oneword.com

“What I want is a -real- woman,” he said, and sat back to drink his coke.

“Your first mistake was thinking that your opinion matters at all, to me, or to any women.”

“And the second,” he asked and smirked.

She clenched her fingers into a fist as she stood up, and spoke as she swung. “Opening your fucking mouth.”

Posted By Fluidfyre On 01.22.2013 @ 6:35 pm

The sound of the rain was magnified by the plastic cover that closed the air conditioner. It was still on from the winter, trying vainly to stop the north wind. But beneath the rain, were the sounds of her soft sobbing through the bathroom door. There were no words left, none to be found, and he could only sit by the window and look at the dismal day that somehow seemed to know.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 01.18.2013 @ 8:26 pm

Every morning was the same as the last, at least since her mother’s mind had seeped into the greying strands of her hair. When she was little, the broom had come out in the mornings too, to sweep the cobwebs from the cabin, and brush away mayflies that clouded on the windows. But now she swept nothing, and the straw dragged, dry and broken.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 01.16.2013 @ 9:54 pm

The glass tinked under Terry’s finger. The compass had simple stopped working, much like the watch on his wrist. As much as time had no meaning in this place, so had magnetism and direction merely ceased to be.

It was then he realized his heard no longer beat.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 01.12.2013 @ 8:18 pm

The sausage hit the pan and sizzled loudly, a hush of steam rising as they mixed with the onions. Dave didn’t look up from where he sat as Mark stirred the fried bits together. The heady scent of the onions browning rose in the air.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 09.14.2012 @ 1:47 pm

“Just keep in mind that I’m… open to the suggestion,” she said and looked at him with bedroom eyes. James fumbled a moment, trying to formulate a word before he cleared his throat and said, “Uh yeah. Yes, of course. I – I will keep… that in mind.” She patted his cheek before slipping out on stage.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 07.10.2012 @ 1:29 pm

“…hallowed be thy name, they kingdo-”

The words cut off as the axe fell, the heavy steel slicing true and clean. Blood spurted warm and hot onto the snow, and another swing of the axe severed the tendons and let it fall into the basket below.

The crowd erupted into cheers, drowning out her scream of sorrow.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 04.30.2012 @ 7:39 pm

The thrusters burned hard and the sky lit with their fire as we broke orbit, sending us crashing across the deck and into the cargo. The engines whined and the systems screamed, blaring safety instructions.

Stumbling back up, I looked across to the captain.

“Any sign?”

He shook his head and a wide smile broadened his face. We took to the port hole and looked at the stars. “Nothing but the sky.”

Posted By Fluidfyre On 02.06.2012 @ 8:32 pm

“Totally epic,” Jared said, and sunk deeper into his seat. His eyes were half-lidded and his pupils dilated. A haze hung in the air around us, a pungent smell accompanying it.

“Yeah,” I said, and my heart raced for a moment. It raced when I could barely move. The movie started and I smacked my dry-mouth. “Epic.”

Posted By Fluidfyre On 02.02.2012 @ 3:48 pm

The wagon bumped on the muddy road, and the already soggy book flew from my hands. I moved in its wake, reaching for what wasn’t there and crying out.

“Shut it,” the man beside me hissed, and backhanded me without restraint.

I could see the tawny, umbre leather there in the rutted road, pulling away as fast as the horses would take us and darkening beneath the pelt of rain.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 02.01.2012 @ 4:05 pm

“Not another one of these drab functions,” he said and took to my side, raising his brow to glance up at me. “Julian, I don’t know why you bother.”

“For looks,” I replied, and took the mimosa from his hand. Downing it quickly, I smiled to placate him. “Always for looks, you know that.”

“I wish you cared about something more than that,” he sighed, looking in the glass before drifting away.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 01.30.2012 @ 7:12 pm

The snow fell outside the window, a silent cascade of old fashioned soap flakes, scarce lit by the crescent moon in the sky. The lake was frozen, and fire logs cracked in the stove. I had wanted this for …too long.

Marie’s face cracked in a smile as she glanced to me, tugging the thread through the popcorn. “Love?”

Posted By Fluidfyre On 01.27.2012 @ 9:16 pm

I had so many plans, scattered around my thoughts like pages, post-its, maps, and crusty glasses on a desk. It’s almost funny how they pale in comparison to a diagnoses such as that.

Marla is crying in the next room. She had plans too.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 01.25.2012 @ 8:35 am

I pressed to the window as the plane touched down, bumping on the runway. The air filled with the rush of the engines and my seatbelt held me back as I buoyed forward with the momentum.

I was going to see him. I was finally going to see him. Eight months of webcams, phone calls, and emails.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 01.21.2012 @ 1:53 pm

Down below. That was where we sent them. Their voices heard above it all, the creak of wood and the slap of waves; a bellow, a cry, screaming and hitting to be free. From the pitch of night to the burning noon of day. But they would never grant it.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 01.16.2012 @ 6:58 pm

Down below. That was where we sent them. I could hear their cries through the boards, above the creak of the boards and the rock of the waves. They would beg, oft in languages I couldn’t know, at all hours of the night and through the burning noon of day.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 01.16.2012 @ 6:56 pm

The crisp snapped on her lips as she sat across the room and watched me. It was infuriating, really. Watching those slender thighs cross, and delicate wrists slip into and from the bag to eat them.

I could feel the rolls of my stomach gurgle and whine, and the creases round my waist and back – and most of all, how tight my jeans felt on my thighs. I bit off the piece of celery with as much venom as I could.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 01.13.2012 @ 1:52 pm

The view from atop the platform was stunning. I shuffled my feet on the rotting, wet wood, and I could just barely see the trees over the castle wall. The sky was burning, reds and oranges. It was beautiful. Somehow fitting.

And then the executioner tightened the noose and I held my breath.

Let me remember this when the light fades.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 12.09.2011 @ 12:00 pm

Cain slouched back against the headboard, gasping out fully and closing his eyes. Beside him, John lay back with equal lethargy and satiation. Slowly, the other man reached for the bedside table and got up, putting a fag in his lips.

“Not in here,” he gasped.

John shrugged, and left the room, still naked as the day he was born.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 12.01.2011 @ 2:17 pm

It seemed a useless title in light of what had happened. Marilyn sat at the desk, running her hands across the marred oak, the light streaming in through the window behind her. So many dead. So much chaos. That they could even imagine to pick up the pieces.

She could hear the birds. How could it be so tranquil?

“Madam President?” One of the aides by the door waited tentatively, lines of strain about his eyes.

She couldn’t yet turn to face him.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 11.25.2011 @ 8:37 pm

“That’s right, we’ll be conducting the study as soon as possible,” the CBO said as he stood at the front of the press conference, a pressed, perfect smile framing his face.

“But what about those who’ve already suffered the price?” one of the reporters spoke up. “How many have died?”

“Those rumours are unconfirmed,” Jake Mallard replied, frowning and waggling a finger with a laugh. “I thought better of you than to bring rumours about the virus to this conference.”

Posted By Fluidfyre On 11.23.2011 @ 4:47 am

There was only the sound of rain in the dark, as we sat ankle deep in the trenches, staring at the black sky and waiting. My fingers were numb with cold, my grip wet, and my boots sloshed.

Then the flare burst brilliant in the sky, a white-red blossom that blinded our night-eyes. But it was the signal. We sprang to action.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 11.20.2011 @ 8:14 am

He looked down at the ground and shuffled his feet. “If that’s how you feel.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, and her eyes glistened with tears as she hurriedly pressed the little box back into his hand. “I can’t…. I can’t.”

Dean stood there as she turned and fled the park. People were staring. Were they? He couldn’t see her anymore.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 11.18.2011 @ 12:37 pm

Jun sniffed hard and kept his head down, bringing the meat cleaver to cut through the hearts into fine pieces, before swiping his hand across the board and dumping them in the pot.

“Is it ready?” his mother asked.

“No, go back to bed,” he replied, and spat a blackened phlegm from his lungs into a cloth, before wiping his hands and continuing to chop vegetables.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 11.16.2011 @ 1:54 pm

“Positively fabulous,” Karl said, and nodded as I spun in the mirror.

“Really?” I said with a smile, and smoothed my hands back over my ass.

“Oh sweetheart,” he said and took a drag from his fag, “Stop acting like you aren’t a delicious piece of meat.”

“Bacon maybe,” I murmured, and began to take it off. “Get another. I don’t like yellow.”

Posted By Fluidfyre On 11.10.2011 @ 6:08 pm

It was rolling away. Down the hill. Lucy thought I should run after them but I could only watch and wish my life were so carefree. Bouncing and tumbling, somehow still running.

“What are we going to do about the car?” she asked.

I shrugged. “Someone will come along.”

“You’re not going to go get them?”

They bounced once more before disappearing into some bushes. My tired smile met her confusion. “Fine, fine.”

Posted By Fluidfyre On 11.05.2011 @ 11:45 am

I expected it to end that way, with me sitting in the rain. My clothes were drenched to the bone. If fitted. I guess I was glad it was unseasonably warm, so I wasn’t freezing my ass off. He’d left and taken the car. I didn’t think he was going to come back.

It was better this way. Better in the rain. I was glad for it to hide my tears.

Posted By Fluidfyre On 11.04.2011 @ 3:44 pm