Some debts aren’t paid in cash; they’re paid in cold iron and broken promises.
Writer’s Prompt
The neon sign outside sputtered in a rhythmic, dying buzz, casting a sickly violet hue over Jude’s hands. In his grip, the heavy iron poker felt like an extension of his own resentment.
Al Stenis was exactly where he always ended up: lounging in a velvet armchair that he hadn’t paid for, smelling of expensive gin and Alicia’s perfume. He didn’t even look up when Jude entered. That was Al’s greatest sin—the effortless assumption that he was the protagonist and Jude was merely background noise.
“She’s sleeping, Jude,” Al said, his voice a smooth silk ribbon. “Don’t wake her. It’s been a long night for people who actually live life instead of brooding over it.”
Jude thought of the dartboard in his basement, the wood splintered where Al’s eyes should be. He thought of the decade spent in Al’s shadow, and the three months since Alicia had stopped answering his calls. The “big pay-off” he’d promised himself wasn’t about money. It was about silence.
Jude stepped into the light. The iron poker scraped against the floorboards—a low, predatory growl. Al finally looked up, his smug grin faltering as he saw the look in Jude’s eyes. It wasn’t anger. It was a cold, empty vacuum.
“Jude, let’s be reasonable,” Al stammered, reaching for the glass on the side table.
Jude raised the iron. The shadow it threw against the wall looked like a giant’s claw.
“Reason left the building when you took her, Al. Now, it’s just us.”
Jude lunged. The glass shattered. A muffled scream erupted from the bedroom down the hall.
The Final Chapter is Yours…
The iron is mid-swing, and Alicia is at the door. Does Jude follow through and seal his fate, or does the sudden sight of the woman he loves turn the weapon into a heavy burden of regret? How does this grudge end?
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