Premeditated Suspense



  Premeditated Suspense

  By

  Dan Schwartz

  Premeditated Suspense

  Copyright © 2012 Dan Schwartz

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover art by Dan Schwartz

  Other Titles Available by Dan Schwartz

  No Cure for Nature

  Superhero’s Welcome

  Adventure, Sorrow, and Humor

  The Living Puppets

  Terminal Vampire

  Haikus and Cartoos

  The Gopher Chronicles

  For more information on Dan Schwartz visit https://www.banocanut.com

  Premeditated Suspense by Dan Schwartz

  Darkness becomes the night and the night is when everything can be concealed. As I kill my engine my headlights fade to black and my nights spectacular events are truly put into motion. I made sure to park two houses down to avoid giving away too many hints such as sounds or lights when I arrived in order to conserve the surprise, because why would life be worth living at all if not for the surprises? Noiselessly I open my car door and reach across to the passenger seat to remove its well premeditated contents.

  I look down at the item in my right hand and I place the index finger of my left hand to it so that I can prick my skin to its point; sharp, stunning, perfect, and beautiful. If only an inanimate object could know its intentions and the joy it would bring to at least one person, I snicker to myself. If she only knew what was in store for her, a surprise indeed. Oh she thought I forgot or didn’t know, but no, I never forget and I know more than I let on. Well placed ignorance strung together can mimic the genius of the great works of DaVinci if executed correctly.

  Now standing under the non-existent glow of the broken street lamp overhead I reach into the car and pull out one final item, my bag of goodies; all part of the plan. I ease the door shut and silently as a prowling panther ready for a meal I make my way up the driveway. I know that there is a motion sensor light off to the right of the garage, and I also happen to know that if I walk just two feet in on the grass that it will not get activated. Illuminating my way and announcing my presence would ruin everything, and I have worked too hard on this night to have it all ruined by an obtrusive and obnoxious glare.

  The slick grass collapses underneath my feet as I am reminded that it had rained earlier thus wetting the grass; how I love the rain, it washes everything away. I stop as there is a rustle alongside me in the bush by the bay window. I strain my eyes to peer through the black when two small gray fur balls emerge to scurry and bound about. Squirrels, I reassure myself as I take a deep breath to return my heart to a normal state rather than the thumping I was currently at. What did I think it was anyway? Something that went bump in the night? No, no such supernatural thought could jar me, what really got me going was the thought that something would interfere. Actually, I dreaded as I watched the squirrels roll dangerously close to the driveway; they could be big enough to set off the light sensor. Why are they even out, I gritted my teeth in frustration, they are not nocturnal. They are just having some fun I closed my eyes and took another cleansing and calming breath. Technology nowadays has worked out the kinks of wildlife setting off detectors; nothing to fear.

  I continue on my way, stopping every other step in order to make sure I do not alarm the two young playful critters. I wanted what I wanted and I was getting angry at them for just doing what they wanted, which was get in a round of tag in the midnight mist. They just wanted to let off some steam from the rise and grind life of scrounging for food and trying not to get run over. It was unfair for me to judge them so harshly; they look to be making the most out of life.

  At the front door I cautiously test the doorknob and as expected it turns with no interference. Even in today’s chaotic and violent world, people find complacently when they feel they live in a safe neighborhood; if they only knew what shadows lurked out there. Stepping into the abode and taking full advantage of the silencing welcome mat I shut the door without a creak. I slink forward into the hallway and listen with the intensity of a hunting owl for the scurrying of mice feet, or in this case the faint murmur of a television; the living room it is.

  I am not even a thought as I stand in the darkness. No one knows I am here, no one cares that I am here, but yet I am here. I figuratively wipe the smirk off of my face to stay focused but by doing so I allow myself a lapse and my mind takes a slight detour. Those squirrels were just so damn contented. Perhaps it was because there was the two of them? Were they siblings? Were they lovers? Does it matter? Is just having a partner all you need in the world? Can being part of a pair really be the secret to happiness? Want the meaning of life; look no farther than your counterpart. No, it can’t be, there has to be more to it than that, right? Why do I concern myself with such silly thoughts when there are serious matters at hand, and in my hand?

  I step and I pause, then I step and I pause again; I am not about to let everything fall to spoils on behalf of haste. Patience is a virtue, and a friend, and an accomplice. After what felt like an eternity of bliss I arrive at the entranceway to the living room and the soft glow shines upon my face and form as I spy upon the back of a couch occupied with what I saw to be a well maintained head of golden locks.

  She watches the screen intently as she is not expecting any visitors tonight, why would she, after all, her mind was already made up. I can not be certain as I am not an expert on the matter, but it almost looks as if she is watching a crime drama where they solve some murder in record time. I myself never found those shows that entertaining, usually centered on a home invasion or abduction and then a race against the clock to apprehend the darkly painted villain, but I must admit that using the shows as research can do wonders. Suiting, I nod to myself proudly as I was just able to let myself in with an expert level of concealment.

  I ease across the nice and plush noise absorbing carpet and into the room and within seconds I am inches away from her while she is still oblivious to my presence. I slowly creep my right hand and its item over the back of the couch and hover it right over her shoulder. Still I am a ghost in the darkness, or rather dimly glowing room, but the analogy still stands as I am practically invisible. Astonishing how no sensor is erupting alerting her that she is not alone anymore.

  I slowly release the breath I had been holding and in the dead of the room it sounded like a wind tunnel as I draw the object down and across her cheek. She jumps with a startle and turns with a gasp. “You,” she screams and I must admit that she is clever; I am and have always been me.

  “Yes,” I sneer with a seductive and delicious grin, everything according to plan.

  “But, you were,” she stammers over her words as she stands and stumbles backwards, almost loosing herself on her magazine littered coffee table.

  “All part of the plan,” I chuckle maniacally as I take one step closer, the glint in my eye feeling bright enough to illuminate the entire neighborhood from this one solitude room.

  “But you forgot,” she accuses, her eyebrows still arched and her mouth still gapping.

  “Did I?” I tease slowly letting my words teeter off of my tongue as I lift what once caressed her cheek and brandish it at her. As it waves back and forth taunting, I can see the understanding wash over her l
ike a sand castle with poor real estate getting caressed by a wave.

  “For me?” Her eyes go wide and if I am not mistaken there is a slight giddiness to her and I would even go as far as to say a jump of glee, but these things can never be confirmed as they happen in the blink of an eye and it is still too dark to be admissible in the court of law.

  “All for you,” my lips curl up as I reach out to her. “And that’s not all.”

  “You,” she starts, but I interrupt, the charade had gone on long enough and I think she is already piecing it together; all part of the plan.

  “Happy anniversary honey,” I lean in and hand her the rose I had been carrying; it is a magnificent floral specimen with lavish red petals, a vibrant green stem that arches ever so slightly, and the stem is brilliantly branded with thorns protruding every which way that it could have easily been mistaken for an art piece. “I also picked up some dinner, eggplant parmesan your favorite. I didn’t get anything to drink, but if I remember correctly we still have that Cabernet from your boss.”

  She looks down at the bag that I was lifting in front of me and her eyes well with tears the instant she recognizes that the logo on the bag was one in the same to the logo of the restaurant where we shared our first date three years ago to the day. “I thought you really forgot this time.”

  “I could never forget. Today will always be special and I wanted to surprise you,” I whisper into her ear as I embrace her after placing the bag on top of the magazines.

  “You did just that,” she blurts out with a crack as she dug her face lovingly into my shoulder.

  “Oh, that wasn’t the surprise,” I gleam as my voice drops an octave.

  “Huh?” She looks up in confusion, but at this point it is too late.

  From its resting place snuggly in my belt behind my back I produce the serrated knife I bought just for this magical occasion and I casually sink it in beneath her rib cage. I can hear a hiss and a gargle and I am not certain if it is coming from her mouth or her newly punctured lung, but I guess it does not really matter. Her eyes race up at me in horror and I just smile warmly down at her; if only we could have been as happy as the squirrels, but this was on her.

  “I did not appreciate finding out that you slept with my cousin behind my back,” I said as I lower her to the dampening carpet, but I kick myself for my word choice as I would not have appreciated her sleeping with my cousin in front of me either, but the words I chose really are irrelevant as they are never going to be repeated or remembered by anyone other than me and I can surely let it slide. I then stand and look down at her and the life that is leaking away. “You hurt me, and hurt people do crazy things. We could have been such happy squirrels.”

  All she can do is blink up at me, and all I can do is smile and not feel any sort of sorrow or remorse. My evening plans were complete, and as I had promised her, today was and will forever be special and it was just that; now I had a new anniversary to celebrate in the years to come. For her final seconds I made sure that I look into her eyes so that she can witness the love and the hatred that fueled me, and I am certain that she does. I know that she is looking at the vortex of pain and anguish that she caused and for some mysterious reason it warms me a little, but I guess that was part of the plan too. There is an understanding in her eyes as the world goes dim around her and in two more blinks her eyes stayed shut so that she will forever be trapped in eternal darkness.