Going Nowhere

The book lay open on the desk, the cigarette in the ashtray still trailing smoke.

The soft murmur of the television barely covered the incessant ticking that filled the room with audible angst.

The darkened room filled with a flickering puddle of light from the movie being played.

The oasis of light from the desk lamp was the only anchor in the dry darkness that enveloped the room.

A musty aroma of age and stale cigarettes permeated the darkness with an oppressive blanket of forgotten lives.

The sudden scratching on the door coincided with a soft echoing groan. The window behind the television rattled moments after the lightning filled the room with light, briefly revealing a bookcase thick with dust.

Unnoticed, the little square phone vibrated, rattling its little tune in an urgent request for attention.

Similar Posts

  • It’s About Time

    “This damn clock—why are they always so difficult when he is around?” The old, haggard clockmaker hunches over a bench. The man in the dark cloak sits in the corner, waiting. The clockmaker struggles with this piece. He must get it working. It is no longer a matter of payment, but one of pride. He…

  • Outside the Lighthouse

    Out across the sea, the beam of light sweeps, searching… guiding… waiting for someone to see. The rain pelts the windows, hammering in sheets and droves. The storm rages. His coffee… different… a slight hint of salt and iron. He had emptied the last of his bottled water yesterday, so he was using water from…

  • Going Out

    “They had not gone out together, in… damn… years,” she thought. Humming quietly to herself, “…don’t expect it this time either, girl, but there is always hope. He finally buy me new sensible shoes yesterday, and they fit perfectly. And the black shoes even matched my cute little black top.” They exercised together every day,…

  • Only in the Mirror

    “She’s a cute kid. It is a little awkward, and I’ll just say it’s a little creepy, but she’s still cute.” “Yeah, but… I don’t know,” Dave said. They rewound the tape and watched it a fifth time. The girl danced awkwardly, reflected in the mirror. Her gangly and uncertain movements were adorable. “See? Reflections…

  • The Art of Teaching

    Dressed in leather and gilded in gold bling, the teacher sat on the edge of the desk. Not the usual uptight teacher, her intricate tattoos proudly illustrated a deep, reverent understanding of the importance of knowledge. The concepts presented were of a depth that few could succinctly follow, let alone completely comprehend. Running up her…

  • Luck

    Never did we expect such power. We stood awaiting orders that never came. Night after night, day after day, our numbers grew. We were unaware of the ultimate goals, but our count increased as efforts to grow our numbers through seeds planted subtly and the fluttering immersion that flowed nightly through the city. We were…