Z is for ZZZZZZZ

Hello!  Welcome back!  I hope you are ready for the next blog post in the A to Z Blogging Challenge.  If you missed the last blog post, definitely go read that one.  Click here, or you will be very confused in reading today’s installment.

For this story, I am participating in the A to Z Blogging Challenge.  I felt that this was a really good opportunity for me to not only express my creativity, but challenge myself to building a very long story that could be cut up into multiple parts.  And for it all to make sense!  So if you want to follow along with other blog posts in the challenge, check the hashtag #AtoZchallenge to follow along.

Also!  Before you get into the final part of the story, I just want to say THANK YOU!  I put a lot of work into this story and I am very proud of it.  And it still amazes me that you have even read it, so thank you.  I really appreciate every single one of you who spent some time reading my story on this tiny little blog.  So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading my Alphabet Series for the A to Z Blogging Challenge.  I hope you come back and read some of my other stories because I plan on adding a lot more!

So without further adieu, this story would be categorized as Dark.  Thank you so much and I will see you in my next short story.  Enjoy!

Z is for ZZZZZZZ

Aspen yelled as her eyes flew open.  She was still laying on the floor of her cell and she was in a lot of pain.  She felt exhausted even though she had slept.  The door rolled opened and the warden stood in the doorway.  He smiled.  “Good morning Thompson.  I hope you are ready for today because it will be your last one.”

A cart was wheeled around the corner and brought into the cell.  There was a sizzling steak sitting on a plate, a large loaded baked potato, garlic bread, a 2 liter of Pepsi, and large slice of cheesecake.  It smelled delicious.

The warden pushed the cart toward her.  “Here you go.  Enjoy.  You have 30 minutes to eat this and we have a few hours until the time.”  He walked out to leave Aspen by herself with her food.

She chowed down.  She couldn’t remember the last time she had that good of a meal.  The steak was juicy and wonderful, every bite was so satisfying.  The baked potato was full of delicious foods like butter, bacon, chives, cheese, and some sour cream.  And the cheesecake was moist and fluffy.  Aspen made sure she ate everything that was in front of her as this would be her last meal alive.

The cart was taken away and Aspen was left by herself for a couple hours.  She spent the day trying to relax, even though she knew what was to come.  She wasn’t able to draw much more because she didn’t have the art supplies she needed.  But it made her uncomfortable to just sit there.

After what felt like years the warden came back to get her.  Aspen was handcuffed and led out of her cell.  She not only followed the warden but she was guarded by 3 other officers to make sure nothing happened on the way to her death.

They arrived at the room and Aspen was led in to see people sitting behind a window.  She saw her parents both sitting in the front row, Jacob’s parents and sister sitting in the second row of seats, and the governor of the state filling in the last seat.  Tears started to trickle down her cheeks as she was placed in a chair in front of them.  Her arms and legs were tied down so she didn’t move.

Her eyes blinked faster as the tears flowed.  She didn’t want to be here.  She didn’t do this on purpose, she never intended on killing Jacob.  And now she was here.  What happened?

A doctor came in a wrapped a small tourniquet around her forearm.  She felt him clean her arm and a finger pressed on the inside of her arm.  Aspen knew what was happening but she didn’t want to watch it happen.  She looked her parents in the eyes and mouthed ‘I’m Sorry’ to both of them.  She could see tears streaming down their cheeks and she couldn’t do anything about it.

Aspen felt a prick in her arm.  It was painful but she didn’t let it bother her too much.  She felt her eyes become heavy and she leaned her head back in the chair.  She took a deep breath, the cold air burning her nostrils.  She took one final breath and all of her life left her body.  Aspen fell into the eternal sleep, the darkness filling everything around her.

ASPEN MARIE THOMPSON.  OFFICIAL TIME OF DEATH: 4:37 PM ON AUGUST 27.  CAUSE OF DEATH: LETHAL INJECTION.