Lenny Finklestein: A Short Story

The bell goes and i start to walk home and the sky is getting darker and darker. I quicken my pace as the clouds start to gather in the sky. Puddles start appearing as the rainfall became heavier. The spray of the rain bounces off the roofs of cars, I can hear the odd car alarm and the murmuring of rain through my headphones. Anxiously, i hurry down the golf links road path desperate to get home before the rain soaks completely through my school

I sprinted up the stairs, taking no time to stop for breakfast. I had to make it to the factory by 5 or I’d be beaten. The fear of punishment gave me extra speed as I ran out the door into the smoggy darkness. As I ran, I tied back my long blonde hair with the ribbon tied around my wrist. I ran down the cobblestone street, careful not to step in any of the piles of mud. The streets were devoid of carriages, anybody rich enough to own a horse wasn’t getting up this early. The only people I shared the streets with were other children and adults going to work.

I’m not going to lie, I’ve had a lot of weird days. Like that one time in sixth grade where I had bought two new packs of mechanical pencils for school, but when I checked my backpack, they were gone. Or that one time when I was ten and I went Christmas shopping with my mom late at night, and I could have sworn that one of the mannequins at JCPenney waved at me. However, yesterday was a day that I’m never going to forget.

She took a quick look around the last turn before the main street that led to the school. She noticed several boys and girls in the alleyways on both sides of the narrow street. It looked as if every class at her school, several young ladies and even her teacher waited for her in ambush. She ducked back before they could see her, hiked up her dress, and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her in the opposite direction of the angry mob. She didn’t stop until she had found the forest path that she needed and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard no one in pursuit. The forest surroundings felt different for some reason and it frightened her. It had a forbidding feel to it this dawn like she had never felt in the past.

I walked outside took a deep breath and ran back in. I tore the box open gagging as I did and opened the first carton. I was already out of breath. My eyes were watering and my mouth went dry, I quickly dumped out the first, then he second, the third, fourth, fifth, and all of them up to the tenth. My body was shaking and I feared I might pass out from the awful smell, but I continued, I only had two more cartons. They were horrible. The bottoms were all green and flimsy, dripping milk all over the ground as I rushed them to the sink. The job was done, until I turned around and saw the mess we left. I hauled the giant trash bags over my shoulder and threw them up into the old dumpster in the back of the building. By the time I was coming back in all the girls in my group had finished their break and came back in to help, but I was all done. I mopped up the ground and the room lightened. Everyone seemed pretty happy that they didn’t have to clean up, I was pretty happy that I did clean up, I did the best job. Our day was done and we were dismissed from our worksite. As we climbed into the van, and I closed the heavy door, I thought so much, but most of all I thought about how our first day at work was and what the week had to

I run out of the house and to the sidewalk. I breathe in the cold Yorkshin breeze. First stop is breakfast. Inserting the headphone jack into the phone, I smile the second time today as the music blares into my ears. I hum along with ‘Remember Me’ by Daley. I make way to the nearest convenience store. I pick up container of YanYan’s and a water. I pay and walk to the park. I sit on a bench, enjoying my breakfast and music in peace until a pigeon chirps its way over to me. I stop mid-bite.

You feel your blood quicken and your flesh drink up the glorious sunlight as you walk out your apartment and into your car. Spring has come and is warm on your lips. The weather is nice and mild. You see the figure that has her gait perched by the roadside at a newspaper stand as you drive off Kingsway road. You try to catch a glance of her face, and you can make out the differences.

I left and, as could be predicted, a soldier detached from the rest and followed me at a discreet distance. As I traveled along the sidewalk, I couldn't help but notice the campus's condition. Grass, too long neglected, was going to seed. The flowers were wilting under the drought-like conditions. I wiped the sweat from my brow as I increased my gait. It would be dark in another hour or so.

It was a typical Wednesday morning. I was getting ready for school and I was going to be wearing my very authentic shoes that I bought from Nordstrom. Today was going to be an amazing day because my family said we could go hiking after school. So I got ready and head downstairs to eat my breakfast. Today I had pancakes with some strawberries on the side. I ate my breakfast with delicacy because I just got my braces but I was so hungry, I basically devoured all my food. Then the time 7:45 am beeped on my watch which meant it was time for me to head to school. I picked up my backpack and catched the bus.

After walking down the path for several minutes, the trees began to become desolate and sparse, and a chill came into the air. You pulled your cardigan tighter around your frame, and reached into your jeans pocket to grab your phone to use as torch. The light seemed to have faded from the sky, big dark clouds now looming overhead.

I stared out the window, squinting as the rays of sun hit everything in their reach, burning into my eyes. I usually enjoyed the soothing warmth that the sun's rays emitted, but today was different. Today, my mom was driving me to high school...Johnson High School, for my first day as a freshmen. At the corner of my eyes, I saw a bruised, grayish-looking cloud, even the sun’s radiant light couldn't reach it. I couldn't help but think how me and that worn out cloud were so similar; dull and lonely. Geez, I definitely was going to be lonely. As we neared the school, I could feel my mom's eyes imprint into me as she stared at me. "Sahar", her voice spelled out concern. I knew she just wanted me to say that I was happy and excited, but she knew

The lesson continues and all of a sudden I notice that the bare branches outside the window are no longer illuminated by the warm and cold light and the day is almost over. In the darkness of my thoughts filled with fear and doubt, I didn’t realize that the hours have passed in a strangely fast

My nose fills with the sensational smell of garlic bread as I bound down the stairs. My dad just got home from work and I greet him with a massive hug. Dinner is just about ready so my brother and I set the table. My mom, dad, brother, and I sit down and begin eating our spaghetti dinner. We sit in the sad, scared silence we usually do ever since we moved here.We all know that we wish we were still in Carlsbad with the rest of our family and that with everything going on there’s nothing we can do to change that. So, we sit in silence because we are also tired of hearing about how close we are to nuclear war. Then out of nowhere my brother slings a fat meatball at me from across the table. For the first time in a long time, I can hear the cackle of my mom and dad’s laughter that sounds like music to my ears. The table erupts with laughter and I can feel the mood of my whole entire family shift back to the happy easy going people that I know and love. For the first time since we moved here, I thought I could actually get used to living here with my one of a kind family. Then the bomb sirens go off, only this time we can see the bright balls of light headed our

It was a warm fall day in early October, a day that I recall quite vividly. The smells of the transition from summer to fall were in the air, accompanied by the sounds of birds singing and the wind blowing through the trees. It was on this beautiful day that my existence was almost terminated. A quick hunting trip could have ended my life.

It was 9:45pm, rainy night, on December 15, It was getting close to the end of my 12 hour shift, at Romoland Market. It was a busy and long day. Customers kept on coming in and out consistently. The lines was backed up all the way by the coolers. No time to take a 15 minute break. Finally, closing time was around the corner, and I was eager to get home to my bed.