My bar tab’s getting too high.
Tag Archives: Fiction
The Little Girl & The Plane
LITTLE GIRL: Let go! [She strains to pull a toy plane off the ground.] Let go! It’s mine! [There’s no reply. She yanks on the plane, and suddenly, the plane moves across the floor away from her. Its sudden movement makes her fall backwards.] Ow! Mooo-oooom!
[We hear the sound of rushing footsteps as the little girl cries. The door bursts open, and a woman rushes in.]
MOM: What happened? Are you hurt? [She rushes to the little girl, and seeing no injuries, pulls her close.] What’s wrong, sweetie?
LITTLE GIRL: Mooom, she…[sniff] w-wouldn’t let…[sniff] m-me p-play with my…[sniff] my plaa-aa-aane!
MOM: What? Why not?
LITTLE GIRL: She… [sniff] she says girls [sniff] caaan’t.
MOM: Well, that’s not very smart. [The little girl jumps and stares up at her mom. Simultaneously, the plane moves with a hard thunk.] You can throw all the tantrums you want. It won’t change the fact that girls can play with planes just fine. [The plane clanks again, and the mom looks levelly at the air above it.] And anyone who steals a little girl’s toy is just plain mean. [There’s silence except for the girl’s sniffles. The mom gets up and easily picks up the plane.] Here you go, honey. Play all you want.
The Blood’s Beat
It runs through the blood
And beats with your heart.
In the background while you work,
In the foreground when you shirk:
It’s the band in the back of your head –
It’s the subliminal mind’s leading role.
Like noise overflowing the walls
From a party down deep in your soul.
The Old Man & The Stairs
OLD MAN: Yeah, I know you hate that picture. You’ve told me so since the day I put it up. [There is silence as the old man moves toward a stairway.] No, I ain’t gonna take it down. You can save your breath and stop askin’ me. [Silence again as the man pauses by the picture as if listening.] Well, I like it, and it’s my house. [He reaches the base of the stairs.] What the- [Grunts and straining sounds can be heard.] You stop that! [More strain.] You let me up the stairs right now, or so help me, I-
WOMAN: Dad? What’s the matter?
OLD MAN: [Glaring at the air in front of him.] Nothing’s the matter.
WOMAN: But… you were shouting. Do you need help up the stairs?
OLD MAN: I’m fine. Go back in the other room and watch your show.
WOMAN: But-
OLD MAN: Now, it’s my house. If I want to shout a bit, I can. You go leave me to it.
After giving him one last worried glance, she leaves.
WOMAN: He said he was fine.
MAN: He didn’t sound fine. If he’s having trouble with the stairs-
WOMAN: His doctor said he’s healthy as a horse!
MAN: But what about his mind? You heard him just now. It might be time.
WOMAN: He’d hate to leave this house…
The old man’s glare at the air hardens.
OLD MAN: [In a whisper] You ever try anything like that again, and I’ll burn this house down before I take down that picture.
The lights go down as the old man easily climbs the stairs.
twytte 