whilst eating, confound it! Careless, I say!’

After calming herself, in the silence of the cottage, she could then again hear the birdsong and the wind in the trees. With these sounds, she saw two teacups on the table before her, and quickly possessed herself of one of them, beginning to drink thereof, wondering how strange it be, that she had accidentally prepared two cups for herself.