#10 The Witness

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Vicky’s not sure what she heard that foggy autumn evening.

Perhaps it was some ungodly beast howling at the moon,

Perhaps it was her neighbor screaming.

She’s been hyperaware and anxious these past few gloomy days.

Maybe she should just take a pill and drift off to sleep,

But maybe she’s stalling while murder pays?

Vicky’s too insecure to call the police, the cops scare her.

If only she could recall her neighbor’s voice when they met,

If only she could swallow the terror.

She bites her lip as lately no one enters the house next door.

When she gets the time next morning, she’s gonna look for help.

When she gets the time, she’s gonna do more.

Her frail figure turns to switch off the lights but something’s off.

Perhaps there are two glowing eyes peeking in the dark.

Perhaps her brain’s just being odd.

She takes a second before turning off the vintage chandelier.

Once it’s dark, she’ll lock the door and rush to her bed,

Once she’s in bed, there’s nothing to fear.

But Vicky sees the creature approaching the lonely house.

Tragically she’s too frozen to move a single inch,

Tragically it’s a game of cat and mouse.

Vicky’s now sure what she heard that late autumn evening.

Clearly there’s someone peeking in through the window,

Clearly it’s her the creature’s been seeking.

-JW

#4 The Note On Her Doorstep

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I will build a chantry and your remains will serve as the central piece

Or, even better, I will immure you in the stone cold walls.

May you die in peace.

I will burn an old church and build an amusement park in its place.

We will ride in the Ferris wheel leaping towards your death.

Hope it picks up the pace.

I will sacrifice your toes on the altar and there will not be a motive.

If you scream, I will tie you down on the tracks

Wishing for a locomotive.

I will plant a forest and let you loose once it is thick enough to scare you,

And I will want to hold your hand but that does not mean

That I will spare you.

I will deliver a blow to your head while you read this obscure message

Or, even better, I will drag you by the hair to the graveyard.

Feel free to discount your blessings.

-JW

#2 The Ritual – Part II

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The last thing I remember is meeting my old friends in this creepy cottage.

We all drank wine and spoke highly of ourselves while downing pottage.

One moment the last guest arrives, the next moment we’re all long gone.

I feel my body lying on some cold dirt, all I want is to reach my telephone.

There’s grunting, there’s digging, there’s the fact that I can’t move fast.

My legs are stale and my shoulders are numb. Is this feeling going to last?

As they bury another lifeless form, the drug starts exiting my system.

Maybe it’s just the rush but I get up, the night is clear, stars and crystals.

The kneecaps are barely cooperating but I have to get out of sight.

I move as quickly as my frozen limbs can take me, it’s fight-or-flight.

No one seems to be chasing me for a while until they finally notice.

There’s a highway not that far so I pull through it, the pain feels bogus.

As my shaky feet touch the surface of the road, I fall apart there and then.

One car stops after another but those who chased me hold their breaths

And count to ten.

-JW

#2 The Ritual

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It’s been some time since the whole crew has come together to play.

We’ve been tirelessly getting more serious without any fun and decent pay.

Leah’s shooting for a promotion she’ll never get but she’s too blinded.

She used to be their best until she completed her family portrait

And got winded.

Vicky’s pushing her art wherever she can, it’s repulsive yet chic.

Her father bought Vicky a house in a rural area, right by a creek.

Dan’s still trying to ask her out, the old money tastes too bittersweet.

They once made a pact to only get married when they’re eighty,

Without front teeth.

Lizzy’s a no-show, I swear I saw her active on socials the night before.

I heard she turned down every single soul that asked for love or more.

Ron’s arriving late in his brand new sport’s car, what a waste of a man.

Ever since the day we met he’s been chasing his lusts –

But there’s no luck and no plan.

The party can now begin – in a few moments they’ll lose their senses,

They’ll pass out on the wooden floor, no arguments and no defences.

I’m cozy in my leather sofa, looking at people I once called friends.

They’re entirely clueless, even happy to be here but just you wait

Until the ritual begins.

-JW

#8 The Splash Zone

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Don’t stand in the splash zone, don’t stump on my happy place.

The shoes you’re wearing are leaving marks

But we wouldn’t want to leave a trace.

Be careful around the edges, make sure your raincoat’s tight enough

If you stand too close, you might get chopped.

But if you leave, take blades and cuffs.

Stop! One more step and you might take a fall into the slash zone.

Nota bene: keep DNA on the body who owns it,

No foolproof plan is accident prone.

When you cut the throat, let it only mark the plastic wallpapers.

Your clothes should never be stained with the goo,

Your face shouldn’t be in tomorrow’s papers.

As you’re gouging the eyeballs, move in from the back and slice –

Don’t make it messy, don’t try to prove a point.

The feeling fades but an alibi’s nice.

And don’t stand in the splash zone, don’t give up our happy place.

Take the bags and the buckets, help me out.

We wouldn’t want to leave a trace.

-JW

#6 The Victim

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Running until my knees become softer than melting snow,

Running until my thighs burn and can’t carry the weight.

Trying to escape your furious words, nostrils soaked in blow.

Trying to run up that hill and maybe I can if I keep my faith.

Sneaking around muddy patches, drowning my sneakers until they flood.

Sneaking around rotten animal corpses, keeping it slow and on the hush.

Dangling over the edge of the bridge, crashing in the river with a thud.

Dangling out your car… I don’t recall what happened, my head’s a mush.

Pulling on the ropes, trying to spit out the piece of cloth.

Pulling on the cuffs but my arms are too weak to break the hold.

Choking on tears, they’re filling my nose and open lips as I pray to god.

Choking on smoky gasoline in a burning car left in the wolds.

-JW

#7 The Neighbor

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Living next door to Joanne was more of a challenge than a well-deserved rest

From the plain, identical streets of this rural area where I’ve built my little nest.

It wasn’t much, a wife, two dogs, a C-class Mercedes and A-class depression

Which was a trustee friend ever since the start of this mind-boggling recession.

With a mortgage and jobs that set fire under our feet with each sudden firing

Our little family slipped into the hands of an unspoken sadness, slow and tiring.

But Joanne was different, 6 inch heels and a concentrated personality to match –

Her loud and never-ending parties didn’t let our sleep escape without a scratch.

We tried to befriend her, we tried to scold her, we tried to execute a revenge.

For the most part it was just us yelling over the music, leaning on the picket fence.

One November day I was home alone brooding and I saw Joanne leaving her house.

The lady left her key under the mat. She didn’t have kids, didn’t have a spouse.

I saw a chance and I took it, snuck over the lawn and unlocked the heavy door.

Whatever her family was doing, I was convinced – they weren’t struggling or poor.

The lavish carpets and drapes, artwork to match the design – it all told a story

Of a rich woman taking over a rural street and claiming it as her territory.

The kitchen was spotless, no dirty dishes from the outlandish parties she held.

There was also a garden with curious plants, the smell so strong I was repelled.

A sudden movement in the kitchen window threw me off guard, was it her?

As I hid behind the plants in the garden, a cat appeared, green eyes and white fur.

Should I feel relieved or should I wait it out? My gaze began to wander.

Joanne’s face was pressed against the window. I fled, there’s no time to ponder.

But there’s no way out, the gate’s locked, so was the little side wicket.

I slowly stepped back into the garden as she walked outside, calm yet wicked.

My body hit a bush right beside the fence and I noticed a tiny, handwritten note.

I realized why we never saw her guests leave. She grinned and reached for the remote.

With the first beats of the rhythm I was in so much pain I curled up like a fetus.

The last thing I saw was a bloody note saying:

“Run if you see this.”

-JW

#1 The Untrusty Friend

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Oh Lizzy, Lizzy, how I proved you dead wrong.

You told me I couldn’t, I wasn’t that strong.

Oh Lizzy, Lizzy, how the tables have turned.

The leaves cover the corner where I was scorned.

Oh dear, don’t you see how it’s played out?

Tell me once more how I smell of sour doubt

And yell once again for help or for mercy.

You’re so frigid they named you Lady Percy.

But let’s not get off the topic, hear me out –

We can’t move forward if you continue to shout.

Oh Lizzy, Lizzy, how you wronged me to death.

You told me I couldn’t while losing your breath.

-JW

The Next Day’s Paper

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“A Las Vegas dancer using alias Candy remains in serious yet stable condition

After a potential client choked her while hitting her head on the ignition.

The suspect has been identified by the victim as a former acquaintance.

He remains in police custody and under 24/7 surveillance.

A press conference this afternoon will reveal the suspect’s name and age.

The surviving victim brought forward additional accusations

And took the central stage

When she revealed that five years ago she was a witness to an unsolved murder

Committed by the same man in a nearby town.

She claims: “The girl screamed and no one but me heard her.”

This attack matches the pattern of a potential serial killer in our state,

Attacking women by trying to strangle them, using money as bait.

All of the victims were found the morning after the attack, at around 6.

In the nearby towns this phenomena has been nicknamed “Hour X”.”

-JW

Never Hers // Candy

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Saw her walking Sammy Davis Drive,

Black shirt and lighting in her gaze.

Her heels were broken, clock struck five.

She cursed the heat with a joke

About the human race.

The night consumed her with one bite,

Spat out the bones and fake, blue purse.

How do you cope when nothing’s right?

Another fantasy brought to life,

But it was never hers.

With each sunset she loses a fight.

The danger creeps over her while she sleeps.

She’s convinced – the neon will make her bright.

Yet again blood’s leaving her bruised cheeks.

The Mirage fades as the streets reek of freaks,

And she’s back on Sammy Davis Drive again.

Committing to nobody but the original sin.

Heels still broken, the clock strikes six

And she waves the middle finger to the moon

Before falling into the abyss.

-JW