Friday, February 22, 2013

Short Story

Start story with: “He/She touched the little box in her pocket and smiled…”

Due at the end of the period on Wednesday. 600 words.

13 comments:

  1. She touched the little box in her pocket and smiled. In everyone else’s eyes, it was a dainty velvit box, one that would contain a wedding or engagement ring. There was no way she would ever be married, let alone engaged, so it wasn’t any of the two. She was the only one who knew what it really was. To make sure of that, she always kept the velvet box in her pocket, never letting it out of her site. If a passer by were to ever see her toying with the box and ask her what she was doing, she would simply shake her head and walk away. There seemed to be some kind of secret that she was keeping, that no one would ever know.
    She didn’t have a name as far as the people were concerned. She didn’t have any friends or acquaintences that anyone knew of, and no one knew where she lived or her family background. Every day, she would wear the same thing; a long black dress that covered her from head to foot. A long black veil hung down her face, and her dress came below her feet. No one knew how she walked without steping on it. Her gait was also unusual. She always seemed to be gliding along like a ghost, and she never seemed to acknowledge anyone she passed by. Her hand was always on the breast pocket of her dress, where the mysterious box was contained.
    Every day, she was seen walking around town to no particular destination. No one dare ask her if she was lost or needed help,with the fear that something terrible would happen to them. Those who have spoken to her had terrible luck ahead of them. A middleage businessman, who was leaving the train station to return home from work had curiously asked her, “What’s that you’re carrying in that box of yours? Are you getting married?”
    She just gave him a coy look and glided the other direction. One day later, it was said he had slipped and fell onto the train track, where the train crushed him before he was able to get back up again. She was seen there, tucking the little box into her breast pocket. Every observer wondered the same thing; what was she doing with that box?

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  2. ? That was the only time she had taken it out. Several other occurences like that one, happened throughout the years. People would be killed in a car crash, or fall on a train track like the businessman. She was always at the scene, tucking the box back into her pocket. No one ever figured out why she was there. Many people called her the “black Death” or “The lady of the dead.” There were countless newspapers with top story headlines, “The Black death strikes again,” or “Carefully Look Both Ways for the Lady of the Dead.” Many twonspeople believed that if she walked passed you, it would mean five years of bad luck. It was said once that she wasn’t even a human, but a demon, or possibly Satan in the form of a woman.
    Now, she walked along the road fingering the little box in her pocket. It was nighttime, the sky was grey and clowdy, and a light mist sprayed throughout the town. Houses were decorated with fake spiderwebs, pumpkins or skuls. Children dressed in costumes ran about the neighborhood, carrying bulky bags of candy, hoping for a large stash this year. Many of the girls wore miniature versions of her long black dress and veil, and they clutched little boxes at their breasts. She showed no reaction to these costumes; she just passed them by, which would result to them running away in fright.
    As it grew darker, she passed one particular group of children, but like the others, they did not run. Instead they all gathered around her, reaching out to pull at the black dress. One of them found her pocket where she kept the box. Greedily taking it out, he started to run away with it. She let out a shrill scream of pain, which is the first sound anyone had ever heard from her.
    “She has a voice!” one of the children shouted, snatching the box away from her companion, and opening it. There was no tangible object inside of the box. Instead, there was a rush of cold air, and voices everywhere. It was impossible to understand the voices, but it was easy to figure out what her secret was. From a distance, the children saw her collapse onto the ground, clutching her left breast, where the pocket of dress was. The veil was disintagrating and her face became more and more visible.
    The children eagerly rushed over to see her face for the first time. Her eyes were empty, and there was a large gaping hole where a mouth should be. The souls of all of her victims were still flying out of the box, and her body trembled as she went into the feetle position. She shrank down until she became nothing, and the little box became nothing but debris.

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  4. He touched the little box in his pocket and smiled. He continued to walk down the chilly, barren street as he lightly rubbed the soft velvety box. He took it out of his pocket to look at it once again. Upon opening it, revealed a beautiful diamond ring, an engagement ring. He was ecstatic to pop the question to his beautiful wife. They had only been dating for three months, but he knew what he wanted in his life and future, and he saw her in it. A heavy snowfall accompanied his walk to his girlfriend's father's house to ask for his blessing. When he arrived, Mr. Edgewood hurriedly greeted him away from the cold.
    "Now son, what brings you here? Did something happen?"
    "Not yet." He laughed to himself. "I've come to ask permission to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage. Mr. Edgewood was stunned. He did not expect this question anytime soon and was not guaranteed at all.
    "I'm a little taken back, to be honest. Are you sure you're ready for this and know what you want?"
    "I've never been more sure about anything in my life, sir. I personally don't believe it's hard to envision a desired life for yourself. I know exactly how I want my life to be, and I can't see it anyway without Taylor." Mike replied.
    "Well, you have me convinced. I doubt there's anyone better for her out there anyway, and based on her track record, there wasn't before either." Mr. Edgewood laughed and nodded. Now excited, Mike said goodbye to his future father in law, thanked him again, and ran out the door.
    The walk back felt quicker. He couldn't wait to be reunited with Taylor and ask her. When he was about a block away, a man emerged from behind a bus stop monument and confronted him. Mike was petrified for a second, but then came to and asked what he wanted.
    "I want all of your money, right now." Mike was stunned, but took out his wallet. He showed the man that he had no money. "You're useless. You've seen my face, so I have no choice but to kill you."
    "Wait! I have this." Without a choice, Mike pulled out the engagement ring. The man walked over, reached out, and simultaneously took it and stabbed Mike. Mike helplessly watched as the man ran away with his life and future in one swing. The wound didn't seem fatal, but he could not move, so bleeding out was a possibility if no one found him soon. Minutes passed and he felt himself getting tired. On the brink of passing out, he heard his name being called. It was Mr. Edgewood from his car. He rushed over and said that he called an ambulance. Mike then awoke in the hospital with his wound treated and Mr. Edgewood at his side.
    "What happened?" Mike asked.
    "When you showed me the ring, you left it here and just took the box, so I went to go give it back and found you bleeding on the street. What happened to you?"
    "A man tried to rob me and I thought I gave him the ring, but I guess I lucked out in more ways than one."
    "I'm glad you're okay." Mr. Edgewood stated. He then stood up, opened the room's door to reveal Taylor. She ran over with tears in her eyes and the ring on her hand, hugged him, and said "yes."

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