This story has just been accepted for a horror anthology.

You get to read it first !

Witness
 By Neville Raper


She blustered into the kitchen, a china shop bull, even at this time in the morning she was beautiful. She was a Tasmanian devil of shining hair and perfume spinning on a cartoon axis. What always hit me first was her smell, not just the perfume she wore, but her skin and hair, breath and perspiration. I drown in it ever time she’s near and I love her for that. Of course I would not dare tell her and considering what was about to happen, in the next 20 minutes, I would never get the chance.

She didn't see me. Whether this was intentional or not, I did not know. I was, in this relationship, used to being ignored. This morning I didn't mind because I was busy enjoying my leisurely breakfast. 
Laid out before me were sticky sweet cereals, breads and fresh butter, although there was always a choice, I must admit I do tend to gravitate to the sweeter end of the morning’s selections. Who doesn't love jam?

She seemed lost in her own thoughts and leant over the kettle grumbling, 36 but she did look much younger. Slender and tall, she dwarfed me. She prepared coffee, one cup, I can never manage one myself, just the odd sip. She stared at her mobile and I noticed that she was chewing her lip nervously. The kettle’s steamy siren broke her concentration, I couldn't help but noticed she jumped slightly, and trembled as she reached for her cup. She poured in the hot liquid, stirred it violently and raised it to her lips, there, again, I could detect a slight quiver. She was nervous. I knew better than try to bother her when she was like this so I carried on with my repast. A loud knock made us both jump, I thought I could see the door shake with the stress of it.

She walked to the kitchen door and opened it slightly. The man forced the door open and using his shoulder barged his way in. Shocked, I was frozen where I was. The man was large, his teeth were bared like a rabid dog, he screamed a stream of obscenities, machine gun menace in staccato spittle.

She echoed his anger, shouting furiously about his uninvited intrusion, he didn't seem to listen, ignoring her and walked over to her handbag on the kitchen table. She tried to stop him but he pushed her roughly to one side. At this point I'd seen enough, I shouted for him to stop and get

out. He was so wrapped up in his storm he carried on not seeming to hear me at all. He pulled out her phone and waved it in her face. Now ranting about messages to his wife. Then it started to become a bit clearer. They'd been having an affair, he'd finished it and she had decided to start
messaging his wife.

He whirled and launched the phone against the wall, it shattered above me into a hundred pieces, communication exploded all around me. Luckily no shrapnel connected with me, but, like the coward I am I stayed rooted to my position. The shattering sound spurred her into action she spun round and grabbed a large sharp knife from the block next to the kettle, she waved it in the man’s face like a talisman warding off an evil spirit. A horrible rictus grin stretched across his face, he took the knife from her in one swift fluid movement that, to most, would have been impressive, I knew I could move that fast I just wished at this moment I had the courage. 

She screamed at him, he maintained that terrible humorless grin. Her shouts came to an abrupt stop as he plunged the knife into her throat. I saw all this in terrible slow motion, the serrations like sharks teeth gobbling into her flesh, the gout of metallic hemoglobin fountaining and striking the wall. 

She did more than fall, she seemed to crumple as if the blood kept her turgid, like a deflated

balloon she sunk to the floor. I could tell she was dead before she embraced the cold tiles. The man showing no emotion or reaction to his deed turned and swiftly left the house. He left as he had entered, slamming the door behind him.

I flew over to her side, blood pooled and congealed around her. Its strong sweet smell mixed with her perfume. I let it wash over me a tidal wave of olfactory sea. God help me I found myself tasting it. I sobbed as I drank.

It was probably the shock but I lost all concept of time, I slept, dreamless sleep. I was awoken abruptly as the kitchen door was kicked in. Thinking that the killer had returned I retreated back to my refuge of the kitchen table.

Three men walked in, two in uniform, one in a suit. The suited man barked orders “Get SOCO here Wilson”! The subordinate spoke into his crackling radio. In the gloom they didn't see me. The man in the suit fell to one knee, “stabbed to death, no sign of forced entry, she knew her killer”. He looked over to where I was and noticed the smashed phone. “Should be a SIM card in that, have it checked for messages” he motioned to the other uniformed man. 

At this point I could be silent no more, “I saw it all” I shouted. No response, they didn't even acknowledge me. I'd had enough, I finally plucked up the courage I'd been lacking and decided to approach them. The man in the suit raised his hand and attempted to strike me, confused I fell back towards the window, “oh and Wilson, open that window all we need is that thing laying eggs and maggots all over the place, it'll be contaminating the corpse”

The outside air ruffled my wings. I heard them start to buzz, as I launched myself at it, and flew away.

                                                                               End


Neville Raper
2016