SHORT STORY
She switched off all the lights in her bedroom. Her phone was turned off earlier. The headboard of her twin bed felt the weight of her back. It seemed heavier than usual. She had removed her two pillows from their accustomed place. They were were now covered by both of her feet.
Her thoughts were in a war zone but she seemed to be taking most of the hits. She sought to take cover but the rockets and jets and bombs slammed from every direction. She suddenly realized her arms were folded. With that posture she certainly couldn't win a war. She kicked her pillow in different directions and sprung from the bed. She was now on her feet and felt battle-ready. But the drones and fighter jets swirled above her as she paced the floor. She knocked a tall vase she kept in her room. The carpeted floor saved the crash and the shattered pieces that might have followed.
She paced the floor anyhow. A rocket smashed the tall standing mirror. Damn, it was she who facilitated the crash. The mirror in the bathroom became misty. She grabbed a rag from a drawer and tried cleaning it. Vigor and anger and confusion somehow became pals for a moment. The mirror looked clean. But the image staring at her looked like an enemy from the war zone. She punched it. The enemy screamed and was bleeding. She ran back to her bedroom and turned on the light. She discovered she was bleeding as well.
This was more than she had expected. So she searched frantically and eventually found a pistol she had bought but, never used. She dashed back to the bathroom and was determined that she was going to finish the enemy she saw staring at her in the mirror. There she was. She had the audacity the still be there. Shots rang out that could be heard at some distance. Her neighbor was alerted and called 911. He knew she had experienced a break up in a relationship. Rumor had it that she was using hard drugs to cope.
Law enforcement arrived shortly and tried to contact her. The got no response. They eventually forced their way in. She was found sitting on the floor in the bathroom sobbing. An ambulance took her away. © Wallace Paul September, 2024
She switched off all the lights in her bedroom. Her phone was turned off earlier. The headboard of her twin bed felt the weight of her back. It seemed heavier than usual. She had removed her two pillows from their accustomed place. They were were now covered by both of her feet.
Her thoughts were in a war zone but she seemed to be taking most of the hits. She sought to take cover but the rockets and jets and bombs slammed from every direction. She suddenly realized her arms were folded. With that posture she certainly couldn't win a war. She kicked her pillow in different directions and sprung from the bed. She was now on her feet and felt battle-ready. But the drones and fighter jets swirled above her as she paced the floor. She knocked a tall vase she kept in her room. The carpeted floor saved the crash and the shattered pieces that might have followed.
She paced the floor anyhow. A rocket smashed the tall standing mirror. Damn, it was she who facilitated the crash. The mirror in the bathroom became misty. She grabbed a rag from a drawer and tried cleaning it. Vigor and anger and confusion somehow became pals for a moment. The mirror looked clean. But the image staring at her looked like an enemy from the war zone. She punched it. The enemy screamed and was bleeding. She ran back to her bedroom and turned on the light. She discovered she was bleeding as well.
This was more than she had expected. So she searched frantically and eventually found a pistol she had bought but, never used. She dashed back to the bathroom and was determined that she was going to finish the enemy she saw staring at her in the mirror. There she was. She had the audacity the still be there. Shots rang out that could be heard at some distance. Her neighbor was alerted and called 911. He knew she had experienced a break up in a relationship. Rumor had it that she was using hard drugs to cope.
Law enforcement arrived shortly and tried to contact her. The got no response. They eventually forced their way in. She was found sitting on the floor in the bathroom sobbing. An ambulance took her away. © Wallace Paul September, 2024
