Prompt: Write a story involving betrayal633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsXYT37OLI
The Morleys were a remarkably well established family for their time - in a world so plagued with left-wing beliefs, they had managed to maintain their time old honor of several personal servants, an extraneously and pointlessly large manor (half of which was simply used as storage for their extraneously and pointlessly large collection of valuable but entirely dysfunctional items), and, of course, the weekly tradition of shopping in the poorer parts of town to flamboyantly flaunt their wealth.
Set atop of a hill by the humble village of Wellington, Morley Manor was a gargantuan demonstration of drunk architecture.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu11zmELTDu
No doubt it was a highly attractive building, but the matter of the fact was that it simply made no sense. From the exterior, one could hardly tell that every second corridor in the building was at a fifteen degree slant, and that there were multiple inset doorways that simply opened to a wall.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrK8FQ1XfGB
The doors are justifiable - lock all the fake doors and they create a false sense of magnitude for visitors. But as for the former deformity, local rumor has it that the building was never designed to go onto a hill, and that the original Lord Morley simply declared it to be built there for effect. Wealth is no guarantee for common sense nor intelligence - and indeed, in the day of the Morley's life you are about to experience, this fact shall never seem clearer.
We begin, perhaps, on the Sunday morning of the Incident. Lord Mortimer Morton Morley begins by retiring to his washroom to expunge himself of his digestion products. This is the last we shall see of him.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6pVqP3Y55
Lady Morgana Mortabella Morley begins by sleeping to the fine hour of noon, which is why, as she later claims, she missed all the excitement of her husband's disembowelment. This may or may not be true, of course, as it is not always the narrator's role to provide an impartial view of events.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPH5pPIabgy
The children arise in their separate rooms, and drift towards the dining hall with the prospect of a three course breakfast, lovingly prepared by Nanny Amy and Nanny Emily who had woken several hours before to clean and cook - they put sweat, blood, and tears into everything they do, including the meals for the Morleys.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3J2VATORqn
Moving on from the fact that the Morleys were blissfully unaware that the Nannies prepared rather unethical meals (I do believe that at least two of the Morleys have unwittingly contracted blood viruses from their meals), one of the children was of particular interest.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3TmDYzSfF
Cara had brought home her peasant lover, Druid, and was presently attempting to inconspicuously smuggle him out of the manor.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhlbghQshh
'Cara!' It was David. 'Come join us for breakfast. What could ever be taking you so long?'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAA1OtwqtDd
The young woman quickly ushered Druid into a closet. 'Just stay in here', and then, to David, 'I'm coming now! Your impatience most disturbs my Sunday relaxation. It's all really quite blasphemous.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiAis0DChs
Cara arrived at the breakfast table late, to the watching eyes of her siblings, David, Eric, and Rachelle.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Fr78izUK8
'Really, Cara. Your soup must be cold - we have all finished already. It was quite marvelous, I don't know what it is Nanny Amy puts in these.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohofdn64QS
The elderly woman quickly hides the fresh cut in her thumb. 'The special ingredient is Love, Rachelle! Now Nanny Emily and I must go to prepare the next dish.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVMohEie4n
'Ta ta.' The girl responds.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlvxvkXOLO
Eric, the oldest of them all, was tall and dark, a slim figure that resembled his mother's. He stood up from the table and excused himself quickly.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchUGverIOI
'But we haven't even reached mains yet!' Rachelle complains.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNGZ0Xngad
'Now, sister. I simply must finish my latest composition. The inspiration is simply flowing right now, my dear, I can't let it escape!' With that, he spun out of his chair and strutted out of the dining hall.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQwoT7lHmk
Cara thought about her precious Druid, waiting in a closet, and took the opportunity to also leave the table. 'I, um, I - '633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kO9zFyYro
'Yes?' Rachelle looks up at her, expecting an unarguable excuse.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARU30v8q3h
'It's just that phase of the moon.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRuhVQVfMi1
'That makes no sense, Caraaaaaa!!! Breakfast is no fun if you all go away doing silly things!'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkelrgwplJs
David smirks to himself. 'Nonsense, Rachelle. I'm sure Cara has very important business to attend to. Perhaps with a little age, you shall too.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZT3va900z
'Hmmph.' The girl crosses her arms as Cara leaves.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZ7EIvkB73
The reader should take care to note, at this moment, that a situation has been constructed with a large number of people not accounted for. Then it is now, of course, that Lord Morley's body will be discovered.
'EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!' Lady Morley's scream brought everyone in the manor to her washroom, where they were greeted by the sight of Lord Morley feeling rather turned out. Inside out, to be precise.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkwwdHMbLH
'Good gracious!' Exclaimed the Nannies.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7igePf6VbY
'Oh dear!' Cara shouted.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7e08QiaFgZ
'My God!' The sons ejaculated.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHfCrAl4qf
'What's daddy doing?' Rachelle asked.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtx7Y2sYuK
'How on earth could such a thing have happened!' Lady Morley wept. 'I woke only a few minutes ago, and went to the washroom to freshen myself up, only to see my dear husband has been murdered! Who could have done this terrible act?'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOGhvcOs56
Eric was exceedingly fast to turn on his mother. 'Kind mother, I find it remarkably odd that you were the one to discover him in this state, and so close to your room, no doubt!'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcsM6aX0ud
'Eric! You naughty boy! How dare you insinuate such terrible things. I am in the right mind to call the police on you, for trying to inherit your father's fortune by way of murder!'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYpx5D2iK4
'That is a lie, mother! You and I both know I loved father more than you ever did.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBZBenuPPn
A simultaneous gasp from the two Nannies. What a very juicy Incident this would be for their gossip circles!633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgKc7DD8YC
'Well! I must ask you to leave. You are disturbing my grieving process.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQSRPn4Kpb
David chimed in with an observation. 'But mother, your husband has not simply died, he has been killed! Given the security of our house, one must wonder how the killer got in - or if the killer is one of us. We cannot waste any time grieving, (very sorry), our lives may very well be in danger!'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnt4aiJ4pX
Rachelle began crying in consternation, not quite comprehending but aware of the distress nonetheless.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcpeqmEbuH
'Rachelle! Come here.' Nanny Emily gave the girl a strong embrace. The little one was always fond of the servant women.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpKbrBiQIK
Cara was only mildly interested in the course of events - she simply hoped that Druid had taken this commotion as an opportunity to leave unnoticed. 'Excuse me, this is all very worrying and such but I must answer the woman's call!' She interjected loudly, reusing her earlier excuse to leave.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sDbkMNmAC
'Very well!' Lady Morley said. 'After all, we don't want any more blood spilt today.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaamuWBIM3
Cara ran out of the room and tracked down the cupboard she had so suddenly farewelled her lover in. Empty.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hXqKZ4IQG
Where could he be? She passed by the entrance hall and saw Druid by the door.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQKqj2Jt7l
'Dru! Why have you not left yet?' She whispered to him loudly.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorqiDjTDft
His face goes white. 'The doors and windows are barred. From the outside. I cannot leave!' 633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWmEZHpPEG
It is only at this point that Cara began comprehending the situation.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY95ltnwHKq
The killer did not intend for Lord Morley to be the only fatality that day.
Cara burst back into her mother's room. 'We are trapped inside!' She announced, to which the response was a chorus of 'WHAT!?'s.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdM9tFmkEp
Nanny Amy began taking down notes. What an exciting day!633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuT9nZGewX5
'All the doors and windows are barred from the outside! We are trapped inside with a killer!'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXSH1IMpJO
Nanny Emily felt the need to fan the flame. 'And why, dear Cara, were you checking the doors of the house instead of dealing with downstairs business? Were you trying to leave? Flee from the scene of your crime, perhaps?'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMa7tWRezH
'No! I was - I was, um...'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7RgwRaOIf
Druid walked through the door. 'Hi.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1KminVp82
'Who is this, Cara?' Lady Morley was positively concerned at the arrival of this lowly stranger.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0n8nSk2cRO
'Druid and I are lovers, mother.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHCuGj1BK3
'PFFFFFT! Nonsense. Try again. Who is this, Cara?'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqL8VBbKVj
'Druid is my boyfriend?'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOEPsuaU8L
'I don't think so. Who is this person?'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyeWnf6coq
'Mother, please shut up most presently. I am in love with Druid, and his status is of no concern to you or me.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrPTWYXvPa
Lady Morley responded with a laser glare. 'We will deal with this matter after we have dealt with the fact we are all likely to be the subjects of successive grisly demises.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zTYTa1WHp
'Then whyyyyyy are we all in your room, mother? One fell swoop could kill us all. I don't believe in safety in numbers.' Eric began walking out. 'I believe I can fend better on my own.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxPAXwZs98
'Nooooo, don't gooooooo...' Rachelle squealed.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfr6a7CyBV7
'It's okay darling Rachelle, I will stay with you.' Nanny Emily patted her head.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1FXNAmZCp
'There is some point to Eric's decision.' Druid stated.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSrVyElZQ8
'Did you hear something, Cara? I most certainly didn't.' 633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUOrF5vSZl
'Mother, this is no time for your immaturity. Suppose the killer is in this very room? I don't know about you, but I certainly don't wish to stay in here, where perhaps even you, mother, could pull out a knife and slay us all in a moment. Good day. I will find my own haven from this mess!' Cara left the room, with Druid in close pursuit.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjXYEOUFOj
'This is idiotic! This is exactly what we shouldn't do with a killer on the loose.' David muttered. 'CARA! Come back!' He raced after the lovers.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZbCzTFpqR
'Rachelle, you stay with me.' Lady Morley said. 'I wouldn't trust a girl of your age to run off. You might get lost in this house. Or murdered.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIOV2PrsQyU
Rachelle and Nanny Emily sat down on the bed.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpzlxVoNaD
'I'll go get the coloring books, shall I?' Nanny Amy offered.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZwfQXoOlN2
'That would be lovely.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyryjFT11b
It should seem obvious to the reader that once again, we shall say farewell to a few members of the Morley family.
'Oh my god!'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhAz2TyOif
Pushed off the banister at the top of the stairs, Nanny Amy's and David's bodies lay sprawled on the floor of the entrance hall.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPsraAtO4A
Eric harked to alert the others, and they all gathered at the foot of the staircase, beside the bodies. 'The situation is getting serious.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9ISRL2H5x
'Was it not serious before?' Lady Morley tutted. 'Rachelle. I demand that you and Nanny Emily go back to my room at once and barricade yourselves in there! I will not have my precious button be killed today.' The two women, young and old, headed back up the stairs.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagXoGXJGYw
'Oh, Dru! I am most distressed.' Cara wept into his arms. He grunted in discomfort. 'Tell me the story of how we met again. It calms me so.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQh2VWWDig9
'Do we really have the time for this?' Eric complained, to no avail, as Druid began telling the story to Cara.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TuMhm9QBF
'It was a Saturday market. Your family were passing by my fake jewelry stall.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgflyLtBTJJ
'It was fake???'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ74rLgSiiq5
'Shut up, mother! Let him continue.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY70r9sntlR
'This is hopeless.' Eric left the entrance hall.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡakHmcOxAaQ
'You cleaned out the entire stall. You and David stayed to apologize for your mother's behavior. After David had left, you told me that you found me ruggedly attractive.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93JWr4OKp4
'This story is incredulously stupid.' Lady Morley rolled her eyes. 'We are wasting time talking about things that both of you already know! If we are really going to do this, can we at least do it out of the vicinity of dead bodies?' The three of them quickly moved to the dining hall, Druid continuing the story as they walked.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIILdxQPIo
'I declined your offer, at first, and you were very upset. The next few Saturday markets you made sure never to pass by my stall. But the truth to my decline was, I was scared to have fallen in love with someone as magnificent as you. I hesitated in that moment and regretted it very much. So I left my stall and tried to find you. I declared my love to you, and you fell into my arms.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwt7GWMCeN
'Awwww, most gracious Druid. Thank you very much. Now let us vacate this room! I don't fancy sitting beside dead bodies for much longer.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZdy1Q5SOe
'Which is why,' Lady Morley muttered, 'we stayed here for the last five minutes.' Then, louder: 'I'm going to check on Rachelle. You two try not to make a mess.' Lady Morley left the two of them as she headed back to her room, and promptly tripped over Eric's bleeding body on the way.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IOH8T1K0Q
'Oh well. I suppose it wasn't him after all.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOju5om00Bh
She didn't feel the need to alarm anyone.
'Rachelle! Are you alright?!'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHI0RJqFCM
The girl was lying in a pool of blood. Thankfully, it was not her own.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42rsHzhB2R
Nanny Emily was leaning against the wall beside Rachelle. Her head was leaning on the wall opposite Rachelle. Neck wounds bleed a frightful lot.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHgTSjQttM
'Oh my darling Rachelle, come here, come here, what happened?' Lady Morley scooped up her youngest child through tears.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPilgzDvtW
'It was... it was... it was a man...'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFgRQrAHHy
David was dead. Eric was dead. That left only Druid.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8sHaowP2S
'My god! I knew he was dodgy! I must call the others at once! CARAAAA!'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0saPCN0Ob9
'Cara is dead.' Lady Morley jumped at the sound of his voice. Druid was standing by the doorway. 'A man in a cloak stabbed her in front of me! It must have been Eric!'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LzDA0S3eo
...633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpsQPK08D0
'Druid, Eric was killed.' Lady Morley said.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvXD7W6rWs
'What? But...'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6n11KUCsc0
'And Rachelle here also said it was a man that came and killed Nanny Emily.'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3HAS64MJn
'No, no, that's not right. Where's Eric?'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2E036y5hdJ
'Lying dead at the top of the stairs. Which means that the only person that could have done this all is YOU!'633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDqbbJhm7U
'What! No! It wasn't me, it wasn't me! I have proof -' Druid tried to run out of the room but Lady Morley, with surprising speed, stopped him before the doorway.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvtbzUx2qt
'I think, little peasant, that we have all the proof we need.' With a blow from her knuckles, the man was knocked unconscious.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9IfhpgV17
It was a phone call (whoever thought? It is as if they were trapped with no contact to the outer world) and fifteen minutes later that the Wellington Police came to arrest Druid Ren for five charges of murder and jewelry fraud.
Reader, I suppose that you may want to know what became of the Morleys in the end. Lady Morley became a cult hero (not among the poorer residents of Wellington, of course), and Rachelle grew up to become the chief of Wellington Police.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVxezOFVOg
But what became of their fortune?633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2oTLmi1T8
David inherited the fortune, of course.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe53RqDSkpK
Now you see, David had survived the fall from the staircase. Lady Morley and Rachelle always told him that he was one of the luckiest men alive, but I must point out that there was no luck involved in his survival, for he didn't fall at all.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4bcJ6cRj0d
Druid had a boiling hate for the upper class, posh Morleys, and David realized that a little manipulation would be all he needed to get the Morley fortune. So David befriended Druid, and convinced Druid to take up his sister's offer. Then Druid could infiltrate the Morley Manor.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDOH3u0Hud
The agreement, as it stood back then, was to frame poor Eric for the murders. Druid did his part of doing all the dirty work - but David had a little extra step in the plan. When no one was there to witness it, David rose from his pose in the entrance hall and killed Eric, before going back to his faux-corpse location.633Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYyBz0EbJk
In this way, Druid would take all the blame.
I presume that you are waiting for some kind of moral to arise from this story. But none really exists. This account serves no purpose but for entertainment, a brief glimpse into the oh-so-obviously fictional lives of the Morleys, a short tale of murder and betrayal.
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