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#Post#: 20861--------------------------------------------------
Wally Writes Short Stories Once More Because Of Popular Demand
By: Walrus365 Date: February 22, 2015, 1:13 pm
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Once more, I've decided to share another story I've written with
you guys. "Why?" you might be asking. "Why would this guy
publish yet another mediocre tale on this site that is so dead
that it might as well be a game of thrones character?" I hear
you, and what I really want to do is apologize. See, there's
been an obvious correlation between me publishing stories and
overall forum activity. A while after I posted "Wally Writes
Short Stories Yet Again", the forum has become severely
inactive, leading me to believe that forum activity is solely
dependent on me posting stories. I apologize that I didn't
realize this conclusion earlier, I will take the full burden of
fault for this site's desert period.
So, without further ado (whatever ado is), here is yet another
shocking AED to wake you guys up again.
Building Up
The skyline of the strip presented a garish, mismatched
representation of home, but it had always felt like home
nonetheless. Aden was used to the neon and the sounds of jazz
grappling with synthesized club music long into the night, to
the point where it felt where he belonged, even though the city
itself appeared so incoherent that on first glance nobody would
be able to guess what a native would be like. Finally, crossing
through the final cloud of cigarette smoke, Aden arrived at his
apartment complex, dragging his feet through the dingy lobby and
pressed the up arrow on the elevator. 6:53, exactly seven
minutes before Calvin would arrive.
“Letter for you, boy! Came in this afternoon, seems
thick.”
The Desk Clerk’s bad comb over flapped as he waved the
envelope above his head. Aden walked over and the clerk handed
him the letter. The envelope itself was large, a foot long and
10 inches wide. Flipping it over, a University seal was
displayed prominently, especially ornate in the drab room. Aden
nervously opened it, and peeked at the official greeting.
Dead Aden,
Congratulations! I am pleased to inform you that your
application to
the Architecture program at Duke University has been approved
by our
Admissions Committee for 2007-2008 Fall entry. We believe
that you
possess…
Aden glanced up to see the clerk reading over his shoulder with
a sour expression. He quickly replaced the letter in the
envelope, and walked through the rapidly closing elevator doors.
Tucked under his arm, the letter felt warm, almost, and Aden
smiled a bit before pressing the button marked “3”.
It felt like the open door, but not one promising freedom that
was free. Similar to the hospital in some respects, the
inevitable draw home would prevail no matter where he ran.
Shaking the thought from his head, Aden entered the apartment
and hung his old coat in the closet.
“Walker, I’m home! Are you doing alright?”
From the bed in a shady corner of the apartment, Walker raised
a frail hand in some semblance of a friendly wave. Aden checked
the tackle box of different types of medication that had been
set out for the day, and finding it sufficiently empty, Aden
smiled at Walker.
“Good job getting them all! I know some of those fish
oils are tough to swallow, but you took ‘em.”
Walker finally turned his head to face Aden.
“What’s that envelope? Did you get
something?”
Aden guiltily nudged the package further behind his back, but
he knew Walker had long awaited it, and had likely already
guessed.
“It’s nothing, were you able to get some more
reading done today?”
“Blast the reading! The books the clerk loans
aren’t even worth the paper they’re printed
on!” Walker spat. “Aden, that’s a college
letter if I’ve ever saw one, and you’re going to
give it to me this instant!”
Aden sighed and handed the letter over. In the murky
apartment, Walker’s face lit up and his eyes flitted
rapidly back and forth over the page.
“Aden, this is big news! You can finally get out! The
admissions deities have chosen you to leave this cesspool, and
make something of yourself! Aren’t you excited?”
Aden laughed nervously, and suddenly he heard the doorknob
turning and Calvin strided through the door. Walker’s
creased face immediately lost it’s luster, and the letter
fell from his shaking hands on to the bed. Aden thought he
could see a vein in Calvin’s large forehead bulge.
“Aden, let’s talk.”
Calvin grabbed Aden’s arm in his huge, meaty hands and
dragged him into the bathroom of the small apartment, shutting
the door with a clatter. His eyes were ablaze with a cold fire,
and his puffy cheeks were slowly losing their doughy hue to a
shade of crimson.
“Aden, it’s time you realize that you are
responsible,” whispered Calvin venomously. “Enough
with this educational [friendlychildcensor]. Give it up, it
isn’t real. You can’t have things both ways.”
Calvin produced a bottle of pills from his back pocket and
shook them loudly. Aden backed up, only to realize the toilet
occupied the space, and he collapsed on it in a thud.
“These are the only things that keep that man out there
alive, and I can only afford them with your help. He worked his
life for me, and I’ve worked my life for the both of you,
so it’s time to throw out those self-centered ambitions
and look at what the world is!”
Aden swallowed. The plan to pursue higher education worked out
between him and Walker had been uncovered months ago, and since
then Calvin had been on edge. It was the only interruption in
the routine of long hours put into both men’s respective
jobs, all to afford basic care for the struggling grandparent.
Sensing victory, Calvin turned around and left the bathroom,
grabbing the letter in Walker’s lap. Aden meekly
followed, and gazed out the window.
The neon city was beginning to light up, like a faux copy of
the way of every city around the globe awakens at night, but
Aden realized he would never know the difference. Aden could
see the high walls of the castle, the Eiffel tower stretching
towards the sky, and the glossy black pyramid capped with an eye
gazing over the American capital of material lust. It was here
that men destroyed themselves, leaving behind everything that
they had strived towards in a better time. And it was right,
Aden considered, that the angle of the pyramid seemed just
shallow enough to not point up.
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