short stories

I - storms and flashlights 🔦

[My kind of woman - Mac DeMarco]

She sat alone by the bar, deciding what to do with the many hours she had during the late evening of a Friday. The cold weather messed with her skin as the tiny hairs protruding rose to keep the warmth flowing in her body. A man, who's witnessed her order countless drinks one after the other, raised a brow in question.

'You alright, darling?' He asked, glancing at her in between mixing drinks and taking orders. A loud sound in front of her broke the drunken gaze she was captured in and turned to stare at the man responsible. He watched her with amusement, her drink still settled in between his hands that laid comfortably against the marbled counter top. It was awfully quiet as she intensely moved her eyes back and forth between him and the holy grail sitting upon his palms.

One sip, she thought longingly, the drink already possessing her mind. She turned away quickly, a mere distraction for the boy. A believable stance that she wouldn't take no more. And slowly but surely, he retracted his hands, removing the beverage she wished for, until she snatched. Quicker than a hare, she grabbed the drink and gulped desperately, an action she wasn't used to doing. But something wasn't right. The feeling of scorching flames surrounding the oesophagus was surprisingly soothing. So soothing that her throat calmed from the many drinks she'd taken before. There was no after taste that stung slightly, nor was there any strong taste at all. She had been fooled.

A scowl reached her face and watched him scornfully as he served several drinks to newcomers at the counter. A day filled with surprises she guessed and lifted her cold beverage of water she soon realized and began to sober up. A sigh escaped her lips as the haziness she felt began to subside and her senses returned to normal. As she turned her head towards the window, heavy droplets of rain billeted from the open skies and left her stuck there for a while. She stood up while grabbing her book and leaving a tip for him, a way of showing gratitude.

The bar was mostly empty— apart from the people sitting on the counter— it was only her. The storm had everyone whizzing past the door moments ago to attain the safety of their homes, not wanting to be barricaded inside a bar filled with strangers. So as she sat, dozing the minutes away, the room slowly emptied and she was left with the tv buzzing softly behind her, just above her occupied table. It glitched occasionally as the storm brewed heavily outside, increasing as time goes on.

'You're still here, huh?' A voice startled her causing her to look up and smash her head against the wall. 'Woah, you alright mate?' She lifted her gaze to witness the same man she encountered earlier. Oh right he works here, she groaned internally. Standing up, she gathered her bag and made her way to the door, not feeling the greatest to deal with anyone.

'The storm's pretty horrible right now, it's best if you stay in,' he said which made her stop in her tracks to turn her attention to him. She stared for a few moments then sighed tiredly. 'Yeah I guess so. I'll wait it out here.' And dragged her feet back to the vacant counter. Every second tiresome as she stomped and pulled herself up the seat. A chuckle erupted behind her, the sound causing her to raise a curious brow at him.

'I'm sorry, that was just a sight for sore eyes. Truly one of a kind,' he stated, hiding his laugh behind a bright smile. A smile that seem to radiate comfort in her. And so a visible grin etched across her exhausted face removing remaining frown marks on her forehead. 'I'm Vanessa.' She reached her hand out, acknowledging him fully this time and so did he. His hands touched hers to shake, greeting each other in the wake of a furious storm attempting to shatter the ground as bolts of light smashed against the Earth's skin, creating new scars for the world to admire.

And with that, he nodded his head and continued. 'I'm Erik. a pleasure to make your acquaintance.' He bowed teasingly and removed his hand from hers and walked behind the counter going straight for the many drinks behind him and grabbed a cocktail shaker. 'No, no,' she shook her head in disagreement, 'I think I've had enough of that for one night.' It was true, her head still pounded against the base of her skull, while a headache made its way to her many problems.

'Who said it was for you?' He replied mockingly, reaching for another bottle to pour into the shaker and mix. She paused, baffled but nonetheless nodded her head and went back to drawing circles on the table. 'I'm kidding, but seriously you alright? You've been in and out this whole time.' He stated while he placed his drink in front of her, awaiting her response. Loud thunder sounded close to them causing her to look up in surprise, her mouth slightly agape from shock. He tilted his head  as he took in her reaction and how she completely ignored his question. Before he could ask again, the lights dimmed and the tv simmered to a close. The room was surrounded instantly by darkness as electricity disappeared from the storm's temper.

'Wait here, I have flashlights in the back.' He rushed quickly, tripping over a barstool in the process. She chuckled in enjoyment until he disappeared from view making her frown. She was alone. In the dark. Shadow figure began to form in front of her eyes as she stared intently on a wall but looked away and shivered in fright. Everyone had their own little fear. A childhood fear that sticks til adulthood. She yelped as a figure emerged from behind, then a flicker of light appeared only to show the face of Erik.

'You scared me, you dimwit!' She exclaimed, her heart pounding like drums inside her, continuing to escalate as the seconds passed by in the dark. She seized the flashlight in his hands, holding so tight her knuckles turned bleach white. 'Well I learned one thing about you.' He proudly stated. 'you're afraid of the dark.' She glowered in response, his reaction not what she was obviously expecting. And while she pouted, he walked and settled to a spot, laying down blankets and pillows she didn't notice he had. He twisted his head to look at her, a grin gradually growing on his lips. 'Come on, stop pouting and help me make a fort.' In an instant, her mind flew to wonderland and she bolted straight at him, grabbing the pillows while he grabbed chairs to hold the blankets in place above them.

And as the hours passed, they stood in front of their man-made castle, gushing over their achievement and readied themselves to get in. While he picked up their food from the back, she grabbed the flashlights and placed them on each corner, illuminating the inside — like a bright star breaking the cycle of darkness. She smiled in delight, the long evening of a Friday turning into a time she didn't want to end. And while she pondered in her thoughts, he burst through the door, snacks in hand and nodded his head for her to enter the comfort of their fortress.

'So, tell me about yourself, Vanessa.' He placed his palms on his lap as he smiled and watched her with grinning eyes. That smile. So warm and welcoming that her lips began to beam, the nightmares of today disappearing and she found herself so buoyant. And so they spoke the entirety of the night. The long evening of a Friday, shortened by a simple person.