One Short Story A Day

October 27, 2024

Prompt: One day, while you're in the shower, you hear your front door open and close. "Hey, roomie, I'm home!" Someone shouts. You don't have a roommate.

As I stood under the warm stream of water in my shower, I heard the front door of my apartment open and close. My heart skipped a beat as I realized I was home alone and didn't have a roommate.

"Hey, roomie, I'm home!" a cheerful voice called out from the living room. I quickly turned off the water and wrapped a towel around myself, my mind racing with questions.

Who could it be? How did they get in? I cautiously stepped out of the bathroom and crept towards the living room, my towel clutched tightly around me. My eyes widened in disbelief as I saw a figure standing in the middle of the room. It was a woman, but she was unlike anyone I had ever seen before.

She had long, flowing silver hair that seemed to shimmer in the dim light of the apartment. Her eyes were a bright shade of green, almost unnaturally so. She was wearing a sleek, form-fitting suit that glinted in the light, giving her an almost ethereal appearance.

"Who are you?" I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper.

The woman smiled warmly at me, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I'm Seraphina," she said. "I'm your new roommate."

I blinked in confusion, trying to make sense of what she was saying. "But I didn't put out an ad for a new roommate," I protested.

Seraphina's smile widened. "That's because I didn't come here through conventional means," she explained. "I come from a different dimension, and I was sent here to help you."

I stared at her in disbelief.

Different dimension? Help me? What was she talking about? Before I could ask any more questions, Seraphina raised her hand and a holographic display appeared in front of her. It showed a map of the city, with several blinking red dots scattered across it.

"These are portals that have opened up all over the city," Seraphina explained. "They're causing disruptions in the fabric of space-time, and if they're not closed soon, they could cause catastrophic damage."

I gaped at the display, my mind struggling to comprehend what I was seeing. Portals? Space-time disruptions? This was like something out of a sci-fi movie.

"I've been sent here to help you close these portals and restore balance to the city," Seraphina continued. "But I can't do it alone. I need your help."

I hesitated, not sure if I could believe what was happening. But something in Seraphina's eyes convinced me that she was telling the truth.

"Okay," I said finally. "I'll help you."

Seraphina smiled gratefully and reached out her hand. "Welcome to the team," she said.

I took her hand and felt a surge of energy pass through me, like an electric current. I gasped as I felt my body start to tingle, and when I looked down, I saw that my skin was shimmering with a faint silver light.

"What's happening to me?" I cried out in alarm.

Seraphina grinned. "You're awakening your latent powers," she explained. "As my new roommate, you'll be able to harness the energy of the portals and use it to close them."

I blinked in astonishment, trying to process everything that was happening. I was becoming a superhero? This was beyond anything I had ever imagined.

Seraphina led me to the nearest portal, a swirling vortex of energy that crackled with power. She showed me how to channel my newfound abilities and focus them into the portal, closing it with a burst of light.

As the portal vanished, I felt a rush of exhilaration course through me. I had done it. I had helped save the city.

But our work was far from over. Seraphina and I spent the rest of the day closing portals all over the city, each one more challenging than the last. It was a harrowing experience, but with Seraphina's guidance and my growing powers, we managed to close them all.

As the last portal blinked out of existence, Seraphina turned to me with a smile. "You did it," she said. "You saved the city."

I grinned back at her, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment like I had never felt before. I had gone from an ordinary person to a superhero in the span of a day. And it was all thanks to my unexpected roommate, Seraphina.

As the sun set on the city, Seraphina and I returned to our apartment, exhausted but victorious. We sat on the couch, savoring the quiet moment of peace after a day of chaos.

"Thank you for helping me," Seraphina said softly, her eyes shimmering with gratitude. "I couldn't have done it without you."

I smiled at her, feeling a bond that went beyond mere friendship. We were roommates, partners in a mission to protect the city from otherworldly threats. And I knew that as long as Seraphina was by my side, there was nothing we couldn't face together.

With a sense of contentment, I leaned back on the couch and closed my eyes, knowing that whatever challenges lay ahead, I was ready to face them head-on. As long as I had Seraphina, my unexpected roommate and newfound friend, by my side.