Eyes shut, I caress the grooves of the cold wet slate.
I hear you my darling Emily, I hear you!
I hear you my love.
My lips touch the stone. Lingering.
I long to unlock the secrets of the cave, to understand.
“It’s been three years Si, she wouldn’t want you to put your life on hold indefinitely,” is the basic message they’ve all colluded upon delivering.
They seem to think that they can take me for a nice little walk in the woods or an afternoon tea and then I’ll just snap out of “it.”
They don’t get “it” for starters. I will never give up on her. Ever. I feel her spirit always. She shakes me from the trees, she shouts from the waves. She makes my hairs tingle, my eyes cry, my heart beat.
She has the answers. She needs me.
Nobody knew about the message in the cave until I found it. To begin with I thought I had just stumbled across it by accident whilst they prodded and poked her white, bloated corpse. My Emily.
But now I know that she led me there deliberately.
She had etched the message in the stone before the seaweed and crabs braided her hair. Before hollow sockets remained where vitality once lived.
She had a million tiny scratches, she stank.
She was more like a rotting seal, but I told her mother she looked like a harpooned mermaid. There was nothing mythical about it.
It was strange to me how long they left her carcass on the beach. The forensic team that is. That’s why they missed the cave message and that’s why they got it all wrong and said suicide.
My Emily loved me. We were going to get married one day. They got it all wrong. She had rocks in her pockets from the etching. Someone killed her. I’m more and more certain of it every day.
She won’t be at peace until I catch him.
But Mr Holmes, you do know what the message says, don’t you?
Yes, we accept that you didn’t kill her.
Mr Holmes. Please, we’ve been through this before, haven’t we? The reason why we won’t be taking this any further, as you know, is because you carved the message in the stone yourself, didn’t you Mr Holmes? We can put you in touch with a bereavement councillor.
Mr Holmes.
Listen please.
Emily’s case is closed.
Glasgowdragonfly's Blog 
Your descriptions are amazing. Well done!
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Thank you so much Laura. Delighted that you enjoyed it enough to comment!
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Wonderful take on the prompt! I wasn’t expecting that ending – great details here!
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Aww, thanks Nicole! Really stoked that you enjoyed it.
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Nice twist at the end, Glasgow. And this description is so evocative: “before the seaweed and crabs braided her hair.”
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Thanks so much for commenting Meg, means alot to know what worked for you!
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This has a great twist! Evocative and well-written.
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Thank you so much for your feedback!
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The stark imagery of morbidity and its beauty were intertwined to reach the twisted end. I never saw it coming!
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I’m delighted that the twist caught you by surprise! Thanks for commenting!
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I’m psyched that so many people felt a poetic calling with this prompt – the descriptions of how she calls out, shaking from the trees and shouting from the waves are just wonderful.
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Thanks Shannon, what a lovely comment!
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So sad but such an intriguing story to have woven from the prompt. Like Shannon, I really enjoyed the poetry in your piece, including this part: “before the seaweed and crabs braided her hair.”
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Thanks for reading and commenting!
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Mr. Holmes can figure his way out this predicament. Not the first time he’s been framed! Others have commented on the silky poetry of your piece. I echo them!
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Thanks Nate! Congrats on your new role too btw – well deserved!
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