Writing Prompt: Getting Away with Murder

Use the following words: Snow Queen, windmill, tunnel, childhood, endanger, cypress, wine, horseback, temperature, imperial.

There isn’t enough wine in the world for this. I’m standing under the cypress tree, bearing witness as my childhood nemesis is carried away in a body bag. Little miss perfect never knew how to shut up. She always bragged about all the good she did for endangered animals and yet, she has the largest hummer on the lot, a giant mansion, and a diamond ring on each finger. She took more than she gave and that’s why she’s gone now. Her money will go to those that need it–those endangered animals deserve better and my horseback rescue ranch down the road won’t go bankrupt.

I feel like the Snow Queen in the middle of summer. They load her body in the truck and yet, I just stand here like I’m watching a rabbit cross the road. I followed her last night. After I begged her to help me save my ranch. I would pay her back, but she scoffed at me, said she couldn’t do it and she turned away. She thought I left, but I was so angry, that I waited at the end of her drive and when she drove off in the thick of the night. I tailed her.

She went to the windmill north of town. The windmill is a relic, fading away and forgotten. So why was she going there? I got my answer when I followed her in. All the money that was supposed to be going to the endangered animals was hiding in that windmill. I shouted at her, but I don’t remember what either of us said. I think she threatened me. Threatened to buy out my ranch and tear it down. Fury turned my vision red and the next thing I knew red was scattered across the floor.

My grandfather’s imperial pistol was in my hand and smoke drifted from the barrel. I only kept the weapon on me to scare off coyotes, but the first bullet was lodged her heart. I didn’t feel anything as her blood bled out on the money. I was probably standing there like an idiot for over ten minutes before my mind finally realized what I did. I killed that greedy witch and you know what? The world is better off with her dead, but I can’t go to jail. What would happen to my ranch, to the money, to the endangered animals if I was stuck behind bars?

I’ve seen enough crime shows to know that the number one thing you don’t do to solve a crime is mess with the crime scene. So, I messed with everything. I rearranged the entire windmill to hide the blood stains, packed up all the money into my car, and used the old, secret tunnel to drag her body out of there.

The tunnel led to an old farm that was seized by the banks. No one bought it. No one took care of it. So everything was overgrown. Temperature fluctuated a lot between the windmill, tunnel, and farm that I suspect it’ll screw up evidence. I left her body in the barn and took a long path back to the windmill so that maybe I couldn’t be tracked. I hopped in my car, dumped my pistol in the river, drove back to my ranch, and the stored the money in the second safe in my attic. I changed my clothes and burned the old ones in my firepit then spent the rest of my night with the horses and a bottle of wine.

The next morning, I drove around town trying to “find” her. I stopped by her house and when she didn’t answer, I spoke with everyone in town. I let everyone believe I was trying to sell her my ranch to get out of debt. When no one could point me in her direction. I drove around all day before finding her body.

When the cops showed up, they asked me a few questions. The biggest one was if she had any enemies. Well, no one in town liked her, I told them. Everyone is going to think she got what she deserved. They believed me and they didn’t consider me a suspect. Over the next few months, I’ll use her money to slowly pay off my loans and save my ranch and what’s left over will be an anonymous donation to the endangered animals. Just like it should be.