Tag: short story

The perfect balance

It wasn’t enough, it was never enough.

She moved the slider to the right. Nothing. She moved it further still.

Processing…

And when loading stopped, it still wasn’t enough. Tired after a long day out in the woods, Susan kept moving the slider to and fro, aiming for the sweet spot. Her roommate peered over her shoulder.

“Uff. Will you ever learn?” She sighed.

Susan turned to her, quizzical.

“Add a faint orange tint. It’ll make those leaves in your hands pop with autumness.”

Susan did without comment. She earned ninety-five likes—three more than yesterday’s photo. She was elated.

Thankful

Thankful

Life had been good to her. She had a job, she had a home, and she had enough money to pay off her debts without the weight of it crushing her down. And now a stroke of luck at work had brought her to Amsterdam. She had no complaints.

She stepped onto the street, expecting warmth and welcome. Instead, a chilly morning breeze stung at her skin causing her teeth to shiver and her ribs shudder. Smiling to herself an the unexpected weather, she pulled out her jacket and reached for her phone. She’d better book a cab.

Her ride arrived in minutes. Settling in the back seat, she leaned back observing the traffic of working-class Amsterdam. The car fell into a race with the rest of the vehicles, and even as she looked on, cars, mini hoopers, SUVs, and XUVs zoomed past without slowing down for a second. Her driver followed suit while she grabbed the door to steady herself. Despite the seatbelt, she moved around a lot.

Through the window she saw drivers of all ages. Middle-aged women clutched coffee cups on one hand and the wheel with the other. High school kids sang along as they cruised by, and a tensed semi-bald man mumbled while he gripped his steering wheel hard enough for his knuckles to show. On another side was a tall man stroking the hair of the retriever on the seat next to him.

Karen watched, amused how none of the cacophony of the outside world reached her. The only noise she ever heard was a mild hum from her head. Life had been good to her deaf self.

Outside the box

Marcus paced the living room. On the couch, his mother stared into space while his father flipped a magazine. They weren’t too happy with his engagement. They preferred Jessica to Jose. Marcus, however, had decided.

“Would they like me?” José had doubted. “I’m marrying you, and I love you.” Marcus had replied every single time.

“José—weird name for a girl.” His father broke into Marcus’s thoughts. “Jecintha,” his mother responded.

“Oh.”

Marcus paced faster.

When the doorbell rang, he ran. His transman fiancé, José, looked as smart as ever. Together they walked inside, Marcus eager to release his burden.

Corporate promises

“But—”

Mason interrupted Peter in mid sentence. “No more discussions. You should leave.” Peter stood rooted, eyes welling up. Mason cut in. “Peter, don’t make me call security.”

Peter turned, and with his head low, walked out leaving the building that had been his office and the people who had been his family for the past seven years.

He’d been faithful in times good and bad. Even when the company declared near-bankruptcy, and the rats left the sinking ship, Peter had been there. He loved his job so much that he offered lifetime loyalty.

The company offered no such thing.

Fake promises

mane.jpg

“You need to control it,” Mark’s mother ranted while he observed himself in the mirror. He didn’t reply. It wasn’t the first time.

“If this continues, your reputation at work will deteriorate,” she continued despite his lack of expression. “Do something!” She concluded, irritated with his muteness.

Mark sighed before turning away. He was happy with his appearance—a lawyer’s coat suit him well. It was his hair that sprawled over his head, refusing to sit snug. Exasperated, he frowned at the tiny jar of hair gel on his dressing table. It’d cost a fortune, promising to “Tame that mane.”