Week Seventeen(Feb. 16 - Feb. 21)- Topic:Promise
Winner(s) Tied: Kali, Carter, Paul
Promise Breaker
By Kali
"Promise me that you'll love me forever." Pirman whispered.
"I promise." Eliza whispered back.
_________
It was a dark night, dotted with stars. The moon was shining brightly on the small city. Couples were walking hand in hand down the street, blissful smiles illuminating their faces. Pirman Clove walked down the street, alone, a cell phone glued to his ear.
"I'm just making sure that I have a reservation for tonight." He said softly.
"Name?" The man on the other end asked.
"Pirman Clove."
"Oh, yes. Pirman Clove, your reservation is still set for tonight."
"Thank you, Sir." He pushed the "End" button and slid the phone into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small black box. He opened the box, making the diamond ring twinkle in the moonlight. He closed the box, putting it back into his pocket. "Will you marry me, Eliza Shift?" He practiced to himself.
Meanwhile, Eliza Shift was in Pirman's apartment. She should have been digging through her closet, looking for something to wear at her own apartment. She was going out to dinner with Pirman tonight, but Eliza forgot about the dinner.
She was with Pirman's room mate, Jakorian. She had been cheating on Pirman for about a month. Pirman hadn't yet discovered it, so Eliza figured that it was safe to be with Jakorian tonight.
She didn't know that Pirman was going to come to the apartment early tonight, to get ready for his date with her. She didn't know that Pirman was going to propose tonight either.
Pirman slid his key into the door, stepping into the apartment. He placed his keys on the counter, turned around, and saw Eliza kissing Jakorian.
"Eliza!"
She turned around, gasping. "Pirman- I..."
Pirman stomped over to Jakorian, punching him. He grabbed Eliza's arm, grabbed his keys, and tore out of the apartment, Eliza's arm still in his hand.
He opened the passanger door of his car, threw Eliza in, and started the car. He started to drive.
"Pirman--"
"No, Eliza! Don't say anything." He ground his teeth together.
"Pirman--" She tried again. She was crying now.
"Shut up!" She did, tears streaming down her face.
Pirman pulled into a dark alley way, shutting off the car. He lead Eliza a little further down the alley.
"What are you doing?" She asked, frightened.
"How long has it been going on?"
"I--"
"How long!" He grabbed her cheeks, squeezing. She let out a stiffled cry.
"About a month."
"A month!" He pushed her down on the ground. "A month!" Eliza cried harder.
"Why? Why!" He pulled her up from the ground, slammed her into a wall, pinning her there.
"I don't know, I don't know." She sobbed.
"You'll be sorry." He pushed her against the wall harder.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She cried.
"Sorry doesn't cut it!" He let go of her and she fell to the ground. "You cheated on me! With my room mate!"
"Pirman please."
He kicked her side. "I was going to propose to you! I was going to ask you to marry me!" He pulled out the ring.
"It's beautiful." She sobbed.
He threw it at a dumpster. "Well, it's not for you." He bent down next to her. "You broke your promise."
"Pi--"
"You're a liar." His face got closer to hers. "Liars don't deserve to live." He got up, heading towards his car.
"Pirman!" She screeched. "No!"
He came back, holding a tire jack. "Liars go to Hell." He started beating her, until her cries stopped. He taped a note to her shirt that read: Don't break promises. There will be consequences.
Then he left Eliza in the alley, driving to the resturaunt. He couldn't let his reservation go to waste, now could he?
Read Kali's other writing here: http://www.goodreads.com/story/list/1381...
~ ~ ~
My Best Friend’s Secret- One I had to Keep
By Carter
Megan leaned over and breathed the words “it was me” into my ear. I turned my head towards her and looked at her with a surprised look on my face.
“But shhh! I want you to pinky promise that you won’t tell anyone. Promise that you won’t even bring it up. I told you because I trusted you and because you’re my friend. Ok?”
Megan looked at my with a completely serious face. I stared back at her pretending to be making a hard decision. Megan’s face turned to worry and since I didn’t want her to be scared, I stuck out my pinky finger. We pinky promised then picked up our lunch trays and headed towards the trashcans.
Megan smiled at me, “Thanks, Steph. I knew I could trust you…Again!”
I smiled back, “Sure. I knew that you were getting desperate. You can always tell me things”
We dumped our leftovers in the trash bins and stacked our trays on the counter. We shared one more smile and went our separate ways. We didn’t have the same fourth period class but we ate lunch together to make up for it.
* * *
Three periods later, school was out and I was riding the bus home. I was thinking about what Megan told me at lunch. She said three words that were so important to her to keep secret. I knew I had to tell our teacher. She was the one who was experiencing the pain of Megan’s so called “harmless tricks.” Well, she wasn’t necessarily the most normal of our teachers or smallest.
Megan’s tricks were meant to be harmless. They were supposed to be funny jokes. They were like, putting a tack on Mrs. Miller’s chair just to hear her squeal. Or like taking her hand sanitizer. Mrs. Miller was crazy about being clean. One time she took the laser pointer and started making it look like she had red dots all over her. Then she shone it in her eye. Mrs. Miller cried “A bird!” This made everyone burst out laughing. As the tricks kept coming, people kept wondering who was doing them.
I knew I had to tell Mrs. Miller tomorrow.
* * *
The next day, I had Mrs. Miller first period. I went in early and walked up to her desk. I told her everything. I told her about the laser pointer tack, hand sanitizer, and all the other tricks. Then I said “I know who did them. Megan.”
“Thank you Stephanie. Greatly appreciated. I will take care of it from here.”
“Ok Mrs. Miller. Thank you.” Right when I sat down the bell rang and all of my classmates swarmed in.
* * *
After class, Megan was called up to Mrs. Miller’s desk. I packed up slowly so I could walk with Megan to our next class. When they were done talking, Megan walked to her desk, grabbed her things, and left without me.
* * *
Megan avoided me for a very long time. Finally, I decided that I didn’t want to completely lose my best friend. We talked and we cried and she told me it was ok. “It was wrong of me to do that anyway.” We smiled, hugged and walked together. I had just gained back my very best friend.
Read Carters other writing here: (link not available)
~ ~ ~
THE GREAT ESCAPE
By Paul
Karen watched the lazy game of cricket being played out from her superior position upon the playground swing. The swing was rusty and old; the seat broken, its jagged plastic teeth grinning like a shark. Karen was humming as she swung rhythmically back and froth, the tortured metal grinding in pain.
Shutting her eyes she enjoyed the warm summer breeze upon her face. In the distance she could hear the smack of leather upon willow and with it the cheered cries and composed clapping of the crowd.
As her bare legs glided though the weeds and nettles her tiny frame flew once more into the golden sky and she imagined herself flying.
High above the playing field she rose; above the playground littered with needles and empty beer cans. Above the cricket pavilion and its lethargic crowd she ascended until she could see the whole town, its terraced houses, quaint shops and cobbled streets.
She felt a stirring of happiness as she imagined David walking the cobbled streets to meet her at their special place. She felt a shifting in her belly and swelled with pride as she rehearsed her speech in her head for the hundredth time. With her news she imagined tears of happiness as they plotted their escape from this dreary town and its limitations.
She felt rather than saw his presence behind her as she used her battered trainers to stop the swing in a cloud of dust. As she grinded to a halt she heard the crunching of glass as he made his way over to her.
‘Hi Pumpkin!’ he cried, throwing big strong arms around her. In his arms she felt safe and secure. She loved his smell, a mixture of peppermint and a heady aftershave.
Playing with his baseball cap he said, ‘Babe, I’ve got something to tell you.’
Grinning from ear to ear Karen replied with, ‘Me too, I couldn’t wait to see you tonight.’ Leading her by the hand they sat upon graffiti covered roundabout. ‘You go first. What news has got you so nervous.’
‘How do you know I’m nervous?’ he asked.
‘Your biting your bottom lip, you always do that and play with your hat. What is it?’ He didn’t answer at first, merely pushing the ride slowly round and laying back. ‘Is it your mum and Dad, them not liking us sleeping together?’ He gave a little chuckle. ‘After all we’re both fifteen, we’re adults now. Besides we love each other and that’s all that matters,’ she said kissing his rough lips.
‘And I love you to. That’s why telling you this is so bloody hard.’ Karen felt tears start to well in her green eyes. He was going to finish with her, tell her the great dream and escape was over. ‘Been walking round and round trying to get the words right in my head.’
‘Oh bloody hell, your dumping me aren’t you?’ she cried.
‘Don’t be so stupid, I love you, haven’t I told you often enough?’
Lying down, they watched thick fluffy clouds float dreamily across the darkening sky.
‘What then?’ she quietly whispered into his ear.
‘I’m moving away to Australia. Dad’s got a big promotion in his job and we’re emigrating with him,’ he quickly blurted out.
‘But you don’t have to go,’ she said, floods of tears flowing down her cheeks.
‘I have to, it be a chance to escape away from all this,’ he said, gesturing around the rubbish strewn playground. ‘Once we get settled, we’re bring you over, we’re have a real chance over there.’
Karen wasn’t listening as she said, ‘we’re get a flat, something small to start with. I’ll finish my studies, you can get a job.’
‘A job, that’s a joke love. People with an education can’t find work, what chance have I got? This is my best chance of a fresh break, away from the gangs, drugs and all that crap. I’ve got to go.’
‘What about me? What about us and our future together?’
‘Once we settled you can come and visit and stay. I’ll write everyday and remember I love you pumpkin. This is our best chance of making it.’
‘Your right,’ she said, patting her growing stomach affectionately.
‘What about your news, is it as dramatic as mine?’ he said, cuddling up close.
‘No, it will wait till the morning.’
‘I’ll better be getting back and help pack. You see me in the morning?’
‘Try and keep me away,’ she said, kissing him goodnight.
As he wandered away she climbed back on the swing and slowly swung back and froth, the tortured metal growling in agony.
‘I’ll be back for you, that I promise,’ he called back, his lengthening shadow disappearing round the crumbling wall of the playground.
THE END.
Read Paul's other writing here:
http://www.goodreads.com/story/list/1157...
Read other stories from this contest here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1071...
