Short Story Saturday

They all died.


The end.









No, just kidding!


Brad panted as he stared up at the sky, wondering what had happened. One minute he’d been asleep in the side car, and the next? Catapulting ass end over teakettle through the air, as if he was a trapeze act. Without the trapeze, of course. Lucky for him, he landed in a nice, cushy pile of hay that was left over from the overturning of a hay truck the week before. Gingerly, he got up, circled a few times to ensure he was alright, then went running off, in search of Janet. Passing Riff Raff, who was still unconscious, he stopped for a moment, raised his leg against the man, then kept running, tongue lolling out of his mouth.
Feeling something warm and wet hit the left side of his head, Riff Raff opened his eyes and turned his head in that direction, just in time to see Brad’s hind end disappearing from view.
“Stupid dog” he thought, irritated. Turning his head to and fro, he felt no pain anywhere. Experimentally, he tried his arms. Yep. Pain. All down his left arm. Looking at it, he discovered his leathers were totally chewed, and he had some serious road rash. And something else, as well. “That looks like a bone” he thought dizzily. Hearing sirens in the distance, he decided the best thing he could do for himself is to lay still, until help arrived.
Janet also heard the sirens, as she swam back towards awareness. Another noise was the insistent barking of a dog. “Is that Brad?” she thought, struggling to open her eyes. Once she got them open, she located the noise. It was indeed, Brad, barking at a stranger whom seemed to be holding her head with both his hands.
“Don’t move” he instructed her. “But if you can, call your dog and settle him down?”
“Stop it Brad” she croaked. The barking stopped, and a whine ensued. Brad got as close to the stranger as he dared, then sat on his haunches, waiting.
“I’m Ev” reported the voice above her. “You’ve been in a motorcycle crash, it appears, and you need to remain as still as possible”.
“I understand” she said. “Where is Riff Raff?”
“Who, or what is a Riff Raff?” asked Ev.
“Uh. He’s my boyfriend” she said quietly. “He was on the bike, too”.
Before Ev could answer, the ambulance arrived, and then a second. Paramedics were soon swarming the site, along with firemen, whom busied themselves picking up the pieces of the motorcycle, disappointed that there was no fire to put out. Many of the workers stopped and greeted Ev, however. Soon enough, Riff Raff was located, and both the riders were placed in their respective ambulances. Ev found himself alone, with the exception of Brad, whom he had promised Janet he would take care of.
“Looks like it’s just you and me, buddy” he said.
“Woof” was the only answer he got.....

*******************************************


Janet tossed and turned, cursing the hospital beds. She’d been held for almost a full week now, and in that time, everyone had come to see her. Everyone except Riff Raff, that was. Even her mother had managed to fly out, to see if she was unharmed.
Her injuries were healing nicely, according to Ev, who’d turned out to be a doctor at the shit hole of a hospital she was taken to. She’d sustained a broken arm, pelvis, and a lacerated liver, but none of those things had required a surgical repair. Riff Raff, on the other hand, had had surgery on his arm, his left foot, and, a surgical debridement to get rid of all the gravel that was stuck in the road rash down his left side. It seemed the leathers he bought were really faux leather. He’d been trying to please his PETA supporting mother. Janet had had no such qualms, and therefore, had fared better. She’d heard he was doing well, but wondered why he had not come to see her. She was not able to walk as of yet, because of her broken pelvis. Frowning, she stared at the television, which was playing one of the never ending soap operas. Groaning, she shook her head, and turned away, to contemplate the ceiling.
“Are you having pain?” asked a concerned voice from the doorway. Turning, she saw Ev standing there, a bouquet of Gerber Daisy’s in his hand.
“No, just bored” she said. “Are those for me?”
“Yes, they are” he answered, and placed them in fresh water, and next to all the other flowers he’d brought her that week. When he was done, he sat down gently next to her on the bed, and they talked about various and sundry things that people talk about.
Meanwhile, Riff Raff painstakingly made his way down the hallway. It was the first time that any of those nurses (whom he thought of as nazi’s) let him walk any distance, and he was going to see Janet, regardless of the pain. She was all the way down a long, long hallway, and, after half an hour of struggling with his walker, and the pain of the scratchy hospital gown rubbing over his dressing, and his road rash, he made it. Leaning against the door, he tried to catch his breath. Only to look up and see Janet, deep in conversation with Ev. Surrounded by flowers. Flowers he didn’t send to her. His mind just could not take it. Slowly, he turned around. And instead of going back to his room, he left the hospital. And they never found him.

********************************************************

Three weeks later, the murders started. And each time someone was murdered, a gerber daisy was left behind.......