blackwater
Laid out on the table were spoons of all sizes, all he'd never seen before, forks, chopsticks, plates and bowls and glasses, and- It was never-ending, it seemed.
Yet, the silverware lay beneath the wooden boards just underneath his bed. For the first time in his life, his silver tongue provided no defense.
The lights of the nightclub pulsed, the bodies under them writhing, necks bared and hips rolling.
She was a circus clown; red nosed, pale cheeks and eyes fixedly wide from having seen too much, set into her small, chubby face. She's dressed up, put in garnish yellows and blurry flower patterns, picked up from the imitation vintage boutique at the fringes of the city's downtown.
Never in her life had she felt as if the world was tilted sideways. She was stumbling around in a cold, dark room, with hallways that branched left right up down. Which way should she go? Did that direction lead to where she had come from?
All she knew was this: Whatever happened, she could not stay.
It wasn't logical, what I was doing. Missing a date, switching decisions seconds after I've made them, taking a nap right before class. It didn't make any sense. Yet, maybe it was what I needed, if only to force myself to pick up my pieces, and turn everything logical again.
There are many lessons in life we learn. The small ones, the ones your parents tell you - be a good boy and Santa will give you a present; come back with an A and we'll get you that new iPhone. Then there are the big ones - the one where we lay on our deathbeds and think: I should've lived my life when I had the chance.
Hairline cracks crawled up the window, and years of grime, dust and a lack of care tinted its edges yellow and brown. But rays of sunlight shone through its glass panes and scattered on the wooden boards beneath his feet.
It didn't matter that the window was unclean; it still gave him the best view in the house.
“Hello, hello, ladies and gentlemen!” the emcee crowed into the microphone, one gloved hand sweeping out with a flourish. “We have an announcement to make!”
The crowd settled, and thousands of pairs of eyes turned to the man in the top hat and purple-yellow two-piece suit standing behind the podium.
The man’s white-painted face stretched into a grin as his keen eyes watched the men get into position at the entrances and exits of the tavern. When the last of them have stood around the audience stands, just as he had ordered, he leaned toward the crowd. Anticipation rose in the air.
“Ready your wallets!” he laughed. From behind the podium, his hidden hand pulled out a rifle and fired into the ceiling. “And let us enjoy the show!”
His men moved, and the screaming began.
"Hello, hello, ladies and gentlemen!" the emcee crows into the microphone, one gloved hand sweeping out with a flourish. "We have an announcement to make!"
The crowd settles, and thousands of pairs of eyes turn to the man in the top hat and purple-yellow two-piece suit standing behind the podium.
The man's white-painted face stretching into a grin as keen eyes watched his men get into position at the entrances and exits of the tavern. When the last of them have stood around the audience stands, just as he had ordered, he laughs. From behind the podium, his other hand pulls out a rifle and fires into the ceiling. "Ready your wallets," he drawls, "as we enjoy the show!"
"Mm," said John.
"Mm? What do you mean by, mm? Is it good enough to be published or not?"
"Look, kid," the editor sighed, "I'll be honest with you. I can't tell the difference between half of your characters, and your writing style is a little..." He made a so-so gesture with a hand. "...fan fiction-y."
The girl stared at him, eyes wide and face falling. John kept up his smile. "However, you're in luck, because while this needs a whole lot of editing, you've come to the right place."
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writing since 2017 · 41 entries · 38 days shown up
each square is a day—lit means ethel showed up.
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