Grave

A Story by summerson-g

Set loosely around 1890's on the Yorkshire moors. I wouldn't call this a story it's more a short dramatic piece. I don't intend to write more. Please let me know what you think.

It was a horrible sight- no; it was petrifying- or was it beautiful? Because despite my best efforts… I could not look away. The body was wearing a face of shock and the eyes which no doubt once expressed fear now blankly stare into the distance. Her insides ripped from their fleshy case steamed on the frozen grass. I had to do something, I couldn’t leave her there. People would soon find her, out on the moors like this. Then they would know. Know what he had done. Stifling my nausea I turned her over so I couldn’t see her face. My cousin. She hadn’t been here too long I can just say she never reached the Manor, after a while the family would soon believe she’d been taken by bandits or something. It is awfully wild out here.

Everything would be fine. It would. Then Jasper and I can live happily once more. Perhaps, happily ever after. That would be nice, just me and him. Well, after he’s seen the trouble I’ve gone to he will stop. He didn’t last time but he will this time. I know he will. And he’ll stop because he loves me. As I do him. He can’t help it, truly he can’t he says that he just gets these impulses you see. Jasper’s only human. I can get terribly angry too you know. I broke a tea pot earlier today; I’d slammed it so hard into the sink it splintered like icicles falling from the gutter to the cobbles. I apologised to Jasper of course, but all he did was give me a queer smile and then press his cold hard lips against mine. He can be funny like that you see.
Maybe it was adrenaline but the body wasn’t as heavy as I thought it would be. I dragged my dear deceased cousin down the hill to the boggier parts of the moors. The ground was much softer here and easier for me to dig a little then let her sink into the mud. My heart was like thumping ever so noisily with each dig I made. My hands where quite red and my white knuckles bulged. Then with a heave I rolled my cousin into the shallow pit. I felt alive, blood rushing through my veins and my breath hot and heavy. Her limp body landed with a thump and then that was it. The end of her story. A rather disappointing end considering he had hopes of marrying a young gentleman next spring. I did her a kindness though; I picked a daisy and left it by her grave. We were cousins after all. Then I went back to where I had found her and cleared the evidence. There was such a terrible amount of blood that I tore my dress to try and soak it all up.
It was dark as I made it back to the Manor, or ‘our place’ as Jasper likes to call it. I was mightily exhausted as I pushed open the heavy oak front doors. So much so that fell on the floor right in the doorway. That’s when I heard him coming down stairs. I stood up quickly to collect myself, but it was no use;I was a great mess. I didn’t want to him see me like that,I wanted to be nice and tidy as it wasn’t very lady like of me to be falling about. But he just laughed at that because he doesn’t care; you see he loves me no matter what. Jasper then made me a bath. The water was steaming hot and reminded me somewhat of the tears I could shed as a girl. It was perfect. Scrubbing at the dirt and dried blood with a little brush till my skin was bright pink. He wanted to be gentle but I wouldn’t have any mess left on me and I refused to get out of the tub until I was certainly clean. Then as he washed my back he put his chin to my shoulder causing me shiver.
“Do you think you could ever forgive me, sweet Ellie, for my little incident today?” he asked softly in my ear a hand placed on my bare back, I left the pressure under his fingers increase slightly, “You know I can’t help myself.”
I didn’t reply straight away, instead I watched spirals of steam rise from my hand as I drew it out of the water. The wet warm air swirled then faded into the rest of the room so I could no longer see it.
“You need not ask my forgiveness.”