Short Thriller Stories

1. The Nurse

Caroline Richter was a very well known and respected lawyer, very famous in Grunewald. She had a very good life, but Caroline was feeling very weak and not like herself. She was in desperate search of a nurse who would care for her. 

She woke up to the sound of thunder. When she opened her eyes, she saw the blurred face of a woman who was sitting by her bed, holding two blue pills and a glass of water. She spoke in a gentle voice and said, 

"Good morning, Mrs. Richter. How did you sleep?"

"Not good. I had a dream that my husband and daughters died in an accident. It really scared me. I hope they're okay."

"I'm sure they are. They know how to keep themselves safe. As for you, it's time for your medication."

She handed Caroline the pills and the glass of water. Hesitantly, she took the pills one by one. She was feeling depressed, so she asked Marilyn for a glass of wine. 

"I don't think so, Mrs. Richter. You just had your meds. You wouldn't want to start hallucinating now would you?" 

She gave Marilyn a small smile. "Let me know if you need anything. I'll be downstairs." She smiled at Caroline and left the room. 

Caroline started feeling drowsy, but she didn't know why. She had just woken up. Maybe it was because she didn't sleep well? Or maybe it was a side effect from the medication. Either way, she was just happy she was getting some rest. She closed her eyes and went to sleep. 

A few hours later, Caroline woke up to the smell of pasta and tomato soup. Her favorite. Marilyn was sitting next to her, holding a tray of food.

"It's time for lunch, Mrs. Richter. "

She handed her the tray and watched as she began to take a bite. 

"Make sure you eat everything. We want you to get better, don't we?"

She gave Marilyn a small smile and continued to eat. After she was done, Marilyn handed her her medication. The same blue pills and water. Caroline was hesitant. "Are you sure I have to take those?'

Marilyn replied, "Yes, Mrs. Richter. They help make a fast recovery." 

Caroline didn't have much of a choice. She took the pills and drank the water. She could immediately feel them start to take effect. She felt drowsy and tired, but again, couldn't understand why. "Am I supposed to feel...this...tired?" She said, slurring her words.

"Shh. This is completely normal, Mrs. Richter. It's all part of the recovery process." 

Her words echoed in Caroline's mind. Before she could say anything, the pills took effect and once again, Caroline fell asleep. 

While she was asleep, Marilyn crossed the manor into the library. When she arrived, she saw a bunch of pictures. The first one was of a wedding. Caroline's wedding with a man who seemed vaguely familiar to her. She couldn't help feeling like she knew him. The second picture told a different story. Caroline was there, only she was much younger and was with a little girl. She had a vacant, sad look on her face. Marilyn couldn't help but empathize with her. She couldn't help but feel angry. Caroline had everything. A nice house, a family, a good job, and she had nothing. But she wasn't backing down. She was going to do whatever it took to get back what was hers.
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Caroline woke up to the sound of rain hitting her bedroom window. She stared at the clock. 6:30. The sky was a murky gray, and she felt tired than usual. Her vision was blurred and she couldn't move. "Marilyn..." she said faintly. No answer. She was about to call her again, when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Caroline tried to get up, but she couldn't. 

"No, no, Mrs. Richter. Stay in bed. You need to rest..." Marilyn told her.

"You know, you're lucky. You have a nice family, a beautiful home. Not everyone is like you."

"Marilyn, I don't feel good, I---"

" It's just the meds taking effect. You'll be fine."

"No, Marilyn, you don't understand, I—"

"No, Caroline. I understand perfectly. You, a smart businesswoman with a good job, a nice house, a family. You have everything you could ever want. And I have nothing."

"Marilyn, that's not—-"

"No. You took everything from me. It's time I show you what it's like to lose everything you've ever worked for."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh don't play the victim, Caroline. You know what happened. You were so focused on your life, on your career, that you didn't even think about what it meant for my brother."

"Your brother?"

"He committed suicide because of you. Because you only cared about yourself."

"Marilyn, I'm sorry, please. I never meant to–"

Marilyn then pulled out a syringe filled with morphine.

"Marilyn...please. Don't do this."

Without saying a word, she plunged the needle into her skin. Caroline winced in pain. Her eyelids felt heavy and while she closed her eyes for the last time, Marilyn said with a mysterious voice:

"Think about what you did to me. Sleep tight..."