Goodbye

                                                GOODBYE

    Kathryn was just finishing her shower, she liked showers instead of bathes, They calmed her nerves and loosened up those tense muscles she usually gets from a stressfull day. She pauses for a moment because she thinks she hears laughter, Katheryn calls out to her husband.  "Richard is that you?"  She got no answer. She turns off the shower, wraps a towel around herself and pulls back the shower curtain and steps out onto a small shag throw rug. Still fairly wet and dripping she towels off , then steps over to the sink and wipes the condensation off the mirror as she did this she heard a thumping sound and the lights flickered. She again called out to her husband  "Richard are you home?"  Still no answer. She combed her hair, put on her nightgown turned and walked out of the bathroom. Behind her, sitting on the tank of the toilet is her husband Richard, looking quite worse for the ware, a bit gray and he had blood down the front of his shirt.             
   
    Kathryn went to the kitchen and started to make herself a cup of tea. Again she thinks she hears her husband, she stops what shes doing and agin calls to him.
"Richard?........Answer me damn it!"  Just as she finished the sentance the lights started to go on and off in rapid sucession. Now Katheryn was starting to get a bit scared, frantically she began to look around the room to see why this was happening, she saw nothing. It stopped as suddenly as it started. Then she heard him.  "Kathryn!"    She turned toward the voice.  "I'm in here Kathryn,in the livingroom."    Now her fright turns to anger and she rushes into the livingroom.
  "Why the hell didn't you tell me you where home Richard!....Richard?...Alright Richard where are you?"  Just then the T.V. turns on, it's Richard on the screen looking the same as in the bathroom.  "Right behind you Kathryn."  She turns to see him on the T.V. his throat is cut, there are stab wounds in his chest. She reacts with a mixture of surprise and horror.

"Richard?"

"That right Kathryn it's me, look at what Anthony has done to me Kathryn. Look at it!"

"Anthony? Anthony who?"

"Don't play dumb with me Katheryn. I know the truth. Anthony Serrano your lover."

"Anthonys not my..."

Richard interupts her  "Don't say it don't lie to me Katheryn."
Glancing around the room Katheryn asks  "Where are you Richard?''  She walks toward the T.V. and raises her hand to the VCR.

"Don't bother Katheryn you wont find a tape in there or anything out of the ordinary.
This isn't a trick,I'm dead,I've come back to say goodbye."

"Dead Richard?"  she said sarcastically  "You can't be, how can this be happening?"

"Oh I am dead, and this is, happening."

"But how?"

"How !?"  Richard said angrily.  "I'll tell you how! Your boyfriend came up behind me and ran a blade across my throat. Then when I would'nt bleed out fast enough for him he stabbed me in the chest. The bastard ruined a perfectly good shirt."

"Anthonys not my boyfriend, Richard I love you."

"Oh please Kathryn, give up the charade. I know the truth. Youv'e been with him for about a year now and planning to leave me for half that time. But, one thing got in the way."

"Oh really, What was that Richard?"  Just then he appeared right in front of her, she screamed and stumbled back onto the couch.
"Oh my god Richard!!"

"I was Kathryn!! I was in the way!!"  Richard is now yelling at the top of what is left of his voice.  "You knew I would never let you go so you had to kill me."

"No Richard thats not true."

"True? Kathryn. Oh yes it is, you see a funny thing happens when you die. You learn the truth. The truth about everything, I don' t mean just about your silly little affair. I mean all the truth. About everything. You know all those little questions you ask yourself. Why are we here? Whats the meaning of life? What would have happened if I did this or that? Hell Kathryn I even know who killed Kennedy. Now young Mr. Serrano knows the truth, as you soon will."

"What do you mean as I soon will''  She asked apprehensivley.

"You will be joining Mr. Serrano and I."

"Anthonys dead?"

"Thats right my dear."

"But... but if your dead how did you...?"

"It was simple, as Anthony was making his get away. I appeared to him on that curve overlooking the river, you know the one, on Elmwood Road. He thought he hadn't finished the job, so he went for me with the car, not very bright that one. Anyway he went through the guardrail and down into the river. It was quite spectacular actually just like a Hollywood movie. I have to say I dislike violence, you know that, but I most enjoyed watching him struggle to get out of the car as it filled with water. It got wedged between two rocks so he couldn't open the doors. Bit of bad luck wouldn't you say Kathryn? Anyway it was entertaining to see how long he could hold his breath before the water invaded his lungs and he suffocated to death. Why Kathryn I do believe I heard his heart explode in his chest. Ha ha I guess you could say he died of a broken heart ha ha ha."

Shaking her head she said  "This all in my mind, this isn't happening. Your not really here Richard are you? I mean it's impossible for me to really be talking to you, after all your dead."

"Impossible? Really?

"Really Richard"  She said with an attitude. She got up off the couch and walked out in to the kitchen. Richard starts to follow her, she stops and spins around then points her right index finger in his face.

"You my dear departed husband are about to go away again"  She takes a pill bottle out of a cabinet, looks down on it and sees its her Valium.

"Once these little babys take effect, the stress of planning your murder will just fade away"

"Will it Kathryn?"

"Yes Richard and so will you"  She takes the pills.

"I don't think so, you and I will be together for a little while longer."

"Well Richard I do think so. When I'm done arguing with my imagination I'm going to call the police and report Anthony Serrano attacked me then took off after my husband. Nice and neat wouldn't you say Richard?"

"Very. Oh one last thing before I fade away as you say. What was that you took?"

"Whats the matter Richard? I thought you knew the truth. Remember when you die you learn the truth."  She said as she was shaking the bottle at him.

"I do Kathryn, look at the bottle."  She looked down at the bottle the name on the lable said Richard Carson she realizes its not her Valium, but Richards Pennicillin.
Kathryn is allergic to Pennicillin she reacts in horror.

"Oh my god ,It's your Pennicillin!!"  She starts to breath faster and rubs her throat.

"Pennicillin? Say aren't you extremely allergic to Pennicillin?"

Gasping for air and clawing at her throat  "You know I am you bastard"
she sinks to her knees.
"But how, the bottle said Valium?"
Struggling for air and turning blue she falls to the floor.

"Kind of ironic, wouldn't you say Kathryn? Oh I guess you couldn't say with your throat closing up and all"
She's now rolling around on the floor clutching at her throat.
"How does it feel? An allergic reaction I mean. Your skin wants to crawl off your body, your eyes so full of fluid you can't see anymore. I'd have to say, I think the worst would be not being able to breathe. Every breath a struggle, everytime not enough oxygen, your chest feeling like it's going to explode. How does it feel Kathryn? How does it feel to die?"