Placing the Blame

Norton’s head was pulsing with thoughts, clouding his mind. It had been three days after Lilly ran away, and he had found her and lost her all at once. He knew that nothing good could come out of starring at what was left of his sweet Lilly’s body at the side of the driveway. She was mutilated and completely un-recognizable. She had been hit what seemed like a hundred times already, and it was like a hundred stabbing knives sinking deeper and deeper into Norton’s heart while standing in Benny’s driveway.1

He knew that never again would he wake up to her adorable wet nose sniffing his face in the morning. He knew that never again would she sit on his lap while he read his novels to her while she rubbed her grey fur and tiny body against him. She had been his best friend, his one and only, and his companion for ten years. Now she was gone. 2

Then he thought about Benny, watching him from the next house. Norton had been Benny’s next door neighbor and co-worker for about a year, and ever since Norton got promoted, Benny had been nothing but jealous. Norton was disgusted by him with every bit of his soul. He hated the way he invited Norton over for dinner after he so kindly ratted out his parties to the police, complaining about the noise and the way he stopped by to say “sorry” after his nephew threw a baseball through Norton’s window. Benny had been trying to frame Norton to get him fired for at least a month now, and it was driving Norton crazy. Benny not only complained about Norton to their boss, he would frame him for small things, like stealing the boss’s coffee or misplacing paperwork. It was childish and horrible, but Norton never thought Benny would do something as horrible as this.3

Norton could feel steam shooting out of his ears rapidly. He could feel the blood rushing to his face. He probably broke her poor legs and then backed over her with his car. She was probably screeching for help, while Benny was looking all over town for her, putting posters on trees. She was his one and only love, and thanks to Benny, she was reduced to a pile of blood and fur. Norton had to get even somehow. He had to make Benny feel what he felt at this very moment. He had to---4

Stopping him in mid-thought, Norton saw a red car pull up to the driveway. Benny’s red car. He was going to run over Lilly’s remains one more time just for the fun of it. Thinking quickly, Norton jumped in front of the moving car. The car hit him lightly, but he still fell to the ground. He couldn’t see because his eyes were tearing up so much.5

The car door opened, and Benny stepped out with a shocked look on his face.6

“Are you okay?” he asked, pretending to care. 7

Norton’s legs were hurt from the fall, but he got up anyway. Dragging his left foot, he staggered over to Benny with his right hand clenched into a fist, ready to strike.8

“Oh no!” Benny walked over to Lilly’s remains, as if he had just noticed them. “That poor little creature! I must have backed over it when I went out to look for your cat. By the way, I found her. She was under a bush down the street…. Strange how that dead squirrel kind of looks like her.”9