Truth


“What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is three truths and a lie.”  The prosecutor turned to me; narrowed his eyes.  “Ain’t that right, Cassidy Jane?”  He placed a hand across the witness stand.  His fingernails were polished and buffed.  “Cassidy Jane?”

I bit my lip.  “My daddy always said, sir, that two wrongs don’t make a right.”

He nodded.  “Go on.”

“But two negatives do make a positive.”  I smiled.  “I learned that in school.” 

“We ain’t talking school, are we Cassidy Jane?”


“No sir.  But in Manhattan, I’m told, two rights’ll get you to the same place as two lefts, and just as quick.”

The prosecutor laughed long and loud, showing me his horsey teeth.  “Them people in New York City got nothing better to do ‘n lay out their streets with a ruler, now, do they?  That wouldn’t work here in West Virginia.  Sides, Cassidy Jane, we’re talkin’ threes here, not twos.”  He held up three fingers.  “Three truths.  One lie.” 

He took my hand in his own.  And—I swear I couldn’t help myself—I flinched at the lack of bone and muscle in that old dead fish of a hand.  And then the jury and the rest of the courtroom and I suspect even the judge laughed, too. 

“Cassidy Jane.”  He turned and spun.  “Miss Myrtle Greene hid you in her basement after your daddy took ill.  Your daddy was poisoned by mushrooms that grow in these-here mountains.  You put those mushrooms in your daddy’s dinner.”  He lifted three fingers into the air.  “Three truths.  And now for the lie.  You poisoned your daddy.”  He leaned in close.  “It was Myrtle who did it, wasn’t it?  Myrtle who gave you them mushrooms just to be, shall we say, neighborly-like?”

I shook my head.  “No sir.  That ain’t right at all.”

“Oh, really?  Tell me where I’m mistaken.”

“Truth is, sir, them mushrooms were meant for you, on account of the baby growing in my stomach as we speak.”

This was written in response to this week's Trifecta Writing Challenge.  Three truths.  One lie.

Labels:

Writing in the Margins, Bursting at the Seams: Truth

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Truth


“What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is three truths and a lie.”  The prosecutor turned to me; narrowed his eyes.  “Ain’t that right, Cassidy Jane?”  He placed a hand across the witness stand.  His fingernails were polished and buffed.  “Cassidy Jane?”

I bit my lip.  “My daddy always said, sir, that two wrongs don’t make a right.”

He nodded.  “Go on.”

“But two negatives do make a positive.”  I smiled.  “I learned that in school.” 

“We ain’t talking school, are we Cassidy Jane?”


“No sir.  But in Manhattan, I’m told, two rights’ll get you to the same place as two lefts, and just as quick.”

The prosecutor laughed long and loud, showing me his horsey teeth.  “Them people in New York City got nothing better to do ‘n lay out their streets with a ruler, now, do they?  That wouldn’t work here in West Virginia.  Sides, Cassidy Jane, we’re talkin’ threes here, not twos.”  He held up three fingers.  “Three truths.  One lie.” 

He took my hand in his own.  And—I swear I couldn’t help myself—I flinched at the lack of bone and muscle in that old dead fish of a hand.  And then the jury and the rest of the courtroom and I suspect even the judge laughed, too. 

“Cassidy Jane.”  He turned and spun.  “Miss Myrtle Greene hid you in her basement after your daddy took ill.  Your daddy was poisoned by mushrooms that grow in these-here mountains.  You put those mushrooms in your daddy’s dinner.”  He lifted three fingers into the air.  “Three truths.  And now for the lie.  You poisoned your daddy.”  He leaned in close.  “It was Myrtle who did it, wasn’t it?  Myrtle who gave you them mushrooms just to be, shall we say, neighborly-like?”

I shook my head.  “No sir.  That ain’t right at all.”

“Oh, really?  Tell me where I’m mistaken.”

“Truth is, sir, them mushrooms were meant for you, on account of the baby growing in my stomach as we speak.”

This was written in response to this week's Trifecta Writing Challenge.  Three truths.  One lie.

Labels:

20 Comments:

At May 5, 2012 at 4:08 PM , Anonymous Lance said...

TWIST!

good job with the dialect and the tension, then whammo. You hooked me a like a big mouth bass. well done

 
At May 5, 2012 at 5:42 PM , Anonymous Tara R. said...

The last line! The perfect twist. I agree with Lance, your dialect dialogue is wonderful.

 
At May 5, 2012 at 7:44 PM , Anonymous barbara said...

love!!!!! Hubby was born in WVA - got it in one. :)

 
At May 6, 2012 at 12:38 AM , Anonymous Trifectawritingchallenge said...

Thanks for linking up with Trifextra this weekend. I loved your response. These characters seem more believable than they should be in such a short story, and I'm left looking back over it, trying to figure out how you did it. The names, for sure; the dialect. I don't know. It's better than the sum of its (very good) parts. :-) Hope to see you back again soon.

 
At May 6, 2012 at 4:25 AM , Anonymous Mary said...

Wow, what an interesting twist. But, I wonder why she found him so repulsive...was she raped?

 
At May 6, 2012 at 10:56 AM , Anonymous Jennifer Worrell said...

Interesting story--intriguing twist:)

 
At May 6, 2012 at 11:47 AM , Anonymous The Gal Herself said...

Oh. My. God. Poor Cassidy Jane! I sense from this entry, though, that she's made of stern stuff.

 
At May 6, 2012 at 12:36 PM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

I think she is tough. Thanks for reading!

 
At May 6, 2012 at 12:36 PM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

Thanks, Jennifer.

 
At May 6, 2012 at 12:37 PM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

Yes - That just showed up at the end.

 
At May 6, 2012 at 12:37 PM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

Thanks and see you Monday!

 
At May 6, 2012 at 12:37 PM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

Thanks, Barbara!

 
At May 6, 2012 at 12:38 PM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

Thanks, Tara. Wasn't sure if it was too much.

 
At May 6, 2012 at 12:38 PM , Anonymous kgwaite said...

Thanks, Lance!

 
At May 6, 2012 at 1:06 PM , Anonymous Frelle said...

That was AWESOME! Way to go with the ending!!!

 
At May 6, 2012 at 2:12 PM , Anonymous Jester Queen said...

Woah! I didn't see THAT coming. He's trying to save his 'girlfriend', and she was trying to do in her rapist.

 
At May 6, 2012 at 5:25 PM , Anonymous Kim at Let Me Start By Saying said...

Well well well, my how the tables turn....Nicely done!

 
At May 6, 2012 at 5:38 PM , Anonymous JannaTWrites said...

Wow! That was a twist at the end I didn't see coming. I love it when that happens!

 
At May 6, 2012 at 9:16 PM , Anonymous Sandra said...

What a great story for this prompt! I especially love your descriptive language: 'horsey teeth' and 'old dead fish of a hand'. These are simply brilliant!

 
At May 7, 2012 at 5:38 AM , Anonymous jaum said...

Loved this story for all the usual Kelly story telling skills.

 

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