The bed, the wallet, the bench, the door, the doll, the girls, the tea, the dog, the hands and the stove.

Submitted into Contest #216 in response to: Write a story with an open ending that gives readers just enough details to draw their own conclusions.... view prompt

0 comments

Drama Fiction Friendship

This story contains themes or mentions of sexual violence.

        The son’s phone is finally ringing. The upbeatness of the ringtone is like rock music in a funeral for him. He feels a relief entering his body after seeing that the call is from the girlfriend. She has finally seen the 6 missed calls that he sent her today. “Where have you been? Oh my god Mia… you’re driving me nuts. What the hell is up with you?” He shouts his throat out the second he answers that call. “I’m sorry, I’ve been busy.” That’s all the girlfriend says, she goes back to being a listener. “Busy what do you mean busy? we used to be madly in love! now you don’t even care if I’m alive or not… Please Mia don’t do this to me, I need you.” The son is now a pleaser, but he used to be a “everyone’s crush”. “I’m sorry.” She hung up. “Mia? Mia! Mia!” He throws the phone onto the Navy blue colored sheets of his bed and he locks his door and cries. 

        The abuser is sending his index finger and his thumb through his zipless wallet before going out to meet his gang, Like he really can magically find some money in it. He puts it back inside the right side pocket of his pants and reaches the door to go out. “Where’s my 10 thousand buddy?” The lender is being a barrier again. The same hand that opened that door is now trying to close it. But the lender is strong enough to avoid the door being closed this time. Because of those toasts he ate in the breakfast table. Seems like the abuser have to welcome his trouble open handedly inside his house this time. 

        They used to come here every Friday And they would eat ice cream, both of them the same flavor, cookies and cream. Their nonstop talking was fuel to their sloth walking. But for the past few months the girlfriend was all alone without the best friend on that white painted bench that was made to be sit by these two soul mates. And today is no different. Her eyes catch the view of that friend group of 7, who are laughing like their life depends on it and they are about to start playing hide and seek. Those kids are really good at reminding her about the best friend and the beautiful pass they had together. Her phone’s buzzes with jumps quickly take her back into reality. 

        “Why the door’s still locked.” Continuous knocks and shouts of the boss aren’t still answered by the son. “Give me the keys.” He comes out and demands. “Are you drunk? You can’t drive like this.” “Give me the damn keys. I gotta go.” “Wait.” The son leaves the house and the boss’s first call in the next morning at 5 o’ clock is not from his assistant, it is from the police informing the son’s death. 

        “Mom, aren’t you gonna help me sleep?” The girl comes finding the mom to the kitchen while being glued to the doll she loves. But she can only look like a burden in the mom’s eyes. "Can’t you just sleep? I feed you, bathe you, dress you, I do everything, but you can’t, you can’t sleep… go go go! Get lost you monster that came to ruin my life. It was all because of you that I couldn’t finish my education and marry a man with money.” Even the two eyes of the doll gets blurry all the time when the mom starts spitting facts like a rapper. Just like always, the girl is alone with dolls, animals and ghosts, without a human to hug and kiss her. 

       The sister always has 8 hairpins in her hair and the best friend, well... She wears nothing. The girls are blessed with genes, possibly from a model mother, and an actor father. They aren’t twins, but they look like they were born in the same day. The sister goes out to sell her beauty and earn money in order to feed the younger one. “How long are you gonna keep doing this? It’s not freaking safe out there. Keny, stop this! I can do a job.” “You have to study.” “Keny, listen to me! This is not right.” “You don’t understand. Whatever I do is for a better future for both of us…Now get lost, He’s waiting for me.” The best friend runs towards the door, gets inside, and she locks the door. “What the hell are you doing? Hope? Hope! No, don’t do this. Open this damn door Hope!!!” The sister starts attacking the door as hard as she can. Her body against the door, makes noises that are loud, but another second later, the sounds of flesh colliding with a knife, filtered through woods, echoes into her ear with some silent screaming of a man too.  

         “How about some time Mr. Bensle. Please…! I’ll do this by next Tuesday” “How about me cutting off your salary or your job, huh?” “PLEASE sir don’t do that, please!!” “I want all of these 4 documents done by tomorrow… No excuses again.” “Please Mr. Bensle, I’m begging you. It’s impossible to do all of this by tomorrow. Give me at least two more days, please.” The more the husband says “please” the lower his knees go down. “Where’s the tea?” The boss glances at his watch and moves his eyes towards the door and a lady in black and white enters the office carrying a tray with cups and cookies. “OK, I’ll give you thirty six more hours and I want this done.” He says making eye contact with the tea. “But si-” “Now get out…….!! Why the face? I said get out!”

         The dog, he doesn’t want to wake up his owners. He uses his rosy paws to walk near his food bawl. He is excited to enjoy his meal. But the smile that is big enough to show off his whole tongue, disappears after seeing that 1 biscuit in his bawl. This is not the first time he has to eat a very small portion of food, but he knew from his heart that one is better than nothing. After eating, he goes to his little bed near the girl’s room. He massages the bed until it’s comfortable enough, and lays wrapping his body around his own body and shuts his eyes after a warm sigh. But suddenly his ears go up and his eyes get opened after hearing “Why don’t you sleep in mom and dad’s room, I’m sure just like them, you don’t want me either.”

          “And this photo was taken when we were in Seattle. We used to go to this park a lot back then.” The sister turns the next page of the album where her favorite photos are. She doesn’t seem to get tired of looking at them, no matter how many times she has to show them to the guests that visit her home. “You look so cute” The abuser tells while putting his index finger right on top of the sister in the photo. And next, both of their gaze catch wondering to see where the sister’s mother is going in a big rush. “I’ll be back, sweetie. Uncle Dean won’t leave before I come back. Bye!” “Bye mom!” “Bye.” So this was on my first birthday that I can’t remember anything about.” The sister goes back to showing the photos. But After some beautiful photos, now the abuser is not using his 9 fingers to point at the photos. They are on her lap. He slowly starts to run his right hand through the sister’s left leg and he suddenly touches her chest. The hands! Wha- What are they doing? “Um…..!!!” She seems stunned. She doesn’t know what’s happening, but something inside her is screaming, telling her that this is wrong. Standing and moving away are just some attempts that fail. “Don’t! A little bit of touching can’t hurt you, right?” He says and her little mind that has never been manipulated before, goes like “Right! RIGHT?” But that sound is too soft that it is almost quite. Footsteps coming towards. “Ugh!... are you happy now?! Why did she has to come back this early. Shi- you didn’t even let me touch you properly.” The abuser shouts in silence while running his hands on her chest in a rush for revenge, like it’s going to be the last time. Her mind goes quietly relieved after hearing the tock tocks of her mom’s heels and it goes proud after hearing the abuser’s complaints. 

         “What to eat?” The husband comes to the kitchen while loosening his tie around his neck. “Wait, dinner will be ready in 3 minutes.” The mom says turning off the stove. “Hurry up! Why can’t you just be done with all the cooking and stuff when I arrive home. I come back working my butt off and you just have to stay in home enjoying all the Netflix…..” 

        “Ma’am, What are you interested in taking home today?” “Can I get that one with the two girls holding hands happily in a beautiful park where pretty birds and butterflies live.” “Sorry!??” “Oh, oh! Um… I’m sorry.. the bench!.....The bench painting please” 

September 22, 2023 05:49

You must sign up or log in to submit a comment.

0 comments

RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

Bring your short stories to life

Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in Reedsy Studio. 100% free.