Short Stories

[meatbuddy]

We are family again.

Everyday I woke up at 3am. But it wasn't because I wanted to. I heard her calling my name, and I had to get out of the bedroom. Nights were usually cold, but in my house they were always colder than usual. Everyday I did the same thing: Wake up at 3am, I go down stairs to the kitchen and drink some water. I go up stairs and look inside my bedroom to make sure she's still there. I go down stairs and sleep on the sofa. I kept doing that for God knows how long. But today I finally had the courage to stay inside my bedroom. I saw her standing on the corner of the room, her body all mangled. She shambled towards my bed, and just stood there, watching me. From time to time I could hear her crying, mumbling my name in a very low and raspy voice. I'm sorry sweet heart, I shouldn't have driven the car on that snowy night. It should be me looking at you, not the other way. I grabbed her bloody and broken hand and held it firmly. And I finally slept well. That was until my son started to wake me up again at 4am mumbling something and lying on my side. The room was so cold. And I could feel his broken body touch me from time to time. But at least we were a family again, only if for some hours.

[meatbuddy]

Remember - The End (?)

He walked all the way back. Somehow it seemed longer than before. The rain was still pouring outside as if it was enraged with something. Thunder and lightning strikes colored the whole world white for a split second, and broke the silence with a monstrous roar echoing along the way. Then, he noticed a piece of paper on the ground. He checked his pockets looking for the one he picked before, but it was of no use. He tought to himself he must've dropped it. When he grabbed the paper again, his breathing stopped. There it was on the ground, the same arrow. Only this time it was pointing the wrong way. He calmly unfolded the piece of paper. " The way the arrow pointed was blocked, I have to go the way I did not intended to. I hope it's ok with you?" 

- What in the name of the maker...? - Gabrath mumbled. Then fear suddenly hit him, someone else was there. But how could've them read the message. And how did they go past him unnoticed. Someone was following him. Or maybe the message wasn't for him, but for someone else. He walked towards the arrow, always looking around him and jumping at almost any sounds. He lost count of how many times he got scared by the lightning. As he kept going, the rain finally started to settle down, the sun finally rose on the horizon. But something was off, all of that happened pretty fast. " Must be something with that drink.", he thought to himself, " Little shit made me lose track of the time. A side effect maybe?" Silence was now the ruler of that hallway, only his footsteps and breathing dared to defy it. He walked for what it seemed like and hour, until he finally reached a door. It was just standing there, in the middle of the hallway. No walls around it, nothing. He kept staring at it, he couldn't even fathom to think of an explanation. 

 - Bah, what the fuck... - he said as he turned the door handle. Everyone on the other side stared at hi, until someone finally said:

 - Son of a bitch finally made it back! Jesus, how long has it been? - said the man in the white coat. 

 - Twelve minutes sir. - said a woman in a white coat, she was writing something on a piece of paper. 

- What the... What is...? - words never came out. 

- Check his pockets, see what he found. And take a sample from that red thing on his hands, god knows what the hell that is. - the man said to the crew. Gabrath was in a hotel hallway, dozens of what seemed to be scientists and police officers were there. 

- Gabe, do you know who I am? 

- I.... What? - he felt his vision blurring out. He couldn't handle whatever was happening there.

 - The boy's lost it. Take him back to his cell. Boys, listen up! Well take it from here. - screamed the man again. He got closer to the woman - Tell them to take the door to the lab, make them forget this ever happened. 

 - On it boss. - she said with excitement 

- Oi, boy. You got a lot to tell us. A lot. - the man said to Gabrath. He stood there, staring at the nothingness. After a few seconds, he passed out. ... ... ... ... 

He woke up to the sound of the thunder. He was still half asleep when he noticed he was in a dark hallway.

[meatbuddy]

Remember - Part One

He woke up with the sound of the window bursting open. The rain was pouring outside as if all the clouds around the world decided to merge together and make a super storm. We was still half asleep, he didn't even take the time to consider where he was or what happened to him. The walls were all covered in mold, a foul smell made breathing almost unbearable. He was on a dark corridor, pitch black in front of him and towards his back. After he took it all in and realized he was actually awake and there, he noticed he didn't remember his name. He saw a broken vial of sorts on the floor and some glowing red liquid spilled under it. His hands had the same liquid on them, and then he tasted something awful on his mouth, almost making him throw up. He just stood there, not knowing what to do, his eyes were finally adjusting to the darkness that surrounded him, but the lightning strikes outside always blinded him for a split second. And the sound of the thunder echoed through the hallway, almost as if there was something big and angry roaring between those walls. He saw a piece of paper on the ground. When he reached for it, he realized it was a note. It said: "Gabrath, you started this. But I'm giving you a second chance. Go towards the arrow on the floor and don't look back. Go find yourself a new life to live. Good luck. Signed, yourself" Under the note was an arrow, and doing as he told himself to, he followed it. After a tedious walk that seemed to last forever, he reached a dead end. The ceiling was now a pile of rubble on the floor that he could not trespass. - Bloody hell... - Gabrath mumbled to himself. He looked back to the other side of the corridor. Having nowhere else to go, he followed the path, not knowing what horrible secret he was hiding from himself.

[meatbuddy]

G.A.I.A. - The Journey, The End.

When he woke up, he was floating in space. He had his suit on, he was just going and going. No way to stop himself. The stars seemed so far away now that he was alone. Not even G.A.I.A. was there. No way to make contact with anyone and his oxygen supply was already running low. He tried to imagine how long he was like that.

He was spinning in an almost soothing way. Everytime he expected to see the gigantic spacecraft of his own ship. But all he could see were faint lights or the emptiness of space. His breathing was the only sound he could hear, and it was already annoying him.

Then he heard something else. A voice was coming through his radio with a lot of interference. 

- S-------G.A.-------Do------copy?

- G.A.I.A.?! - he started to scream, the robotic voice was like music to his ears, even though he could barely make sense of it. - Can you hear me?! DO YOU COPY?!

- Co-----Sir------Lot o------ference------for you.

- What?! G.A.I.A., repeat the message. 

And all he got was white noise.

- G.A.I.A.? - he could fell he was starting to cry - G.A.I.A., please answer me... Please, anyone, do you copy? I need help...

White noise was the answer.

- GOD FUCKING DAMNIT! - he aimlessly flailed his arms, his breathing was getting heavier and heavier, and so finally the suit started to warn him.

- Oxygen levels low. - said the robotic voice. - Oxygen levels in 5%.

- Fuck you!.... And your fucking oxygen! - he turned off his oxygen supply.

After a few minutes he started hallucinating, he saw his family again, he saw him driving on a rainy road, he saw a funeral. He saw his wife once again.

- Julia... I’m so sorry... I didn’t... I was careless. - his senses started to fade away, he could see a light coming towards him for a split second. Then he heard a voice.

- I’m coming for you Jim. I’m here to bring you home. Even if it’s the last thing I do.

He felt something grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the light. And so the light was gone, and he was dreaming of home again.

[meatbuddy]

G.A.I.A. - The Journey, Part two.

- Sir, I’m detecting a tremendous amount of life forms coming from that ship. - said G.A.I.A.

And he stood there silently. He couldn’t believe what he was looking at. It wasn't possible, how could it be? The ship had the size of an entire galaxy. How long would’ve taken to build a thing like that?

- Sir? -  G.A.I.A. showed a little bit of doubt when asking that. The A.I. was built to simulate emotions, but they were done poorly or none at all. It was expected for the A.I. to learn how to feel, or to pretend how to feel. But during the entire seven years travel it showed no signs of improvement.

-  G.A.I.A., I... Try to... What is...? How...? - Jim couldn’t speak. The sight in front of him was quite intimidating, but in a good way. He has never seen something so beautiful in his entire life.

- Sir, I’m receiving a signal from the ship in an unknown language. I can tr to hack into their files and learn it so I can translate it for you. Would you like me to try? It could be risky. - said  G.A.I.A.

- Y-Yes, that would be best. G.A.I.A. translate that message ASAP, and while you’re at it, patch me with ground control, I gotta tell them...

Before he could finish the sentence, a flash of various lights were emitted from the gigantic ship. All the alerts started to blink inside G.A.I.A. One. It was an symphony of alerts and dangers. It was almost deafening.

- Jesus Christ! G.A.I.A.?! Can you hear me?! - Jim was yelling hopelessly. No voice could be heard amongst all the noises. Then, all of a sudden, the ship turned of. The artificial gravity stopped working and everything started to flow. Jim stood still, trying to hold himself on any wall he could reach. It was pitch black. The only visible thing was the spacecraft still coming towards them.

Then a red light started to blink.

- Sir, I think they caught me. I’m sorry. - said G.A.I.A.. For the first time Jim sensed an emotion from that robotic voice. Remorse. It was remorse. And the way she spoke it, it did not feel good.

- G.A.I.A., what’s our status? - asked Jim. Just as he was done talking, he fell to the ground hitting his head against the metal floor. He was barely conscious when he saw the ship’s lights turning back on again. G.A.I.A. started to translate the message.

- This is Galactica Four, state your....

And so Jim finally passed out.

[meatbuddy]

G.A.I.A. - The Journey, Part one.

- Wow... you all should see this. - he said, still taken away by all the colors. This place here is beautiful, it’s like... It’s like I’m not even in space. It seem like a world without a surface.

- G.A.I.A. One, this is ground control. How is the situation over there? Over.

- Ground control, this is G.A.I.A. - said the female computer voice. - everything is just fine. Systems functioning well, no detectable errors. No major damages to the ship. Over.

- G.A.I.A., are you seeing this? - said Jim, still breathless. - this is... What is this place even?

- This is ground control, Jimmy what do you see?

- I... It’s like a planet. But it’s like the entire galaxy is a whole planet. I can’t describe it, it’s just beautiful. And I can see movement there. Lot’s of lights moving. I can’t tell just how fast they are moving. Over.

- Copy that Jimmy, if there is no danger you have permission to approximate the place. Don’t hesitate to call us back if you see something interesting. Over and out.

There was now only the beeping noises of the ship, nothing else could be heard. Jimmy was still looking outside. The light’s moving through the galaxy were hypnotic. It was a vision he couldn’t describe. The whole place was a rainbow of colors.

- How should we proceed G.A.I.A.? - Jimmy finally asked.

- My scans show nothing treacherous on the vicinity. I say we can approach it without any problems. - responded the A.I.. It’s voice was robotic, but soothing in a way. G.A.I.A. was specially designed to be a companion to astronauts that participated on long term solo missions.

- Ok then G.A.I.A., I say we go then.

In a matter of seconds, the whole galaxy seemed to be getting closer and closer, but what was weird is that it maintained it’s shape. Jimmy could tell for sure what were stars or solar systems.

- Wow, I just can’t understand it. G.A.I.A., can we go a little faster?

- But Sir, I haven’t even started the engines... - the robotic voice responded.

[meatbuddy]

A ghost

She thought he was sick. Everytime he pointed at her, and just stared. He stood there looking. 

- Son, is everything ok? - she asked, already scared. She already knew what came next, and it gave her the creeps.

- A ghost mommy. There is a ghost. - he said, with his childish voice.

And that kept going on for about a month. She took him to a doctor, she explained it, crying, not knowing what to do. He said that he should take a medicine and would be ok. But he never got ok.

After a month, she died. Car accident. Her brother took him in, but he didn’t seam to be crushed by his mother’s death. He took the boy to the doctor again, asked if it was normal.

- A ghost. - the boy pointed at the doctor.

- No, you see, he’s no... - and so he finally understood.

[meatbuddy]

It started to rain

“I remember the fights we had. Every single one, it was horrible. We spent days, if not months without speaking with each other. And that was that, everything happened the same way. We fought, we forgot about each other. Then, finally, we made up. 

But it was like this. And it made me feel bad. And then we fought a last time, and now she is gone. I couldn’t apologize. I just hope that whererver she is, she forgives me when she reads this. I hope she can read this. I’m so sorry Julia.

Your dearest, Rob.”

I threw the lettter with a few other things on top of her coffin. I stood there even when everyone left. After a few seconds, a soft cold breeze passed through me. I cried and said: “I’m so sorry, you know I never meant anything bad I ever said. I’m so sorry...”

...

It started to rain.

[meatbuddy]

Nothing will tear us apart.

They were both alone at the café. No one else was there, the doors were barred shut. The windows covered with blankets. Then it happened, the sound of someone banging on the window. First it was just one, then another, then more and more came. The loud bangs were filling their heart with dread. - It'll be ok. They say it's faster than it looks. - he said to her, tightly grabbing her hands. - I'm scared Jones. I don't want to believe this is happening. - she said as tears poured out her eyes. - Shh, please. Don't cry. You know that makes me sad. - I'm sorry. It's just... - Remember that time we went to the beach? It was... '96 if I'm not mistaken. She stared at him, not saying a word. - We prepared so much for that, woke up at 3 am. And then, heh, just as we reached the car and I turned on the engine... - It started raining. - she cracked a smile. - We were so pissed off at the time. So frustrated. But then I started driving anyway. And you were like "What are you doing?" They both shared a laugh. The banging on the windows got louder. Then the door started to break. - We ended up having so much fun that day. - he started to cry - Those were some good times we had. The best. And even though we tought... E-even though we knew that day was going to be awful, we made the best of it. - Jones... I.... I-I love you. - she kissed him, crying like never before. - I lo... They were finally through the windows and door, darkness started to fill the room. And then, after it was gone, the table was still there. Their rings merged together. And so it was over.

[meatbuddy]

Our Mission

- We didn’t have to do this. - said him, sitting on the chair on the other side of the table. - If you had surrendered, none of this would happen. No one had to die Nora. No one...

She stared at him for a while, observing his eyes as he spoke. He was on the verge of tears, she knew that was not only difficult for her, but also for him.

- The way things are... Peter, we didn’t chose this. But we had no choice. - she said.

-Yes you did, this all could’ve been avoided if you weren’t so selfish!

- Selfish? Maybe... But what about what you are doing with those people. They are living a life of servitude, they are slaves because of their naivety. They can’t think for themselves because they never saw the world outside. This place, this factory is their only life. They are born, and then they die here, still waiting for the day they will be released. You tell them lies to keep them here, you created a religion to keep them here. Do they really deserve this? Do you really have the power to play God?

- They are clones Nora, they are not like a normal human, they are just clones of someone. They can’t live a normal life because they will never be able to find a normal life. They are not like us.

- You are wrong. They are just like us. They feel. They fear, they laugh. They have hope, they believe in a religion that will make them ascend but in fact only brings them closer to their doom. No life is expendable Peter, and you know it. I know you do. All this is wrong. The factory needs to be closed down, they need to stop cloning me to work here. Is this what humanity strived for? To play with themselves like this? With their own emotions? Their own kind? I feel weak Peter, everytime a clone dies, a part of my soul goes with them...

- Please, don’t go and crazy talk to me again. Those people from the rebellion made you insane.

- No, they made me see the truth. Peter, imagine a life form. A life form so fragile, a life form that is blind and cannot see the world. They live by instinct. Now look at us, we can see the world as it is. We can see and study those life forms, we live for a purpose, even though we may not always know what it is. We can see the light. We can sense something that they can’t. Now, can’t you just for a second consider that maybe, someone out there sees something that you don’t, a whole new world. 

- I... Nora, please.

- I won’t ask for forgiveness. If they must execute me, let them be. I only did this to make people see the truth. To make people believe. This world is sick Peter... What is the point of living if we don’t have love in our lives? If we don’t feel the need to do good for anything or anyone, that what is our purpose here. Do you really think we only are born to die? Or do you think we all have a mission? I believe in that Peter... I believe. And even though you may think I failed, I didn’t.

- What do you mean? How can you possibly tell people actually believed you.

- I can’t say for sure if they did, but now I know that at least one believes in me.

Suddenly the interrogation room door opened, it was time. Nora was escorted out to the yard for the execution. Peter stood in the room, speechless. A tear rolled down his faced. And for the first time, he smiled.

[meatbuddy]

Another drawing by a good friend of mine. That’s from The Tunnel story. Thank you! <3

[meatbuddy]

Don’t Run

He was sitting there, on the dark. His brother was sick, lying on his bed, his mom taking care of him. His father was still trying to fix the backup generator. He was there, alone. The rain was pouring outside, the wind blowing made the windows tremble. At least there was some moonlight, so it wasn’t completely pitch black. 

He was always afraid of the dark. Not of the darkness itself, but what was inside of it, the things he couldn’t see. Sundenly his mother screamed his name. He came running to the bedroom his brother was inside. 

- Ron! - his mother said - Your brother can’t breath. His asthma pump is out of charges! Please, go get it from the basement, FAST!

He didn’t think twice, he ran towards the basement door, opened it... and that was it. He froze. He couldn’t see anything down there, he was scared. He thought voices were talking to him, taunting him. His hands were shaking, his feet stuck to the wooden floor. 

- RON! WHAT’S TAKING YOU SO LONG? - he heard his mom again.

He couldn’t do it, but his brother was dying. Sudenly, as if something pulled him, he ran downstairs, he couldn’t see anything. Stumbling on everything he found the medicine. He felt confident down there, the voices mocking him stoped. 

- See? I’m not scared of you anymore!

...

...

Silence. As if every other noise stoped. Only his breathing could be heard. He felt as he wasn’t alone down there anymore.

- You should be. - a strange guttural voice said from somewhere into the basement.

Ron panicked, he droped the medicine on the floor and begun running towards the stairs. As his feet touched the first step he heard the voice again.

- Yes, run... I love a good race.

[meatbuddy]

The Thing

When still remember the feeling I had when I got inside that house. Mother and father had just bought it and they were taking me to visit it for the first time. But I felt like there wasn't only us three. A few months later we finally moved in, but I still couldn't shake off that feeling from me. I was ten at the time. One night, after they tucked me in and left, I heard a noise coming from under my bed. Like someone was scratching it, trying to get out of something but couldn't. I didn't sleeo that night, all I did was shiver. I was to afraid to even look any other direction then the ceilling. From that day, every single time I went to sleep was a nightmare. There were times the scratching was already there when my parents tucked me in. They didn't seem to hear them, or they pretended not to. Then one night something different happened. I didn't know what I had done, but something made the thing angry. My bed started shaking, it was pounding heavly into it instead of just scratching. And it screamed, oh how it screamed. That night my father was standing by the doorway, he just stood there and watched. He didn't do a thing, he just stared. After a few months we moved out. My mother didn't know why, but me and father did. I still can't forget what he said to me the day after we moved out. He said: "It won't stop, you will have to live with it, just like me. But whatever happens, don't let him touch you." That night I found my dad lying on his bed with his foot on hanging out from it. His face had a wicked smile on it, his arms were broken in so many places it seemed like there were no bones in it. His chest was cut open and his heart was hanging from the ceilling. The thing was there, looking at me. And so, he just crawled under the bed. My father turned his head towards me, almost breaking his neck. "He caught me, now I'm IT."

[meatbuddy]

The Doll

Yesterday daddy bought me a doll. It was a really heavy doll. He said I should keep it and love it very much. And so I did. 

I tried to play with the doll but she was to heavy. So I just left here there sitting on the bed. And I stayed with her. But the doll was getting sick, she would get really smelly so we had to give her a lot of baths. And then her fabric started to come loose. There was some gross stuff inside the doll, but I loved her anyway.

Today her eye fell off, and her hand too. I cried and told daddy about it, he said not to worry about it. He took the doll outside and burned it. After that he gave me a hug and said he was going off. He said he was going to get me another doll. And I am so excited I can barely wait. 

[meatbuddy]

The Tunnel

I turned on the headlights and started driving. I didn’t know where to go, I just had to get out of there. I passed a lot of red lights, stop signs, I didn’t even care anymore. When I got to the highway, things were a bit more easy. It was already late night so there were few cars on the road. After a few hours driving, I went through a tunnel I’ve never seen before, but who cared? I drove, and drove, and drove through this road that seemed to have no end. And through more and more tunnels, I didn’t know where the hell I was. When I realized what was going on, it was already to late. I was driving for so long still the sun wouldn’t rise. I checked my clock only to realize it had stoped. And finally I was in front of the tunnel again. I stoped my car there and waited for it, there was nothing I could do, I was trapped. After a few minutes I heard a car engine, it was far away but I knew it was coming really fast. Then I saw my own car coming towards me, he tried to stop but it was too late. And so then both me and myself colided, and I died. And know I am here at the tunnel again. I can hear the car coming once more. Please God, make it stop. 

[meatbuddy]

Three Steps

These three steps You all must follow If you feel sad And your heart is hollow

Step one, find a place real high Scream, scream and scream Say you want to die

Step two, now there is really no hope Walk up to the store Say “I want a big rope!”

Step three, now this will set you free Walk up to the mountain And hang yourself on that tree.

[meatbuddy]

The Light

I was walking through a dark tunnel. They said I would find a light. Find the end of it. Instead the light found me, but it was too bright, it burned my eyes. The light went away and left me there, alone and blind. Now I live my life forever in darkness.