A Series of Short Stories

01/30

He waited a moment before he made his final decision. The bus stopped running at twelve and the aging man seemed to jump at every tick from the old grandfather clock. Shadows of smoke echoed amongst the condensing air and the sound of ice amongst dark liquid trickled from across the room. Building blocks and lain out socks of various complexion shaded in the velvet blue carpet amongst the constricted moon light. When you saw his half reflected face you could tell he was in deep thought. A blank face thinking of a clear slate. He hesitated a moment as he stumbled to his feet. He took in his surroundings one last time and set his glass on the table, flipping a small silver ring onto the smooth icy surface. He seemed to slither to the fridge, feeling his way through the dim lit room. He ran his fingers across the counter, grabbing the envelope for next time and a photo from the stainless steel. Black ash dropped with every step to the door until it was whittled away by the outside winds.               

02/09

The narrow trail curved around the tightly knit mountain, strangling it like a large snake. It burrowed in the trees and slid through the rocks until it was far out of view. The sign below said to stay on the trail. It was a long hike and many had gotten lost in the dense greenery flowing downward. It was crucial to take all necessary precautions when you were by yourself. It was also recommended to hike in a group. As he gained elevation he began to feel constricted. As if a large brick of mass had settled in his chest. Every breath seemed to be lesser than the last as his lungs grew tired and restless. He continued to hike along the closing in tree line feeling heavier with every step. Up ahead there was a small clearing that seemed to slope down the mountain. Out of breath and lost he stepped off the main trail and began his journey downward.   

02/21

He got the last ride off before everything consumed itself. There wasn’t much left anymore. Desserts had spread like wild fire across the world’s ocean blues and temperate greens. It was a reminder that nothing was forever. Even the evergreens began to shrivel to a pale shade of brown and burn under the scorching heat. In the distance, he could see the bright lights engulfing the withered planet. It seemed to linger in an orbiting motion as if in regret. The giant burning mass known as the sun had fallen down upon what used to be Earth. He thought it was a bit ironic in a way. What gave something life was now taking it away. Had the sun simply given up on its creation? Like a mother forced to let go of its dying child. He felt a bit selfish leaving what gave him life alone in the burning rims of space. Some people stayed behind though. Perhaps for some last attempt at a mere understanding of fate and unconditional faith. He didn’t believe everything was meant to be though. He didn’t believe there was an end or for that matter a beginning. It all seemed to be a test of time. But maybe they were right. Maybe staying and letting go was the final goal. Maybe the point of evolution and the theories of religion was an eventual end.        

02/28

It stood about 5 feet too large. Too tall for the shelfs and too wide for the walls. The small shop featured many treasures from around the world but the vase was simply too large. It was left outside just on the corner of market street. It had velvet blue stripes that ran parallel to a dark red finish. Encircling that were small slits of black intercepted by divergent swirls of white. They ran down the sides like rivers of fire carving though flower filled fields. In the sunlight, it looked as if the colors were jumping off the smooth rims to grab your attention. There truly was no other item that took on such a beautiful form. Despite its lavishing authenticity, it was far too big for the small shop on market street. Too extravagant to buy and far too stationary to sell. A faulty of its creator and a tragedy for the shop that was too small for too large a vase. 

03/06

One day the old man had a heart attack. His life was going so fast that his heart began to slow down. It ticked and tocked until one day it dropped. It dropped so low that he could feel each second of his life knocking on the next minute. He tried to reach for the phone but he could barely get to his feet. Time had slowed down to an almost still state. In a way, he felt suspended in space. Slowly waiting as his heart slowed to a near stop. Drawing in the rest of time with every beat and a half. It could have been hours that went by, maybe days, but he stood stuck to the ground like a fish out of water. He replayed old memories as if they were scenes from a grand film, meanwhile, looking for the remote with the rewind button taped down.        

03/13

It proclaimed their friendship before the day had even begun. A large creature with four legs and a joyful unanimous grin looking down at him. The two bound together like glue, spending not a moment apart. Till it’s last days the obedient beast stood by, watching over the family, unconditionally and without question. Ready to greet and brief him on the new day’s doings when the clock struck two. Always prepared for every adventure and close encounter. He was there for the journey into space to fight the advancing foreign invaders. Not to mention the treasure hunt in the east side forest for the golden goblet. Even that time he had to save the family from the monsters in the attic. Man’s best friend was always there, waiting by his side. All the way to the most difficult and advantageous expedition of college, the boy dragged his oldest and noble guardian along with him. His old friend kept up none the less. Fighting on by his side through the work ridden winters and the busy summers. Waiting for his arrival and departure the next day. Forever loyal to the boy who was always there to save the day.

04/17

The room seemed to be glazed in dust. The warm oaks had been powdered over like snow on a winters day. The classic space could only be described as cold and icy. It was evident it hadn’t been heated in years and the windows left open completely. He could only imagine what it would have looked like back in its glory years. On the table were a series of jumbled papers and a slightly dented type writer. A glass half empty and a broken pencil lay parallel to the foreign and scattered setup. His dad was never the most organized but he always managed to finish something he put his mind to. It was one of the things that truly fascinated him about his father. How he would sit down in that office and just finish projects like clockwork. As if he were some calculated machine powered by midnight drinks and dimmed lighting. Of course, the old tapered lamp that lay askew in the corner was definitely broken by now. Probably the result of an unfinished project that simply couldn’t be solved. That was the one thing that really bothered him about the old man. He simply couldn’t let a story be. There always had to be the perfect ending, whether it sad or non-existent.            

04/24

Walking down the dark narrow streets of Federal Way was a chilling thought. Driving through was one thing, but a walk could seem like a death sentence. Each turn seemed to lead you in the exact opposite direction you wanted to go. Abandoned buildings built on shades of grey echoed amongst the fire lit alleys. Shadows crept around every corner, imitating and following frightened travelers. As he slowly stuttered through the many turns and corners, his body appeared to freeze up with every step. His legs wanted to run but his feet felt cemented to the ground. His body was working against him, as fear pushed him further into the smoggy passageways. Before his mind could began to wonder to the next dreadful thought, a jagged shadow flew across the cracked gravel beneath his feet. His heart locked to his chest and his lungs dived into his stomach. His eyelids shuttered as he fell to his knees from the buckling pressure in his ankles. Slowly he opened his eyes, preparing for what could be his last. In front of him stood a small boy holding a wallet. The exact wallet he dropped a few steps back.                   

05/01

The man with the binding and luxurious suit sat down on his metal throne at the top of the world. Below was the ever moving city scape that stretched across the barren wastes and around the still like sea. The flashing lights and vibrant sounds of the large metropolis seemed to blend together, forging an almost fake and plastic like atmosphere. Your thoughts could almost intertwine with your surroundings and drift away with the city’s overflowing energy. It was so natural for him now. To get lost in the high life of an amped up society. When he was a child his family seemed to encourage this behavior, and nurtured it until it blossomed into the black flower he had become today. But his family was long gone now. All the cursed wealth and indigenous luxury had been given to him without a price. From then on everything that couldn’t be bought had an unreasonably high price tag that everyone but him could afford.  

05/08

From below, he could hear the bilious booms breaking apart reality on the lands above. He felt safe in his position. Safe from all the danger and terror roaring from above. Safe from the giant beast taking its revenge on humanity for the very monster it had created. In his opinion, it wasn’t his fault. He had no role in the destruction of civilization. He was simply an innocent bystander minding his own business. Safe in his own fortress of solitude. As the sounds of warfare bellowed from above his mind began to drift into a state of tranquilizing thought. He thought of all the worries he had left up above. All the simple things he didn’t need. Even his old home, now buried in ash and rubble. It was almost comforting to some effect. Leaving everything and starting anew. This went on for a while, until the thoughts of abandoning his life configured into the thoughts of it abandoning him. Suddenly, his body was struck with the shock and realization of pure isolation. All voices of comfort and synthetic reason withered away like ants in the burning sun. He was all alone in a metal box 100 feet underground. He was completely safe from everyone else.