Prompt: Write a story involving betrayal685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVwvdX8Cim
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LMIZfcMlj
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcFYG2rBTQH
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡny0gXlTNHg
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkp33YrecMi
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCGwKQVGvN
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNB06QEgPSf
Cara had brought home her peasant lover, Druid, and was presently attempting to inconspicuously smuggle him out of the manor.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd87TNnwiJq
'Cara!' It was David. 'Come join us for breakfast. What could ever be taking you so long?'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtDvWmK7Vq
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.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuy42Mn4EA2
Cara arrived at the breakfast table late, to the watching eyes of her siblings, David, Eric, and Rachelle.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchl1lZhBG4
'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.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3BCcuMUXZ
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.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFiBLFt5IC
'Ta ta.' The girl responds.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerT0TxeHkj
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR899ZcTvCc
'But we haven't even reached mains yet!' Rachelle complains.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQEVJzRPYC
'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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5IsUPTnpp
Cara thought about her precious Druid, waiting in a closet, and took the opportunity to also leave the table. 'I, um, I - '685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgLopRJLA6
'Yes?' Rachelle looks up at her, expecting an unarguable excuse.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTB3pRJngVf
'It's just that phase of the moon.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdpee8gqp6
'That makes no sense, Caraaaaaa!!! Breakfast is no fun if you all go away doing silly things!'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdcBKgVoXf
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.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYKs1EFHlf
'Hmmph.' The girl crosses her arms as Cara leaves.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFbA3q1Ble
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2w6dxt1HJE
'Good gracious!' Exclaimed the Nannies.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltIGeGe4L5
'Oh dear!' Cara shouted.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoGWlgAYKG
'My God!' The sons ejaculated.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxYQTWrAeF
'What's daddy doing?' Rachelle asked.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe74fj8jGv5
'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?'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEGHCsGN5o
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!'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69hp5X3Crb
'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!'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRl6ozmL5t5
'That is a lie, mother! You and I both know I loved father more than you ever did.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2DcypvplK
A simultaneous gasp from the two Nannies. What a very juicy Incident this would be for their gossip circles!685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfocElgq9oQ
'Well! I must ask you to leave. You are disturbing my grieving process.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSxCunkv9d
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!'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tzIPaBGxN
Rachelle began crying in consternation, not quite comprehending but aware of the distress nonetheless.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5imCOE7Um
'Rachelle! Come here.' Nanny Emily gave the girl a strong embrace. The little one was always fond of the servant women.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQksedqhdP
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNEMxAp9Av
'Very well!' Lady Morley said. 'After all, we don't want any more blood spilt today.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ214Nv4eLSx
Cara ran out of the room and tracked down the cupboard she had so suddenly farewelled her lover in. Empty.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNonwBZTE9
Where could he be? She passed by the entrance hall and saw Druid by the door.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTv8qCFufsM
'Dru! Why have you not left yet?' She whispered to him loudly.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkZJnFHeZV
His face goes white. 'The doors and windows are barred. From the outside. I cannot leave!' 685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnL6GzWWPwN
It is only at this point that Cara began comprehending the situation.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafsY3IVvNS
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGZNRRYGJV
Nanny Amy began taking down notes. What an exciting day!685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnxLCwRZv4
'All the doors and windows are barred from the outside! We are trapped inside with a killer!'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRz1KBpM2UV
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?'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaztyX93uC
'No! I was - I was, um...'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEUX5tPkfi
Druid walked through the door. 'Hi.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXryiyu99H
'Who is this, Cara?' Lady Morley was positively concerned at the arrival of this lowly stranger.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1BozN2i0O
'Druid and I are lovers, mother.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsR9C0JyBmO
'PFFFFFT! Nonsense. Try again. Who is this, Cara?'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91idwj5l61
'Druid is my boyfriend?'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmZEscWs7B
'I don't think so. Who is this person?'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqOV4y6Bgj
'Mother, please shut up most presently. I am in love with Druid, and his status is of no concern to you or me.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvfKnovuVg
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.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaafFpGE2pL
'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.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9c9AotUofJ
'Nooooo, don't gooooooo...' Rachelle squealed.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQJJYB3RaF
'It's okay darling Rachelle, I will stay with you.' Nanny Emily patted her head.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEJL9cq3gv
'There is some point to Eric's decision.' Druid stated.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRg5F1pfM4
'Did you hear something, Cara? I most certainly didn't.' 685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHY57no9xz
'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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9oFXLw1gk
'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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1geFCWWRHj
'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.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9R0MBjIvAB
Rachelle and Nanny Emily sat down on the bed.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYUO2PleNY
'I'll go get the coloring books, shall I?' Nanny Amy offered.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwc9bAgj4W3
'That would be lovely.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4UF1y0RFT
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!'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT41OvIdofC
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XE2uz0kCZ
Eric harked to alert the others, and they all gathered at the foot of the staircase, beside the bodies. 'The situation is getting serious.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOOfIeQqIK
'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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgK8PDkFbJg
'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.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaF6dLIwObD
'Do we really have the time for this?' Eric complained, to no avail, as Druid began telling the story to Cara.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5mCj3Hx4J
'It was a Saturday market. Your family were passing by my fake jewelry stall.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv53mIT0jTV
'It was fake???'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFujcnrtVUL
'Shut up, mother! Let him continue.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29H7ioC2cK
'This is hopeless.' Eric left the entrance hall.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6xZkVYMj2
'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.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxTvoetBfP
'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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsS9Z8fv7w3
'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.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNZhG2unJD
'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.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmbPxvaMhk
'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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIptP8Y7Fqj
'Oh well. I suppose it wasn't him after all.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLI4U8d3RJY
She didn't feel the need to alarm anyone.
'Rachelle! Are you alright?!'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡML07NctFyX
The girl was lying in a pool of blood. Thankfully, it was not her own.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvh66nXW5g
Nanny Emily was leaning against the wall beside Rachelle. Her head was leaning on the wall opposite Rachelle. Neck wounds bleed a frightful lot.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6vw6XdkGO
'Oh my darling Rachelle, come here, come here, what happened?' Lady Morley scooped up her youngest child through tears.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2x2LOlGUh
'It was... it was... it was a man...'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBS9HgXdks
David was dead. Eric was dead. That left only Druid.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdHE8goNWf
'My god! I knew he was dodgy! I must call the others at once! CARAAAA!'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEWNjLPsTk
'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!'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wiHFvRDCZ
...685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡup3ORkAb3R
'Druid, Eric was killed.' Lady Morley said.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpH0wmAc6W
'What? But...'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJe52QSWqn0
'And Rachelle here also said it was a man that came and killed Nanny Emily.'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8Hy1ATHYo
'No, no, that's not right. Where's Eric?'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorjFvmhedW
'Lying dead at the top of the stairs. Which means that the only person that could have done this all is YOU!'685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2KwnrCfET
'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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfSMRFv9vz
'I think, little peasant, that we have all the proof we need.' With a blow from her knuckles, the man was knocked unconscious.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTo1h6OIpvx
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrEuispEGQ
But what became of their fortune?685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwBJTRDsNY
David inherited the fortune, of course.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ632HnOb1dN
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMweo9kV7tB
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7Lc4A4Nf2
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.685Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ylsYEH17T
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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