My favorite short story I have ever written. It's my pride and joy. Kinda depressing.


Why, John

Eric trudged through the rain and mud, realizing that the weather matched his mood perfectly. The sun was long gone, and the moon was out somewhere behind the dark, ominous clouds. Eric was on his way home.
Earlier that evening he had gone to see Jamie, the most amazing girl he had ever met. She was flawless. A man could not ask for a better woman. That evening he had gone to confess his love to her.
When he arrived they exchanged pleasantries for a bit, but eventually Eric just spilled his heart out. He left nothing out. He told her of her flawless beauty, he told her of her effortless grace, and went on to explain every detail of how phenomenal she was. Expressing his love for her all the while.
At first she seemed taken aback, maybe too stunned for words. Then, her mood quickly changed, she gave him a look that almost told of fear, but obviously told him that she did not feel the same way, and walked away quickly, without a word. Leaving him kneeling on the ground dumbstruck as rain began to fall.
Why did she do that to me?? His mind screamed at the unheeding rain. HOW could she do this to me?? How could she be so heartless? I loved her with the entirety of my being! I thought she might feel the same way! Why must I be doomed to utter rejection from every girl I ever love!
He stared up into the over saturated clouds hoping he could find an answer in their murky depths. But they denied him any knowledge they might have held as they instead dumped more and more rain onto the already soaked world. Washing away and disguising the tears that streamed down his face, but only adding to his mood, in a sympathetic way.
He looked off down the road, seeing the lights of his small village shimmering in the distance. Then he noticed John, his best friend, standing on the side of the road with his collar up and a hat on, looking nowhere in particular off into the rain. He was probably deep in thought.
They had grown up together, and, over the years, had become inseparable. But there was one large difference between them. John had already found love. He was perfectly happy with Lauren, a sweet girl from their village. It tore Eric apart to have to watch those two spend hours upon hours with each other. It seemed that love had come so easily, so naturally to John. It was like he hadn't even tried.
He walked up to John and stood next to him, wondering at what he was doing out here, but he decided that he didn't care.
John saw Eric coming, but said nothing, preferring to gaze off into the rain until Eric had approached.
"Why, John, why must it be so cruel?" Eric asked him with a touch of deep sadness.
"Why is what so cruel Eric?" John asked, confused at his friend's unexpected question. He looked at Eric and could tell that he had been crying. He wondered what had gone wrong. Maybe Jamie rejected his love. John thought, looking at the darkness in his friend's countenance.
"All of it... all of this... life..." Eric outstretched his arms gesturing to everything, but nothing in particular in answer to John's question.
"I'm not sure I know what you mean..." John replied, still confused.
"Of course not!" Eric's voice rose as anger entered his features as he looked over at John. "That's part of the problem!"
John became alert and watched warily. He had never seen his friend act this way.
Eric turned his body and faced John, "You have the exact thing that's been evading me all this time... why can't I have it John?!" He asked desperately.
"Why can't you have what??" John yelped, he was startled by his friend's mood swing, and he turned to face Eric, ready to defend himself.
"Love! Blast it John, love!" Eric screamed, refreshing the stream of tears. "You and everyone else!" He started to advance on John, making frustrated gestures with his hands as John backed away slowly.
"It's like anyone can have it for free!" Eric continued, "But I can't get it! I try and try, throwing myself into it, but it always gets away! I put my heart and soul into loving a woman, and she takes them and crushes them beneath an icy cold rejection! I can't have love! The fates have turned up their noses at me! Life is pointless!" He was now infuriated, and yet crying all the more fiercely, making his features grotesque and disturbing to look upon.
"WHY John! Why does life forsake me so!" He screamed, reaching out and grabbing John by the front of his coat with a frenzied look splayed on his face. John panicked and grabbed a pistol out of his coat, pointing it at Eric's heart, fearing for his own life. Though he knew he could never pull the trigger on Eric, His best friend.
Eric let go and took at step back, starring blankly at the gun. A small spark of fear went across his eyes, but left quickly, replaced by a morbidly hopeful look. John's hands shook, but he didn't lower the gun, he just tightened his grip and hoped with all his being he wouldn't have to shoot it. He wondered if he could really do it if it came down to his survival.
The frenzied look returned to Eric's face, but now it was more in infinitely deep and resounding sadness. He ripped his shirt and coat open, dropping to his knees.
"Yes, please John! Help a friend in need! Pull the trigger and end this, my pathetic existence!" He begged, throwing out his bare chest while tearing his shirt back, tears coursing down his face.
"C'mon, right here John! Shoot me! Do it! Please!!" He screamed in desperation. John starred down the barrel of his pistol at his friend's bare chest, eyes wide in horror, not willing to pull the trigger, but not daring to lower the gun for fear of another attack.
"Why John!? Why won't you put me out of my misery?? Why won't you end my suffering!" He continued screaming and gripped his head as though afraid it might explode. "Why?? WHY?!" He screamed infuriated and desperate, screaming his questions into the rain and the clouds, wishing someone would answer him. Wishing anyone would answer him. The clouds just stared darkly right back at him, drenching him in more and more rain. The drops fell into his eyes and mouth.
He slowly lost his frenzied look as he lowered his head, gazing lost and empty at the mud. Then an overwhelming sadness overtook him as a look of pure emotional suffering appeared on his face.
He fell onto his side hugging himself, uncontrollable sobs wracking his body, though he had no tears left to shed.
John slowly lowered his gun, realizing the traumatizing event was over. He shook all over with the aftershock of the pure terror he had felt for, and of, his friend.
He slowly walked over and tried to comfort Eric, trying to calm both of their shakings, and kneeling with him in the mud as the clouds continued their unrelenting, uncaring torrent.




Short story by Aladar
Read 690 times
Written on 2008-08-12 at 11:37

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