Mystery Of The Drunken Heels

Sandra 

The stone cold whiskey drops to the once clean wooden floors, now covered with dirt and grime, trash and crap. I wear my shoes inside to avoid any broken glass on the floor, I need to be careful. I need to stay strong in case something happens. Something I, and most people would want to avoid.

Today the sun hides behind the clouds and Daniel is home early. He usually goes to work in the morning and doesn’t come till dinner. Those days feel like Christmas or your birthday. 

That’s how it should feel. But it’s not how it feels.

Daniel goes to the water department in the mornings, yes. But he does not stay until the day gets old. He goes somewhere else.

Daniel would quite literally kill me if I knew, but at the same time I feel as if he wants me to know what he does those late afternoons…

He cheats on me with people from my work, people from my church, people from my book group, people from my friend group. I find out through them. The story always goes the same. They plead and say, “I’m so so sorry Sandra, I didn’t have a choice.” 

Right.

I don’t believe them but I can always expect the same goddamn story from them. 

Whatever.

But I don’t say anything, not to anyone. If I try to leave. It won’t be good.

So I work at the office with the nice old ladies. Like Sharon, except she’s retiring. She used to run the front desk at the tecoffice. I work on the harder stuff in the back. Except the pay is bad. The old ladies always come and go so fast. Sharon and I were good friends. And she had a beautiful voice.

I clean the house after Daniel throws his shit all over it. I do the work and pay for all his things. He’s never spent a penny to contribute. Always me. My savings empty, I can’t even put a few nickles to the side. But he always get his way. It’s his plan after all.

Plan to keep me here.

I just need to find a way to slip through the cracks of that plan. And escape.

Escape before he tells everyone my secret.

Margot

“How about this one?”

“No, you look like a fucking terrible in that. I’m not marrying someone in a dress like that. Wear the dress I picked out.”

“But she wor-”

“Shut the fuck up!! I’m done. I told you to wear the dress I picked out. Do you really want to not have the perfect wedding? Do you not want to be happy?”

“No baby I do-”

“Than wear the dress. And make us happy. Do it for us and our future together.”

“Ok baby. If that’s what you want.”

“Yeah that fuckin’ what we both want. Go get dressed and lets get the fuck out of here. Wastin’ my goddamn time out in this dress shop.”

It’s ok, I think to myself. The dress he picked is great! 

Everything is going to be ok. I’m getting married! Finally.

Just like all my friends and the people I know, I’m going to be married. Married to a great guy. 

Great guy.

I change in the back of the shop and head out to the front looking for his truck. His truck is dark blue and the paint is peeling off. There’s a big hole on the tailgate with a little red light blinking in it. The big hole is from the truck being outside for years and years. 

I look all around the parking lot searching for him but don’t see him. 

It’s ok.

Maybe he was in a rush and had to go? Maybe I took to long getting changed?

That’s it.

Mental Note: Don’t spend a long time getting changed = good

I’ll just walk. It’s good exercise and I need to look good for the wedding. 

It’s just a mile or so. I’ll cook dinner and sit on the back porch with the dog and play ball and watch the stars.

Great plan. 

I’m in my red heels from work but I slip them off, holding one in each hand and start walking down the sidewalk barefoot. 

It’s starting to get dark and the sun is setting. The streetlights start to pop on one by one. 

They light my way.

I’m maybe half way to my house and I’m tired and my feet hurt. 

There’s only one streetlight on this stretch of road. No houses. The goal is to reach that streetlight and then keep going after. But there’s someone standing under the streetlight wearing all black looking down at the concrete. Then slowly up at me.

I stop.

I look around for maybe a house or a car driving by, but there’s none. I look back and they’re gone. 

What the.. 

I keep walking keeping my goal in mind.

I’m halfway there when someone jumps out of the bushes and tackles me to the ground. They put something over my mouth and tie me up. I can’t scream, it’s muffled. 

I dropped my shoe back there but realized that I still got one.

I’ll use it as my weapon.

Before I can think of my next move, the shoe is ripped from my hand and a chipped knife is put to my throat.

But all I can see if my other red shoe.

Slowly disappearing into the darkness behind. 

Sandra

Daniel flies through the door, practically swinging it off the hinges. I yell.

“What the fuck Daniel. What are you doing.” A kitchen knife in my hand, shaking. But pointing at him.

“You’re not going to stab me are you?” He says, now frozen in his tracks. His eyes look down at the knife, then back up at me. “Not again Sandra.”

Where the hell has he been??

Dinner is cold and the house is finally clean.

“Look,” I put the knife down to my side. “That was once, and you were in the way while I was cutting steak.”

“Whatever Sandra. Not what I was talking ab- You know what. Just never mind.”

“No Daniel. Tell me. What were you talking about??”

“Nothing Sandra.”

“Look do you really love me?”

“Shut the FUcK up Sandra, ok?”

“YOu’Re GOinG to tell mE TO SHUT THE FUCK uP?! YOU SHUT ThE FU-”

SLAP.

Daniel slapped me, hard. Across the face.

“Wow. Just like always. In the same spot too. What’s next? You gonna hit me harder? You gonna slit my throat? You gonna leave me Daniel. HUH? Just like your last wife.”

“Shut up Sandra. You know what happened. Don’t pretend like you don’t.”

“I-”

“You what? What? No Sandra. I HAve THE FuCKIn’ POWer. ME. Got it? I’m doing this for everyone. And I can tell everyone. And your fuckin’ little life would be ruined forever. Got that?”

I don’t know what to say anymore. We’re still in the mud room, even though there’s only a few pairs of shoes in it. We never really needed a mud room. A mat would’ve been just fine.

3 pairs of Daniels shoes. 2.5 pairs of shoes of are mine. 0.5 in heels

Fuckin’ asshole is the one in power.

Maybe he’s right. There’s nothing I can do.

I feel like I’ve gotten smaller. I’ve shrunk back down into a scared little puppy hiding in the corner of the cage.

I felt so big, so strong. 

That must have been a mistake. Cause I’m not.

“That’s what I fucking thought Sandra.”

I watched him walk down the hall. Even he seems a little shaken up by what just happened. I know there’s a weak side to him. Something missing in his plan. 

The knife in my hand looks real tempting as I watch him walk toward his bedroom.

I could chuck it and end him now.

But I must wait.

For the opportune moment.

Margot

It’s dark and cold. My feet are frozen and are possibly going to break off from the rest of my body. 

While my kidnapper walked through the woods, I could only smell some florals, feel the chipped kitchen knife to my throat, and my weapon taken away from me. 

My heel.

Those florals smelled familiar in the woods. I thought I’d smelled them once before. But perhaps not.

I can feel the dirt on the floor of the shed but I still can’t speak. 

Maybe there’s a tool. Something I can use to break free.

I’m looking around but it’s so dark I can’t see anything. I almost tip over and trip into a corner when the door creaks open. 

What was that?

What do they want from me?

But then.

A light flicks on and someone with a mask and beautiful voice breaks into the open air. 

“Hello Honey.”

“MMHHhm-mhmHm-hMm-HMMhHMH!!” I still have something preventing me from screaming or saying anything.

But more importantly WHAT THE FUCK??

“Look I know baby. You can’t marry him. You can’t. I see all the terrible things he does to you. I could see him yelling at you from outside the wedding dress shop. Honey, it’s not safe. This was the only way to warn you.”

STOP. How is this happening. No NO NOO. This can’t be true. It can’t be. It can’t be. HErRR!!

I’m squirming and trying to break free but I can’t.

“My baby girl stop it. Stop doing this. I-I -” 

*flicker* *static*

*cough*

“Stop moving. It’s for the best ok?”

I’m moving a lot and crying now. How this can’t be her. It can’t. 

I won’t stop. I WON’T.

I need to get to the police

Get help.

Any kind of help.

“I’m sorry baby.”

The next thing I see is my mothers right hand in a black glove fly towards my face.

Darkness.

Sandra

The sun peaks up from behind the trees and it’s morning. Daniel is home this morning and I still haven’t lost the urge to go get the kitchen knife. I have it tucked away just in case.

But it’s mapped out. 

The plan is set. It’s time to take action.

I’m goin-

“What the fuck are you watching Sandra?”

I turn to look at the tv not even realizing what channel I was on. It was the local news.

And there she was.

Sharon.

Being dragged away in handcuffs screaming her daughter’s name.

Margot.

The reporter describes the incident and explains how Sharon tried to kill her daughter and kidnapped her. She says how Sharon told Margot how she should not get married.

When she says the part about married, I look at Daniel. But he’s glued to the tv.

“I have to go,” he says while turning away from the reporter on the screen.

“Where the hell are you going? It’s 9:00 in the morning.”

“Sandra I have a fucking life, ok? I’ll be back.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes really. The fuck. Why do you care. Clean this fuckin house up, it’s a mess.”

“When will you be back?” I’m standing there with the knife behind my back.

“In a week. I have family stuff I have to go take care of alright?”

I lower the knife into my back pocket. 

I look down while he puts his shoes on. 

He’s taking 1 pair out of his 3, while my 3 pairs sit there untouched. 

I know where he’s going.I’m not going to say anything though.

I release the knife from my grip completely as the door shuts behind him. 

I drop to the floor crying. I’m free. I didn’t have to go through with my plan. The plan that included the knife.

*Reporter*

“We’re live from Rockingham County Square with the amazing story from Margot Robertson and how her wedding day is only a week from now. Wedding bells are ringing! I’m Tiffany Frost, live from NHPR, back to you Kevin.”

It all worked so perfectly. I’m free. But there’s still one last thing I need to do before I head west.

I must attend Margot Robertson’s and my husband’s wedding.

*One Week Later*

Margot

I stare into the golden mirror that holds my reflection. 

My soon to be mother-in-law zips the dress up and locks me in. Sure the dress is nice but it feels as plain as the cake waiting outside.

“Margot, I’m so sorry for everything you’ve gone through this past week,” my soon to be mother-in-law says with that raspy cigarette voice.

“It’s ok.”

“Just know Daniel is a good boy. Sometimes it might not seem like it. But if you’re scared about going into this. It’s not because of who it is. It’s just scary to go out there. That’s all.”

I chuckle a little, “I see.”

“Are you scared?”

“Yes.”

“For what specifically though my dear” *COUGH* *COUGH*

I flinch at the cough. “For what happens after.”

“Well don’t be. Ok? can you do that for me?”

“Uh yes. Sure.”

“Good girl. Yikes. Clearly you lost some weight.”

I turn to look at her. “I was trapped in a fucking shed for 12 hours and now I haven’t eaten in a week. So sorry.”

“Oh dear I really think you sh-”

“You can go take your seat out there. I’ll be walking soon.”

“Fine,” and with that she spun and walked out. 

I think about what happened in the shed that night. How my mother saw him yelling at me in the dress shop. 

Who the fuck makes someone wear your current wife’s old wedding dress for a different wedding you’re getting married at?

Calm down. 

I’m looking out the window of the old farm house I’m in and I can see everyone. I see the people from book club, my close friends and Daniel on the top of the steps.

It’s finally time.

Finally time.

Finally. Time?

What if this wa-

“Hey lets go, we got another wedding after this so you better get your ass out there and walk that goddamn aisle.”

Before I can respond the coordinator slams the door and it’s quite again. Only the hush chit chat of people outside.

It’s time to go then, I think to myself.

Between the deathly silent changing room and the aisle with the light piano music is a blur. I walk alone up towards my soon to be husband.

Soon to be?

I can’t shake the thought that this is a bad idea.

I peer into the crowd a little to see if I can find someone who can comfort me. I lock eyes with my soon to be mother-in-law, she’s smocking, of course.

I see the photographer in the back snapping thousands of photos.

Then I catch the eyes of someone in a black dress. It’s a nice material that blows in the wind if she were to stand up. She has a big hat and glasses on. With large lips that fit her face perfectly and are paired with nice candy apple red. Then I see them.

My red heels.

I was wrong.

I should have known better.

How could I be so stupid to send my own mother to jail. 

Of course she’d do this. 

Or was she saving me.

I’m frozen halfway down the aisle.

I look up at her and she slides her glasses down smiling and gives a quick wink like it’s an inside joke. 

I look at my plastic shoes, my shitty dress and up at Daniel. He slightly shakes his head but it’s to late.

I turn and a run the other way towards the exit.

Making sure I don’t leave a heel behind this time.

Sandra

As she’s running away I look up at Daniel and blow him a kiss. I turn and strut down the aisle and to my bike. I stole it from the house and I’m going west. I mean I did it all so there’s nothing here for me anyways.

I work at a tec company and I slowly learned how to use all the fun gadgets. I put a camera through the rust hole in Daniel’s truck, partnered with a tracker. I then used a voice changer and copied Sharon’s voice. I got her to do it by getting her fired, with a quick placement of top secret files on her desk. I told her I’d get her job back if she gave me the voice but she never did get that back. In the meantime, I stole her perfume to smell good.

And yes, my secret with Daniel all those years ago was that I killed his wife so I could have him to myself. Little did I know he’d plot against me and keep my trapped in an abusive marriage so no other man would have to suffer from being with me.

As I walk back I drop a letter containing my goodbyes to Daniel. It was tricky to write but I’m glad I did everything that I did.

Because 

*Letter*

The stone cold whiskey you’re drowned in is fresh from my bank account. You drown in a pool of that whiskey.

A pool of harmful sirens that jab at your soul. Maybe that’s why it’s in pieces. I know what I did but we never got to blame you for what you did.

Daniel, I hear about how you fool around with other women, and I know you don’t love me anymore.

It’s not their fault. I just hear it from all my friends. But I need to be free from you.

Daniel, this is goodbye, I will not be hit or smacked by you and I will not buy you your whiskey with my money anymore.

Daniel, I know you’re with Margot today. Treat her kindly if things end up working in your favor.

Daniel, I’m leaving now. Goodbye. You make me angry. You make me want to kill. But I’m taking the whiskey. It’s mine anyways.

Daniel. Goodbye

and fuck you.

Signed,

Sandra