Truth - Out
A Story Every Day in 2024 Oct 19th 293/366
Luke searches Matt's face.
"He pushed her," Luke states, blankly.
Matt can't hold Luke's steady gaze. He just nods, his mind presenting him with a flashed moment of Mark's angry face as he lunged at Laney, and as if in slow motion, Laney's surprise as she tipped off balance, not prepared for the force of Mark's contact, and her subsequent fall.
Matt closes his eyes then to blank out the vision of Laney's helpless form careening down the slope, the repetition of which will insinuate itself once more into his brain, if he lets it, eager to tap out its malevolent repetitive reminders on his consciousness perpetually unless he brings the shutter down on it now, like he's learnt to do. Don't let it in and then it can't harm you. He has become adept at shutting it out. Keep out! He's not going to stop now.
Matt opens his eyes, the present having defeated the threatening past, for now.
The two of them sit, saying nothing, the truth surrounding them like an invisible, heavy mist.
The barman looks over and, for a moment, is curious about the two men who keep meeting in his pub and look so serious when they do. He is drawn by their stillness but his scrutiny is interrupted by a punter and his focus shifts.
Luke eventually says," So that's that, then."
Matt nods again. "Yep."
And then Luke mentions what Matt had almost forgotten with the weight of the truth being lifted from him, in the lightness of a burden shared.
"But that still leaves the photos and who's sending them and why."
And Matt realises the weight had not been lifted but had just been shifting its position.
*
Bethan
It's been days now since I met Katie. I haven't slept. Every time I think I'm reaching peace, what I've learnt prods me, disturbs me.
I made a list of what I know:
Dave found?/has Laney's camera.
Katie has sent photos to others unknown.
Katie thinks it's Dave's camera.
Katie is scared of Dave finding out.
I can't...leave this. It's eating me alive and there wasn't a lot left before it started.
I think...I need to confront Dave.
***
366 words
The truth is out but there are still secrets? How will it all be resolved?
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Mark
It was made up of peaks and troughs, his life. But mainly troughs. Like the ones used to feed pigs: messy; giving off a stink. He wondered what it would have been like if he'd been born to someone else, but then, he supposed then he wouldn't be him. Mark wasn't a deep thinker but he recognised thinking about what could have been didn't do any good.
By Rachel Deemingabout a year ago in Fiction
Comments (14)
I love the little side part about the barman's curiosity. Does it have any bearing on the future? Not sure, but it made the moment a little more real, eased the tension so the story could move forward, and a great way to remind the reader the setting of Matt and Luke's conversation.
Now it's getting even juicier, as the Lana/Mark/Matt and Luke part is just one layer to all this! Onwards I go!
Yes! Thank you! Let's confront Dave!
I wonder what Dave knows of all of this… he almost seems innocent… almost!!
Ooof! This is quite the tangle, looking forward to see how things unravel!
Bethan need the beat the shit outta Dave for the truth!
I think it's time for a sit down with all parties. The person involved is dead so what's the harm? Guilt of course.
I love the way Laney's death is still impacting so many lives. You are doing an absolutely brilliant job of keeping the reader interested. If this was a book, I would buy it for all my mates.
Very well written mystery!
Damn. Now photos!
How one rash decision can inflict so much pain! Well-wrought, Rachel. Glad I went through and kept up with these. Glad to be sad? Sometimes, I suppose we should be, for the perspective that might help us refrain from such rash decisions when the moment arises, though I like to think all my rash decisions behind me.
Yes, she needs to do that.
Yes, Dave needs to be confronted. I can’t wait to see what his reaction would be.
Or can it be resolved? Will those who know continue to circle the truth warily and without resolution, still trapped in the past of an unfortunate choice?