Prompt: Write a story involving betrayal585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaZbsgSpdG
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzvUKFiEze
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMYZVsjEG0
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTA8Cv1OSRj
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4FH0yLa2i
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHMPJQAlz4
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAmY1nFMODG
Cara had brought home her peasant lover, Druid, and was presently attempting to inconspicuously smuggle him out of the manor.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW20JLYQAyD
'Cara!' It was David. 'Come join us for breakfast. What could ever be taking you so long?'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRScNP7xr2U
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.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplOWPUXcKS
Cara arrived at the breakfast table late, to the watching eyes of her siblings, David, Eric, and Rachelle.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTkc7DnorM
'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.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmoDh2uVlY
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.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpo0o1kJ72
'Ta ta.' The girl responds.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9fPtC8AMJ
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtFfqK1L6R
'But we haven't even reached mains yet!' Rachelle complains.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1eQHmpAek
'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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5ZtXcBx8f
Cara thought about her precious Druid, waiting in a closet, and took the opportunity to also leave the table. 'I, um, I - '585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvye4J9nFbs
'Yes?' Rachelle looks up at her, expecting an unarguable excuse.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEUYrzS7dv
'It's just that phase of the moon.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMxalukE58
'That makes no sense, Caraaaaaa!!! Breakfast is no fun if you all go away doing silly things!'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHHOp7vym2
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.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCh8g2uPzj
'Hmmph.' The girl crosses her arms as Cara leaves.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8KC8dCfW6
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLeMlVfD3y
'Good gracious!' Exclaimed the Nannies.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbf6YCGUOq
'Oh dear!' Cara shouted.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzwZk3sDEy
'My God!' The sons ejaculated.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9R08YWOIld
'What's daddy doing?' Rachelle asked.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtK4XYzPYPu
'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?'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBj9d1OXo31
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!'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgnTbfLCWI
'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!'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt25reOeGA7
'That is a lie, mother! You and I both know I loved father more than you ever did.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnOPYAvMDH
A simultaneous gasp from the two Nannies. What a very juicy Incident this would be for their gossip circles!585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaBD5gqtS4
'Well! I must ask you to leave. You are disturbing my grieving process.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOWpCeX6dh
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!'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRTMIG0Itw
Rachelle began crying in consternation, not quite comprehending but aware of the distress nonetheless.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwgxyzaoqa
'Rachelle! Come here.' Nanny Emily gave the girl a strong embrace. The little one was always fond of the servant women.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAFg5PoCmF
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMwh71eFPU
'Very well!' Lady Morley said. 'After all, we don't want any more blood spilt today.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yzKMgSohL
Cara ran out of the room and tracked down the cupboard she had so suddenly farewelled her lover in. Empty.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCxvXGkVuO
Where could he be? She passed by the entrance hall and saw Druid by the door.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOozanjRu8
'Dru! Why have you not left yet?' She whispered to him loudly.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiOsguv587
His face goes white. 'The doors and windows are barred. From the outside. I cannot leave!' 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyJWDAQnrB
It is only at this point that Cara began comprehending the situation.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzC8t0ppYOQ
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICDwcmClMF
Nanny Amy began taking down notes. What an exciting day!585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxRUkXMaX7
'All the doors and windows are barred from the outside! We are trapped inside with a killer!'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3RgRYbxnWB
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?'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zDdW7tlFT
'No! I was - I was, um...'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNomoqiWA3n
Druid walked through the door. 'Hi.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyERjESm5U
'Who is this, Cara?' Lady Morley was positively concerned at the arrival of this lowly stranger.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OLHX3ilUt
'Druid and I are lovers, mother.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOlpP6J9N5
'PFFFFFT! Nonsense. Try again. Who is this, Cara?'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8KbaMMbaJ
'Druid is my boyfriend?'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAKUBk14ny
'I don't think so. Who is this person?'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxllUeLdn7
'Mother, please shut up most presently. I am in love with Druid, and his status is of no concern to you or me.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgvTjr3DOE
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.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtyblcADRY
'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.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzt8uND7EQB
'Nooooo, don't gooooooo...' Rachelle squealed.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3D7ZpFjnkl
'It's okay darling Rachelle, I will stay with you.' Nanny Emily patted her head.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbo6JMtq2NS
'There is some point to Eric's decision.' Druid stated.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRv9WmrwVYu
'Did you hear something, Cara? I most certainly didn't.' 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3M625EXjT
'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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCjFd3FkDz
'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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjGsJz1WHA
'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.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HnwHgcByh
Rachelle and Nanny Emily sat down on the bed.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89f9eXe34O
'I'll go get the coloring books, shall I?' Nanny Amy offered.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVpgVznXk9T
'That would be lovely.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiX9YkJAwSg
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!'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9c5Vi3KA5
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKd94iUhnPb
Eric harked to alert the others, and they all gathered at the foot of the staircase, beside the bodies. 'The situation is getting serious.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKC3LpCoMf
'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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaX5UypOTbq
'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.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFALrNL8un
'Do we really have the time for this?' Eric complained, to no avail, as Druid began telling the story to Cara.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhC1YWhpAg
'It was a Saturday market. Your family were passing by my fake jewelry stall.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxihNhx7wE4
'It was fake???'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtR99XLyT6
'Shut up, mother! Let him continue.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnzK4IFXcb
'This is hopeless.' Eric left the entrance hall.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILbV6KNDxY
'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.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ71fiV6rPHG
'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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidKNtZoqEo
'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.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaZV0LPoNa
'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.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmoo0mGTCee
'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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvl2TQZk0Jk
'Oh well. I suppose it wasn't him after all.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgJJOgqhSq
She didn't feel the need to alarm anyone.
'Rachelle! Are you alright?!'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfvLWNFlM9
The girl was lying in a pool of blood. Thankfully, it was not her own.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡav2okDWES8
Nanny Emily was leaning against the wall beside Rachelle. Her head was leaning on the wall opposite Rachelle. Neck wounds bleed a frightful lot.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzmnurwCGL
'Oh my darling Rachelle, come here, come here, what happened?' Lady Morley scooped up her youngest child through tears.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMrQWeXoH5
'It was... it was... it was a man...'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyeDv0gY26h
David was dead. Eric was dead. That left only Druid.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZoySmLBhJa
'My god! I knew he was dodgy! I must call the others at once! CARAAAA!'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9o5LJIQ3l
'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!'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23o9A9ZLs3
...585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM78hzoyGe7
'Druid, Eric was killed.' Lady Morley said.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQfFYd7RzF
'What? But...'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwu9bbsmaE
'And Rachelle here also said it was a man that came and killed Nanny Emily.'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHo7LyNKSR
'No, no, that's not right. Where's Eric?'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xLBPyjgAW
'Lying dead at the top of the stairs. Which means that the only person that could have done this all is YOU!'585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4P2MUZW0fI
'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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡni0cuPzCET
'I think, little peasant, that we have all the proof we need.' With a blow from her knuckles, the man was knocked unconscious.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Y3rZAI2sx
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYCzwY3Kl9
But what became of their fortune?585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEM3LMN88Lc
David inherited the fortune, of course.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ662FA33XA
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIP27wvo8Dm
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVBhhz7o8A
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.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqJlWPFxDC
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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