Short Stories
Outside Looking In
“I hate you” I yell as I storm off to my room.
I slam the door hard before jumping into my bed and punching a pillow furiously, the argument down stair empowering every punch. My parents have been on my case lately, always nagging me about my school work and what the future will hold for me if keep going the way I am. It’s bad enough that I feel like a letdown, I don’t need them to remind me. As I bury my face into my pillow, I scream all the cuss words I can think of, and then start to cry for cussing at my own parents.
I suddenly feel cold, and start to shiver. I pluck my head out of the wet pillow and notice the window slightly ajar. Ignoring this, I continue on with my one-woman-pity-party. Suddenly the window starts banging against its frame, the curtains flying about. Despite the cold, I get annoyed by this and slam the window shut. Taking a deep breath, I pause to take a moment and look at the sky. Its pitch black, with clouds a hint of grey, barely visible if it weren’t for the moonlight. The moon in fact is the only bright thing out there in all its luminous grace. That’s when I notice it, glinting on the windowsill.
A golden locket!
At first I thought my eyes were deceiving me, but as I open the window and pick it up, I feel the weight of the cold metal in my hand. I take it back to my bed and examine closely. It doesn’t look new and seems as though it hadn't’t been polished in a while. I run my hands over the Celtic carvings. Even though I don’t know what it means, it still looks pretty cool. I open it up, hoping to uncover something, only to find it empty. As I’m just about to close it, a sudden light starts to pour from it onto my bed, spilling to the floor.
A fountain of gold.
Mesmerized by it, I don’t take notice of the figure conjuring up before me. I’m automatically stunned as I lay my eyes on the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“Did you really mean it?”
I was astounded by his sheer beauty that I barely register what he said. I soon realized he was waiting for an answer.
“I’m sorry could you repeat that” I say noting that he was sitting across from me, on my bed, with only two feet between us.
“What you said to your parents. Did you really mean it?” His golden eyes bore into mine as he says this. How does he know what I said to my parents? Either way, I decided to answer truthfully.
"Yes"
For a while he doesn’t say anything. The awkward silence stretches on till he reaches for my hands. His palms are cold in mine.
“Close your eyes.” he whispers.
Just as I’m about to, my eyes widen as I see two wings sprout from his back and enclose around us. Immediately I close my eyes and end up opening them in my living room. My parents are sitting on the couch; dad has an arm around mum. She chants through muffled sob, ‘What did I do wrong?’
My feet feel wet. I look down and realize I’m stepping in a flood of tears.
My mother’s tears.
My heart feels numb and so does my body as I fight to hold back tears. Just then, I feel a weight on my neck. It’s the necklace. He’s clasping it around my neck
“I’ll always be here for you. Now go” he says softly kissing my head before disappearing into thin air. I run my hand over the necklace and can’t help but smile.
Before I know it, I’m in the arms of my parents, apologizing for everything I’d ever done to them. From the corner of my eye, I notice him smiling from behind the window.
With a bow of he's head, he disappears into the night.
I slam the door hard before jumping into my bed and punching a pillow furiously, the argument down stair empowering every punch. My parents have been on my case lately, always nagging me about my school work and what the future will hold for me if keep going the way I am. It’s bad enough that I feel like a letdown, I don’t need them to remind me. As I bury my face into my pillow, I scream all the cuss words I can think of, and then start to cry for cussing at my own parents.
I suddenly feel cold, and start to shiver. I pluck my head out of the wet pillow and notice the window slightly ajar. Ignoring this, I continue on with my one-woman-pity-party. Suddenly the window starts banging against its frame, the curtains flying about. Despite the cold, I get annoyed by this and slam the window shut. Taking a deep breath, I pause to take a moment and look at the sky. Its pitch black, with clouds a hint of grey, barely visible if it weren’t for the moonlight. The moon in fact is the only bright thing out there in all its luminous grace. That’s when I notice it, glinting on the windowsill.
A golden locket!
At first I thought my eyes were deceiving me, but as I open the window and pick it up, I feel the weight of the cold metal in my hand. I take it back to my bed and examine closely. It doesn’t look new and seems as though it hadn't’t been polished in a while. I run my hands over the Celtic carvings. Even though I don’t know what it means, it still looks pretty cool. I open it up, hoping to uncover something, only to find it empty. As I’m just about to close it, a sudden light starts to pour from it onto my bed, spilling to the floor.
A fountain of gold.
Mesmerized by it, I don’t take notice of the figure conjuring up before me. I’m automatically stunned as I lay my eyes on the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“Did you really mean it?”
I was astounded by his sheer beauty that I barely register what he said. I soon realized he was waiting for an answer.
“I’m sorry could you repeat that” I say noting that he was sitting across from me, on my bed, with only two feet between us.
“What you said to your parents. Did you really mean it?” His golden eyes bore into mine as he says this. How does he know what I said to my parents? Either way, I decided to answer truthfully.
"Yes"
For a while he doesn’t say anything. The awkward silence stretches on till he reaches for my hands. His palms are cold in mine.
“Close your eyes.” he whispers.
Just as I’m about to, my eyes widen as I see two wings sprout from his back and enclose around us. Immediately I close my eyes and end up opening them in my living room. My parents are sitting on the couch; dad has an arm around mum. She chants through muffled sob, ‘What did I do wrong?’
My feet feel wet. I look down and realize I’m stepping in a flood of tears.
My mother’s tears.
My heart feels numb and so does my body as I fight to hold back tears. Just then, I feel a weight on my neck. It’s the necklace. He’s clasping it around my neck
“I’ll always be here for you. Now go” he says softly kissing my head before disappearing into thin air. I run my hand over the necklace and can’t help but smile.
Before I know it, I’m in the arms of my parents, apologizing for everything I’d ever done to them. From the corner of my eye, I notice him smiling from behind the window.
With a bow of he's head, he disappears into the night.