Last Words

The ice drew lace on the window panes

We couldn’t see out for a week,

The air had frozen and blocked the drains

And my tears were ice on my cheek.

‘Come back to bed and forget her now

She’s been gone since the crescent Moon,

Her passing has freed you from your vow

Yet your grief’s pervading the room.’

 

‘I need to know what was in her mind

On the day that she passed away,

She left no message of any kind

Why she swallowed the draught that day.

But you were there when she combed her hair,

You were there for the last words said,

She must have told of her deep despair

Or she wouldn’t have ended dead.’

 

‘You knew my sister had many moods,

You knew, before you were wed,

She’d lie, consulting the ancient runes

While hiding deep in her bed.

Her superstitions were known, it seems

Her hold on the world was loose,

She drifted half in and out of dreams

But death was what she would choose.’

 

I shook my head and I walked away,

And ploughed through the drifted snow,

Crunched a trail through the empty streets

To the cemetery gates at Stowe,

The clouds were grey in the sky above

And the snow built up in the trees,

While headstones peered from their icy tombs

Like sinners, down on their knees.

 

I scraped the ice from the headstone face

That said ‘Elizabeth Jane,’

‘An Angel fallen to earth,’ it said

‘While her heart was wracked with pain.’

A shadow fell on the marble face

As I turned, but no-one was there,

Then words appeared like an act of grace,

‘My sister killed me - Beware!’

 

The horror showed on my face, I rose

To follow the tracks I’d made,

But somebody else had left their prints

Leading away from the grave,

The tracks were made at a frantic pace

And they forged on way ahead,

Leading me through the cemetery gates

But Elizabeth Jane was dead!

 

A storm blew up on the way back home

And had turned the house to ice,

I forced my way up the frozen stairs

To confront Margot Desize.

But she lay frozen with eyes a-stare

And a glance said she was dead,

The horror fixed in her final glare

As a shadow stood by the bed!

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Tate Morgan]

Oh how macabre lol so intence is the stare of death and guilt.

[Harmony Babin]

This was just breath taking. Actually brought a little tear to my eye. I am speechless, you truly put this one together fantastically!

[Baby Ricochet]

Man what a b***h. Great story Mr Paget

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

This reminded me of the movie entitled, "Hush ... Hush, Sweet Charlotte," starring Bette Davis. There are no similarities whatsoever other than the two sisters. If you haven't seen the movie, you really should. It's right up your alley.

[TPK Stories]

Another outstanding tale David! As always!

[Bob Sherunkle]

Mr Paget,that was outstanding.The tension that builds is fantastic.

[Marie]

I had to read it twice before I fully understood this tale of murder and revenge.

[David Scott]

It was a treat to read this well crafted story. You give the reader a clue about the powers this story could be holding in secret. Then, justice was served stone cold!
The brevity was refreshing and the story still felt complete.