Break From Reality. Daily.
This story is by Tim Grahl and was part of our 2017 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here. Mike’s hands fumbled. He dropped the change on the counter. He laughed nervously, quickly picked up the coins, and handed them to the barista. The young guy with the funky hair…
Marcus closed the door to the small brown Mazda and pressed the button on the keychain to lock it. He moved to the other side of the car next to the boy and they began walking across the dark parking lot.
“What are you gonna get?”
The boy’s face grew serious.
“Not sure.”
“Well you better make up your mind. We need to get home.”
“Probably some Mike and Ikes.”
“Really?”
“Maybe.”
“I just think there’s way better choices.”
He bolted upright in bed and peered into the darkness, listening. After a few seconds, he shook his head and started to lay back down, but the pounding sound came back.
He threw off his sheets t and hurried down the short hallway in his boxers, flipping on lights as he went.
The pounding grew more frantic.
He heard the wind howling against the house and sirens in the distance.
He put his eye against the peephole and jumped back when the door shook again under the pounding.
He looked through again, paused, sighed, and put in the code to turn off the alarm and opened the door.
