two sentence stories
A post for students currently taking Devising for the Stage in Spring 09. Here are your instructions:
1. Take a look at the photograph in this entry (you can click to load a larger version).
2. Write the FIRST SENTENCE of a story inspired by this image: one sentence, and one sentence alone. Leave the sentence as a comment on this entry.
3. Write the LAST SENTENCE of someone else’s story by picking a comment and clicking “reply to this comment.” You can reply to a comment which already has a first sentence (i.e. a story can have more than one ending).
You may need to revisit the site later after posting your own first sentence to allow other story fragments/comments to arrive.
She asked me if i could help her, she had an abnormally heavy bag and was struggling with the language – i just needed to waste some time.
As I tried to reason with myslef that I couldn’t possibly have know what was going to happened, I saw her, far in the distance still carrying the very same bag, and then I new – I wouldn’t be the only person to make such a mistake.
There was no cue so we didn’t have to wait for long, I just wanted to be out of there before anyone saw us.
As the spotlight came up, I knew it was too late. There was no escaping now.
That’s when everything stopped and realisation dawned upon me that this was indeed the end of the line.
That single moment was the longest in my life. Never before had I been so helpless and had no where to turn. no where to hide, no one to blame, nobody to bail me out; just me and my inevitable fate.
How on earth she had talked me into it, I’ll never know. She was a natural of course, flashing that dazzling smile at everyone and flicking her hair, but me, I just invisible.
I don’t want you to mistake me for someone who’s feeling sorry themselves, hell no, I like being invisible. Invisible always comes with the image of being pathetic, I know I’m not.
I looked over and there she was again watching me, even when i’m shopping with the wife. What am i going to do?
If I reported her, it would all have to come out, all the little gory details, so I decided to come clean first.
I cradled my new born son and looked around at my wife, to the doctor and in the door way, she was there again. Watching me.
I looked back to my wife of 30 years and smiled, as the young couple further down made doubly sure that every single one of their papers were in order.
Despite what went on that year, i’d still say it was one of the best i’ve ever had – i was with her and that was all that mattered.
It hurt me to see that my emotions didnt seem to reflect in her eyes. What I saw were eyes full of pain and confusion.
Today was not going to be a day like any other, something strange was in the air and my gut instinct told me I should never have come to the station.
I knew they were close on our tails. If only I had a note in my pocket instead of the change, maybe then, maybe, she would of caught that train.
As night wore on, a deep foreboding fell over us. We had escaped them for now, yet as we approached the stone edged building, I couldn’t help but fear what was beyond those walls…
I’d sacrificed everything and all i got in return was this shoelace and a scar.
It wasn’t even a big manly scar either, a pathetic faint one that will probably fade in a couple of years. The images that haunt my dreams I know will never fade. I guess my scar isn’t physical.
It was only then that I realised where I was and only then I realised there was no escape.
There was no way i could get out of this, i was having to fess up to the crime; they were all watching me.
Fight or flight, sink or swim, tell all or…run. I ran as fast as I could. Chaotic crashes of noise tracing me like a shadow told me I wasn’t alone as I ran for my freedom.
I’d always believed I was heroic, someone who could cope with anything, but faced with the fear, there was nothing I could do but fun. I was a coward, just like my father.
It sickened me to think I was like him, a pathetic low life, who bailed on his friends and left his only child to die. Yeah me, and it looked as if history was repeating itself.
I finally understood at the last moment that even in disguise and alone, we would never in this life time be able to change who we really are.
That was when the storm cleared and, with abated breath, we continued our journey down the long road home.
Whether I’d made the right or wrong choice, it didn’t matter, not now, for all that remained were two people full of guilt and regret, trying to find their way back home.
To this day I still don’t know why I agreed to go with her, but I did.
I cant believe the bitch left me. After everything i done for her, when the time came, she LEFT ME!! STRANDED!!
Ah well, at least I had my phone…
I suppose I thought I could make a difference, really help her. I’m first to admit I was stupid, I really believed she’d changed.
Urgh why does this always happen to me!?! Thank you phone, for dying on me, love you too!
An empty space, the dark consuming the light: a wave of sensations washed over me as I stood frozen staring into my future…
….my future was staring back at me, the light at the end of the tunnel wasn’t the answer i was looking for. It was the TRAIN!!!!
Or maybe this was what I was looking for. All I needed to do was stay here, and it would all be done, the chase would be over.
An odd pair approached the ticket booth, i thought the woman was on meds at first but as soon as the man turned round she slipped me a note.
To this day, I’m still not sure if it was up or down.
But I’ll never forget what it said…
HELP ME
It took seconds to make the decision that would change a life and all for £13.85, one way.
How could I not go? She’d given up everything for me, and I owed the same, didn’t I?
Silence resumed, with only the ticking of the clock reminding me that I was still conscious.
Tick… tock… tick… tock… tick…tock…
It was starting to annoy me, the repetitiveness of it, the same thing, over and over again.
As I stared into the endless sea of swiftly moving souls the sound took on a whole knew meaning, tick… tock…. tick…. silence
you’ll be okay old man. i know it’s been hard, but there’s a point. tak care okay, you’ll be fine… cheer up bud, i’s gonna happwn to all of us x