Word Choice: A Short Story

It was a cool, rainy October night. The wind slightly blowing against shaking trees causing autumn leaves to drift in the air. The rain pitter-pattered on parked cars as if it was a song. The air was still crisp. It was around 11 o’clock at night when Maddie was walking home from her night job at Lucy’s Cafe. She normally took the bus, but tonight she had to close and the buses don’t run that late. She figured it was only a mile, she could just walk home. The sound of the rain got louder, the rain was getting harder and the wind getting more vicious. She knew something was off. She began to hear sounds of puddles being walked through on the sidewalk behind her. She slowly turned around, but no one was there. She speeded up her pace and kept walking forward, determined to get home. She began to hear footsteps on the cold, wet road this time. She quickly put her phone in her hand about to call her mother. She knew someone was behind her. Just as she started to run, she quickly felt a cold rush through her spine. It felt as though she had been turned to ice. Maddie’s legs became weak and she couldn’t stand. Everything went blurry, then black.

Short Story Assignment It was a good place, twelve year old Caitlin Mathis thought to herself. She'd declined coming there in 2011 when it opened. She wanted to go when she was ready and she wanted to go alone. She was in lower Manhattan, at the World Trade Center Memorial. A couple years ago she'd refused to accompany her teary-eyed mother there for the ten year memorial. She'd refused to stand in the crowd and listen for her father's name. She'd refused to bring a flower. Her mother understood. Or perhaps not, maybe her mother didn't understand; maybe her mother just tolerated her decision and didn't feel like fighting.

He walked in, greeted his team, and asked for a scalpel. An hour or so later, Dr. Colin walked out of the room sweating but sighed in relief. With a swipe of his hand, he took off his cap and walked over to clean up himself up. Then he headed to the waiting area, found the patient’s family, and told them the good news. Smiling, he watched their anxious glances evaporate as they exhale slowly and then their looks are replaced with an air of giddiness and comfort as they hug each other and smile back at him. He gives them the usual spiel following each surgery with instructions on how to care for their patient following the procedure.

Bull assisted yanking down his boxer briefs as the Doctor knelt behind the Sergeant and parted Bull’s fuckable ass.

Sheriff Eldritch Meeks straightened his hat and emerged from the Chevy Bel Air. Its beacon singed into the back of his neck. Red. Eldritch watched thin sheets of dust sweep down the highway. Everything was fuzzy. He wiped rain from his eyes and took a deep breath. The knife twisted harder into his brainstem. Headaches. The pain was getting worse. Stabbing. Pinching. Wriggling. Eldritch needed a cup of coffee and a cigarette. He needed a fucking detox. But it would have to wait.

The agent kept his gaze locked on Dave, while responding to her. “I have friends in the area.”

After kissing Jeff and the kids goodbye, Heather pulls the keys from her pocket and gets in a blue Prius. Checking the review mirror, she starts the engine, and her white knuckle drive to work. Byron St. is rammed, I'm going to be late, she thinks. The phone rings, she clicks on the blue button on the blue tooth ear piece. “Hello?”

The muttered epitet escaped FBI Special Agent Carter's lips, and whisked through the cold night air as he stared down at the corpse. Despite his hopes when the call had come in, there was no doubt.

Bucky had begun his fifth circuit of their tiny living room when he heard the tell-tale thump of the busted step leading to their floor: the board was near-rotted underneath the worn carpet and always slid out a bit and back in each time you stepped on it.

Dahlia’s staggering around like a drunk person. She hugs a tree for support. When I ask

I had prepared myself for weeks for the wake up call. I had assembled my horse as well and tonight was the night for a midnight ride to the place. I ran out the door in boots and my night wear. I jumped and swung my leg over the horse and fixed the musket strap to settle across my shoulder. I pressed my heels into her side and she took off. I rode my horse as fast as I could, my heart beating fast. I had been trained for this. I had my muskett by my side loaded and ready for a shot.

A moan rang out through the living room as Mags writhed on the couch. Olivia always did have the the tongue of a goddess and holy shit was she making good use of it now. The plan had been to wait until Shawn got home before starting the fun with Olivia, but one thing had led to the other… He could just join in when he returned. She knew he wouldn’t have appreciated another party so soon, but would definitely appreciate some fun times with Liv to help him wind down from his first day at work. Plus, she was still recuperating from yesterday.

A wave of fury heats my chest, melting the icy fingers. However, I can't determine who I'm more enraged with, him or me.

She'd been in his apartment a matter of minutes, and Elena was already naked and about to drop to her knees to blow him. Brett felt a touch guilty as his erection throbbed in his pants. Not accustomed to paying for sex, even though there was a purpose behind it on this occasion, it didn't sit well. Nor did the knowledge that the girls dates usually accompanied them to a gala event that under other circumstances they'd never access to, or at least wined and dined them first. Sex was, of course, expected, but only as dessert rather than the entree itself. Brett was also a man who liked to take his time and ensure the women enjoyed the experience as much as he did.

Verin watched a group of young soldiers grapple behind the mess tent. He split his time between checking on Fynta and offering pointers when one of the guys showed bad form. So far, comms were still offline to the group that had entered the temple, but Verin didn’t worry. Fynta was impossible to kill, and he had little stake in the others. Granted, he rather liked the Togruta. She’d fought well on Tython.