Dead Man’s Party by Joni Caggiano

Image Source: Canva Pro

Isabella was having a difficult time breathing.  Every inch of her was crying silently, releasing her anger on the gas pedal.  She restrained herself by pumping the breaks so her husband, Liam, whom she was tailing, would not see her red Tesla.

Isabella was a striking woman who loved her husband of twenty years.  She knew it would be difficult marrying a doctor.  He would always have access to beautiful young nurses and interns.  Somebody was satisfying Liam’s zealous craving for sex, that much she knew.

The thought of another woman touching Liam’s body made her crazy.  Isabella had tried her best to seduce him using expensive lingerie and toys.  She knew every way imaginable to excite him after twenty years.  Yet nothing was working.

She slowed down, opened a window, and let the cool fall air settle her.  Isabella had always bought elaborate decorations and spent hours designing their Halloween party.  There was always a lot of merriment in the community for their annual Halloween festivities.  This was unlikely to be another jovial Halloween.

Liam had not noticed Isabella’s car.  Near the hospital, Isabella saw a red-headed woman who looked very young run towards Liam.  Isabella could tell she was a resident. Her heart was hemorrhaging as she saw their passionate embrace.  The mere thought of living without Liam was unbearable, yet her uncanny desire to run them both over engulfed her.

The next day, Isabella entered the kitchen early, and Liam was sporting too much fragrance.  “Liam, what is the nature of this seminar?  It seems odd that you’re leaving the week before Halloween.  You know how much Sara’s gymnastic team likes to have her friends over.  I am making my famous martinis again, and everyone is already asking about our party.”

“I will be here the whole week before Halloween.  The seminar is the week after. Isabella, I can tell you are upset about something.  Your hands are shaking.  Why don’t you tell me what is wrong?” Liam said in an abnormally irritating voice. 

“Perhaps it’s because you have become both an absent husband and father.  Perhaps something else has all your attention?”

“Honestly, sweetheart, you and Sara are the only things I think of when I am not at work.  Did you contact the same agency to send actors out to frighten the kids again this year?  I am going to be late,” Liam said as he whistled out the door.

Isabella called the hospital to talk to her best friend of fifteen years, Susi, who was a nurse there.  It took only minutes for Susi to tell Isabella everything.  Her name was Ava, a twenty-six-year-old intern.  Isabella was hysterical but managed a sincere thanks before vomiting in her coffee cup.

Isabella called the hospital and informed Ava that she had some information that was vital about her new boyfriend, Dr. Liam Alexander.  Ava was reluctant, but she agreed to meet for lunch in two hours.  Ava tried sounding professional, but Isabella could tell she was scared. 

After three hours, they were both crying.  Ava told Isabella that she had no idea he was married or had a child.  Their spicy dating period had been going on for over a year.  

Ava and Isabella plotted their revenge.  Isabella would have a gardener dig a hole for a large containment garden and provide a top to close it.  Ava would provide a safe combination of drugs to knock Liam out for four hours on Sunday, October 23rd, when Sara was having a sleepover with her fellow gymnasts.  Ava would come over at midnight to help bury Liam in the containment garden.  Isabella would call the hospital on Monday to let them know the family was sick from COVID, so no one would be looking for Liam.

Isabella would have everything ready when Ava got there.  Isabella would drill two holes: a small hole to provide oxygen and a few drops of water daily and a fist size hole with a stopper.

Isabella and Ava agreed to keep Liam buried until the Halloween party.  There would be actors playing ghosts, goblins, talking pumpkins, and giant bugs.  The box containing her husband would be in an area with lots of activity. 

Isabella would punch the stopper when pretending to drop some candy.   The larger hole would make it easy for someone to hear his screams.  With the screams audible, there would be a rush toward the area.  One of the male guests would certainly dig up her unfaithful husband.  Liam would never know how he got there. 

He would emerge covered in urine and, hopefully, some feces.  With every one of their neighbors clapping for the most significant evening performance, Liam would have to play along.  His ego was way too big to confess his affair with Ava.

And the first thing he would see when he was out of the box would be Isabella, Ava, and Susi having martinis and clapping along with everyone else.

The plan was executed with precision and on the evening of the party, a couple of young children heard Liam’s screaming above all the noise, and he was rescued.  The man stood up to thunderous applause from the crowd!  It was the best entertainment the family had ever pulled off.

The neighbors laughed hysterically.  All night, the guests had been told that Liam was busy in an emergency surgery.  Liam, weak and bewildered, collapsed upon seeing the faces of his wife, her best friend, and Ava.  The applause for Liam’s supposed performance was easily heard throughout their community.  But when the host didn’t stand up and bow, someone asked if he was alright.

One of the physicians quickly ran to Liam’s side and checked to see if he was breathing.  Unable to detect a heartbeat, he performed CPR but could not revive the man.  The coroner was at the party and pronounced Liam dead from what appeared to have been a massive coronary.

-JONI CAGGIANO

Joni’s blog is Rum and Robots, where she has published poetry, photography, and short stories. Take a look at Joni’s work in Spillwords Press NYC, Vita Brevis Press, The Finest Example, The Tiny Seed Literary Journal, I Write Her – The Short of it, and MasticadoresUSA. Joni’s work was included in the following anthologies: The Sound of Brilliance (The Short of It Publishing, Volume 1 2020), Inner Eye (Poets Choice, 2021), and It’s Not Easy (Poets Choice 2021). Her blog is an effort to give back – she is a surviving Adult Child of Alcoholics. Joni is a retired nurse and paralegal.

You can also read her writing on Instagram @jonicaggiano and Twitter @theinnerchild1.

We would love to read your work. Interested? Please READ our SUBMISSION GUIDELINES.

-MASTICADORESINDIA