Donavan Barrier

“Big Brother” by Donavan Barrier

Submitted to Contest #171

The light from behind him lightly caressed her face. Ruffled brown locks fell haphazardly across her puffy cheeks. Her breath was slow, a slight snore occasionally piercing the still air of her bedroom. Her lids, which hid big, innocent brown eyes, were comfortably closed. She looked like an angel, a painting from the 1940s. She looked so peaceful, so relaxed, so calm. He adjusted the dirty rucksack onto his shoulder, careful not to make too much noise. He didn't want to disturb the kid from what looked like a good sleep. I wonder if she's ...

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“Fall Guy” by Donavan Barrier

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #166

Is this what you wanted? Huh? Is this what you sought to accomplish? All that hard work, all that good shit, all that talking about it. Is this what you've been looking for? Well, you got it. Man, do you got it! I hope you're happy, you son of a bitch. At least one of us will be getting out of this shit alive. But, hey, it's what I signed up for, right? It's what we knew was going to happen. I mean, come on, let's not kid ourselves. We knew our fate when we decided to pull this off. I must be stupid. I thought we'd get out of this alive. Oh,...

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“Confessions of a Co-Dependent” by Donavan Barrier

Submitted to Contest #139

(Note: This story deals with codependency, alcoholism and death) “Grow up!” That was what we told you, didn’t we? Time and time again. It was like a catchphrase from the old cartoons. We said it so much it was as if we couldn’t end the day if we didn’t say it. So we did. Jesus, man, I can’t count how many times we’ve said that to you. I bet you really got sick of it after a while, eh?        Who am I kidding? I know you did! Otherwise, how could I be standing here and you there? I hate that we’re in this ...

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“The Strange Shack” by Donavan Barrier

(Warning; contains references to BDSM) “Whatever you do,” Papa roared. “Do not go into that shack!” That old, tired phrase echoed through Luis’s mind. Each time he remembered, he instinctively rolled his eyes. Papa always had to say that phrase. God damn, it was like his catchphrase or something. He was sure that Papa even said it in his sleep like he was lecturing him in his dreams. Luis put his hands in front of him, brushing away the low-hanging branches. Should’ve brought a machete or something, he thought. These damn things could po...

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“Landlubber” by Donavan Barrier

"Land ho, boys! Land ho!" Jack sprinted up the ladder as quickly as he could. He moved in a blur, so fast that his shipmates thought he was flying. He pushed the other sailors hard up against the iron walls of the ship and out of his way. A few of them cussed at him. The only sounds he could hear, though, were his boots pounding on the floor and the beating of his heart. They were almost in sync with each other. Another ladder stood in his path. That, too, he climbed speedily up. He was getting closer to the surface. So close, he could ...

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“Destiny” by Donavan Barrier

“Listen…do you hear it?” The man brought his hand close to his left ear. He drew in each breath softly as he listened to the sounds of nature behind him. He closed his eyes, yet they still dashed around behind his lids like they were still searching in the darkness. “They’re near…” he said with anticipation. “I know they are!” At about fourteen years of age, the boy in front of him leaned in with both anticipation and fear. “Who are you talking about?” asked the boy. But the old man shushed him with a finger to his lips. He put another hand ...

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“Who You Were (Trigger Warning: Suicide)” by Donavan Barrier

Submitted to Contest #118

I never thought you would end up this way. Honestly, I didn’t really think about you much at all. In all of the years that we’ve known each other, it never struck me that you would be like this. But here we are. I don’t really know what to say here. Shocked isn’t the right word. It’s too extreme. Surprised? Maybe… There’s a better word here. I just know it… ah, to hell with it.         I don’t know why I feel this way. It’s not that we were friends. Hell, we weren’t even acquaintances. I barely knew of...

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“Help Me (Trigger Warning; Loss of a Loved one)” by Donavan Barrier

Submitted to Contest #115

“Honey, you have to talk to me.” The words could’ve come from miles away. The lady who spoke them to her might’ve just been a figment of her imagination. The world around her seemed so distant, like she was in the heavens looking down. However, she was not. Instead, she was surrounded by four walls, all covered in mementos from other kids her age. To her left were drawings crude, innocent. To her right, photographs of the lady in front of her with the others. The plastic chair under her butt was cold and stiff. It didn’t bother her, though. ...

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“Too Easy” by Donavan Barrier

"You got the charges ready?" Albert fumbled around in the pack, using his fingers to guide him in the darkness. "Hurry up, asshole. We don't have all night!" "Calm your tits. I've almost got it!" Albert snapped back. Gonzo flipped him off, confident that Albert didn't see it. Albert finally found the charges and handed them to Gonzo, carefully moving his thumb away from the start button. As they made the transfer, Albert readied his submachine gun. They had gotten this far without a hitch, but it didn't mean that they wouldn't get in one lat...

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“Defiance” by Donavan Barrier

Submitted to Contest #114

Their fists rained down on him like maelstrom hail. The feet came next, hardened by rubber soles and just as painful. They whooped and hollered as they beat the boy on the green grass, letting out savage cries of ecstasy and fulfillment. Georgie covered himself as best he could, curling into a ball as tight as his frail body would let him. He covered his ears and shut his eyes, trying to shut out the savages. A toe caught him in the teeth, and he felt a few of them crack. Another one landed square on his nose, almost breaking that too. Throu...

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“The Job” by Donavan Barrier

Rubber soles hit the black pavement with lightning force. Bip, bap. Bip, bap. They sped along rapidly. Heavy breathing disrupted the otherwise quiet street, and the rustling of cloth disturbed the nature surrounding. The young man stumbled slightly on the uneven path, nearly falling flat on his face thanks to a loose stone. He pressed the bag to his chest and held the gun in his hand even tighter. Quickly, he gained his balance again and dashed forward into the night.         His mind raced in all...

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“Gone” by Donavan Barrier

The car rumbled lowly across the highway. To the right and left of it, other drivers zoomed past. Though they sat at seventy miles per hour, it seemed to the others that they were going at a snail's pace. The city crept closer on the horizon; the shiny towers almost blinded them as they reflected the twelve o'clock sun. Chae-Young, who sat in the passenger's seat, put her sun visor down as they dashed around a bend in the road. The driver, a boy, named Alika, followed suit. He swore at himself silently for forgetting his sunglasses at home. ...

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“Negotiation” by Donavan Barrier

Submitted to Contest #105

He shifted the pistol under his armpit very subtly. He licked his lips nervously. The bigger man to his side, his Boss, shuffled slowly to the table. Though his eyes portrayed a calm and collected nature, inside, he felt his innards bouncing about behind his flesh. Jake hoped that he was only imagining that annoying bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. His Boss sat down just as slowly and pulled out a dark brown and slightly bent cigar. Drawing his breath slowly, he shifted forward towards the man in front of him.    &nbs...

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“Betrayal” by Donavan Barrier

Submitted to Contest #104

Gray. The clouds that billowed from his mouth were a dull, muted gray. The stick in between his fingers burned a citrus orange as the white paper surrounding it charred into a black and white substance: his eyes, a dull blue, glazed over with relaxation and ecstasy. The first natural breath he could inhale all day through the numbing chemicals of a cigarette. He sifted his hands through his sandy yellow hair and leaned back into his chair. His eyes grew heavy, and he slowly allowed them to drift closed.       &n...

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“Divinity in Words” by Donavan Barrier

Submitted to Contest #103

His eyes scanned the crumpled-up piece of paper in his hand. He scoured each word with maddened determination. He pressed his hands to the form to fix the creases. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to find it. He wiped acidic sweat off of his Neanderthal eyebrows. His cracked and pulsating lips, he licked with an equally dry tongue. He reached for the water bottle to his left, but his hand came just short of grasping it, and he succeeded in only pushing off the desk to the floor. Though the sound rang in his ears and made him...

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