A compilation of short stories that focus on the dark side of the great minds and questions of humanity.
Each chapter is a new story, told from the perspectives of people with completely different lives.
Some will be sadder than others, but all have...
Dmitri startles awake, nearly jumping out of his skin, and tangles himself in the covers of his bed. What he heard was too loud, and he thinks it rumbled the ground. No one is supposed to be home.
Hastily, Demitri rubs his eyes to clear the sleepiness from his vision. He stumbles barefoot out of the bed to look for his phone. There is no light shining in the tiny, one story ranch house. The winter air makes Dmitri’s arm and leg hair stand up, and he can’t help but wonder for the thousandth time why his mother insists on keeping the heat off. Instantly, he regrets going to bed in just his boxers. Dmitri’s legs bang into the desk, and he silently curses. Groping around the desk, his hand finally meets what he was looking for.
Sighing in relief, Dmitri presses the round home button at the bottom of the iphone. Nothing happens.
“Seriously?” Dmitri whispers in frustration. He runs his right hand through his bedridden medium length dark hair. Takes a deep breath.
“Ok. Be rational. It was probably Bailey.” A dark lab, Bailey is the giant family mutt. She always manages to get herself in trouble, and is the most nocturnal dog you will ever meet. That so why we got her, after all. She is the perfect sentry at night, and in a city like this, that is much-needed. It would only make sense that Bailey was behind the loud noise he heard.
More calm now, Dmitri cautiously walks towards his bedroom door, running one hand along the wall in an attempt to find the light switch.
Dmitri’s room is a small rectangle consisting of only a desk with a foldable chair, a twin-sized bed (much too small for a boy his size), and a closet containing only a few, threadbare outfits. It might not be much, but it was plenty for Dmitri. He knows other people have it much worse than him.
Finally, he manages to find the light switch, and flips it up. Nothing happens. Dmitri’s blood runs cold, and his eyes widen. A power-outage is never good in his neighborhood -- if it even is a power-outage.
Dmitri turns the door handle slowly, praying to God that it won’t make a sound. Luckily, his prayers are answered. He holds the door, and carefully scoots through the opening.
And almost falls through a giant hole in the ground.
The only reason Dmitri didn’t fall into the hole is because he was still holding onto the doorframe. Shocked, he looks around what used to be his house. Small fires scatter around what used to be his living room, and the rest of the house beyond it is completely destroyed. Snow is falling into the wreckage and covering the ground. Dmitri’s breath quickens as he realizes he almost died, and his mind starts to go a million miles a minute.
Suddenly, he remembers Bailey; but instead of searching for her he starts to tear up. Bailey’s bed was in the room by the kitchen.
Her survival was basically impossible.
Dmitri tries to calm himself and looks outside. "Who could have done this?" he thought.
The night gives nothing away. The world is silent, with only the slight crackle of flame.
Dmitri does not know who did this, but he is going to find out. Even if it takes him to every criminal den in this godforsaken city.
And revenge will be oh-so sweet.
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Questions from the author:
Who is Dmitri to you? What themes do you see? Is Dmitri right to seek revenge?
