The Other Side | Quick Piece Breakdown

“It doesn’t seem impossible.” my brother said staring at the bridge. It stretched out far into the distance and disappeared into the mist. The wind started blowing ominously causing the bridge to sway subtlety side to side. My brother looked at me, waiting for a response. “Is there another way to get to the other side?” I asked tentatively. I had already asked this question a dozen of times and the response was always the same. “No, unless you want to spend a week trekking through the dangerous valleys that’s filled with ambushes and specialized archers.” he said still staring out into the distance. I was hoping that we would suddenly sprout wings and a gust of wind would gently drift us over to the other side or that we would magically be teleported over to the other side in one swift second. I glanced at my brother who was muttering scenarios to himself, mentioning magic a couple times. He shook his head and started to step forward towards the bridge. I followed closely behind him, unsure of what he was thinking of doing. I was hoping he wasn’t going to trick me into making a run for it. He had a tendency of tricking me into facing my fears, but that was when we were children who were scared of the dark not two adults deciding between a literal path of life and death where the life path was 50% closer to life than the death path actually was. My brother reached the start of the bridge and carefully put his left foot on the first wooden slat. “Wait! What are you planning on doing?” I shouted at him hoping to convince him from doing anything reckless. Without looking back, he said, “Just trust me, sis.” For the first ten steps, the bridge complained by creaking and bowing under my brother’s weight but it still held my brother. I nervously kept my eyes on my brother carefully step on each wooden stat and praying that he doesn’t slip through. He was only thirty steps across the bridge when it started creaking and swaying more than usual. Dark, grey clouds were rolling across the sky as the wind began to pick up. My left foot wavered over the first wooden slat, still unsure what to do. My brother still had the rest of the bridge to go and at this point, it was too windy to hear if he was trying to say anything to me. I waited in safety, but ready at a moment’s notice. From a distance, I heard a faint voice. Was it my brother telling me to come? Was it the sound of my brother falling to his death? Was it just the wind playing tricks on my mind? For a brief moment, the mist cleared and I saw a faint figure waving at me. The mist drifted back over the bridge and the skies grew grey again. “Where are you, brother? Where have you gone?” I shouted into the grey beyond my reach hoping for a response. My left foot stepped across the first wooden slat and onto the next one. “Brother, I’m coming for you! Don’t tell me you left me. Mom and Dad wouldn’t appreciate that!” I continued to shout as I was carried by my feet beyond my fears could handle. “Where are you brother?” I screamed as I sprinted across the bridge, through the mist and hoping with my heart that I didn’t fall through. I continued running until I felt myself soar through the air. This is it. I thought to myself. I’m falling to my death. I fell onto solid ground that took all the air out of my lungs. I kept my eyes closed refusing to see my body all mangled from falling. “Sis, look up. We made it. You did it!” I heard my brother say with a voice full of pride. I gingerly opened my eyes and saw the sun shining across a valley sprouting with wild flowers of all kinds and a bridge smaller than my fears. My brother helped me up and hugged me tighter than he ever did and said, “We made it to the other side.”

Horizon | Quick Piece

We had been walking without saying a word for a while now. The only sound that followed us was the crunching of the sand beneath our feet and the rushing of the waves. It was 5am; the only people on the beach were long-time friends, ambitious joggers, and people in love with nature. I didn’t know what we were, but for this moment, we were one with nature. She suddenly spoke up, disrupting my moment of silence. “You have a mysterious air.” The sea gulls squawked and I wasn’t as shocked as I thought I would be hearing those words from her. But before I could respond, she laughed and said, “That’s why I like you.” The skies were being painted a gentle pink and orange as the sun slowly rose over the ocean. Her smile glimmered brighter than ever and I matched her smile and said threw my hands up with joy and exclaimed, “That’s a relief!” She leaped back, seemingly shocked and asked, “Why? I thought I made it clear that I liked you.” I shrugged and we continued walking along the soft sand. “Sometimes I feel like a dark cloud in a bright sky, but I guess now that I realize it, we’re more like night and day.” She giggled and said, “That’s why I thought you were mysterious because you always spoke in analogies!” The roaring waves disrupted our banter and I inhaled the salty air. The beach was getting warmer as the sun illuminated the area. We picked a spot where we could see the horizon blend into the ocean and sat for a while, unbothered by our unfinished conversation. I pointed right where the horizon and ocean merged quietly together and said, “That’s what we are.”

Float Away With Me | Quick Piece

They said good-bye and hung up, their minds filled with floating love words and comforting thoughts. It took so long to get the one they loved and now it became an utter breeze – just pure happiness floating along with thoughts and emotions. Time felt abstract, motion was slowed, and everything seemed brighter. They swore they weren’t being delusional, overlooking anything that could potentially spell out danger by smothering it with love. Their minds were clear as it could ever be and to make it better, they had a companion to walk with. She understood that days like this are to be savored and appreciated because there will definitely be rocky times where love feels like a sharp dagger. Those days don’t mean the end; a single argument shouldn’t spell out the inevitable end. It would just mean that their structures are being reinforced so that any weaknesses should be gently fixed together. He felt a flutter in his heart and admired how lucky he was to have someone who could balance him out so perfectly. He was the driving force, but she made sure that he didn’t run off too far and kept him grounded. What luck! What beauty and grace! He picked his phone back up and dialed her number again. It only took one ring for him to hear her voice again. “Couldn’t sleep?” her voice came through, making him smile in the dark. “No, I just missed your voice.” he whispered.

What Friends Are For | Quick Piece

“You’re a liar!” my friend screeched at me. Her face red from frustration, hot tears streaming from her face and I could only silently stand in shock. Her hands shook with each step she took towards me. “You said you wouldn’t let yourself down, but you’re surrounded by alcohol again!” she sobbed as she reached out a tentative hand to me. “I’m sorry I failed you. I made a promise to you, but I let you down. I should’ve been there for you.” She collapsed into my arms and we held each other’s frail bodies as we sobbed over our regrets and sorrows. I didn’t mean for it to get this bad again. The last time this happened, I could barely distinguish reality from my head and my roommate had to pour water on me to snap me out of it. I was okay for a month. We went out every week and she tried her best to keep me occupied by sending me funny YouTube videos whenever she was at work, but it wasn’t long before I started slipping again. The familiar numb feeling when I found the alcohol comforted me and pushed aside all of the regrets that my mind was desperately trying to remind me about. Life was too much to handle, but I couldn’t bear to see my best friend also suffering from my pain. My friend whispered in my hair, each shaky breath getting stronger with each word, “I promise, that this time, for sure, we are going to get each other back together again.” She looked up at me. She looked more of a mess than I felt. I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol wearing away or my mind was clearing up for the first time in months, but those words finally made its way to my cold heart. I dropped to the ground sobbing and said to my friend next to me, “I promise. No more running away.”

Bar Fight | Quick Piece

The summer breeze gently rolled through the window causing the chiffon curtains to billow out. I lay still on my bed, but my mind was racing. I groaned and closed my eyes, seeing flashes of a girl named Anna and another girl named Susie fighting at the bar. The sounds of their fists smacking their faces and their shrieks sent chills down my spine. And yet I still stood there, gawking as I watched hair get ripped out of Anna’s head and she retaliated by slapping Susie across the face. “You bitch!” Susie screeched as she punched Anna right in the nose, sending blood streaming down her face. I shuddered as I remembered how brightly red the blood was and how it stained her white crop top and ran streaks across her shorts. And yet I made a face and walked out of the bar, not even giving a thought about them. I just wanted to make sure my white crop top stayed pristine. I got up with a grunt and glanced at the clock. The red display glared at me. 2:35am. I found myself heading down the same street as I did at 11:46pm to the bar with the sound of my heels matching the other girls as we marched to the bar. It had been a long week after all. The bar was still crowded when I went there with bodies still moving to the music and drinks being swayed back and forth with each rap lyric. The bartender looked at me and said, “What can I get for you?” I shook my head and said, “So you know that fight that happened earlier? Do you uh, know what happened afterwards?” The bartender said, “Look, I don’t get involved with the drama that goes on here. I just serve drinks and that’s it. I find that messing with other people’s business gets me in trouble too much.” I smiled and backed away, accidently knocking over someone’s drink. “Hey watch it!” they shouted at me as I backed up into a lady. “Hey! You’re going to pay for this drink!” she said as she glared at me. I shook my head and said, “I’m sorry. I don’t have any money.” The lady rolled her eyes at me and turned her back to me. I spotted a clear path between the bodies and started power walking through the crowd. I thought I heard someone call for me, so I turned and found myself face to face with Anna. I smiled stiffly and tried to move out of her way, but Anna blocked me. “You’re going to pay for what you did.” she hissed in my ear, the sweet alcohol scent still lingering. I stammered as I slipped out the door, “I’m sorry. I don’t have any money.” But before I could run home, Anna grabbed my crop top. I closed my eyes to anticipate whatever she was going to do. “You’re like a rat, you know that? You can run all you want, but you’re going to find yourself with fewer friends if you keep on avoiding the bigger issue.” she said menacingly as she let me go. I ran home as fast as I could. My clock read 4:03am, the red display matching the blood that was on Anna’s shirt. I gasped and sighed with relief and almost screamed as I looked down at my shirt, expecting to see blood. Instead, I saw a large, gaping tear where Anna had hold of me.

A Cold Night in June | Quick Piece Breakdown

Hello everyone,

It’s been quite a while since I last caught up with you! As you may know, I recently graduated from college and from there, I moved to New York City where I’ve been relaxing and getting tons of writing material before I start work in the Bronx! I’m pretty excited to be living in the city and so far, it’s pretty great. I’m loving all the food!

Now, onto the story!

I wrote this story as a submission to the Duolingo Stories contest. If you don’t know what Duolingo is, Duolingo is a website where you can practice learning a language. They’re very keen on drilling you and making sure you have a good basis within the language. You can start from the beginning and work your way up! I believe my story submission (if chosen), will be translated to help people learning languages learn how to read in their language. The requirements of this story was that it be under 250 words and exciting, so naturally, I gravitated towards fantasy.

This story is about the narrator who saves his city from an unknown danger that turns out to be a child who didn’t know how to control their powers. It also turns out that the narrator has 7-foot wings, which I decided to add because I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be able to fly. Think about how fast you would arrive to places! And I wanted the narrator to not be restricted by anything.

It’s a simple story that has a quick resolution, but I find it pretty comforting. Whenever I’m stuck in a situation, I always envision myself with superpowers like being able to fly, teleport, or even become invisible and for some reason, I feel a little better afterwards. It’s almost like I have to protect my secret stash of superpowers. Regardless, I hope you have that quick thing that helps you jump back to it again.

Thanks for reading!

Alice

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A Cold Night in June | Quick Piece

The night was unusually cold for a night in June. A breeze rustled the palm trees, sending shivers down my spine. I was starting to enjoy my moment of peace when a loud alarm started blaring throughout the city. It was time to go. I raced back towards the city, ignoring everyone who was running in the opposite direction. My mother called out, “What are you doing? We have no time!” I ran up to her, gave her a hug and said, “Just trust me, mom.” She hesitated, but let me go. I reached the highest point in our city and took a deep breath. I could hear the mind shattering alarm mixed with the terrified screams of the residents. Yet from where I stood, everything looked small and it was exactly where I needed to be. I extended my 7-foot wings and scanned the horizon for the impending danger. Where was it? What was causing my city so much terror? From the corner of my eye, I spotted a looming black cloud toppling trees left and right. I leaped from my perch and soared towards the danger and spotted a small and terrified child in the middle. The child cried out, “Help me! I didn’t know I was capable of doing this!” Without thinking, I wrapped my wings around the child and said, “It’s okay, my child. I will protect you.” Like an extinguished fire, the child calmed down, terror ceased, and the night was still again.

Submitted to Duolingo Stories

 

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Magnolia | Quick Piece

The scent of magnolias overcame me as I walked along home. It was a comforting scent that reminded me of nights with my mom. I would lie in her arms and she would tell me about the drama that happened at work. “I don’t know why Sharon would always think that I’m stealing from the office storage! What would I do with 50 boxes of paper clips?” my mom laughed and sighed. “I’m getting tired. You should head to bed, it’s a big day tomorrow!” Somewhere in my mind as a nine year old, I wanted to give her advice because when I was lying on her chest, I could feel her ragged breaths and skipping heart. I knew from my science classes that hearts and lungs shouldn’t make that kind of rhythm, but my mom’s did. “It just can’t be helped.” I said to myself. “You just have to keep going.” I said as I continued walking down the street back to my apartment.

The next morning, I woke up with a bottle in my hand. I don’t even remember going out to drink because I swore to myself that I wouldn’t have anymore alcohol in my house after what happened last time. I groaned and rolled over to my side. “Where is my damn phone? Please don’t tell me I lost it.” I muttered as I dug through a pile of my clothes. I managed to find my phone in the pocket of a pair of jeans I like to call, butt enhancers. I only wear those jeans when I go out. “Fuck. I went out last night. What did I do this time?” I said as I scrolled through my text messages. It seemed like my “friends” texted me right as I got home saying if anyone wanted to go out for a couple drinks and I was already regretfully too deep in my reminiscing to even realize that I was going to do more damage than intended. I laughed out loud and shouted to no one in particular. “According to this fucking group text, I hooked up with my ex-last night! Good thing I had the right mentality to tell him that I didn’t want to sleep with him! Goodness gracious!” Without realizing it, tears started flowing down my face. “The day hasn’t even fully started yet and I’m already crying! Wonderful!” I bawled and cursed as I struggled to get out of bed and make myself a little more presentable. In my frantic state, I somehow managed to drink 2 cups of water, call up my best friend from high school and get out the door to meet her at our favorite donut spot.

I arrived at the store and I couldn’t get out of my car. I pulled down the sun visor and stared at myself. I was still wearing last night’s eyeliner and my hair was so greasy that I could make fries from them. Usually I don’t care about what I looked like, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about my mom. If she saw my like this, she would tell me to get myself together and move on. “Mothers! They just know exactly what to say, don’t they!” I screamed as tears started flowing down my face again. “I hate this. I hate this pain I feel. Why does it have to be me?” I rested my head on the steering wheel and closed my eyes, comforted by the silence that surrounded me. A sharp rapping at the window startled me. My best friend was frantically knocking at my window and screaming my name. “I’m okay!” I called out and opening the door. “I was just so tired. I think I just fell asleep. Sorry about that!” My best friend rolled her eyes and said, “Cut the bullshit.” she reached over and wiped my eyeliner from my cheek. She pulled a hat from her purse and said, “Donuts are on me and let’s talk in the car, okay?”

Good-Night | Quick Piece Breakdown

Hello everyone,

I hope you’re having a good week so far!

Good-Night

Did you notice that 2 out of the 3 quick pieces I’ve written this month are sleep based? Maybe it’s because I’ve written these stories when I’m about to go to bed or because I’ve realigned my sleep schedule and it feels great! But have you ever realized how much time you spend on your bed? We spend about a third of our lives sleeping and you definitely do other things in bed like watch movies and read books, so it makes sense that most of my stories revolve around sleep. 😉

This story is basically about a woman who wakes up from a nightmare and went out to look for the “murderer”, but her boyfriend noticed and reassured her before going back to bed. It’s a simple, sweet story and I like to think that love doesn’t always have to be sloppy kisses, sobbing tears and sex. It can be simple acts of understanding and cherishing your significant other’s time. It’s actually simpler than you think!

Thanks for reading my short piece! I hope you enjoyed it!

Alice

Good-Night | Quick Piece

I woke up with a start. Someone was getting murdered and I could’ve prevented it. The sight, the memory was so vivid that I was almost convinced that it had happened, yet no matter what I did to tell myself that it was just a dream, my mind wouldn’t rest. My eyes darted around the pitch black room, scanning the warped shadows as I tried to distinguish the shadows between reality and mind tricks. As I started to sit up to scan the room again, a soft snore startled me. I smiled as I saw my boyfriend sleeping peacefully, curled on the side. I crept out of bed without disturbing him and looked around in every corner. I made sure to check under the desk, but no one was there. “Honey? What are you doing under there?” a groggy voice called out in the dark. I crawled out from under the desk and saw my confused and tired boyfriend awkwardly standing in the shadows. “I had a nightmare and dreamt that there was a murderer, so I got really paranoid and wanted to look–“ my boyfriend wrapped me in a tight hug and kissed me on the forehead. “It’s okay. I’ll protect you. Let’s go back to sleep.” he said as he led me back to bed. He tucked me in and crawled in after me. Within minutes, we were fast asleep. The next morning, I woke up to the morning sun and my boyfriend’s bright eyes. “What did you dream of?” he whispered. “Eating endless chocolate cake with you.” I said with a smile. He closed his eyes and laughed. “Good, no more murderers.”