Week 12 Story: Heartbreaking Lie

Leslie had brought her new boyfriend, James, to meet her family during their usual Sunday lunch at her parent’s house. In hopes of getting her brother and boyfriend to bond, she casually mentioned that they could work together on a project her mom needed done. Soon enough, both Matthew and James went outside to the backyard. Once they were out of earshot, Matthew spoke up.

“If you break my sister’s heart, I promise that I will hunt you down.” 

James was not really threatened by Matthew’s comment but he knew that this was a common theme when starting a relationship.

“I swear that I will never hurt her,” responded James.

Matthew stared at James, trying to see if there were any signs he should worry about. When he saw nothing, he let out a small breath and playfully slapped James’ shoulder.

“Okay man, now let’s get to work,” said Matthew. “The garden has been overrun by weeds at this point.”

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Months had passed from that fateful day, and the relationship looked to be going alright. Which is why Matthew was shocked to the core when the police arrived at his home and informed him of what had occurred. They had found Leslie dead in her apartment, with multiple stab wounds to the chest and surrounded in a pool of her own blood. The murder weapon was not at the scene, but the evidence pointed towards a penknife. 

Matthew didn’t know how to react, he had just lost his only sister. His mind went numb. He was then asked questions by the police  about his sister and any possible suspects.

It didn’t take long for James to become the prime suspect of the murder, especially after he had become impossible to get a hold of. It made him a suspicious character in the eyes of the law. Soon enough the search for James began.

True to his word, unlike others, Matthew joined on the hunt for James. He was going to fulfill his promise to his sister, he would avenge her heart even now when it’s all bled out and broken.

(Source: Flickr)

Author's Note: Honestly, when I decided to read the unit of Nursery Rhymes, I did not expect that I was going to write a story about murder. In the original story it starts with a man not going through with his words and comparing it to other things like a garden full of weeds, etc. The story ends talking about a penknife in the heart, bleeding out and dying. When I first read this I decided I wanted to keep the overlying theme of this story, I just decided to modernize and put the words into action. I decided to incorporate some of the aspects of the original, such as the garden full of weeds and the penknife in the heart. I added the character of the brother to provide an outsider's perspective while still maintaining an emotional connection with the main characters.

Bibliography:

"Proverbs" from The Nursery Rhyme Book edited by Andrew Lang and illustrated by L. Leslie Brooke (1897). Web Source.