Normal-Short Story

Hello, everyone! Today I bring a short snippet I wrote at the Young Writer’s Retreat last week based off some dialogue one of my good friends acted out for my characters. 

Happy reading! 

***

It was a normal day for Elias. Or well, that’s what he thought. He was carrying a few rusty pieces of metal in his pockets and he was running from shadow to shadow just trying to stay hidden. 

The sharp wind bit at his cheeks, proclaiming the coming winter in full force. He tugged the edges of his sleeves over the sides of his palms in a failed attempt to warm them. His footsteps echoed off the walls of the buildings around him, making far more noise than he would have liked. 

Elias slipped around the corner and darted onto the nearest street. The short buildings sloped down as though someone was pulling them over slowly. Roofs were caving in and walls were cracked. Not a single person was seen out on the street, although Elias was pretty sure he saw a face peeking out through one of the fractured windows. 

A shiver ran down his spine as he picked up his pace. All he needed was to get home. It would all be a whole lot better when he got home. At least that was one place where he could feel calm. 

He stepped down onto the sidewalk, keeping his head on a swivel and his eyes alert. His gaze caught on a small brick house ahead of him. 

Elias practically ran to the door, his hand fishing around in his pocket until he found the rusted, metal key. Inserting it into the lock, he twisted it then shoved his shoulder against the door. 

It flew open and he stepped into the dimly lit house. 

What he found inside was not quite the calming place he’d expected. In fact, it wasn’t anything he’d expected in the least. 

R was sitting at the table in the center of the room. That was normal. 

What wasn’t normal was that she had a knife in her hand, which was concerning to say the least even without the worst part of the situation. 

What was far more concerning was the fact that his younger sister’s hair-which had previously been so long it went down to her waist-was now cropped so short that it only touched her shoulders. Piles of pink hair lay on the floor. 

Not only that, but the job she had done with cutting it was horrendous. Parts were cut shorter than others and the ends were the definition of uneven. 

Elias gaped at her, trying to process the situation. He shook his head and gazed at the hair on the floor, then the knife, then back at R. 

She turned and jumped at the sight of him standing in the doorway. Her expression quickly shifted to an expression of sass and confidence.

“What…are you…doing?” Elias gasped, stepping further into the room and shutting the door behind himself. 

R crossed her arms, almost cutting herself with the knife. “Fixing it.” 

Elias blinked. “That is not fixing anything.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes!” He gestured to her hair. “You looked fine before! What got this idea into your head?” 

She shrugged. “Long hair is a pain. I should have done this a long time ago.” 

For a few moments, Elias couldn’t speak. When he finally got his voice back, he let out a long, exasperated sigh. “You could have just told me and asked me to do it.” 

She snorted. “And what experience do you have with cutting hair?” 

“I cut my own hair just fine!” 

R looked him over with narrowed eyes. “And look how that turned out.” 

Elias blinked, running a hand through his hair subconsciously. “I…thought I looked fine.” 

“Get over it,” She squinted harder at him. “You have no idea of style in the least.” 

“And you do?” He raised an eyebrow. 

“More than you, that’s for sure.” 

He groaned and walked over to her. “Just let me help you straighten out the uneven ends, please.” 

A long sigh. “Fine, but if you make it worse, you’re going to live to regret it.” She waved the knife in front of his face, her gray eyes flashing.

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” He muttered, gently taking the knife from her hand. 

***

Until next time, 

Aliya Gerow