her pronouns are they/she and they're non-binary! they have been living in the ocean for the majority of their life up until she got enrolled in an on-land high school. because of this, she is unable to walk, hence the wheelchair. their favorite colors are blue, purple, and yellow!
i struggle with finishing chapter stories, even though i enjoy writing. whether due to procrastination, lack of motivation, writer's block, etc. it is just difficult to get them finished, or to even get past 1-2 chapters.
that's why i'm trying to focus more on short stories. shorter tales that are easy to complete and aren't super time-consuming. short stories have allowed me to be more confident in my writing as it allows me to share complete works with friends, even if they're short. i love short stories ^^
"where are you going?" asked jeniffer, eager to know why abbie was speed-walking through the hallway.
"can't talk right now - important business," abbie said, slurring her words together as she bolted down the staircase. a perplexed jeniffer was left standing against the wall as she heard the pounding footsteps of her neighbor.
"it's too late," abbie thought in a panic. "there's no more time." she swung open the main door to the apartment complex and raced over to her car, forgetting to unlock it before pulling on the handle frantically. "damn you, stupid car!" she yelled in frustration as she heard the *click* noise of the car door unlocking. after turning on the car, she sped out of the driveway and made her way to an old, abandoned building which was once a quaint convenience store.
I've decided to take on a challenge: writing a story for 5 minutes. back in middle school, i took a creative writing class and the teacher would have us do this at the beginning of each class. i thought i'd revisit this challenge as i feel it's a helpful practice for writers!
so, this is the first one.
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The girl sat on the sofa, staring out the window as the rain poured down, rapid tapping as the water hit the glass. "I wonder when I'll see her again," she wondered, before a calico cat jumped up onto the windowsill. startled, the girl just about fell off the sofa. she stood up and walked over to the window, smiling at the little feline. the cat backed away somewhat, hesitant at the sight of a stranger on the other side of the window. the girl sat down near the window and slowly blinked her eyes, signalling to the calico that she was friendly. the cat responded back with a slow blink and started grooming its paw. the girl giggled. she made an unexpected acquaintance made while missing someone dear to her. as the rain poured harder, the calico cat jumped off the windowsill, hurrying to find dry shelter. thunder roared in the sky, causing the girl to flinch while making her way to the kitchen. she silently hoped the cat would be able to find somewhere to stay, and that the storm would pass shortly. then, a thought crossed her mind. a memory. she remembered petting a calico cat while the love of her life sat next to her. perhaps it was a sign, she thought. a sign that her lover wasn't as far away as she thought she was. silly as that may be, she grinned and poured herself a glass of water. she went back to the couch and decided to turn the tv on.
this is a paranormal short story i wrote in december of last year! hope you enjoy.
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I used to work a night shift, and since I don’t have a car and the bus doesn’t come near, I'd always be walking home in the dark. For a while, I was completely fine with this. It had this sort of peaceful feeling; just me and the moonlight. But one day, something happened and everything changed. I quit my job, I just had too. I couldn’t stand to see her any more.
I was walking home on my usual route after my shift at around 6:15am as I always do. Nothing seemed different until I turned a corner and saw her. A little child, probably about five years old, in old-timey clothing, standing on the sidewalk and facing the road. I couldn’t make out many features since I was several feet away from her, but I noticed she was holding a glass cup in one of her hands. Odd.
I hesitantly continued walking and assumed she was just one of the kids that lived in the neighborhood, waiting for the school bus or something. But as I approached her further, I started feeling more and more uneasy. I can’t describe it very well, but it was like a knot in my stomach. Similar to anxiety. Those of you with an anxiety disorder probably know exaclty what I’m talking about.
With every step I took, the feeling grew with intensity. When I got close enough, I could see her face. She looked just the same as any other kid… Besides her expression. Or rather lack of expression. Her eyes were starting forward, her posture stiff, and her mouth flat. I stopped in front of her.
Slowly, the girl turned her head to face me. Just her head, not her body. I felt frozen, like I couldn’t move. Then her mouth opened and I heard these words.
“Would you like a glass of lemonade?”
Innocent enough, right? Just a kid selling lemonade on the side of the road. She just only had one cup of it, though. But this only made me more frightened. With the knot still in my stomach, I shakily replied with “no thank you, miss,” then continued walking forward towards my home. It was over, right? Just a few more blocks and then I’d be making myself a sandwich in my kitchen. But no.
I turned another corner and I saw the same thing. It was the girl again. Wearing the same dress, the same expressionless face, and holding the same lemonade cup. At this point I knew the horrible feeling I had was absolutely justified. And I ran. I ran back where I came from, not knowing where I was going, but just that I had to get away. I ran back to the previous block and there she was again. Every corner I turned, I saw her. She was everywhere.
I decided to stop running. She couldn’t keep teleporting if I stood still, or at least that’s what I thought. I took my phone out of my hoodie pocket and called my friend Elli and explained everything. Of course, she didn’t believe a word I said, but I insisted I was telling the truth. I begged her to come pick me up and she reluctantly agreed. She hung up to go to her car and drive over to me. As soon as I put my phone away, I turned back over to where the girl had been. Had been. She was gone.
I took a big breath of relief. She was gone. Maybe I imagined the whole thing. I’d never had hallucinations before, but hey, there’s a first for everything, right? I tried to stay calm and wait for Elli. That was before I heard it.
“Would you like a glass of lemonade?”
I heard it right behind me. She was behind me. I spun around faster than I ever had and then saw her. I don’t remember anything after that. All I know is that Elli told me that when she got there, I was lying on the sidewalk unconscious, and there was no little girl in sight.
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