Short Stories While Brushing Your Teeth

by Mario Lurig

A collection of 33 short stories, 2-3 minutes in length, across a wide variety of topics; perfect to read while brushing your teeth. The majority of these stories were written as part of a personal 30 day short-story-a-day challenge. Cover image derived from a CC image on Flickr called "Tooth-Brush" by get directly down.

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Black Friday

Sarah let out a groan under her breath. She had shoveled food into her mouth and down her throat with as few bites as possible. She needed to get into line, and with the deals starting at midnight, there was no time to waste. Her family insisted she spend dinner with them, but they never had a specific time limit. She was already regretting her eating habits. She looked down the line and waved for one of the security officers standing at the entrance.

The knot in her stomach tightened, as Sarah gripped her belly. Her waving became frantic as the guard casually sauntered towards her. Sarah closed her eyes and focused on pushing the pain away for just a few moments. Sarah opened her eyes, “Excuse me! Over here.”

The guard was flirting with a pair of cute little twenty-somethings a few feet ahead. He glanced over towards Sarah with a look of resentment before smiling towards the girls and excusing himself from their company. “What do you need, honey?”

Sarah clinched her teeth before answering, “I need the bathroom pass.”

“Didn’t you just go a few minutes ago?”

“Um, no, that wasn’t me.” She tried to be confident in her lie. “You must be thinking of someone else. I get five minutes, right?”

The guard squinted, peering intently at Sarah’s face. “The rules are you are allowed a 5 minute bathroom break every 2 hours without losing your spot in line.”

“No problem, this is my first break,” her voice wavering slightly as her stomach churned. The guard was staring through her as he decided her fate.

Sarah had been planning this trip all week; researching all of the deals listed across the web and creating her short list. This year she wasn’t shopping for anyone else; it was her year to splurge. It had been a rough year: bad relationships, family drama, and a perpetual fear of being laid off. Black Friday was her time alone each year, without judgment or worry, where she could always feel at the top of her life after she scores that perfect deal.

Sarah’s stomach gurgled audibly as the guard stood there, judging her. She winced, tears starting to build from the combined pain and emotions. She inhaled a shallow breath through her nose, focused on the eyes of her tormentor. The guard took a deep breath and depressed the button on the stopwatch, “You have 5 minutes.”

Sarah’s pain eased as she grabbed the red card in the guards right hand and took off towards the front doors. She whispered to herself, “This is my year.”

The New Kid on the Block

The plastic crinkled loudly as his world shook. It had been 11 months since movement or light had surrounded him; It was that time of year again. Awoken from his slumber he was groggy, but ready to get recharged. It only took a few minutes for the giant to bring him and his best friend to the living room, dropping them in a clump on the soft carpet.

“Philip. Philip! Are you awake,” beckoned Gee to the light just down the string from him.

“I’m getting too old for this.” Philip was the elder of the two; an original member of the strand. Philip had gone through 8 cycles so far and had shared many stories last year with Gee. There was the garland sit-in of ’07, the whiteout for the full year in ’04, and of course last year’s loss of so many on the strand that Philip wasn’t sure he was going to make it. “Yeah kid, I’m here. Barely. I guess it’s that time again.”

“Come on Philip, it’s a great day! I’m so excited!”

“That will fade over time,” retorted Philip. He was speaking literally of course, as he had noticed he was dimmer last year than any previous. He wasn’t sure if it was just age or misuse; nobody else knew. He had lost many friends last year including both of his string mates. Philip arrived just before the end of the season, but his sweet Sylvania had burned out with a loud pop right at the beginning, but since nobody else noticed, she was never removed and properly buried. She was still there, brown and twisted; a constant reminder of the bulb he had loved for so many years. She brought joy to everyone on the strand with her twinkle. The day she arrived, everyone came alive with energy, switching on and off under her spell.

Now that she’s gone, there was no more excitement, no more style. Everyone just lit up and stayed until the giant felt it was time to rest. Philip had never shared his love story with Gee, because it still hurt too much. He felt lonely, even surrounded by so many new bulbs.

“It won’t be long now! I can’t believe you’re not excited Philip. That surge of energy when we first get turned on… it’s magical I tell you.” Gee was giddy and naive, a curse of his youth. “I’m going to burn so bright, just watch!”

“Sure kid, have a great time,” lamented Philip. “Just let me know and I’ll join you.” Philip was looking forward to the surge, but after so many years and so much loss, his motives were only his own.

“I bet I can burn brighter than you can,” said Philip.

“No way! Do you want to bet?”

Philip ignored the taunt. “Just don’t cheat and steal all the juice when the surge hits. I want as much as I can.”

The giant hand was reaching out now, searching for the end point. Not long now. “Are you ready Gee? It’s almost here.”

“Oh I’m ready, you just watch and see. They won’t even know you’re on I’ll be so bright,” Gee exclaimed.

“Ah hah,” said the giant. The hand grabbed the end and dragged the strand over towards the wall. “Here we go Gee. Just remember, don’t steal it all.”

“I won’t. Promise.”

The surge coursed through the strand quickly, first to Gee and then Philip. Gee was so excited he didn’t even hear Philip say solemnly, “Goodbye kid.”

A Faire Romance

He couldn’t help himself. He glanced down at the sunburned cleavage pushing out of the top of her corset as they walked down the main path. It was only a brief glance, but cumulatively he had been staring at her all day. They walked with arms wrapped together, his puffy sleeves covering her thin arm as it rested gently upon his forearm. They had spent every weekend together for the past four weeks, volunteering at the Renaissance Faire. She was assigned to work the food court, and he spent most of his day peddling masks. They both got a few hours each day to wander the grounds, and spent much of that time acting like royalty together as they strolled past patrons, actors, and other volunteers.

They had done nothing more than hug and laugh together, but Sam was smitten with Mary Ann. He wanted something more, but had no idea how to tell her. They were heading towards the entrance to the volunteer tent so he could check-in his borrowed costume from the Faire library for the last time. Sam broke her hold on his arm to beat her to the doors. He grabbed the handle and held open the door for her. “M’lady.”

Mary Ann giggled, “Thank you my liege.” She quickened her step as she passed through the door, Sam taking another peak as she passed by him. He followed her inside quickly, not falling more than a few steps behind.

He grabbed her hand in his and wrapped it around his arm again, smiling broadly. He looked at her eyes this time, meeting her glance upward. “M’lady, I was wondering,” he paused a moment as her gaze locked on his eyes, causing the thought to stutter. “I was wondering if, you know, if you,” his voice trailed off as he felt himself leaning towards her slightly. Mary Ann’s face relaxed, her bottom lip curling slightly inward, her gaze locked.

He leaned in further, his mouth still cracked slightly from the last words he uttered. Mary Ann was frozen and did not flinch or close the distance; Sam would have to close the gap alone. He moved close enough to feel the warm air slowly escaping through her nose before closing his eyes. He pushed in closer, his lips pursed as they pressed against hers.

It seemed like forever to him, with her wet lips touching his; he never imagined that kissing would be so uncomplicated.

“Mary Ann and Sam, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” The call came from across the room, startling the two apart in embarrassment. Mary Ann giggled and ran off towards her friends, leaving Sam alone with the hangers. He turned his gaze towards the girls just in time to see Mary Ann flash a smile back at him before disappearing behind the wall.

The Pickup Artist

“You have a slight accent, and I can’t put my finger on it. Where are you from?”

Luke averted his eyes and played coy, counting to two in his head before answering her. “Well, I don’t like talking about it much.”

“Oh come on, please?” She involuntarily moved her body in closer to him.

“Well, only if you promise not to tell anyone. It will be our little secret.”

Her eyes grew wider as the excitement filled her. “I swear, I won’t tell a soul.”

“Alright, but not here,” he stated as he stood up taller, dropping his shoulders back. “I only live a few blocks away. Care to join me?” She hesitated for a moment, but Luke knew he had her hook, line, and sinker.

“Okay, let’s go.”

Luke pulled two twenty dollar bills from his pocket and placed them on the bar, catching the bartender’s eye. Luke called out, “Keep the change,” as they strolled out into the brisk night air. He flagged down a cab and they quickly got inside, cuddling close. “So,” she said, her voice lowered to a whisper, “are you going to tell me?”

“Soon. We’re almost there.”

The cab ride was brief as they pulled up in front of his brownstone. He paid cash again for the ride and escorted her to the front door. He quickly unlocked the door and lead her into the foyer, closing the door behind him. “Would you like a glass of wine?” He asked her casually as he dropped the keys on the top of the short bookcase and reached into his pockets to empty out the rest of the contents.

“You know exactly what I would like,” she said with a sweet inflection in the middle. Luke couldn’t hold in the haughty smirk that formed, but stretched it into a broad smile as he turned to face her. “Now that’s not lady-like conversation at all.”

“I mean the secret.”

Luke knew she was lying, but he played along. “Okay okay, I’ll tell you. My name is not Luke.” He paused, letting the words linger in the air briefly before continuing. “It’s actually Jean-Luc, because I am French by birth.” With those words he forced out a stronger accent.

“I knew there was something sexy about you.” Her eyes narrowed as she licked her lips and shifted her weight to the other side to accent her curves. “How about you get me that wine now, while I slip off this jacket and get a little more,” she paused, “comfortable.”

Luke held character and casually turned away from her, heading down the hall and around the corner, out of her sight. “You know I don’t tell just anyone that you know.” He nonchalantly grabbed a bottle of white wine from the fridge, “I mean, that’s why I had to bring you here. I feel safe here.” He opened the cabinet and grabbed two glasses from the shelf. “With you.” Luke opened the drawer to pull out the corkscrew, setting the glasses on the counter. “You’re really an amazing woman, you know that.” He poured both glasses halfway, then topped off one of them an extra few ounces, recorking the bottle. “I really think we have a connection.”

He grabbed the glasses and walked back towards the front door. “You know, you are the,” he stopped mid-sentence as he found the foyer empty of her, her coat, or the items he had laid out on the bookcase. He quickly walked over to where his wallet had been to find an ebony business card laid gently on the bookcase. It was blank on the front, so he shuffled the glasses into one hand as he picked it up and flipped it over to find a handwritten note.

“French my ass. Sincerely, Destiny.”

Job Interview

“So it says here on your résumé that you use to ‘Manage Cash Flow’ for a local business, but you didn’t specify the name of the company,” inquired the interviewer.

Diana swallowed hard. She had included that only to fill the 9 month gap in her résumé, and was sure that it was the only reason she had managed to get an interview at all. She had hoped that he wouldn’t notice. “Oh really, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to leave that off. Silly me.” She rushed to change the subject quickly, “I was the 1st assistant accountant in the billing department of Talon Electronics for 3 years prior, and received the employee of the month award twice during that time.” Her eyes shifted quickly, scanning his face.

“Yes, you had mentioned that, but you don’t have any other details here about your last job. Which company was it,” he asked again. He wasn’t going to let this go.

The economy was rough, and unemployment checks weren’t cutting it. A friend of hers asked if she could provide some assistance for a long weekend at her office, and without any consideration or questions asked, she had agreed to help out. She didn’t know what the job was until she arrived, and had never expected to stay there after the weekend was over. After being paid, Diana knew she had few other options, so she decided she would continue working there until she found another job.

“I was a contract worker, so I actually worked for my friend. She handled everything for me.”

The interviewer persisted, “Fine, but then who did your friend work for?”

The main entrance was flanked by two large men in tight white shirts which scared Diana the first time she arrived. Her friend assured her it would be okay, but even on her last day she walked quickly past the bouncers. This guy won’t understand.

“Oh, well she never told me. I guess that’s why I didn’t write it down.” Diana started to perspire, her hands moistening as each word escaped her lips.

The interviewer leaned back and crossed his arms. “Listen lady, if you’re not going to tell me, I don’t think we can have you working here. Thank you for coming in.”

Diana needed this job. “No, wait, I’ll tell you.” She swallowed again, her eyes looking down at the ground as she spoke. “Sunflower Country Club.”

The interviewer’s look grew cold as he stared her down, “I don’t think this is going to work out. Have a good day Ms. Lexington.”

Diana quickly rose from her seat, scooping her purse in her hand and exiting through the rough wooden door. She quickly passed by the main stage, weaving through the small tables and half-naked waitresses as the DJ blasted Girls, Girls, Girls by Mötley Crüe over the sound system. She pushed through the curtains and out into the high afternoon sun; on the job hunt once again.

The Rope Swing

“Whee,” exclaimed Tony as he landed with a loud splash, tucking into a tight ball before slamming into the water. The waves rippled in all directions, splashing the shore with a spray of cloudy water. All of the kids standing on the small island were laughing and screaming; all except Devon, quietly standing ten feet behind his friends.

Tony popped his head above the water, a giant grin stretched across the width of his face. He charged through the water toward the shore, deftly pulling himself over the exposed tree roots and onto the wet dirt. He stood up quickly, with his board shorts draining onto the ground below. “That was awesome! Who’s next?”

Devon’s eyes got wide and tried not to move, hoping that Tony wouldn’t notice him. “Hey Devon, you haven’t gone, why don’t you go next,” said Tony, staring directly towards Devon’s thin, dry body. The call echoed through the group of boys like a human megaphone. “Yeah, Devon, you go!” “Devon, Devon, Devon!”

This was his chance he thought, amid all of the cheering he could finally prove himself in front of Tony and the gang, and maybe they would stop picking on him. He thought this, but his body wasn’t making any motions towards the large tree at the edge of the shore.

Tony cut through the cheering with his confident tone, “You’re not chicken, are ya?” Tony lead the band of merry boys with his taunting, and the human echo continued as the rest of the boys picked up the jeering. “Are you scared Devon?” “Scaredy Cat Devon.” “He’s too chicken.”

Devon started towards the rope that dangled from a large branch extended over the water. “He’s really going to do it,” exclaimed one of the boys as a hush came over most of the group; everyone but Tony. “Maybe the chicken shouldn’t do it. He’ll just hurt himself, and I don’t want to have to carry his body back.” The cruel tone cut deep, quickening Devon’s pace.

Devon grabbed the rope with both hands, giving it a quick tug. He looked at the ripples still bouncing off of the shore from Tony’s cannonball and took a deep breath.

He grabbed on tightly, took two steps back as Tony had done, and jumped up in the air, pulling his legs up off the ground. He swung out towards the water quickly until he slowed at the edge of the arc under gravity’s force. “Let go,” came the screams from all the boys staring in awe at Devon hanging on for dear life at the end of the rope. Devon didn’t hear them at first, as his body rotated as it swung back towards the shore and the rock and dirt covered ground. “Devon!”

Devon swung his feet in the other direction, to try and get more momentum, barely missing the edge of a large rock with his feet as he swung to the other end of the arc, his back facing the water. As his body swung back the other direction and passed over the edge again, Devon dropped his legs quickly behind him, but the force was too much for his grip as he flipped his body head over heals as he let go of the rope. He did a full rotation before landing feet first into the water with a gentle splash. The shore was silent.

Devon popped out, spitting out a mouthful of water as he emerged. The boys erupted with cheers as they rushed into the water to surround him. Only Tony was left on the shore, standing alone in disbelief. 

Sweet Halloween Dreams

** This story was inspired by the artwork of the same name by begemott on DeviantArt. I was unable to secure the rights to include the art in this e-book, but it can be viewed at http://bit.ly/ssadshd **

Teddy paced slowly back-and-forth above the pillow, his wooden sword gripped firmly in his right paw. The child was sleeping soundly, tucked in under the blankets with care. Teddy listened intently for sounds in the room, for the monster had promised he would return to claim the dreams of the child. Teddy wasn’t going to let anything happen to his best friend; not tonight, and not any night.

The floorboards creaked, immediately drawing Teddy’s attention. He pulled his shield close to him and jumped up on top of the pillow as the monster slowly approached the bed.

The monster’s body was massive, with his hands alone larger than the child. His elongated mouth was filled with large teeth, sharp and threatening, as his body moved over the top of the bed. His voice was deep and it sounded like rocks rumbling down a mountain as he spoke, “Leave this place. The child is mine.”

Teddy drew up his sword, pointing it at the monster’s snout only inches away. “He is under my protection, and I will slay you where you stand if you do not retreat to the vile place from whence you came.” Teddy’s feet anchored into the pillow firmly with his wide stance, yet barely made a dent in the pillow’s surface.

The laugh echoed around the room like a crashing wave, “Ha ha ha. You are nothing to me.”

Teddy had loved this child since the day he arrived, and the child had shared the sentiments. Not a night had passed without Teddy curled under the child’s arm or resting closely on the pillow. There was magic between then, and it was this magic that gave him courage and strength against this evil beast. Teddy pushed the point of the sword to within an inch of the creature’s snout, leaning his weight towards the foe. “Begone with you!” The dull tip of the sword touched the creature, and a flash of light exploded from the point of contact, causing the monster to rear back, away from the bed.

“You will not harm this child, nor any child. We will protect them, as we always have,” he said with a confident but gentle tone. The creature’s anger rumbled in a low growl as he retreated back into the darkness till he found a child that was not so well protected. 

Unexpected Hero

The world was a large place, and he should know, spending the last few days covering every inch of it. He had been forced to swim through underwater caverns, cross barren deserts, and even stumble his way through dark castles. And for what purpose? Love. Stupid, stupid love. His clothes were so tattered he had to scrounge together new outfits every day, usually something that would help him fit in with the locals. To that end, he usually found it best not to ask how they made it, but to just put it on and continue on his way.

He was exhausted, but after some good advice and a lucky shortcut, he was now standing just outside an oversized set of wooden doors. Nay, more like a wooden gate. He had no idea how he would get it open as he looked all around the room for a button or a lever that would help. As he approached the doors they began to swing open, welcoming him inside. He was more than happy to oblige, especially with the constant threat of ghosts sneaking up behind him.

He walked into the chamber to find himself standing on a rickety old bridge spanning the distance of the room. Below him, a pool of lava bubbling and churning, the heat causing the air in the room to shimmer. The bridge was narrow enough that he could reach out and touch both sides of the wooden planks. This could be a problem, considering the demon king was standing at the other side of the bridge, a litany of hammers at his waist, blocking the full width of the bridge with his large girth. He would only have one chance to get past the demon king, so he took off running straight towards him, ducking under a volley of hammers as he accelerated quickly.

He leaped into the air with all of his might, clearing the king’s massive head and landing on the ledge. There was a very large double-sided ax resting on the ground. Odd. He didn’t care, he knew what had to be done. He grabbed the ax and took a wide swing, cutting both of the supporting ropes to the bridge with one swipe. The demon king had barely turned to face him when the bridge fell out from under him, sending him into the lava below.

Mario turned away for the carnage, dropped the ax, and walked into the next room to find his princess waiting for him; she was finally safe.

The Value of Talent

It started small: a piece of candy from the open bin in the grocery store, a pen from the teacher’s desk, or a dirty magazine from his father’s secret stash. As he got older, the items that Daniel would steal increased in value and his schemes were more brazen. He enjoyed the challenge of thievery and considered it more of an art form rather than petty theft. Spending his teen years in a low-income neighborhood gave him ample opportunity to practice his craft.

Now, for his 21st birthday, Daniel had decided to get himself something much more valuable. He had spent the last few days riding his bike through the neighborhood at various times, always passing by the house at 584 Sycamore Way. He knew that every day, between 4:30pm and 5:15pm, the house was completely empty of humans thanks to afternoon Taekwon-Do classes which pulled Mom and the kids away for a while before Dad got home from the office.

He watched as the van pulled out of the driveway and headed down the street. He looked at his watch: 4:31pm. He pulled on his backpack and rode between the side of the house and the privacy fence till he reached the screened in pool area. He quickly lay his bike against the fence, opened the flimsy door, and headed towards the sliding glass doors that lead into the house. He slipped the gloves out of his back pocket and onto his hands before sliding open the door. “They never use that security bar,” he remarked to himself. As he entered, he heard the barking as their medium sized Labrador mutt strode up to him.

Daniel slid out of the left shoulder strap of his backpack, swinging it around to his side as he unzipped the top and pulled out a small steak, tossing it towards the kitchen area. The barking quickly ceased as the dog scurried over to the surprise treat. Daniel disappeared down the hallway, searching for the parent’s bedroom.

He found the door cracked and quickly pushed through, noting the position. 4:34pm. He headed to the dresser on the far side of the room, stepping over a pile of clothes destined for the laundry. He opened each drawer till he found the wife’s lingerie drawer, pulling it open wide. It was a mess of garments, thrown in carelessly. He dug around with his gloved hands until he found the box in the back corner, extracting it from its hiding place. A crown with 5 points was embossed on the top of the box with the word “Rolex” printed below. He shoved it into his bag, closed the drawer, and headed out of the bedroom, pulling the door back to the same position he had found it.

The dog was still finishing up his meal when Daniel exited the same way he came, getting back on his bicycle without removing his gloves and riding the 3 miles back to his apartment.

He got home feeling incredibly satisfied with his diligence, and pulled his birthday present out from the bag. He opened the box to find the glorious Explorer II watch, the light from his kitchen window reflecting off of the polished silver finish. He removed it from the box and turned it over in his hand and noticed the engraving on the back. It read, “To my rock, my love, and my best friend.” He slipped it on his wrist with ease as he leaned against the counter. This was the good life.

Tuthic and the Boar

“It’s not a pig, it’s a boar,” Tuthic explained as the color began rising up his face. “You best keep your hands away from his snout or you’ll be 2 less fingers and likely a bloody mess before you can scream.” A devilish smile fell upon his face as he pulled the leash taught to reinforce the suggestion.

The other kids backed away slowly, pulling their pigs along with them. His older brother always told him that it was better to be feared than it was to be liked, at least in the world of competitive hog racing. Tuthic had fought with the committee that runs the annual fair since the first spring flowers, getting their approval for him to enter his boar into the contest. There was a lot of debate about whether it was fair to have another bread in the race, but after so many visits, letters, and general nagging, the committee had relinquished their position just to get some peace and quiet again. That is how Tuthic came to compete for the first time this year.

He lead the boar to the starting paddock, talking to him with a gentle tone. “Alright, now today is the day you prove those sissies wrong. Today, you go out there and do what I taught you: charge, and keep charging until you hit something that will stop ya.” The boar snorted approval, and shook his body in a wave originating from the back of his neck and flowing down to his hind legs. “Shake off those nerves. You are the best boar a boy could have, and one day, I’m going to ride you. Until that day comes, you need to win. So win!”

He pushed the boar into the cage, his small tusks clanging against the iron gate. Looking around at the group, the boar had at least 2 stone on all of the other swines, but he was full of muscle, not fat. Tuthic knew it was going to be entertaining.

Tuthic and the other trainers cleared the area and hopped over the hedges, awaiting for the signal. The chief took out a large warhammer and a heavy shield, raising them high in the air before he handed the shield over to a servant. He put both hands on the warhammer and swung it true against the center of the shield, ringing loudly and sending the servant to the dirt below. The gates were up and the race was on!

In truth, the race was quickly between two contestants: the boar and a spry pig who had the acceleration of lightning. The boar was in second place and closing fast, but it was running out of dirt before the finish line. At 30 meters from the finish line, the boar dropped his snout and charged toward his target. It happened in an instant, as the pig was impaled upon the little tusks and tossed aside like a rag doll as the boar crossed the finish line, alone.

The crowd was in shock, but Tuthic didn’t care; the boar had done everything he was trained to do. Tuthic ran up to the boar and wrapped his arms around his heaving belly. “That’s my boy! You and me, we’re going to do great things in the future.”

Winter's Kiss

** This story was inspired by the artwork of the same name by vixelyn on DeviantArt. I did not receive approval to include it in this ebook, but it can be viewed at: http://bit.ly/ssadwk **

The fog was heavy in the woods this morning as Vixelyn, or Vix as her friends called her, walked slowly through the forest. The trees around her were leafless and eerie under the faint light that filtered through the fog. A slight snow was falling around her, but Vix was bundled in her favorite coat, it’s shiny exterior leaving the snowflakes to slide off again on their journey to the forest floor.

Vix came out here to clear her head, when the house got too noisy for her to even hear her own thoughts. It was the cold that drew her out; the chill that brought her body alive when a brisk breeze kissed her soft cheeks. She pulled her long hair over her shoulder and along the collar of the coat, insulating her pale skin. It wasn’t worry that brought her out here this morning, but simply for some alone time.

Her life in the city for the last few years had always been a rush, and a snow storm was always an inconvenience in that world. Out here though, snow was a wonder, a memory of a childhood spent laying on freshly fallen snow and tossing it in the air, only to see it fall down on top of her again.

She inhaled and brought her legs shoulder-width apart, standing as still as an Aspen tree. Her eyes closed slowly and her neck relaxed, dropping her chin into the warm cluster of fabric and radiant red hair. She stood there for a long while, exhaling slowly, leaving only a trickle of water vapor streaming out of her mouth. With each breath you could see her body relaxing, only her hands clutched together in front of her stomach showed signs that she was still awake.

As the snow continued to fall, a single snowflake drifted down towards her face, drawn to the gleam of her nose ring. It landed gently on the opposite side of the stud, a gentle kiss from the Winter than embraced her. Vix cracked a smile, her lips delicately parting; she had missed these moments, and vowed to herself that she wouldn’t stay away so long next time.

Parkour

David’s heart beat at a constant 144 bpm as he leapt over a set of stairs, his hands acting as the fulcrum as he swung his legs up to the next landing. The movement flowed continuously, like water moving upstream. His feet landed firmly and his body seemed to roll through the move as he rotated his body around and looked up to find the railing of the stairway one floor above him.

He jumped up and grabbed hold of the edge, pulling his full body’s weight up until his feet could press against the concrete surface and send his body over the edge of the railing. The garage was long and empty, with only square columns made of concrete and rebar scattered throughout the structure. David chose his path and headed towards the first column, leaping toward it and running two steps along the wall before landing back on the ground, still sprinting towards the next target.

At the next column he did a back-flip off of the wall, landing in a crouch with one knee to the ground and his hands at his side, fingers splayed out onto the pavement. His eyes shifted to the edge of the garage and sprinted forward. The wall that lined the edge of the garage was only 4 feet high and gave a wide 10 foot gap before the next floor, which David took at a stride as he gave a short push with his legs and sprung his body up onto the ledge, pushing off again and soaring into the open sky.

He landed with a slight thump, rolling head-first with his momentum as he landed on the roof of the ticket taker building next to the garage. A woman had let out a scream upon seeing David’s body fly out from the garage, only ceasing when she saw him swing off of the edge of the guard hut, in a mid-air cartwheel before landing on the blacktop. He glanced up at her face, frozen in fear, and gave her a quick smile as he moved away and over a chain link fence as fast as a cat.

“I think you gave that lady a heart attack,” said Josh as he saw David appear from in-between two buildings. “Yeah well, at least she’ll have a story to tell her friends,” David said with a grin upon his face. “Ready?”

“Catch me if you can,” said Josh as he took off towards a local park, David chasing close behind him.

Slumber Party

Meghan and Jessica jumped up and down on the pair of twin beds, feathers flying everywhere on each impact. “Go Jessica,” yelled one of the on-lookers as Jessica swung her pillow wide and caught Meghan off balance, sending her to the mattress, giggling. “Yeah!” Jessica stood proudly, still bouncing slightly on the bed and causing her chest to heave against the bra with each bounce. “Who’s next?”

Maggie quickly volunteered, grabbing the pillow from Meghan’s hands and hopping up on the bed. She was wearing pink boy shorts and a tank top over an equally vibrant pink bra, visible through the thin cotton. “You’re so going down,” she said through a smile as she tossed the pillow over her shoulder, ready to strike.

Meghan carelessly slid off of the bed, her underwear bunching up as she plopped onto the floor. She quickly rose, adjusting herself as she joined the cheering crowd. “Go Maggie!”

The girls swung with more flair than force, making a great show of it as they laughed and played. More feathers escaped the pillow’s clutches, covering more of the floor with each swing. Maggie made a valiant effort, but she was laughing so hard she knocked herself onto the bed, still laughing as Jessica raised her arms victoriously. All of the girls swarmed Jessica, toppling her over and covering her with their bodies while reaching out for her feet, underarms, and sides with their wiggling fingertips.

Jessica giggled loudly, her mock protests for them to stop were ignored as they laughed, their bodies becoming a swirl of pink and purple undergarments, painted nails, and tanned summer skin. After a minute, the girls all stopped the tickle attack and collapsed where they lay, laughing and smiling. “Who wants to play Truth or Dare,” said a voice in the pile. The chorus of approvals filled the room as the girls disconnected their bodies and reorganized in a circle on the floor.

Jessica spoke up first, the prize she won for her pillow fighting victory. “Breana, truth or dare?”

“Dare,” she replied, with an excited look in her eyes. “I dare you to kiss Meghan,” said Jessica coyly. Meghan and Breana locked stares and turned towards each other, leaning forward, their heads tilting slightly as their wet lips closed in on each other.

“Tom? Tom! Did you hear me?”

Tom blinked twice, focusing his eyes on Mark’s gaze. “Um, sorry, Meghan said she was going to a sleepover with her girlfriends tonight. We all know what that means.” Tom and the other guys all looked at each other, smiled, and gave a slight nod of mutual understanding. 

Pocket Aces

Daniel gently lifted the edge and took a peek at the markings on the face of the cards. Pocket Aces, he thought to himself. He knew this was the best possible starting hand in a game of Texas Hold ‘em poker, but kept his face from giving any indication of his excitement. He repeated his usual routine, placing a stack of five $10 chips on top of his hole cards, before looking around at the rest of the table.

Annie was sitting immediately to his left, short hair pulled back behind her ears. She never wore sunglasses, but her eyes were always cold and fixed on an invisible point beyond the dealer, unless she was placing a bet. When she was serious about placing her bet, she would look intently down at her chips, her eyes shifting between the stacks to get a rough count. Daniel had noticed that if she was bluffing, this procedure would take slightly less time: her tell.

Daniel looked to his right and saw Gus sitting calmly, his dark sunglasses and baseball cap pulled tight on his head. If he showed any emotion, it was only after the hand was over. He didn’t celebrate wins, but he clearly disliked getting beat. Gus would wince when he lost a hand, slamming a clenched fist down on the edge of the table. He played tight with his chips, but it had worked for him. This was the second tournament in 48 hours where he was at the final table.

The last player was a newcomer, so Daniel didn’t know his name or much about him. He was least concerned with him, but knew he would have to worry about him eventually. For now, he had to try and maximize the hand he had been dealt. He resisted the urge to check the cards again, knowing this would tell his opponents that he had a good hand, so he focused on shuffling some chips together, mixing the blue and white chips in alternating stacks. Gus bet first, moving aggressively. Daniel didn’t hesitate, but only matched the bet. Annie folded, as did the new guy, leaving just Daniel and Gus to see the next three cards.

The flop came King, King, Eight, a rainbow of suits. He now had two pair, with the highest possible value cards, but he was worried. If Gus had a King, a likely scenario, then Gus had him beat with three of a kind, and knowing Gus, Daniel would have to pay for the privilege of seeing the Turn and River cards.

Gus moved in one third of his chips, raising Daniel quickly. Daniel looked down at his stack, knowing that it would cost him about the same amount of chips to stay in. He hesitated, a mistake, but decided to match the bet. He was playing scared.

The Turn card came: 3 of diamonds; no help to anyone. He knew it was now or never for risking all of his chips on the strong starting Aces, hoping he either gets an Ace on the River for a full house, or that Gus didn’t have a King. Gus put the decision to him immediately, going all-in with his chip stack. Daniel had time to think, and sat on the decision through 3 shuffles of the chips in his hand before he matched the bet and pushed in his stacks.

Both players turned over their cards, and the worst was true: Ace King for Gus. Daniel was convinced he made the wrong decision, hanging on to a hand for too long. He swallowed hard, awaiting the last card.

The dealer tapped the table twice, discarded the top card of the deck, and slowly flipped over the River card. Daniel stood up from the table and stared in disbelief at the final card. 

The Shortcut Home

The night air was cool, flowing gently around Julie’s bare legs as she strolled down the narrow side street. The sound of her heels echoed off the cobblestone street and brick walls as she kept a relaxed walking tempo. Her dress was loose and flowing from the waist down, the fabric moving with her shape and rising and falling from mid-thigh to her knees as her arms brushed along the fabric. Usually she would have walked down main street on her way back to her flat, but a rowdy group of boys were spilling out into the street in front of Lollipop night club, and she had no desire to deal with that lot.

The street lights were mounted on the rooftops as opposed to independent poles, casting circles of light separated by 20 feet of darkness. Each light was placed on alternate sides of the street, creating a zig-zag pattern of light which Julie followed with her footsteps. Each time she stepped into the light from a dark spot, she hopped over the edge and directly into the light, making a loud clang with her shoes.

“Excuse me! Miss,” came a voice from behind her. Julie looked back and saw a man quickly approaching her at a jog. Her fear kicked in and she started to move faster, ignoring the request behind her. Her small frame disappeared between each light, her shadow stretching and compressing quickly as she increased her pace.

“Miss, excuse me!” The man was wearing a leather coat and pair of Levi’s straight-leg jeans, but the distance and lighting made it hard to tell his age. He was closing in on her, his shoes much more accommodating to the uneven surface than Julie’s two-inch heels. She looked back over her left shoulder, and as her head turned forward again she caught a glimpse of two more men waiting in the shadows of an alley, watching her.

Julie was in an all out sprint when she turned right down an alley, reaching her front door. She fumbled around for her keys, only realizing that her keys were in her purse, which was nowhere to be found. The man caught up with her, panting, “Miss, you forgot your purse at the bar,” he said as he held out her red leather purse. Julie looked over his shoulder to see the men who were waiting in the alley disappear into the darkness. Embarrassed, she grabbed the purse hastily from the stranger.

“Thank you. I’m, I’m sorry I…”

He interrupted her mid-sentence, “No worries. You should be careful, there have been some incidents this week on that street. Have a good night Miss.” He smiled and turned away with an elongated stride, heading towards main street.

After Work Drinks

“And then he says to me, so when do you want to go out again?” The table exploded in laughter, with Fiona doubling over, arms clutched around her stomach, her face turning a bright shade of red. Shayna continued as her eyes welled up, “I must have had the biggest shock on my face, because he immediately looked like a puppy that I had just scolded.” She could barely hold in her laughter, but reached for her glass of red wine to attempt to wash it down her throat.

After a few seconds, Marcy looked up at Shayna with a dead serious look and said, “So did you go out with him again?”

Wine splattered over the entire table as Shayna lost control and joined the rest of the ladies in their laughter. Other tables at the restaurant were starting to turn and stare, but none of the women noticed or cared. The volume of laughter only increased as everyone except Fiona tried to dab up some of the wine with their white cloth napkins. Shayna’s hand was shaking so hard from the laughter that she almost tilted the glass over as she tried to place it down safely on the table.

The waitress came over with a towel and made quick work of the cleanup, picking up the small side plates and the soiled napkins before wiping down the lacquered wood surface. Fiona tried to say thank you, but she was completely out of breath from all the laughing and no words had escaped. Marcy was first to speak up again when the group settled down.

“I can’t believe he would even ask that after what he did. I thought my story was bad!” She smiled and poured the last of the Pinot Noir into Shayna’s glass as a reward for a story well told. Setting the bottle down, Marcy flipped over her cell phone and brought the screen to life to check the time. She had set the phone on the table when they first arrived, but this was the first time she had looked at it in two hours.

“Ladies, I think it’s pumpkin time for me,” said Marcy, gathering up her personal effects and slipping off of the tall chair to grab her coat off of the back. The ladies looked around and joined in the routine, dressing for the cooler temperatures outside. “I suppose I’ll see all of you on Monday.” Nods from everyone confirmed the sentiment.

As they walked out of the restaurant together they knew that tonight’s conversation was out of bounds for work, but they enjoyed forgetting that, even if it was only for two hours.

Manic Pixie Dream Girl

Natalie sneaked up behind Matthew and wrapped her hands gently around his head, covering his eyes. “Guess who,” she said with a flirtation tone as she pressed her body against his back. A smile crept along Matthew’s lips, “I don’t know, but I’m going to call the police and report you for assault.”

Natalie pulled her hands away and slid her body around him, looking up into his eyes with a demure look. “You wouldn’t do that… would you?” She raised her hands to his chest as she spoke, walking her fingers up towards his face slowly with each word. Matthew looked at her, trying to stay serious as Natalie’s fingers bopped him on the tip of his nose.

She giggled and shied her eyes away as she spun away from him, her skirt spreading the fabric in a wide circle. Matthew couldn’t hold out any longer and chased after her, wrapping his arms around her waist, lifting her in the air and spinning her in the opposite direction. Her laughter increased as he squeezed her tightly; a low belly chuckle rising from Matthew.

Matthew set Natalie down, grabbing her left hand with his as he slipped his arms away from her belly. Natalie responded by raising her hand above her head and pivoting under his grip, spinning to face him again, a smile stretching from ear-to-ear. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were almost having fun. I thought that you didn’t have any time for that silly stuff,” challenged Natalie.

Matthew pulled their joined hands behind her back, tucking her arm into the small of her back and pulling her in closer to him. Matthew retorted, “It’s not my fault; I’ve been coerced.” He pulled her in tighter, wrapping his strong arms around her and commanding her attention. “Frankly, it’s your fault.”

“Well then, what’s the punishment for such dastardly deeds?”

Matthew relaxed his neck and leaned in closer, but in the distance he could hear a fire alarm going off, immediately capturing his attention. Natalie noticed the change in behaviour, but was held fast by his embrace. The tone got louder and louder, his grip relaxing as it increased.

Matthew inhaled quickly, springing up from the pillow. It took a second for him to get his bearings, but instinct swung out his left arm and slammed down on the snooze button; another day of boring and unfulfilling work. He rubbed his eyes and gave out a large yawn. “Fuck.”

300 Seconds

Jack glanced down at the timer wrapped around his wrist: 4:59 and dropping fast. “Shit.” He was in a full on sprint down the trail, leaping from rock to rock while bracing against the scattered trees along the sides of the path. His hands were covered in sap and dirt and a few small cuts from the dried bark of the trees, but Jack was ignoring the pain and focusing on staying upright as he descended.

The changing light as he transitioned from the canopy of leaves into the open sunlight made his vision wash out for a moment, enough for him to lose his footing and crash onto the rough dirt below. He slammed into the ground, shoulder first, unable to get his hands in front of him in time. His shoulder hit the ground and slowed his body before his right cheek met with with the dirt. Jack cursed under his breath, groaning as he stood back up again. He glanced back at his wrist only to find a dirty bloody mess. He could only read the last digit: 8. As long as it didn’t hit zero and stay there, he could still make it.

Jack got to his feet and started to run again, but his knee had landed on a sharp rock opening a gash that made it hard to bare much of his weight on that side. His run turned into a jog with a clear limp, as he continued charging down the path. Once Jack got out of the park, he knew that his rented apartment was only a block and a half away, but without the timer, he had no idea how close he was to succeeding; or worse, failing. He checked his wrist again as he reached the street: 4. He looked left to check for cars and seeing none, stepped into the road before he switched his gaze to the right.

A car was coming down the road, but it was still far enough away that Jack didn’t hesitate to continue forward. He limped and skipped across the road, reaching the sidewalk only two seconds before the car came whizzing past him. He let out a deep breath and inhaled again before he started running again, ignoring the pain in his knee.

Jack arrived at the front door in record time, despite the injury. He turned the knob and pushed open the unlocked door as he looked at his wrist one more time: 0. Just then, the repetitive beeping of the oven timer rang loudly throughout the apartment. He moved to the kitchen, grabbed the pot holders, and yanked out the ramekins of crème brûlée, baked to perfection.

Brown Bar-ba-loots

“But Dad, I’m tired! Can we stop, please?”

“No honey, we are still on the Lorax’s property. We will be able to stop soon enough.” It wasn’t a lie, but he had left off some very important details. When the Lorax had sent the Brown clan of Bar-ba-loots away, it wasn’t an act of compassion; it was a threat.

The Lorax was a slave driver, and while he made no requirements of the Bar-ba-loots to pick a certain amount of fruit per day, it was clear that if they didn’t deliver enough bounty, his punishment would be swift and violent. After all, everyone knew about his temper, but he was very passive aggressive when delivering a scolding to his workers. It was no wonder he got so upset when the Once-ler moved in and started mining the resources for his own benefit, cutting the Lorax out of the profits.

The Lorax hid his own greed well, making sure everything was in balance and everyone was happy. However, he just wanted to maintain his lifestyle and lead everyone to believe it was better for them this way. The older Bar-ba-loots of the clan couldn’t even remember a time when there was no Lorax. Sure, there were stories of a time before the Lorax, but it was always spun as a world of mistrust, crime, and constant fights between the species. The Swomee-Swans dive-bombing everyone as they crossed the open fields between the Truffula trees and the Humming Fish spraying water in your face as you tried to drink from their ponds. The Lorax brought order to chaos, or so the stories said.

He looked over his shoulder at the long line of Bar-ba-loots stretched out over bare hills without Truffula tufts to shade them as they walked. Without any fruit, they couldn’t make a living picking the fruit for the Lorax, so he had sent them away to fend for themselves. He looked to the sky and saw the Swomee-Swans flying East. “Good, at least they aren’t following us.” He wasn’t sure if the stories were true, but he didn’t want his empty stomach to compete for any food they may find. Maybe the Once-ler did them a favor by moving in on the Lorax’s territory and forcing them to find a better life; he wasn’t sure.

“Are we there yet, daddy?”

“Soon,” he said aloud before whispering under his breath, “I hope.”

The Perfect Dress

Penny threw another shirt onto the pile on the bed. She was pacing back and forth between the bathroom and closet mirrors like a squirrel collecting nuts. She curled out her bottom lip and exhaled quickly, sending her bangs into the air for a moment. She looked into her full walk-in closet, “There is nothing to wear!”

Penny grabbed a navy blue dress with medium white polka dots all over and pulled it off of the rack, laying it flat against the rest of the hanging clothes. “Too flirty.” She tossed it toward the bed and pulled out another dress for scrutiny. “Too shiny.” She selected and then disregarded another 5 dresses before returning to her pacing. The decision was tricky; she didn’t want to seem to anxious, but also wanted to still draw some of his attention. If it was just a normal date, she would have chosen the polka dot dress and known that she would have had his full attention. The trouble was, this wasn’t a normal date, it was an invitation to a group outing. She wasn’t sure how many people would be attending, but she still wanted to get his attention. After all, she was sure that she wanted him.

“There you are,” said Penny as she dug through the back corner of the closet, pulling out a gray cotton dress and wide leather belt, holding it up against her body as she strolled out to the nearest mirror. “Needs a splash of color. I know,” she reached up onto the top shelf and pulled out a thin yet vibrant red scarf. She held the whole outfit up, dangling the scarf between her chin and neck. “I can work with this.”

She undid the belt and tossed it and the scarf onto the bed before stripping the dress of its hanger and pulling it over her head. The dress easily slipped over her matching black bra and underwear. She grabbed the belt and strapped it around her waist, fitting it loose so it rested on her hips to accentuate her figure. She gave the dress a few quick tugs on the hem to straighten out the fabric and then reached for the scarf. She walked over to the bathroom mirror before double-wrapping the scarf around her neck. She created a loop with one end and slipped the other end through it, pulling it through with little effort so it would bunch loosely.

Her makeup was subtle, but an extra touch of blush highlighted her cheekbones over the scarf’s color. She puckered her lips with an audible pop, and smiled wide. She would have to be subtle, but if she played her cards right, by the end of the night he would be hers.

The Treasure Map

Tara poured over all of the details of the map, one inch at a time. The light from the flashlight gripped in her teeth gave off a focused cone of light, shedding very little extraneous light. The sound of moving water was echoing through the chamber around her. Tara grabbed the flashlight out of her teeth, swallowed, and looked up at the ceiling above.

The glowworms brought the stars indoors with their shimmer. After traveling from the Isle of Man to Machu Picchu, she had stopped briefly at Cape Horn before realizing she was at the wrong location and catching the next flight to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Even after all of that traveling, she hadn’t bother to look up at the night sky in the last few weeks. Now she was in the heart of New Zealand’s north island, at the Waitomo Caves looking at the larvae’s version of the night sky.

She flipped up her flashlight, pointing it towards the ceiling. The light was strong enough to counteract the bioluminescence of the larvae and illuminate the long silk strands of mucus dangling in the dark below the insect. Tara stared at the strands, baffled that she managed to miss it beforehand. She would have never noticed them if she didn’t bother to take a look with her own light source.

Tara’s eyes got wide, “That’s it!” She flipped the light back over, flattening the creases in the map against the wall of the cave before holding it up in front of her own face with one hand and moving the flashlight behind the map, shining the light into her eyes. She could see small spots of light coming through in a specific pattern, glinting with each swipe of the flashlight. She put her map hand over the lens and twisted it, moving the lens closer to the light source and refracting the light in a wider spread. She held up the map again and began to see the pattern start to emerge.

Tara shifted her feet carefully, leaning against the rocks and putting the light at her chest, holding the map out as far as she could, the writing facing the opposite wall. As soon as the map reached two feet away, the light was covering the entire surface of the paper. Tara looked over the edge of the paper on the rock wall on the opposite side. “X marks the spot!” The light escaping through the one-way light holes in the map were shining a dot matrix map of the underground water system, with a double-dotted X marked in the passage just behind her present location.

Tara put the light back between her teeth and tucked the map into the water-tight pouch on her hip. She used her hands to brace herself against the walls from the uneven terrain as she moved through the caves, squeezing through a two foot high gap between the ceiling and the water and rocks below. The passage opened into a quiet cavern which lacked any glowworms, bats, or signs of previous spelunkers. She scanned the walls quickly, and in a few seconds she discovered the small carving of a stick figure man next to a crack in the wall stuffed with small pebbles.

Tara pulled out her Leatherman knife and forced out the rocks, revealing the small tube buried behind it. Pulling out the tube, Tara carefully unrolled it to find another map, with the Roman numerals XIII in the top-right corner. This was the last piece of the puzzle, and wherever in the world it would take her, she would find it. She smiled and headed out on the final part of her adventure.

The Gamer

“Triple kill baby! Suck that you bastards,” yelled Theo into the microphone dangling in front of his mouth. The sound of gun fire and recorded voices spilled out from the headset and into the rest of the room. Kaylee was pouring over some calculus homework at the kitchen table, her books and papers spread out and covering 90% of the available surface area. She looked up with an apprehensive look at the coach where Theo was sitting.

“Boom, got another one!”

Kaylee’s face crinkled, the anger lines forming at the center of her forehead as she listened to the sound of button presses and explosions. She looked up at the television, the full view filled with a digital scope as Theo was aiming his sniper rifle down a dusty road in the middle of who knows where. She played games herself sometimes, but none of these first person shooters or whatever it was Theo called them. The pace was too rushed for her; she enjoyed games that gave her a little more time to act. She shook her head and looked down again at her notebook, attempting to concentrate on the complex proof filling the page.

“Frack! Screw you man; lucky shot! I’ll find you, don’t you worry.”

Theo was oblivious to the sound of pencil and hand smashing hard against the table, and unaware as Kaylee stormed out of the room and disappeared into the bedroom. She was gone for a few minutes before reentering the room and strolling out into the direct line of sight between Theo and the television.

Theo inhaled deeply and was about to contest until his mind finally processed what he was seeing. There was his girlfriend Kaylee, standing in front of him in just her underwear. Instead of her regular cotton ensemble, it was an outfit he had not seen since Valentine’s Day, thigh high stockings included. He froze like a deer in headlights, oblivious to the sights and sounds escaping from the television and headset. He slowly slid the headset off and tossed it to the floor.

“Oh, do I have your attention now,” Kaylee said in a slightly bitter tone. “Good. I’m trying to study.” She pulled her hand from her hip and motioned toward the kitchen table. Theo followed the invisible line and looked at the pile of papers and books on the table for a second before turning back towards her. He wanted to look her up and down, but he was transfixed on her face as she was talking. “And your hollering is not doing me any good, so here’s the deal. I’m going to go back to studying, and you’re going to keep it down.”

Theo wasn’t sure if it was appropriate, but he spoke up anyway. “Are you going to study in,” he scanned up and down her body with the motion of his arm, “that outfit?”

She smiled at him. “Yes, and depending on how well you handle this little compromise, you might see it up close.” Her smile had stretched across the full width of her face, her white teeth peeking out from between her painted lips. “Enjoy your game.”

Kaylee went back to the table and as promised, did not change her attire. Theo’s eyes were fixed on her for a full minute before he turned back around at the game in progress. He powered off the headset and tried to concentrate on the game in silence, but over the next hour, he managed very little progress knowing the state of things behind him.

Karma Collector

“Did you say, one penny?” The woman stood dumbfounded, looking directly at the counter clerk.

“Yes ma’am, that’s the remaining balance on your layaway,” replied the clerk politely. The woman’s eyes quickly welled up and tears began flowing down her cheeks. She stumbled out a few words, “How did this happen?” To that question the clerk smiled. “An anonymous donor wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and covered most of the remaining balance,” she paused, “except one penny.”

The tears were flowing heavily now and the sobbing became audible as the woman braced herself on the counter, overwhelmed by the facts laid before her. Chloe stood 20 feet away at the edge of the aisle, watching with a heartfelt smile upon her face. She opened her small Moleskine journal and noted the date and place before checking the column for positive and placing a score of 8 in the final column. She snapped it shut and clipped the mechanical pencil onto the binding as she casually strolled out of the store.

Chloe unlocked the car and slid into the seat, pulling the journal out once again for review. She flipped to the last page where only two sets of numbers were written. The first was a date, tomorrow, and the second was preceded with a plus sign and then followed with the number 410. She looked around the pristine interior of the car and down at her designer clothes and second guessed herself for a moment.

She had spent the last 3 years doing good deeds wherever she went, and had noted each one down in the journal. If she did something negative, she would note that as well, but judging by her current tally, her behaviour had been mostly positive. She had also reaped the benefits of those good deeds, and gave herself a negative score in a separate section to represent the spent Karma. Tomorrow however, the experiment was about to change drastically.

When this all began, she was in a rough patch and had little to show for her life, materially and emotionally. Chloe had read a book called “365 Thank Yous” that she found at the local library and decided that she would adapt it to use good deeds to change her life around, and by all measures it had worked. She had however made a promise to herself: After 3 years she would reverse the trend and do negative things that were selfish in nature and see if her life would continue forward. After all, in both cases she was helping herself, just that the former method was also helping others in hopes of a Karmic boost.

She slipped the pencil from the journal and clicked it twice, thrusting the lead out one centimeter. She turned to a fresh page and wrote at the top, “Dirty Deeds – 410.” She worried it would take a while to whittle that number down, but it was going to be fun to do.

Madison's First Boyfriend

The doorbell rang loudly, followed by a knock at the door a second later. “He’s here! I’m not ready,” yelled Madison as her bedroom door slammed shut. The squeak of the dining room chair being pushed back answered the doorbell’s chime as Sean stood up and headed towards the front door.

Sean had picked out his favorite “Semper Fi” shirt so he could make his presence that much more impactful when he met this boyfriend his daughter was having over. He casually strolled up towards the front door, but as he was within arms reach of the deadbolt, Stephanie’s voice rang out from upstairs. “Sean, can you get the door?”

“Yes dear.” Sean unlocked the door and pulled it open wide to find a young man with curly brown hair that lay just over the tops of his ears. His mother’s car was still running as she waved at him from inside the car. Sean gave her a polite wave and stepped to the side. “Greg? Please, come in.”

“Thank you sir,” Greg’s voice cracking slightly. He stepped into the house quickly and stopped in the middle of the foyer, awaiting the next set of instructions.

Sean closed the door and walked past Greg without a glance until a few feet had gapped between them. He looked over his shoulder, noticing Greg was not following, and turned his head forward again as he headed toward the table in the kitchen. He spoke loud enough for the words to echo back to Greg. “So Greg, take a seat.”

Greg quickly fell into step and hurried to catch up to Sean before finding a chair across from him at the table. Sean waited until the boy was sitting before he pulled back the chair and sat down himself. The stairs up to the second floor announced a new entrant into the conversation as Stephanie walked into the kitchen.

“Hi Greg, nice to meet you,” extending her hand out towards him. Greg stood quickly, the back of the chair almost hitting the sliding glass door as he rose to shake her hand. “Hello Mrs. Osmond, so nice to meet you.” “Sean, have you offered him a drink?”

Sean had specifically skipped that formality, but Steph was ruining everything. “I was just about to do so.” Stephanie sighed and continued in perfect hostess mode, grabbing a paper cup from the water cooler and pouring it full of water before handing it to Greg, who looked parched and terrified. “Here you are.”

Stephanie gave a disapproving look towards Sean before she sat down at the table herself. They alternated questions back and forth for 15 minutes, with Sean dropping subtle hints about weapons, human psychology, and emphasizing that Madison was his first daughter. Stephanie was much more cordial in her questions, but it was clear that she wasn’t thrilled with the idea of Madison having a boyfriend. Greg was sweating in the air conditioned room, his nerves getting the better of him. He was finally relieved from his anxiety as Madison came downstairs and walked into the room.

“Hi Greg!” Madison walked over towards Greg to give him a hug, but when Greg glanced across the table at Sean’s stoic face he dared not get up. Madison caught on and stopped near her mother, reconsidering the maneuver. “So Dad, we’ll be upstairs watching a movie.” It was Stephanie who responded for them both, “Okay, let us know if you need anything.”

The young couple quickly disappeared upstairs as Sean and Stephanie shared a quiet conversation. “You left my laptop up there, right,” said Sean. Stephanie replied quickly, “Give them a few minutes before you retrieve it.”

“I’ll drop your craft box off next to the couch when I go.”

“Perfect.”

Breakfast of Champions

The line at the door wrapped back and forth three times between velvet ropes outside of Hillary’s favorite breakfast bar. She walked directly up to the bouncer and spoke, “Hey Lenny.” She smiled brightly as Lenny stepped to the side and let her walk through without hesitation.

The bar was full of laughter and upbeat music, packed to the gills as usual for a Saturday morning. She slipped off her thin coat to reveal a red dress that barely reached to her mid-thigh, cinched by a rich brown leather belt. She noticed her friends standing at the end of the bar and made a beeline for their location.

The top of the bar in front of her friends had a small appetizer plate of breakfast burritos and a pitcher of orange juice; they had started without her. Hillary was feeling amazing, “Last night was totally worth it.”

Her friend Tom responded first, “What was your poison? Rum? Tequila?”

“Dirty martinis while watching a romantic comedy over streaming. It didn’t help; I just wanted to curl up and die on the couch, but I kept drinking.” The memory wrote the pain over her face as she recapped the tale. “It took forever to fall asleep, but I woke up feeling absolutely amazing!”

“Cheers to that,” said Tiffany as she handed a glass of juice to Hillary and raised her own glass in the air to toast. The gentlemen quickly grabbed their glasses and they all held them up high in the air, matching Tiffany’s hand height. “To amazing hangovers!” The glasses clinked loudly as they met in the air, though the sound was drowned out by the heavy beats of a hip-hop track. “This place is always packed on Saturday mornings…”

“Because it’s the best,” exclaimed Hillary, ending the negative line of dialog. “Besides, this is where all the cute boys are, so this is where I’m going to be.”

Tom threw his shoulders back and stood up a little taller. “Damn right.” It was all Tiffany and Hillary could do to not laugh at Tom’s bravado.

The ladies scanned the room and Hillary first spotted the two well-dressed men wandering around, looking for a table. “Delicious.” Tiffany followed her eye line to the targets and nodded approvingly, grabbing her purse off of the bar stool. “Let’s do it.”

Marc finally spoke up, “Oh come on, you just got here!”

Hillary looked back at Marc, “Sorry boys, but it’s time to find someone to take home before this hangover wears off. I’m feeling… frisky!” Hillary grabbed Tiffany’s hand and they sashayed over to the young men, leaving Marc and Tom alone with their burritos.

Initiation

The buses idled along the curb as they wrapped the length of the roundabout as students loaded their bags into the large compartments under each bus. A few small groups were gathered outside of the buses, laughing and joking with their friends who were riding separate buses. Derek had already loaded up his gear onto bus number four, but he was stalling boarding until the very last moment.

While the field trip involved the entire junior and senior classes, the popular kids always rode bus number four and wrote all of the rules of the bus. The stories that survived each class were legendary: Kim and Tammy making out for 30 minutes, smoking electronic cigarettes without the chaperons knowing, and the ecstasy party. Those were only the good stories though, the ones that made every junior want to get onto the bus. The trouble was, you could only be invited onto that bus, and when you arrived, you had to succumb to the initiation.

“Load up everyone, it’s time to go,” called out Mr. Parker who was the headmaster for the school. “That means you too Mr. Matthewson.” He looked directly towards Derek with his usual authoritative stare. Derek obliged and headed towards the fourth bus, stepping inside quickly and grabbing the seat farthest toward the front. The doors closed and within a few minutes, the buses headed out of the parking lot and set out on the highway.

The lights stayed on in the cabin of the bus until they reached cruising speeds, and the student banter was typical. Derek thought he had slipped by without noticing, but as soon as the lights went off, he felt a tap as a folded piece of notebook paper pinched between two fingers rested on his shoulder. He grabbed it quickly, receiving a shove from the idle hand before it withdrew. He opened the note and read it quickly.

Derek rose from his seat and walked towards the very back of the bus, where the guys lined the isle seats and the women sat against the windows. There was a determined look on all of the boy’s faces as they started pulling the calf-high socks out from their hiding places and swinging them around in a circle. Their leader spoke with a loud whisper, “You better not make a sound or you’re off.” He took the first swing as Derek winced and gritted his teeth so he wouldn’t make a sound, raising his arms to protect his face only to be hit in the side with the bulbous end of the socks flying from all sides. He let out a soft groan as one landed below the belt, which luckily went unnoticed by the boys.

The girls waited their turn patiently, some averting their eyes from the violence. Samantha spoke up and suggested it was their turn, and the beating ceased. The girls instructed Derek to strip down to his underwear and imitate many embarrassing sexual acts for their amusement. Derek played along, thinking only about the good times he would have once he was accepted. Naked, with only his hand cupped around his private parts, the girls finally announced they were satisfied.

This was it; he’d made it. His body ached all over and he felt ashamed over the acts he had just performed, but as he dressed himself again, Jade slid over to the window seat and made room for him to sit down. This would be a trip to remember, and the best part was when he got to do this next year on some other wannabe; He would make it worse.

Coma Patient

The stark white room was filled with the beep of the heart monitor and six people all holding their breath: 1 doctor, 2 nurses, his parents, and his wife. Xavier opened his eyes slowly, letting in only the slightest bit of light to his underused retinas. One of the nurses moved back from the bed and flipped one of the two light switches on the wall, dimming the room. Xavier opened his eyes a little bit wider and tried to focus on the smiley face stuck to the ceiling above his bed.

He groaned and tried to lift his head, but his body was weak from inactivity. “Try to relax Xavier,” said the nurse still at his bedside. His wife’s eyes were red and puffy as the tears welled up inside them. His mother’s hands were wrapped around her husband’s arm, but she managed to hold back tears as she gripped him tighter. Xavier tilted his head towards the woman speaking with a relaxing tone. His mouth opened and a cough escaped, “Where am I,” he asked with a scratchy voice.

The doctor stepped up closer to the bed and pulled out a penlight, scanning it back and forth between his eyes. “Xavier, you’re in the hospital. You were in an accident. I’m Dr. McDonald.” He continued to wave the light back and forth as Xavier’s eyes shifted to avoid gazing directly into it. The doctor turned to the nearby nurse, “push 25 more cc’s.”

Xavier coughed again and titled his head to the other side, slowly focusing on everyone else in the room. When his eyes met with his wife’s gaze, her look bore directly into his soul as a pained smile joined the tears. Her hands were shaking when she reached out and grabbed his hand in both of hers, squeezing tightly. “Who are you?”

Everyone in the room could hear her heart hit the floor on his words. The crying became heavier still as she began to hyperventilate. One of the nurses moved over to the other side of the bed and set her hands on the wife’s shoulders, trying to calm her down to no avail. The wife was nearly hysterical when she was escorted out of the room, sobbing uncontrollably.

Xavier was confused and didn’t understand the reaction. Looking at her face he could tell that she knew him, somehow, but her face was completely unknown to him. He heard the doctor call his name again, but it felt uneasy to hear it, because he knew the doctor was talking to him, but to him Xavier was someone else. His mother excused herself to join his wife in the waiting room, leaving only three strangers in the room with Xavier.

“Xavier, do you know your last name?”

He thought hard about the question, but his memory was a clean slate. He replied slowly, “My name is Xavier?” He looked directly into the eyes of the doctor, but was lost inside his own head. The doctor turned toward the father and said, “Mr. Lee, I think it’s best if we spoke outside for a minute.”

The remaining nurse grabbed a second pillow from the chair beside the bed and helped Xavier prop himself up. He watched the two men leave the room, but he barely understood what was going on. He felt weak, alone, and scared. The nurse smiled at him as she adjusted the pillows. “Don’t worry Xavier, it’ll be okay.”

Revenge

Marcy had always loved the movie Home Alone, where a young boy, abandoned by his family when they left on vacation, holds off a pair of dimwitted robbers who break into his house. Hijinks ensues. It use to be a simple source of enjoyment, but in the last month it has shifted to being a source of inspiration. Ever since she found out that her husband had a mistress, she had secretly been planning her revenge.

She spent the first few nights crying, wondering what she did wrong that lead her man astray. She still kissed him on the cheek when he left after dinner to, “head back to the office and wrap up a few things.” After feeling sorry for herself, something snapped on the inside and she began plotting. Luckily, Brad had never wanted children, so there were no distractions when she starting setting her traps.

The garage door opened slowly, and as soon as there was enough clearance for his Miata to clear the door, he nudged the car forward. As soon as he crossed the sensor, the door started closing again. The crunch of metal nails scraping the hood made Brad wince, but he could only see the large metal frame pressing down on his precious car. The motor of the garage door opener strained against the thick chain until a large snap sent the chain flying through the air. Brad cursed loudly and got out of the trapped car, heading towards the front door as he fumbled with his keys.

The doormat was damp as his loafers squished into the thick weave. As he slid the first key into the deadbolt, it acted as a conduit for the electrical current running through the 5th pin of the cylinder. A slight zap could be heard for the door just before Brad screamed out. His muscles seized and his grip tightening on the key until the surge stopped, the hairs on the back of his neck prickly as they pointed toward the night sky. He struggled to take a breath and keep his footing, but he fell down to the ground, his briefcase spilling its contents onto the shrubbery.

He looked around him in time to see the skunk lifting it’s tail, covering his face and filling his mouth with its spray. His face contorted as he twisted his body, throwing up over the edge of the pavement. Thirty seconds passed before he pulled himself back up again, approaching the door with caution. The key wouldn’t budge and the door was still locked, so he tried ringing the doorbell, carefully. Ding dong. Nothing. He rang it again. Ding dong. He resorted to knocking on the door before pushing the button for a third time, but instead of a sound, the button depressed an inch into the wall before popping out and revealing a small note tucked into a compartment.

He pulled out the note which contained only a single word: Mailbox. Confused, Brad lifted the lid and pulled out the manila envelope. He unwrapped the string and opened the flap, pulling out a bundle of papers. Paperclipped to the front was a black and white photo of him and his mistress in the heat of passion. He yanked the photo away and read the heading of the first page: Summons for Divorce. He read the attached Post-it note written in his wife’s hand, “All of your stuff was donated to charity under the name, Cheating Husband.” 

Bad Listener

Buck paced back and forth on the white tile, moving between the living room and the dining room at an accelerated pace. He was nervous, because he was told to just chill out and behave himself. It wasn’t often that he was left alone in the house, but if it was longer than a casual nap, he usually got antsy and needed to entertain himself. This entertainment usually lasted until something laid shattered in a million pieces, and today was no exception.

He avoided eye contact with the victim as much as possible: a small glass vase that had shattered on contact with the kitchen floor, spilling flesh flowers and water everywhere, including the mat that lay in front of the sink. He wasn’t sure how it happened, but he did know that with nobody else around he would be taking the full blame for it. So typical he thought, blaming him when something went wrong. It wasn’t always his fault, he was sure of it, but somehow he always got the scolding. Every time.

Buck suddenly had an idea: If he simply went to his bed and laid down, maybe he would either wake up and none of this would have really happened, or when the damage was discovered, they wouldn’t suspect him at all since he was sleeping so peacefully. It would be his ticket out of a bad situation.

He turned quickly and headed towards the far bedroom, but as he entered the hallway he could hear the jingle of keys outside the door as Mary and Paul set upon reentering their home. He quickly rushed to his bed, curling up into a tight ball, hoping to deflect any suspicion. They would simply think he was cute, sleeping peacefully, and all would be right in the world.

With his eyes shut tightly, Buck heard the misses walk in first, her heels ringing loudly. He couldn’t count the number of steps specifically, but it wasn’t long before some curse words began their journey out of the kitchen, down the hall, and into Buck’s ears. The heels clicked quickly now, the volume increasing with each step.

Mary’s shoes fell silent on the carpeting as she entered the room, approaching Buck’s bed with long, determined strides.

“You!” Don’t you play possum; I know you’re not sleeping.” Mary grabbed Buck by the scruff of his neck, yanking him up out of bed and carrying him back to the kitchen. His eyes were wide open and he knew his rouse had failed to convince her. Now he was dangling in her grasp, feeling the burden of his misdeeds.

“You see here,” she said angrily, “you see what you did?”

“Damn cat, what the hell am I going to do with you?”

Christmas Morning

The window fogged up slowly, the haze growing with each breathe as Sansa stared out into the yard. She shifted her weight onto her right arm, lifting her left sleeve up to the window, giving it a vigorous rub. The snow had stopped falling early in the morning, but the tree branches and bushes still had a dusting of snow covering their tops. Sansa swore that this year would be different; she would stay awake all night if the need arose.

She stared out the window, anxiously awaiting any sign of movement. A small rabbit turned its head toward the window, its eyes reflecting the glow of the small solar lights lining the pathway. Sansa’s heart skipped a beat as she pressed her nose against the glass, trying to look closer. “Stupid rabbit,” she sighed and sunk back onto her pillow.

Ellen rolled over in bed and looked at her little sister. “Go to bed Sansa!” Her eyes wore the exhaustion of a night with her extended family, and her little sister’s squirming was making it hard to stay asleep; she had always been a light sleeper.

“I don’t want to miss Santa this year! Last year he ate all of my cookies without a sound, so I made an extra large batch this year to slow him down.” Ellen smiled sleepily at her sister’s quick wit. “I won’t miss him again.”

“You tell him I said hello then,” said Ellen as she rolled back towards the wall, pulling the blankets up over her head. It took only a few moments before her slow breaths whistled softly as the air passed through her nose. Sansa hadn’t noticed, her attention focused back on the cold night outside her bedroom window. Her eyes began to droop, with each blink taking slightly longer than the last.

When Ellen would snort, Sansa would snap awake for a moment, the window completely fogged up in her view. A few flakes of snow blew off of the roof and fell gently down to the ground. Sansa was mesmerized, and it took only a few more minutes before the winter wonderland conquered her willpower, sending Sansa into dream land. The bedroom door closed quietly, the head peeking in disappearing from view.

The sun had barely crested over the horizon when the light landed on Sansa’s eyes, stirring her awake. “Oh no,” she exclaimed loudly, “I fell asleep!” She launched out of bed, her feet fumbling to find their way into the fuzzy slippers. Ellen simply rolled in her bed, groaning, as Sansa dashed out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Her eyes focused on the empty plate of cookies sitting on the table at the base of the stairs. “He came!” She turned the corner and slid onto her knees and into the pile of presents stacked below the tree. The sounds of presents shaking brought her parents down the stairs.

Dad was first down the stairs, groaning with each step. Mom looked at him queerly before realizing, “You didn’t eat them all, did you?” He didn’t need to respond, his wincing giving her the answer she needed. She smiled and caught up to him at the bottom of the stairs, pushing her head under his arm and pulling his weight over her shoulder before standing upright again. Sansa’s eyes glowed as she watched them creep slowly toward her.

Mom smiled at her patient little girl and spoke through a smile, “Go ahead.” 

The Day Shift

Jaryn squeezed his eyelids tightly; everything was still washed in a bright white glow, but it was slowly improving. He couldn’t say the same about his stomach, which was churning at an uncomfortable pace. Jaryn had managed to keep from evacuating the contents of his stomach on the last test run by sheer force of will, but his eyesight and disorientation made it much harder to focus his mind.

A piercing tone echoed around the chamber, causing Jaryn to rear his head into the thick glass side. He winced and groaned, “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.” The tone rang out again, and Jaryn let his weight lean against the glass as he slid his body down to the ground, groping along the floor with his unpinned hand in search of the screeching source. His hand grazed the smooth surface of the device and clamped down around the small disc, his trained instincts flipping it over in his palm and depressing the small button on the bottom, interrupting the third tone mid-chime.

He squeezed and opened his eyes again, peering around at the dark shapes scattered along the landscape: the structures of the colony. There was an eerie quiet to the place and no movement that he could make out. Between the pained expressions, Jaryn looked confused. He had expected a welcoming party, a team of scientists, somebody to receive him when he arrived. These were the rules of beam transportation for living creatures: both sides needed a person in the chamber for the transposition to be successful. He had left the station with a team around him, and if he was here, then the man he replaced must be back at the station.

He tried to focus his eyesight, flipping the device back over in his hand as he peered at the small green readout: 71h,58m. On schedule, as expected. His focus widened for a moment and noticed a smudge of color on the fingertips of his middle and ring fingers. His brow furrowed as he concentrated his gaze.

Jaryn quickly released the device to the floor, landing with a metallic tin and a dull splat. His body slid up the glass quickly, as his hands began checking every inch of his body from toe to neck, trying to find the source of the blood. His breathing quickened as a mild panic took over his mind. He exhaled forcefully in relief, as he found all of his parts were intact and he lacked even a mild scratch. His eyes were mostly clear now, and as he looked at the chamber around him, he wasn’t sure if he would be standing here, alive, three days from now.

Em D's Eyes

** This story was inspired by the following image of the same name by Nanosichi on DeviantArt. To view the full color image, visit: http://bit.ly/ssadede **

She was use to long days and strange outfits, but Emily could not have imagined today’s gig. She had been modeling all over New York for a few months now, and when her agency said that there was a photo shoot just off of Times Square, she knew it was going to be big. When she walked into the studio, the large windows overlooking the square had the drapes pulled back completely, letting the room fill with the light of all the electronic billboards. The room had mirrors, prisms, and all sorts of colored glass dangling in front of the window.

She was handed a vibrant pink coat with small mirrors covering it and instructed to put it on while they, “finished setting up the room”. When she walked out again, the room was awash with every color of the rainbow. “Just stand on the X over there and let’s get started,” said the photographer.

Emily moved from the darkened hallway to the spot, and immediately her outfit exploded with color. I’m a professional. I can make this work. She tried to ignore everything and focus on just the camera man, moving in and out of the shadows with every click. She grabbed a bit of her sleeve and put it between her teeth and stared at him, the blue of her eyes resisting the room’s fragmented colors. The camera clicked three times in rapid succession, and in that set of pictures, Emily had moved from struggling model to Em D, supermodel.

My Wings II

** This story was inspired by the following image of the same name by 3wyl on DeviantArt. To view the full color image, visit: http://bit.ly/ssadmw **

The apartment tiles were small on the patio, leaving marks on his heels as he pressed his weight against them. It had been 6 years since he had been back at his parent’s place, and it brought back ill memories.

He stood on the other side of the railing, his toes dangling over the edge. As he glanced down at the world below, he could see the courtyard was empty, save a few trees and many more stark white tiles. His hands were gripping the railing behind him as he leaned forward, shifting his weight out into the open air. He thought it would make him nervous, but instead he was content. It was 6 years ago that he stood at this exact same spot and thought about ending his life.

Today wasn’t going to be the same. Some words a friend shared with him that day had brought him inside, and today he wanted to come back to the same place where so much pain had gathered and let it free. He could feel the weight of it lifting away from his body, guilty wings soaring into the open air. He tightened his muscles and pulled his body back toward the railing, his heels bearing his full weight on the edge.

“When you can’t run, you crawl, and when you can’t crawl, you find someone to carry you,” he said to himself as he looked out on the sunset falling behind the opposite building. He had found someone to carry him for a while, and now he could run again.