"The Secret"
The Parameters:
Genre: Horror
Required Idiom: “Bend over backwards”
Required Adjective: “Vigorous”
The Story:
When she was mad, she ran. Doctors always said vigorous activity would help calm the anger that flared in her veins and blinded her vision. It never worked.
When school let out, she sprinted down the path to the river. She’d bent over backwards to help Christian during the math test, and when he was caught cheating, the ungrateful twerp had ratted her out.
At the river, she stabbed herself with a rock until she drew blood. She held her head under water until she nearly fainted. The pain used to cool the rage. Not anymore. At least, not her own.
She’d stepped on the frog by accident, the feeling of euphoria taking her by surprise. Then there was the pigeon with the broken wing, which would die anyway, so it didn’t matter what she did to it. Her sister’s gerbil escaped from its cage one day and was never found. Neither was the neighbor’s cat.
She wasn’t stupid. She knew eventually someone would notice. But there was nothing else that could return her to herself. She started riding her bike to towns far away where they wouldn’t recognize her. When their dogs disappeared from front yards, no one would suspect her.
She and Christian both got detention for the cheating incident. They didn’t know how dangerous it was, locking Christian up with her and her rage. She told them she needed to leave, said it was urgent, but they wouldn’t listen. They were so stupid.
They should have listened.
Next Week:
Genre: Romantic comedy
Required Idiom: “Rub salt in an open wound”
Required Adjective: “Scratchy”