Short Stories

Week 8

Prompt 

Write a brief passage in which your narrator begins by revealing some vulnerability or otherwise charms the reader. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, see if you can end in a way that turns our view of the character on its head.

***

He collapsed onto his bed, salty liquid carving paths from his eyes, down his cheeks, over the dip of his chin, and down his throat until they disappeared into the fabric of his shirt. 

It hadn't worked. He had tried so hard to make her love him, to be worth something to someone. He had changed his hair. On his head and his face. He constantly moved what felt like mountains for her. Sometimes those mountains were work, sometimes dinner, sometimes sleep. Regardless, she always came first. Why wasn't that enough?

He stared at his phone. The apps going from dark, to light and bright as the circle filled and they were accessible. But who would he call? Who could he message? He stared at the bright, happy yellow, broken up with a cute ghost figure, his finger hovering over it, never pressing down. A shuddering breath shook his body, his finger finally pressing down on the ghostly figure. The app booted. The screen incandescent in the dimness of his apartment. Login? It asked. He imputed his answer, mechanically, a habit from years of use. 

His stared at the screen. Empty red squares all through his feed, except one. Maybe he wasn't as alone as he thought? He clicked on the name Halo - My Sister, a stupid nickname, but the only name with a glorious red square next to it. 

His heart wrenched into his throat, ceasing to beat as he took in the words before him. His legs, dangling over the bed, gave out beneath him and he tumbled to the floor. A hand to his chest. "You broke up with her. She treated you like sh*t and called you names behind your back. You were meant to be my brother, but you ditched me for her. You ditched everyone for her, now you're alone."