Short Stories, Often With Tragic Endings

When the poets wrote of the ‘still of the night,’ this must have been what they meant, he thought. His heart keened in loud thuds as the ceiling tiles swirled before his tired eyes. A supreme sense of finality overwhelmed him, and he squeezed his eyes shut to the world. He sighed, and muttered to himself, “I’m no martyr, only a scared little boy.” This summer’s heat is stifling, he noted, as a bead of sweat broke and streamed down his cheek.  Her gentle snore pulled him away from his somber thoughts. He nudged her, and she turned lazily to face him. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, “you were right about the stars, each one is a setting sun,” and fancied himself very poetic in that moment.

When the poets wrote of the ‘still of the night,’ this must have been what they meant, he thought. His heart keened in loud thuds as the ceiling tiles swirled before his tired eyes. A supreme sense of finality overwhelmed him, and he squeezed his eyes shut to the world. He sighed, and muttered to himself, “I’m no martyr, only a scared little boy.” This summer’s heat is stifling, he noted, as a bead of sweat broke and streamed down his cheek. 

Her gentle snore pulled him away from his somber thoughts. He nudged her, and she turned lazily to face him. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, “you were right about the stars, each one is a setting sun,” and fancied himself very poetic in that moment.

He was cold when he came to bed. It wasn’t anything he said or did that gave him away—no, he was much too careful for that. But the small tokens of his affection were gone, leaving not but a quiet little empty space behind. Kiss me goodnight, she pleaded, searching for the tender looks he once gave her so often. He did kiss her, softly, and with a crooked smile on his face, but he refused to meet her gaze, and she knew that was the end.

He was cold when he came to bed. It wasn’t anything he said or did that gave him away—no, he was much too careful for that. But the small tokens of his affection were gone, leaving not but a quiet little empty space behind. Kiss me goodnight, she pleaded, searching for the tender looks he once gave her so often. He did kiss her, softly, and with a crooked smile on his face, but he refused to meet her gaze, and she knew that was the end.

I keep promising myself I’ll stop looking at the world as a big, giant crossword puzzle. It’ll make not finding the right words a hell of a lot easier. Maybe I’ll take up sudoku.

I keep promising myself I’ll stop looking at the world as a big, giant crossword puzzle. It’ll make not finding the right words a hell of a lot easier.

Maybe I’ll take up sudoku.

My god, look at that hot mess. The hoop earrings, the bobbles, and I am definitely not hating that faded old led zeppelin shirt. The tussled hair—looks like she had a long night, and—and, hang on a sec… Yep. Those are definitely leopard print heels.  The things I would do to that pretty little… What’s this! Fate! She’s dropped something! Annnnd just going to sneak a quick look—don’t look too obvious now, just a sly glance over my shoulder, in case she turns around, aaand… Oh god, look away, look away! I can feel her staring at me. She is definitely staring straight at me now. Don’t turn ‘round yet. Fly soul! Fly far, far away and hide from the piercing glare that is, I’m pretty sure, burning its way through my fashionable backpack right this instant! Hey buddy! I saw you checking me out. Excuse me! Yeah, you, turn around! Figures she would have the voice of a girl next door. Well, no use now. Time to turn on the shit eating grin and turn around in 3… 2…  Hi, I’m— Note from the editor: You guys, it’s Mila Kunis, I’m pretty sure.

My god, look at that hot mess. The hoop earrings, the bobbles, and I am definitely not hating that faded old led zeppelin shirt. The tussled hair—looks like she had a long night, and—and, hang on a sec…

Yep. Those are definitely leopard print heels. 

The things I would do to that pretty little… What’s this! Fate! She’s dropped something!

Annnnd just going to sneak a quick look—don’t look too obvious now, just a sly glance over my shoulder, in case she turns around, aaand…

Oh god, look away, look away! I can feel her staring at me. She is definitely staring straight at me now. Don’t turn ‘round yet. Fly soul! Fly far, far away and hide from the piercing glare that is, I’m pretty sure, burning its way through my fashionable backpack right this instant!

Hey buddy! I saw you checking me out. Excuse me! Yeah, you, turn around!

Figures she would have the voice of a girl next door. Well, no use now. Time to turn on the shit eating grin and turn around in 3… 2… 

Hi, I’m—

Note from the editor:

You guys, it’s Mila Kunis, I’m pretty sure.

A dream woke me suddenly in the night. I hadn’t thought of her in a long time. Truth is, I had always wanted her. She knew it, too, but the timing was never right. She had a man, or I was chasing after some woman. She lived in this city, and I lived in that one. Life and its many complications, I s’pose. Last I heard of her, she was married and had two little kids. I ran into her sister in the grocery store the other day. She leaned over the frozen peas and showed me a picture—cutest little smiles I think I’ve ever seen. Makes me feel old.

A dream woke me suddenly in the night. I hadn’t thought of her in a long time. Truth is, I had always wanted her. She knew it, too, but the timing was never right. She had a man, or I was chasing after some woman. She lived in this city, and I lived in that one. Life and its many complications, I s’pose. Last I heard of her, she was married and had two little kids. I ran into her sister in the grocery store the other day. She leaned over the frozen peas and showed me a picture—cutest little smiles I think I’ve ever seen. Makes me feel old.

His baby sister asked if he would edit one of her scholarship essays last night. She wrote about dreams of planetary spaceflight, fusion rockets, and defying gravity and time. He chucked at the dreams of the young. How cute it was that she believed she could change the world. He wanted to tell her about the recent cuts to space exploration funding, but her optimism amazed him. He wondered if it was the kind of optimism that only an eighteen year-old could have. You know, before the cynicism of the world sets in. When dreams are still achievable and nuclear physics is used for something more worthwhile than building bombs.  He thought, you’ll never change the world. You’ll succeed in what you do. It’ll be above average, at best. You’ll certainly be happy, because you can have everything the world offers. But the world doesn’t offer much, and you’ll never change that. The world doesn’t change. Far off in the back of his mind, he wondered if any one ever told that to Newton. To Einstein… She peaked at him from above her laptop, and he was brought back to attention. Change this to “differently,” he said. It’s an adverb.

His baby sister asked if he would edit one of her scholarship essays last night. She wrote about dreams of planetary spaceflight, fusion rockets, and defying gravity and time.

He chucked at the dreams of the young. How cute it was that she believed she could change the world. He wanted to tell her about the recent cuts to space exploration funding, but her optimism amazed him. He wondered if it was the kind of optimism that only an eighteen year-old could have. You know, before the cynicism of the world sets in. When dreams are still achievable and nuclear physics is used for something more worthwhile than building bombs. 

He thought, you’ll never change the world. You’ll succeed in what you do. It’ll be above average, at best. You’ll certainly be happy, because you can have everything the world offers. But the world doesn’t offer much, and you’ll never change that. The world doesn’t change.

Far off in the back of his mind, he wondered if any one ever told that to Newton. To Einstein… She peaked at him from above her laptop, and he was brought back to attention.

Change this to “differently,” he said. It’s an adverb.

What’s so wrong with watching lifetime movies, anyway?

What’s so wrong with watching lifetime movies, anyway?

There are days when he locks himself in his room. He lays very still on his bed, just looking at the ceiling for hours. He thinks. He hates what he is doing with his life. He recognizes the missed opportunities, and he regrets them. He wants desperately to change. He resolves to try harder, to stop squandering his life, but is quickly overwhelmed by fears and doubts. He feels like his life is defined by failure. He doesn’t know how to be any different than how he is! He is suspicious that his friends don’t think that much of him. He is suspicious that his girlfriend doesn’t really love him. He wants to reach out to someone—to her, to anyone! But he can’t show his weakness—he doesn’t know how. Maybe, on those days, he even hates himself. This, however, is not one of those days!

There are days when he locks himself in his room. He lays very still on his bed, just looking at the ceiling for hours.

He thinks.

He hates what he is doing with his life. He recognizes the missed opportunities, and he regrets them. He wants desperately to change. He resolves to try harder, to stop squandering his life, but is quickly overwhelmed by fears and doubts. He feels like his life is defined by failure. He doesn’t know how to be any different than how he is!

He is suspicious that his friends don’t think that much of him. He is suspicious that his girlfriend doesn’t really love him. He wants to reach out to someone—to her, to anyone! But he can’t show his weakness—he doesn’t know how. Maybe, on those days, he even hates himself.

This, however, is not one of those days!

You’re suffocating me!  No, no, no—I’m sorry. Listen, you’re a great guy— No, it’s not like that, I just need some space. I don’t know. No, you didn’t do anything. No. Jean, just listen to me, I just need some time to— Yes, fine I’ll come. Okay, see you tonight. Good bye.

You’re suffocating me! 

No, no, no—I’m sorry. Listen, you’re a great guy—

No, it’s not like that, I just need some space.

I don’t know. No, you didn’t do anything. No. Jean, just listen to me, I just need some time to—

Yes, fine I’ll come. Okay, see you tonight. Good bye.

She believed in choice. Choices between blue and red; good and bad; right and wrong; meaningless choices; life-changing choices. She thought back on the year, and wondered how it could have turned out differently, what could she have done differently. Most of the time she felt constrained by society, by the norms, being acceptable, being accepted. This made her doubt her ability to chose anything. She thought about particular sets of circumstances, which could force her into a certain courses of action. She couldn’t explain it. Then, she realized that she chose to follow the norms, and that was okay with her most of the time. But today, the last of the year, she would choose to live it a little differently. She had a choice.

She believed in choice. Choices between blue and red; good and bad; right and wrong; meaningless choices; life-changing choices.

She thought back on the year, and wondered how it could have turned out differently, what could she have done differently. Most of the time she felt constrained by society, by the norms, being acceptable, being accepted. This made her doubt her ability to chose anything. She thought about particular sets of circumstances, which could force her into a certain courses of action. She couldn’t explain it.

Then, she realized that she chose to follow the norms, and that was okay with her most of the time. But today, the last of the year, she would choose to live it a little differently.

She had a choice.