INFO: this story takes place shortly before the end of the movie The Secret Window. It begins a few minutes before Mort Rainey enters the grocery store at the end of the movie. I've recreated this scene, and it is told in perspective of a character I thought up, named Heather (shares the likeness of the girl Mort speaks to at the end of the movie).

DISCLAIMER: The character of Mort Rainey does not belong to me.

I could hear the whispers throughout the store.

"I heard he killed them"

"I heard he threw them in the lake"

The 'he' they mentioned, was Mort Rainey. Before a month ago, he was just like any another man. His name was only known to a few, his face blended into the crowd like any other and he was nobody of any importance anywhere. But a rumour and such a strong one too, can throw a man who was once an enigma, suddenly into the spotlight.

I stood beside the freezer, listening closely to the rush of conversation from the front of the store. Mort was an ever growing topic of discussion. I suppose it's the controversy that keeps the conversations flowing (although there isn't many who believes his innocence), of whether or not he did murder his ex wife, Amy, and her lover, Ted. I began to think of the last time I saw Mort. It was a Tuesday as I recall, about a month ago I had come into this store as a part of an errand I was running for a neighbour. Mort had walked in shortly after I had, said hello, and flashed me a smile. Oh god his smile. I can remember him so clearly. His messy dirty-blonde hair, a touch of tan in his ivory skin, the sharp outlines of his cheekbones on his rounded face, stubble along his upper lip and chin, his tired but friendly brown eyes beneath black rimmed glasses, and an outfit usually a size too big colored in messy stripes and faded colours. I noticed that the conversations in the front of the store had dropped down to a whisper.

"Hi" said an all too familiar voice.

I turned my head slightly to confirm what I had already known. It was Mort, flashing one of his crooked smiles. I turned away from him, something about this encounter made me feel very uneasy.

"Hi" I managed to choke out.

He moved closer so his head was hovering slightly past my shoulder.

"Braces" he said, pointing to his teeth.

I could feel the heat of his breath on my cheek.

"Trying to straighten a few things out."