Prompt: Write a story involving betrayal569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCkG3m3zHs
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3txR7wHfKc
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkacLVCPSIL
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYo9JJxN3j
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uICL3uZxd
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcchmIHgEXg
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGxlBmU4qS
Cara had brought home her peasant lover, Druid, and was presently attempting to inconspicuously smuggle him out of the manor.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKbUPdCsOH
'Cara!' It was David. 'Come join us for breakfast. What could ever be taking you so long?'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx02gwAd2RV
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.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCaJ7VFcfB
Cara arrived at the breakfast table late, to the watching eyes of her siblings, David, Eric, and Rachelle.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjCBCLq9JU
'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.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzC9YSPv0ip
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.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NtYt7GgWO
'Ta ta.' The girl responds.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡISF6ld2t2Z
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpShfwckz7
'But we haven't even reached mains yet!' Rachelle complains.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbsuVNTB4L
'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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NWiXPwMfC
Cara thought about her precious Druid, waiting in a closet, and took the opportunity to also leave the table. 'I, um, I - '569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAuIxqqVyZ
'Yes?' Rachelle looks up at her, expecting an unarguable excuse.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXwVPKcwUX
'It's just that phase of the moon.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8vw0XUvck
'That makes no sense, Caraaaaaa!!! Breakfast is no fun if you all go away doing silly things!'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0rVBx1sno
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.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9SOpIsjfk
'Hmmph.' The girl crosses her arms as Cara leaves.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5uSzIaE4I
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJsDtJeegD
'Good gracious!' Exclaimed the Nannies.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesDaTbCgpr
'Oh dear!' Cara shouted.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7umJUVgmM
'My God!' The sons ejaculated.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJW0E2hM5T
'What's daddy doing?' Rachelle asked.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0rYGEa8Ry
'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?'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH494tAy6y
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!'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5f635Hbc0X
'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!'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYADdJdCRBM
'That is a lie, mother! You and I both know I loved father more than you ever did.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMYD7TXcL6
A simultaneous gasp from the two Nannies. What a very juicy Incident this would be for their gossip circles!569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIPUquO5r8
'Well! I must ask you to leave. You are disturbing my grieving process.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtebAYrEsML
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!'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBGm2vNvZD
Rachelle began crying in consternation, not quite comprehending but aware of the distress nonetheless.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3nhcLP6n3
'Rachelle! Come here.' Nanny Emily gave the girl a strong embrace. The little one was always fond of the servant women.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfcuPAvbyS
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FlCIO2VBQ
'Very well!' Lady Morley said. 'After all, we don't want any more blood spilt today.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYp4xG0EDj
Cara ran out of the room and tracked down the cupboard she had so suddenly farewelled her lover in. Empty.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNi7LPvmGI
Where could he be? She passed by the entrance hall and saw Druid by the door.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFNwl1R6F4
'Dru! Why have you not left yet?' She whispered to him loudly.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMoxPTVDXJ
His face goes white. 'The doors and windows are barred. From the outside. I cannot leave!' 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrxVyg1q3t
It is only at this point that Cara began comprehending the situation.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlPKLla7Dc
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToelV3CCAs
Nanny Amy began taking down notes. What an exciting day!569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXbu74gdrn
'All the doors and windows are barred from the outside! We are trapped inside with a killer!'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKqmIwNol2
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?'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAhXGFJ4Sg
'No! I was - I was, um...'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKztpQlk4Z
Druid walked through the door. 'Hi.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGT80128m77
'Who is this, Cara?' Lady Morley was positively concerned at the arrival of this lowly stranger.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJlUQLkE7Y
'Druid and I are lovers, mother.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoMU78a0fk
'PFFFFFT! Nonsense. Try again. Who is this, Cara?'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EJ4b3sXpL
'Druid is my boyfriend?'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWw4xriRh4
'I don't think so. Who is this person?'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6W6bgvUiUQ
'Mother, please shut up most presently. I am in love with Druid, and his status is of no concern to you or me.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4GgijaxX0
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.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrm251AY1F
'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.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUQL31CmYC
'Nooooo, don't gooooooo...' Rachelle squealed.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsHoEDcf7b
'It's okay darling Rachelle, I will stay with you.' Nanny Emily patted her head.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wdOsj6lbB
'There is some point to Eric's decision.' Druid stated.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4DBZjT4dx
'Did you hear something, Cara? I most certainly didn't.' 569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxt3q2qX23i
'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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeelQCHafkl
'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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWV6PWz0jS
'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.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOnCrFfG3N
Rachelle and Nanny Emily sat down on the bed.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cHAM1rg4q
'I'll go get the coloring books, shall I?' Nanny Amy offered.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoN57I2Hg0b
'That would be lovely.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiczf9IKtaM
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!'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLR6KnKdZmP
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPyW5dlGwc
Eric harked to alert the others, and they all gathered at the foot of the staircase, beside the bodies. 'The situation is getting serious.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NCDMMonOp
'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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUVjz9qdtm
'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.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6sQqlEhG0
'Do we really have the time for this?' Eric complained, to no avail, as Druid began telling the story to Cara.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMeSHjzmM6
'It was a Saturday market. Your family were passing by my fake jewelry stall.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxzMlEGQfD
'It was fake???'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIpu6fbcBF
'Shut up, mother! Let him continue.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfyWhdu73W
'This is hopeless.' Eric left the entrance hall.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBf4SEb75j
'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.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCSNQrDuksU
'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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9767DolrtF
'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.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7rc3uSipd
'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.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfWtwnVX1e
'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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8opJtH0sx
'Oh well. I suppose it wasn't him after all.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqm0Yrn2LS
She didn't feel the need to alarm anyone.
'Rachelle! Are you alright?!'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKbJUgZRWV
The girl was lying in a pool of blood. Thankfully, it was not her own.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmA62RaROp
Nanny Emily was leaning against the wall beside Rachelle. Her head was leaning on the wall opposite Rachelle. Neck wounds bleed a frightful lot.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcXJ3sEvmP
'Oh my darling Rachelle, come here, come here, what happened?' Lady Morley scooped up her youngest child through tears.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPf5hqjshMN
'It was... it was... it was a man...'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahv95XzisM
David was dead. Eric was dead. That left only Druid.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlw8b70Z0Zt
'My god! I knew he was dodgy! I must call the others at once! CARAAAA!'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrlJOtkeow
'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!'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTO9OU32nxJ
...569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkS2HXCoz8
'Druid, Eric was killed.' Lady Morley said.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rPsNmvY5p
'What? But...'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuokAq0GzIU
'And Rachelle here also said it was a man that came and killed Nanny Emily.'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxuLhuKoLZ
'No, no, that's not right. Where's Eric?'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuP9fHvoRx
'Lying dead at the top of the stairs. Which means that the only person that could have done this all is YOU!'569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjI7pdyfD3K
'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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQp5U8NSwa
'I think, little peasant, that we have all the proof we need.' With a blow from her knuckles, the man was knocked unconscious.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6PbvsUp5t
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6hHImmVHE
But what became of their fortune?569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEZgPOjmDI
David inherited the fortune, of course.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrvXGZZrNr
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnGtcr3gAw
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfMclIYD67
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.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvle0pvpclo
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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