Michael Danyluk

“One Step Away From Freedom” by Michael Danyluk

Submitted to Contest #279

Content warning: Strong language and themes of bullying, physical violence, drug use, and sexual assault.They're always staring at me; Talking about me. Why do I always have to endure their stares and whispers? I hear what they say: making fun of my hair, saying it's long and scraggly, like a girl in a horror movie that lives down a well. Talking about my clothes, how they're “raggedy, and old”.  It's not my fault. I know how I look in these baggy, secondhand clothes. I hear it all.Every day since it happened, walking the hall had...

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“One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure” by Michael Danyluk

Submitted to Contest #159

“Nope, you're not allowed in here. I'm not serving you.” “What? Why?” “Because you didn't pay last time.” “Yes I did. What are you talking about?” “You left without paying.” “I didn't have my wallet. I came back a few days later and paid the owner.” “I don't care, I'm not serving you.” Whatever,” I say, as I turn about and leave. Stupid bitch. I paid: just not the night she was serving me. I didn't have money at the time, so I lied and told her I forgot my wallet and would be right back. I had to wait a few days for the welfare check to c...

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“A Blue Christmas” by Michael Danyluk

Submitted to Contest #154

Getting ready for his date, Mark puts a brush through his hair, scrubs a brush across his teeth, and thinks all the while of Sarah’s fine ass. Nothing is better at Christmas time than having a quiet dinner with a lady. He checks his phone for the time and sends her a text:  Leaving in 20 He ties his hair back and puts on his nicest hat and leather jacket before cracking a beer and sitting down in his computer chair to listen to some Christmas music. “Christmas in Hollis” by Run DMC plays; he downs the beer; gets up, and leaves. After...

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“Love, Misunderstood” by Michael Danyluk

Submitted to Contest #152

When it gave me options on what type of sensitive material this contained, all I could think of was all of the above lol. “I can see it now, how this all ends. You're my inspiration to get help; in 2 days I'm going to treatment.” “Oh, really? How does this all end?” “Listen, man. You need help; you're in denial. You won't live long, living this way.” “I don't care, Mate, I really don't. I have a date. When I get back, we’ll have a hit.” “No, I'm done. No more hits, no more strange stories of what you do back there, no more nothing. ...

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“The Library on Planet Triyn” by Michael Danyluk

Submitted to Contest #142

The hormanchers always come in and start a big ol' rally-o-rips, and it's my job to see to it they don't go hankacher the place down. I'm a librarian by trade, but sometimes I feel more like a body-protector. As the oldies sit and read—and sip on their glourp—it's my job to round up the rough-neckers and throw them out on their zizzerts. But these hormanchers were much too big for me to handle myself, and there were three of them tussling and knocking down selves as if this were the local fight square. I had to get Fitty to help me round the...

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“Lola” by Michael Danyluk

Submitted to Contest #134

He called up an escort, he couldn't handle it: he had to get her off his mind. He missed her: he missed her face; he missed the cute way she moved, the way she would cuddle up with him and make him feel like everything in the world was alright. A hooker was a good way to take his mind off her. “Hello?” “Hey, how are you tonight hun?” “I'm good, I'm good. How are you, my love.” “Good, had a few drinks and I'm looking to have some fun.” “Oh yeah? You want me to come over?” “Yeah, come over.” “Ok, It's 250 dollars for the hour.” “That's...

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“The Locked Door” by Michael Danyluk

Submitted to Contest #130

Daddy always locks the door; he says it’s to keep the monsters out. He says I’ll leave if he doesn’t lock the door and he doesn’t want the monsters to come and take me away. He says they’ll take both of us away and well be in jail for the rest of our lives forever and ever if we ever get caught in wiggle time, so I can't tell anyone about it. Ever. But why would the monsters come and get me? There were no monsters before. I don't like being in here all the time, because I only have the same toys and I miss going to school. I want to see Br...

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“You Can Checkout Anytime You Like... But You Can Never Leave” by Michael Danyluk

Submitted to Contest #129

The inn gets pretty quiet this time of year. The snowy seasons' just about done, then it’s real quiet; completely dead. We're only one stage away from dead. When it's dead, there's nothing for me to do. I used to spend time with the wife, or at least that's how it has been the past 2 years. She left me, left me with this inn with all this shit to run; said she wanted a “better life,”. I don't blame her: this inn is a nightmare. When you settle down, you never know how it's going to end up. Two years ago, I inherited this fucking place f...

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“Tea Time” by Michael Danyluk

Submitted to Contest #128

 Shiawasena jikan tea house. I take the last puff off my cigarette, flick it; snarling and stretching my neck from side to side. It's showtime. These two bastards wait for me at the front door — wide, like refrigerators with legs — they size me up before letting me walk in. Nice little place for such nasty business; pinewood walls, and tiny oak wood tables. And across the room, a wood bar rail with a tapestry hanging over the edge. The man behind the bar cleans — tiny guy, almost cute — in his apron. Place is empty except for the prick ...

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“The Zebra” by Michael Danyluk

I couldn’t explain it — I was determined to change my ways — but somehow I knew I would screw things all up. Even though she was the perfect girl: tall, blonde, sexy, I knew it would all go to shit. They say “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, and “A zebra never changes his stripes”… Well, I was that zebra. Everything was peaches and cream for the first three months, but the next three months were too boring to bear. I told her about my past: how I was with many women before I met her. And she was cool with it. I told her “I always...

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“Day Drinkin'” by Michael Danyluk

Submitted to Contest #124

“There’s a guy that’s been gone for twenty minutes, and I don’t think he’s coming back,” my co-worker — Sarah, the daytime bartender — told me. “And he was pouring his own draft behind my back.”“I didn’t even notice anyone leave... who was it?”“The skinny guy with the crew cut. He’s never been here before. I didn’t expect any problems though; he looked pretty clean-cut... He seemed to get wasted pretty fast.”“OK, I think I know who you’re talking about... how much was his bill?”“22.97... I don’t know why he would leave on it. Jeremy told me ...

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