October 29, 2012

A Hotwheels Masterpiece




Candy coated red covers the long frame of the perfect car
The sleek body forms a sharp point at the front of the flawlessly sculpted bumper
Chipped paint threatens to tear away at the beautiful exterior
The jet-black windshield envelops the entire top of the car
Old wheels hang crooked from the aging car
And worn rims fade to a faint gray
Yet the imperfect exterior cannot rip away at
The sheer beauty of the fast car…

October 12, 2012

Storm


The plans for a beautiful sunny day go awry
Everything in sight is covered with a thick gray blanket
One cool droplet slowly falls from the cluster of clouds above, bringing life to everything around it
A pleasant surprise overwhelms the scenery as everything becomes fresh and new
Grass is greener
Trees grow larger
Flowers bloom
Everything becomes enveloped in a burst of color
Until finally…
The few droplets that once brought happiness begin suffocating the life that they once nurtured so well
Beating down harder and harder, the beads of rain no longer bring joy and life
The storm brews until it is finally released, killing everything in sight
Grass is trampled on
Trees are murdered by the powerful winds
Flowers wither 
The end seems light-years away as the darkness covers up the horrid scene
Until the next morning, when the sun shines through the extensive clouds
With each ray of light promising a new beginning

April 26, 2012

A Murder of Crows


The Midnight air is chilling.

He stares at the freshly buried tombstone while lightning pierces the ground and rain beats down on his back.

Caressing the single black tulip in his hand one last time before he rests it at the foot of the grave. Emotionless, he stares at the name engraved into the tombstone for a few moments before he rises and walks towards the dark forest that lies beyond the cemetery.

The deeper into the forest he goes, the more the overpowering redwoods block the full moon from view.

Thunder continues to roar like the mighty lion in an African Safari, shaking the ground beneath his feet.

A murder of Crows swarms the sky above him. Their screeching voices sound like nails gliding down a chalkboard. Soaring below the blankest of fog and mist, their eyes reflect against the glistening exterior of the black pistol in his hand.

Finally, he reaches his destination.

He glances up at the crows, whose jet-black feathers blend into the night, and smirks. Staring at the river that runs through the cluster of redwoods, he fingers the pistol one last time before hurling it into the dark waters, never to be seen again.

He chuckles to himself as the murder of crows cackle down at him, as if they sense the bad omen he projects.

February 13, 2012

People Watching


It’s amazing what a person is capable of doing when no one is watching.
The smell of coffee fills the aroma of the room. The scent intoxicates Phil’s nose as he pretends to read the paper. He likes to people watch at coffee shops, no, scratch that, he loves it.
The annoyed look on the young woman’s face taking orders amuses him. She has been working here a long time. She is probably a college student looking to make some extra cash.
Phil’s eyes move from the young woman to a man sitting two tables over from him. The man sips his coffee and scans the room. Phil notices the man subtly slip a gold band off his left hand and place it in his pocket.
A few seconds later, a significantly younger woman sits at the seat adjacent to the man. Phil couldn’t care less about infidelity. He couldn’t care less about anything.
Phil continues to watch the couple exchange awkward remarks until his trance is broken by a rush of smells. Within seconds, his nose fills with the scent of a citrus perfume.
He quickly turns towards the entrance of the coffee shop and finds the source of the smell. A young woman enters the coffee shop and now scans the menu hanging from the ceiling.
Her shoulder length red hair appears unfazed by her sudden change in position. Her green eyes brighten up the once dull room and her pale skin contrasts against her jet-black skirt.
Phil focuses in on the intense citrus smell as the rest of his senses seem insignificant. He reaches down and gently touches his ankle.
His eyes never leave her petite figure as she grabs a coffee lid and sits at a table near the back of the coffee shop. Phil continues staring as the woman attempts to place the lid on her coffee cup. The lid, however, slips against the rim of the cup, knocking it over.
The redhead gives a slight scream as hot coffee pours off the table and into her lap.
Her pale skin slightly reddens
Phil grabs the pile of napkins that is in the center of his table and walks over to the embarrassed woman.
“Here you go, miss,” Phil smiles at the young woman as she gently takes the napkins from his hand.
His perfect smile and sparkling eyes forces a smile on the woman’s face. “I’m such a klutz,” she said shaking her head back and forth. “I swear, I annoy myself so much sometimes.”
“Don’t worry about it. It happens to everyone,” Phil begins to say. “That happened to me just last week.”
“It’s fine, you don’t have to lie to make me feel better.” The redhead says, still shaking her head in embarrassment.
Phil takes the seat next to her.
“I was sitting at that table right over there,” Phil points and the woman stops vigorously rubbing the coffee and looks. “It was about seven o’clock in the morning and I was on my way to work. I grabbed my coffee off the counter and went over to grab a lid off the other table, but the cup was too hot and I accidentally let go of the cup. The coffee fell all over my new pants and the floor. The worker who came to clean it up glared at me the entire time she was cleaning. I had to go home to change and ended up being thirty minutes late for work.”
The redhead laughs. “Wow that sounds worse than mine. I just got off work, so I can go straight home after I clean up as much as I can.”
Phil smiles, “See, it’s not so bad. Do you have far to walk?”
“Not too far. I live in an apartment building two streets over,” She points to the left, “and I have a shortcut.” She playfully smiles.
“Oh, really? I live in that direction too. Do you mind enlightening me on the shortcut?” Phil winked.
The redhead leans closer to Phil. “That back alley right behind this shop.” Her voice turns to a whisper. “You miss all the stoplights and it saves me at least five minutes.
“Hmm,” Phil said as he stands up. “I will be sure to remember that.”
The redhead smiles and arises as well. “Thanks for the help.” She smiles politely and moves past Phil and over to the door.
Phil does not need to look over to watch her leave. The citrus scent abruptly leaves his nose and is replaced by the intoxicating smell of coffee.
Phil walks back to his previous table and grabs his coffee cup. He waits a few minutes and then gets up to leave. The young college student behind the counter conspicuously stares at Phil as he walks by the counter. He makes eye contact with the woman and smiles.
Phil is out of the coffee shop and now walking towards the back alley of the building. His slow strides quicken as he approaches the darkness of the alley. A few yards away he can see the young woman walking home, no one else is around.
         He can smell the citrus perfume.
         Phil comes to a stop, reaches into his sock and pulls out a knife. Now coming closer, Phil tries to make his steps as quiet as possible, until he finally is only inches away. Before she has the chance to turn around, Phil uses his free hand to cover her mouth.
         Complete and utter shock fills her expression as the warm skin of his hand overwhelms her face. Fear envelopes her body as every ounce of her breath lingers at the top of her throat, only to vanish a second later.  Her nervous attempt to scream fails as each finger presses firmly against her innocent face.
         Startled by the cool blade of the knife on her flawless skin; she feels as though her whole world is collapsing. Her body trembles as the frigid blade sends a chill up her spine while it slithers along her bony frame.
         Phil smiles at his own enjoyment after her body tenses up in his arms, his twisted satisfaction growing with every fearful movement of hers. The blade penetrating deep into her pale side kills the only tinge of hope that remains in her already wilted spirit.
         Failed screams erupt into agonizing moans while forcing their way through her clenched teeth. Releasing his grip from her almost breathless mouth, he feels her body crumble before him. Blood forces its way onto the once spotless blade and she falls from his daunting grip. Red droplets slowly form into rich pools as crimson puddles tarnish the once spotless asphalt of the alley.
         He watches her squirming body get weaker and weaker, until finally she lies motionless against the hard ground. Phil listens once her cries of pain grow fainter and her eyes gracefully close, never again to see the light of day.
            Phil gently removes the blade from the redhead’s side and is careful not to get blood on his clothes. He examines the dripping knife and wipes both sides of the blade on the woman’s fitted skirt, making sure there is nothing left before he slides it back in his sock.
             He bends over and inhales the remnants of her citrus perfume, which is slightly defiled by the coffee stain, and disappears out of the alley.
         Phil walks home satisfied with himself. Reaching his apartment, Phil immediately goes to sleep, pleased with his successful day of people watching, and anticipating the many more to come.
         The next morning, Phil awakens and leisurely gets up and showers. He had a very restful nights sleep.
         After thirty minutes, Phil leaves his apartment and heads for a different coffee shop down the street.
         Within minutes Phil enters a coffee shop and orders a black coffee. He sits down and begins pretending to read the paper.
         The person behind the counter of this shop is older and male. He seems much happier than the woman from the last place.
         A young couple walk in next, they are very young. They are probably high schoolers getting coffee before school starts. The teenage girl clings to her boyfriend’s arm and he orders for the both of them.
         The smell of coffee is much less intoxicating in this place than the other, but still not very pleasant.
         Phil watches the teenage couple leave the shop and most likely head to school.
         He moves his attention to a man sitting at a table in front of him. The man is wearing a nice suit and is on his laptop.
            Suddenly, a headline in the newspaper catches his eye.
            Women’s Body Found in Alley
            He scanned the article and saw they did not have any leads, or anything pointing towards him. Phil reflects on the night before until he hears the door open. Suddenly, his senses were invigorated with a sweet citrus smell.
         Quickly turning, he sees a young woman heading to the counter. Her chestnut brown hair falls just below her shoulder, and her skin is much darker than the last one.
         Phil reaches down at his sock and grazed the knife that lies perfectly against his ankle.
            It’s amazing what a person is capable of doing when no one is watching.

February 12, 2012

The Smoking Gun


The clock strikes twelve the moment he steps inside the house. Trying not to make a sound, he gently shuts the door behind him. The room turns black as soon as he hears the click of the lock engaging. His conscience slowly leaving him with every step he takes further inside the room. The silhouette of the gun he holds reflects against the rows of mirrors that lie along the long dark hallway.
Finally, as the never-ending hallway comes to an end, he sees the door to the bedroom and slowly turns the knob until he can cautiously open the door to see his victim lying asleep in his bed. Watching as the man’s chest slowly rises up and down until he has to avert his eyes down to his gun.
The moment the trigger releases, shooting out a tiny bullet of death, the gut-wrenching sound fills the quiet of the room like water being poured into a glass. He tucks the smoking gun in his coat pocket as he walks out of the room with as much of an emotionless expression as the man lying dead in his bed.

January 29, 2012

Awakened


The overwhelming feeling of joy lightens my expression as I perceive his glittering eyes watching over me.
The anger and frustration of a long day are washed away with one flash of his crooked smile.
His powerful love pierces through the tough exterior I call my heart.
 I am cleansed of my pain, I feel more alive then ever.
I forget all of my suffering as he pulls me into a warm embrace.
Nothing is better than this moment.
I am too afraid to look away.
Afraid he will disappear.
Afraid I will never see him again.
His promise to never leave me reverberates through my mind.

He said that last time too.

His loving words gradually get softer.
I can no longer feel his arms around me.
I can no longer see that crooked smile.
I plea for him to come back to me
I yearn for his warm embrace

But he can no longer hear me

My pleas escalate into screams and I fall to my knees
Begging, sobbing, yearning.
Tears blur my vision as he grows fainter and farther away
I beg him to not break his promise again.
I continue screaming until my eyelids fly open.
 I am lying in my bed alone.
I close my eyes in the hope of seeing him again, but I am too late.

He is already gone.

I have left my haven and awakened to the nightmare that is reality.
My sorrow; I could not awaken
And all I loved, I loved alone
For there was nothing I could do to bring my father back to me. 

January 28, 2012

The Restaurant (A Hemingway inspired story)


It was raining. The restaurant was loud. They seated us at a small table near the kitchen. The young waiter left a basket of bread and butter on the table. The bread was warm. I like bread. The butter melted as I spread it on the bread. It tasted good.
“How was your day?” I asked after I finished the bread.
“It was good. How was yours?”
“Good.”
The waiter came by and asked if we were ready to order. Juliet said she needed more time. Her eyes never left the menu. I could still hear the rain. We were alone again. It was silent.
“You know I love you.” I said hoping to break the silence.
“Do you?” Her eyes never left the menu.
“Of course. Do you love me?”
“I think I am going to try the salmon.”
“Do you love me?”
“Hmm?” Her eyes finally met mine.
“You love me don’t you?”
The waiter came back. “Are you ready now miss?”
Juliet’s eyes left mine. I took a sip of my water. The ice clinked against the glass. The waiter stood patiently.
“I will have the salmon.” She finally said.
“I’ll have the same.”
The waiter took our menus and we were alone again. I took another piece of bread. It was colder now. The butter didn’t melt. I liked it anyway. I like bread.
“Do you love me?”
“Of course.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
I sighed heavily. The candle on the table flickered. It was a small scented candle. It was supposed to make the night more romantic. It wasn’t working.
“You know I love you.”
“Really?” Juliet was playing with her necklace. A small sapphire pendant. She didn’t look at me. I took another piece of bread. Now the basket was empty.
“Yes, I do.”
“Ohh.”
“I want to marry you.” I set the black box on the table. She didn’t look at me. “You know I love you. Do you love me?” It was still raining.
“You love me?”
“Of course I love you. I want to marry you. Do you want to marry me?”
“No.”
“Why? I’m crazy about you. I want to marry you.”
“I don’t love you. You don’t love me. You don’t want to marry me.” The candle flickered again. “I should go.”
Juliet got up from her chair. She didn’t look at me. It was still raining. I watched her walk away. I loved her. I didn’t want her to go. She never looked back. The candle blew out.
The waiter came back. He set the two plates of salmon on the table. He set another basket of bread on the table. I pushed the salmon away. I hate salmon. I took another piece of bread. It was warm. The butter melted. I like bread. It tasted good.