The Avenger

Kat pulled her silver Acura up to the curb and peeked out her window. A small, white house with blue shutters stared back at her as she unbuckled her seatbelt to get a better glimpse. She leaned back quickly as she saw a bush in the front garden move, but rolled her eyes a moment later, realizing it was just the wind.

“Get a grip, kid,” She whispered to herself.

Kat slumped in her seat, trying to decide if she wanted to get out or stay in. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly and then placed her left hand on the door handle.

“So thanks again, Jules, it was great seeing you,” a man’s voice boomed out.

Kat pulled her hand quickly back, drew her breath in and flopped farther in her seat, making herself invisible. It’s him, she thought her face turning bright red. Shit, I have to do it now.

A young woman’s voice spoke sweetly, “No problem, it’s always a pleasure!” She followed this with a slight giggle. It’s the bitch.

Kat turned to the passenger side, her fingers shaking, removed her father’s 35 magnum from her black nike swim bag. She rolled down her window and stuck the pistol out, aiming it for the man whose back was to her. Kat stared at the woman standing on the third step of her porch in front of her husband. Her hair, a beautiful strawberry color shone even more brightly in the sun, and her clothes, a thin white tank top with shorts accented her slim figure. Kat crinkled her nose in disgust eyeing her full chest. Stupid woman can’t even wear a bra. The woman shrieked suddenly, eyeing Kat and began pointing, “Ross, Oh my God, Ross!”

Get his name right, slut.

Kat breathed hard, pulling back the security lock on the pistol, ready to pull the trigger on this filthy man, who she had slept with faithfully for 32 years, cooked him dinners he was too busy to eat, gave him two beautiful children who had both grown up to become successful lawyers. She had even signed them up to take salsa lessons together this year as a tribute to their retirement together. Bastard, has a whore younger than our daughter.

He began to turn around. Kat wanted to watch, she wanted to look into the man she had married on a beach in Antigua years ago, a man who promised to devote his life, his body to her. But she couldn’t. Kat shut her eyes and squeezed them tight, as she pulled on the trigger and heard an explosion that sounded like a bomb. She had never heard a gunshot before, often asking her father, a retired cop what the sound was. Now she knew. She heard a man scream, a shrill sound that was so distant and unfamiliar that Kat had to open her eyes and see what she had done.

The man who had blood pouring from what seemed like every angle of his body lay limply strewn across the woman’s rose bush. His eyes were wide open, his clothes soaked in blood and his left elbow twisted behind him. It was a rather awkward position.

Kat saw all this but only one thought went through her mind. That man is not my husband.

Chronicles of Maggie- Part III Maggie at Lunch

The bell rang at precisely 11:45 am. Maggie walked quickly through the hallway, elbowing her way thorough the swarm of hungry students. Usually Maggie waited 5 minutes outside of her classroom to monitor her students assembling for lunch, but today, she couldn’t be bothered. She hadn’t had a break the entire day and her stomach had been aching from starvation. She had missed breakfast. Plus, she wanted to get to the microwave first. Maggie smiled upon entering the empty staff room, ahhh, she thought, peace at last. Maggie removed her lasagna from her lunch bag and stuck the container into the microwave. It didn’t light up. “Weird”, she muttered. She looked in the back, searching for a plug. “Stopped working this morning,” Bill, the day custodian said coming up behind her. “I think a bunch of people went out for lunch, I just saw them leaving.”

“Where?” Maggie asked.

“I dunno,” Bill shrugged, changing the garbage bag.

Maggie shook her head and retreated to the empty table. Not a soul to complain with. She had just brought the spoon to her mouth when:

“Ms. Spencer, are you there?” A voice came over the loudspeaker.

“Yes,” Maggie said, without thinking. Bill shook his head.

“Could you come to the office please, there’s been an incident with three students in your room during lunch. Thanks.”

Maggie got up slowly.

Maggie at the End of the day

Read more of The Maggie Chronicles
Part I: Maggie in the Morning
Part II:Maggie in a Meeting
Part III:Maggie at Work
Part IV:Maggie at Lunch

Chronicles of Maggie- Part III Maggie at Work

“Everybody just be quiet, please”. Maggie said this in a loud voice. A paper airplane hit her in the nose. “Jack Bernard, go stand outside NOW!”

Maggie was surprised at how loud her voice was. It didn’t help that the office was only a door away.

“I didn’t do anything! It was Jason, not me”, Jack protested. Maggie looked at him. Jack Bernard was trouble. The problem was, Maggie hated him and he probably hated her back. He was a spoiled brat as far as she could tell and luckily many of the teachers agreed. Jack kicked a chair and shuffled out of the room, slamming the door shut.

“Now,” Maggie crossed her arms and peered up at her class of 33 students. Their chairs were bumper to bumper, crammed together among a sea of mismatched desks. “We are going to get through this assignment quickly and quietly, otherwise you will have homework assigned tonight.” Maggie heard a loud groan at the back of the room and frowned. “I said quietly.”

“Can we do it in partners”, Marshall piped out.

“I’m going to ignore that question, because somebody decided it would be rude to talk without raising their hand”, Maggie said.

“But why? Why is that rude?” Cathy chirped.

Maggie wanted to hit something.

Read more of The Maggie Chronicles
Part I: Maggie in the Morning
Part II:Maggie in a Meeting
Part III:Maggie at Work

Chronicles of Maggie- Part II Maggie in a Meeting

Maggie Spencer carried her notebook, an apple and a small yoghurt container, with her to her very exciting staff meeting. She entered the room, and spotted a great seat all the way at the back of the room, a place where she could be invisible, yet still look like part of the group. It was also right beside Drake Donavan, one of the teachers on staff who she knew had a monster crush on her. Perfect, Maggie thought. Get some flirting in there too. She pushed her way through and only too late, realized there was a sweater already on the chair. “Hi, Maggie”, Sharon Tapes smiled sneeringly, “That’s my spot”. Maggie didn’t like Sharon Tapes. Maggie thought of her as a condescending bitch. Maggie always wished she could be part of a group where they would secretly badmouth Sharon Tapes, but no such luck, everyone seemed to like her.

“Oh, right, sorry”, Maggie said sullenly. She sighed as she watched her Vice Principal Ron Devil wave her enthusiastically to the front of the room. “Maggie, the perfect spot”.

The Maggie Chronicles
Part I: Maggie in the Morning
Part II:Maggie in a Meeting