Run for your Life
Episode 2A (thanks to Donna for the prompt)
Lydia stood before him with a shotgun.
“Lydia!”
“Teddy.”
Still in shock, Teddy was comforted a bit by the fact that the weapon was not pointed at him. She was holding it by her side.
“What’re you doing here?”
“Funny. I have the same question for you.”
“You first.”
“I’m just out for a stroll.”
“With that?” he asked, pointing at the firearm.
“Oh, this? Actually, I’m out hunting.”
“Hunting? What can you hunt around here?”
“Pretty sure I spotted a weasel slinking around.”
“A weasel?”
“Yes, a weasel in running shoes.”
“Ha ha. Very funny.”
“Your turn. What were you doing in there?”
“Me … umm … you see, I ran three miles, and then I felt this tightness in my calf. I decided to walk it off.”
“Smart decision. No point injuring yourself. Still doesn’t explain why you were in there.”
“Oh, right. I was walking by when I saw Renee standing in her doorway.”
“And?”
“She needed help with a leak. So I went in. To help.”
“You helped her with a leak? You?”
“Yeah. Me. I’m quite handy, you know.”
“Handy? The last time you tried to fix a leak we had a flooded bathroom.”
“In my defense, it wasn’t my fault.”
“It never is, is it? Come on, now. Let’s be off.”
Lydia raised the shotgun as she said this, motioning with it.
“You sure it’s a good idea walking around with that?”
“Yeah. Why not?”
“If someone sees it …”
“The body count goes higher.”
“What body count?” Teddy noticed the shotgun was steady now, aimed at his chest. “Oh.”
“Walk,” she ordered. He turned towards home and she followed behind, keeping the weapon pointed at him.
A few minutes later they were home. She directed him upstairs to their bedroom.
“Is that thing loaded?” he asked once they were inside.
“Hmm … I don’t know. Let me check,” she replied as she placed her finger on the trigger.
“No! Wait!”
Lydia moved her finger away from the trigger.
“Teddy, Teddy, Teddy. Tell me, how long have you been fixing leaks for Renee?”
“What? Oh, yes. Today was the first time.”
She raised the gun to eye-level and took aim.
“A few weeks. It’s been a few weeks.” By now he was gushing sweat.
“You haven’t been running much, have you?”
Teddy shook his head.
“Thought as much. Your dismal performance yesterday said it all.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“What do you think?”
“You really going to shoot me?”
Lydia raised an eyebrow. “You think I’m stupid? I’ll get shipped off to prison if I do that. I was just messing with you.”
He sighed in relief.
“I’ll just find a better way to get rid of you.”
“What … what do you mean?”
“Exactly what you heard.”
“Divorce?”
It was Lydia’s turn to sigh. “No, that’s too easy. I mean really get rid of you.”
“So … so you do plan to kill me?”
“Of course I do.”
“But just not with that?” He pointed to the gun.
She nodded.
“Then put it away.”
Lydia placed the gun on the bed, her lips curling up as she did so.
“How will you do it?” he asked. By now he had sweated more than ever before, more than any attempts at running or any aerobics with Renee.
“It’s a secret, my dear Teddy.”
And with that she stormed out of the room, leaving Teddy with a head that wouldn’t stop spinning.
To be continued ...
Back to Episode 1
“Lydia!”
“Teddy.”
Still in shock, Teddy was comforted a bit by the fact that the weapon was not pointed at him. She was holding it by her side.
“What’re you doing here?”
“Funny. I have the same question for you.”
“You first.”
“I’m just out for a stroll.”
“With that?” he asked, pointing at the firearm.
“Oh, this? Actually, I’m out hunting.”
“Hunting? What can you hunt around here?”
“Pretty sure I spotted a weasel slinking around.”
“A weasel?”
“Yes, a weasel in running shoes.”
“Ha ha. Very funny.”
“Your turn. What were you doing in there?”
“Me … umm … you see, I ran three miles, and then I felt this tightness in my calf. I decided to walk it off.”
“Smart decision. No point injuring yourself. Still doesn’t explain why you were in there.”
“Oh, right. I was walking by when I saw Renee standing in her doorway.”
“And?”
“She needed help with a leak. So I went in. To help.”
“You helped her with a leak? You?”
“Yeah. Me. I’m quite handy, you know.”
“Handy? The last time you tried to fix a leak we had a flooded bathroom.”
“In my defense, it wasn’t my fault.”
“It never is, is it? Come on, now. Let’s be off.”
Lydia raised the shotgun as she said this, motioning with it.
“You sure it’s a good idea walking around with that?”
“Yeah. Why not?”
“If someone sees it …”
“The body count goes higher.”
“What body count?” Teddy noticed the shotgun was steady now, aimed at his chest. “Oh.”
“Walk,” she ordered. He turned towards home and she followed behind, keeping the weapon pointed at him.
A few minutes later they were home. She directed him upstairs to their bedroom.
“Is that thing loaded?” he asked once they were inside.
“Hmm … I don’t know. Let me check,” she replied as she placed her finger on the trigger.
“No! Wait!”
Lydia moved her finger away from the trigger.
“Teddy, Teddy, Teddy. Tell me, how long have you been fixing leaks for Renee?”
“What? Oh, yes. Today was the first time.”
She raised the gun to eye-level and took aim.
“A few weeks. It’s been a few weeks.” By now he was gushing sweat.
“You haven’t been running much, have you?”
Teddy shook his head.
“Thought as much. Your dismal performance yesterday said it all.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“What do you think?”
“You really going to shoot me?”
Lydia raised an eyebrow. “You think I’m stupid? I’ll get shipped off to prison if I do that. I was just messing with you.”
He sighed in relief.
“I’ll just find a better way to get rid of you.”
“What … what do you mean?”
“Exactly what you heard.”
“Divorce?”
It was Lydia’s turn to sigh. “No, that’s too easy. I mean really get rid of you.”
“So … so you do plan to kill me?”
“Of course I do.”
“But just not with that?” He pointed to the gun.
She nodded.
“Then put it away.”
Lydia placed the gun on the bed, her lips curling up as she did so.
“How will you do it?” he asked. By now he had sweated more than ever before, more than any attempts at running or any aerobics with Renee.
“It’s a secret, my dear Teddy.”
And with that she stormed out of the room, leaving Teddy with a head that wouldn’t stop spinning.
To be continued ...
Back to Episode 1