Dear reader, This collection of short stories is a selection of ten original texts written by students from Escola Secundária Jorge Peixinho, located in Montijo, Portugal. These short stories were distinguished in the 2020 Creative Writing Competition. The prompt was a sentence taken from The Best of Times, by Alan Maley: “As I walked towards her, I felt something unthinkable was about to happen.” Have fun and enjoy!
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INDEX
A HARD LIFE ……………………………………………………………..…….
4
THE LAST BREATH …………………………………………………………….
5
CAUGHT IN THE SPIDER’S WEB …………………………………………….
6
THE TORN LEAF …………………………………………………….…………
7
MAN IN BLACK ………………………………………………………………..
8
THE PROTECTOR OF LIGHT ……………………………………….………...
9
THE STRUGGLE ………………………………………………………………..
10
HOW I MET HER ………………………………………………………………
11
THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW SCARF ………………………………………….
12
WE STAND TOGETHER ……………………………………………………..
13
3
A HARD LIFE As I walked towards her, I felt something unthinkable was about to happen. My face turned red, and we started to get closer to each other. Finally, I was going to score with the girl I liked for so many years! Just when it was about to happen, I heard fast footsteps, and out of nowhere, a green fellow got between us, and started fighting with Joyce. It was to my amazement when Joyce herself turned green, grew antennas and lost skin in replacement for scales. Suddenly she looked just like the new arrived stranger. Their clash was ferocious both wielding a strange weapon I had never seen before. When they were fighting close to each other, it took shape of a longsword but when they parted, both were holding pistols. Of course, I hid like a bunny, in a bush a few yards from them, due to the fact of being very fond on staying alive. Can’t be sure how much time passed, but eventually one of them chopped the other’s head off. He then put away his weapon and took out of his satchel a kind of orb. The orb was big, as it took him both hands to hold, but as I thought it couldn’t be big, or it wouldn’t fit in the satchel. The creature then dropped it right on the other one’s chest, and immediately, a blue flash came out of it, blinding me. When my visions returned, the dead body was gone, and the orb was small. Putting the orb away, the creature then turned to my hiding spot and called my name. Scared, I went to him, and nearly suffered a heart attack when he turned into my best friend. He then told me his real name was Flermion, from a far-away planet, NC-17, where technology had evolved much faster than in Earth. I was given a short lecture on the planet’s history, and then things got serious. Jake told me he was given the mission to protect me from NC-18’s spies. NC-18 is NC17’s neighbour planet, much alike in culture, technology and even physical attributes of the population. He explained me that in the prophecy, given to the first of NC-17’s leaders, a human named John Heath, who would turn 18 in 2020, would unite Earth and NC-17, and eradicate the evil NC-18 planet. And that was why they tried to kill me, according to Jake. We then had to take care of the incident report, explaining the situation, and Jake sent it to his home planet, along with a request for backup. After that, he escorted me home. - And that, Mom, is why I arrived at 5 am from Joyce’s Party. - You are lying. Why did Jake have to carry you on his shoulders to your bed? - Because I was injured from the fight Mom! - But according to you, Jake is the one who fought. You, sir, are grounded. Henrique A.
4
THE LAST BREATH As I walked towards her, I felt something unthinkable was about to happen. She was just standing there; her skin was pale as snow and her eyes were filled with tears. As I got closer, I started to hear what she was saying “Make this stop, please!”. The crying was getting louder, she was shaking, I had to do something. I sat down, staring at her, and finally understood the reason for all that panic. She was staring at a body, a dead one, covered in blood, and on the top of it, there was a message “you’re next”. I couldn’t believe in what I was seeing, she looked at me, and started to explain. - I didn’t ask for this, he was my friend…He tried to stop him, I begged him not to do that, and now… look what happened…- she said, still crying. - What did he try to stop? Who did he try to stop? She probably didn’t listen, because she just stared at the sky, and kept talking. -I must do something now! I just can’t be afraid! -Please, Jules, let me help you… You don’t have to be alone… I’ve known this girl for a while, I was a nurse in the hospital where she was. Her hallucinations got her there, now I start to think if the things she told us, were really a fantasy. I told her to go to the police, but she said that she tried that last time, and that didn’t work out. -Last time? - I asked in panic. She nodded. She gave the name of the person who did that to her. And I didn’t know what I was going to do with it, I’m not a trained assassin nor a police officer. As I was thinking this, someone hits me on the head. When I woke up, I was locked in a small room, with no one else there. I heard a door opening, when I looked at the door, I saw Jules laughing. -Good, you’re awake. Did you really think I needed your help? -Why are you doing this to me? -You were the nurse who didn’t let me leave the hospital. remember? Now I won’t let you leave this room. I tried to explain that I was following orders but, when I started to do that, I heard a gunshot. It missed me … -I don´t know if I already told you this, but you can forget that name, dear, as you now know, I’m not the victim in this, I am the one who creates victims. I felt so naive for not thinking that she was lying. I tried to escape. I heard a gunshot… I fell on the floor. I saw blood coming out of me… I heard a laugh…And I felt that I was leaving my body for good. Mariana C. 5
CAUGHT IN THE SPIDER’S WEB As I walked towards her, I felt that something unthinkable was about to happen. But I tried to shake that feeling off since it was probably just the nerves talking. At last, I arrived at the table where she was sitting. She glanced up and nodded. I answered with a nod and sat down. I was too nervous to even pretend to order something from the café. Then, she, without taking her of the menu, asked: -Do you have something for me? I immediately grabbed my brown, traditional suitcase and opened it. There was only one folder, but that folder had many pages of detailed information of the President’s dark hobby. Each page had at least one gruesome picture, so I was actually relieved to get it off my hands. Three months exclusively working on that can really make someone lose their mind. But not me. I held on. I pushed the suitcase across the table, and it ended facing her. She pulled the folder to her and quickly rushed through the pages. I was expecting for her to be shocked, disgusted or at least mildly disturbed, but she didn’t even blink. I was astonished at her reaction, or to put it better, the lack of one. She just said: -Seems like everything is in order. It was nice working with you. And you really ended your last mission in glory. Well done! Stop. Something’s wrong. Why did she say “last mission”? I thought I was only getting started… In a fraction of a second, I saw a glimmer of light passing through my eyes and my gut just said “Duck”. I immediately dove down as the glass began to shatter with a bullet running through it. Everyone started screaming and running so I joined them in order to confuse the shooter. I followed the hysterical group outside and then I turned to a dark route: -There is no way the shooter can hit me here. I was just about to turn left when I suddenly saw two really tall and strong men who held me down instantly. I was hopeless, there was no way I could escape from there. Then suddenly a man with a big needle filled with a blue liquid approached me. I tried to shake so it would be more difficult for him to reach me but the two grabbing me, held me even tighter. The man proceeded to perforate my neck and plunging the liquid in. It must have been some kind of anesthesia because I immediately felt more and more sleepy. And with a useless effort to open my eyes, the last thing I saw as I fell into an unconscious state was the President’s twisted grin. Miguel F.
6
THE TORN LEAF As I walked towards her, I felt that something unthinkable was about to happen. And it did. From that moment forward, my body started pulling me. It was like my legs had a will of their own. If someone told me then that we only had one brain and one heart, I wouldn’t believe it. Just like some people lack them both, others might have millions of brains and hearts. I felt that in that day. Maybe it was because of the natural irony of that instant. We were surrounded by the green and brown of maple trees! I could almost feel the syrup running through the trees’ veins, sweetening those dark seconds. That was when I saw that gravity is just the need of sweetness in our lives. That’s what she wanted, she needed beauty and peace, she wanted to forget why she had been fired, why her husband had died and she wanted to dive into the earth, to feel the frigid waters of the river taking her nightmarish thoughts away. She was being pulled to all the beauty down that cliff. But the earth was pulling me too. Not to crash into the well of peaceful oblivion, but to show her that, sometimes, everything is prettier from above. There was an eagle covering the sun. There was a squirrel grabbing an innocent leaf. Even though she was stopping the light, she was watching the beauty of life from up there, and even though he was hiding in the branches, he was holding on to what was important. She had her arms opened, but her feet were trying to grab her. She wanted to release the leaf and fly to the depths. I don’t know if I was running that fast, or if time was slowing down for me. But I prefer the poetic last one. The poetry of life can be revealed in the hard times. Her image was starting to get blurry. I don’t know if I was shivering or if earth was. The eagle let the sunshine; I was feeling cold. I heard the sound of her feet leaving the ground. The squirrel started tearing the leaf in two. My heart jumped and I got blind. Something whistled inside my brains. Today, I think that is the feeling of stopping time. But a warm breeze started blowing. I opened my eyes and I saw the torn leaf. Everything else was blurry. I had the instinct of grabbing it. That was when I grabbed her hand.
Duarte B.
7
MAN IN BLACK As I walked towards her, I felt that something unthinkable was about to happen. I was scared of what she was going to say. “It can´t go to trial” – I thought – “Not in this beautiful Monday morning”. I took a sip of my black coffee and prepared for the worst. “Mr. Draper” – she said – “Mr. McKinsey´s case is going to trial, it doesn´t look good”. “I´ll take the case, Miss Woodley.” I had to, Mr. McKinsey, CEO of McKinsey Bank was being accused of tax evasion, he was my client, so I had to defend him. I entered the building, that big wonderful building in downtown Los Angeles, home of one of the finest law firms in the city, Nixon Speirs. Glad I was a part of it. “Mr. Draper! Mr. Speirs would like to see you!” – said Miss Hellen, my secretary. “Thanks Hellen, I´ll be in his office soon.” – I calmly said, as I took out a case containing my Purple Heart and Bronze Star. I had earned them during the war, where I had been wounded in Normandy, while serving in the infantry. I left the army in 1945, having worked as a police officer and detective in the LAPD before joining Nixon Speirs in 1950. I glanced at my medals, remembering how tough those times were. Having been raised during the Great Depression, my father ran a shipping business in San Francisco, so I was never poor or anything. I graduated in 1940 with a Bachelor of Arts in Law, from the UCLA, where I was a quarterback for the football team. Unfortunately, the war came, and in 1941 I enlisted. “Draper!” “Yes! I´ll be right there.” – I stopped daydreaming and went into Speirs´s office. “We´re in trouble with McKinsey, Draper.” – said Speirs. “Yes, I´m on it.” I sighed. “This is an important case; he is being wrongfully accused.” I had never liked Mr. McKinsey, however, Nixon and Speirs considered him an important asset to our firm. I had to win the case. “I´m going to do my best sir.” – I responded. Speirs took a like to me, he thought I was the best lawyer in the whole country! I had to succeed. I left his office, pulled my Lucky Strike out of my pocket and lit it, wondering how in the world I was going to save Mr. McKinsey from spending time behind bars. It was all so easier before, before the nightmares, before the whiskey and cigarettes and fame. Before I lost her… But I had to do it. Diogo M. 8
THE PROTECTOR OF LIGHT As I walked towards her, I felt that something unthinkable was about to happen. The alleyway was illuminated by flickering lights and the only sounds heard are the sniffles coming from the woman sitting in the dirty floor, her body illuminated by a strange glow. I continued my approach and she looks up, bolting upwards and away from me. Her movement reveals a long gash across her stomach, blood soaking her shirt. I ran towards her and in my panic, I failed to notice the horrified look in her face and as she stumbles, I make a grab for her, but a blinding light stops me. As I open my eyes, I notice the girl is no longer there, no traces of her left behind. I consider calling the police but the fear of being called crazy leads me to attribute this whole thing to stress so I return home. As I get into my building and search for my keys, I notice her, the girl! I approached quickly and she shows no sign of recognition. She no longer seems injured, her face the picture of boredom. “You! Are you okay? I was so worried, you disappeared.” – I proclaim. She eyes me warily before turning around and walking away with a murmured “freaking creep”. Anger fills me as I watch her walk away because how dare she, I was just worried, I was just being a nice guy. “Women have no appreciation” I proclaim as I retreat angrily to my apartment. My latest work is spread across the table, and with anger fuelling me I finish the machine and without a second thought about test rats, I press the button and the machine begins whirling, the noises become worrying and before I know it a blinding light has surrounded me and then… then I’m not myself, I am something more primal, a being made of my anger and hatred. I began walking, every step landing in a different ground and I barely notice as cement turns to sand, sand to grass, as memories of my childhood enact before my eyes, and suddenly I become aware that I’m in front of the girl’s apartment. I don’t bother knocking and when I finally come to myself, I’m standing above her, my hands bright red. The girl is glowing again, and she disappears from under me in a flash. Only my angry pants are heard in the silence until I scream, an angry and frustrated scream, and before I notice I’m in a wasteland, no civilization in sight and the girl stands before me. She looks different, stronger, and as she approaches me, still glowing like an angel of destruction ready to bring me to the afterlife, I notice the knife in her hands. It was too late to react as she plunges it into me. My anger ebbs away and I can finally think clearly, and now without the dark cloud of my hatred blinding me, the realization comes to me, it is not her, the cause my demise but I am. Indeed, I am the monster and she is the protector. Inês G.
9
THE STRUGGLE As I walked towards her, I felt that something unthinkable was about to happen. For a brief moment I hesitated and as I looked forward, I realized that our distance was just growing longer larger. I pulled myself together and started shortening the distance between us. Just as I approached her from behind, I went to tap her on the shoulder, but my body stopped moving as if an otherworldly force was stopping me. When I looked up, I noticed she had strayed farther, almost as far away as when I had begun. Despair had begun to settle in, was this a hopeless cause? Was that feeling just my imagination‌. No, I know that there was some truth in that feeling, right now I just had to push forward. In my moment of thought I failed to notice that a myriad of things had appeared behind her, from people to objects, but none of those were going to stop my newfound determination. I started making my way through the crowd, as I went through, I noticed that these people were not only my friends and family, but also hers. I shuffled through them, nonetheless. After clearing the crowd, I found myself facing what seemed to be an assortment of random objects, but upon closer inspection I could see that these were all related to our day to day life. I started to go through the maze trying to find my way out, I soon realized that the maze would sometimes shift, but I didn’t allow it to affect me, I kept my goal in mind and kept slowly but surely making my way through, until eventually I cleared it. I looked around and spotted her. I started sprinting towards her, when I was closing in, I stretched out my hand and planted it on her shoulder. As she turned around a blinding white light came upon me and then‌ Daniel G.
10
HOW I MET HER As I walked towards her, I felt that something unthinkable was about to happen. But first let me tell you how it happened. We met on the summer vacation. Early June to be precise. She sent me a message because she was dared by a friend. At the beginning I didn't paid attention to her, but she insisted, and so we started talking and knowing each other a little bit more. There wasn't single day that we didn't text each other. Two months passed and we started feeling something about each other, so we to go to the shopping together. In my opinion it was more like a date, but we were too shy to admit it. At the shopping we went to the cinema watch a horror movie. Of course, the idea was mine. Little did I know that she didn't like that kind of movies. So, when she was scared, she grabbed my arm so tight and hid behind my shoulder. I wasn't paying attention to the movie; I was paying attention to her. This kept me thinking for several weeks, I couldn't think on someone else. September started and school come with it. Some part of me was very sad because with such amazing vocations who wanted to go to school?? The other part of me was very excited about it because I could see her every day. We never stopped talking to each other, so on Friday we went out eating to remember our summer vacation. I remember every detail of that night. She was waiting for me at the park. That night she was gorgeous. So, I walked towards her I felt that something unthinkable was about to happen. We kissed.
Carlos M. 11
THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW SCARF As I walked towards her, I felt that something unthinkable was about to happen. That's it, that's the moment! I've been waiting for this to happen my whole life and now it’s finally the time! I couldn't be more nervous but excited at the same time. It all started a few years ago, I was in the college back then, and one day, while I was heading my way home in the subway, I found the prettiest girl I have ever seen. Her vibrant hair, shiny eyes, rosy cheeks and bright smile were insane. My jaw dropped by the tremendous beauty and I couldn't stop looking at her. It was a cold day, so she was wearing a trench coat, a yellow scarf, a black beanie and some gloves. A few stops later she got off the subway and our eyes met as she left, it was intense. After that, I looked at her seat and I saw the yellow scarf she was wearing. I grabbed it and got out the next stop thinking that I might find her, guess what... I didn't. I went home and all I kept thinking about that night was the subway girl, I even dreamed about her beautiful eyes and the amazing connection that we had. For the next year, I went every single day to the subway station in order to find the mysterious girl and give her scarf back. I never met her again, not until this very moment, not until now. It's been four years since I saw her in that subway but she's right on the other side of the street now, I can't believe this. She saw me too and smiles to me as she knows me. Then, she proceeds to wave and, as I walked towards her, I felt that something unthinkable was about to happen. Everything stopped at that moment for me, I could only focus on her and all she could focus was me as well, the pretty girl I saw on the subway years ago is now a beautiful woman. I handed her the yellow scarf and she smiled. From that moment on I felt complete, my life makes sense again. Carolina C.
12
WE STAND TOGETHER As I walked towards her, I felt that something unthinkable was about to happen. It's like I was teleported to another dimension. Suddenly, everything became darker and the bus station was no longer a playful place with vibrant colors but, instead, the color scheme was based in a terrifying greyscale. All lights went off. As I looked around, people looked dead inside, as if something had the power to absorb all their happiness. Where am I? How did this happen? Was it possible that the creepy woman I passed by some minutes ago had the power to change reality as I’ve always known it? – All sorts of questions came to my mind. I just couldn’t stay still. I had to figure out what kind of messed up thing was going on, so I made a decision: I needed to find the woman responsible for this. Going out the bus station, I recognized a face in the crowd, next to a bush full of dead roses that I could swear were the most colorful and beautiful but, I guess, that was in a different reality. I rushed to this person that turned out to be my best friend, or at least looked like him. As I touched his shoulder, he looked at me, and the sad look on his face disappeared. He started yelling: “We need to get out of here! Fast!” – so I started realizing what was going on. I wasn’t in another dimension; our reality was the one that changed! People were walking as zombies, places had no color, and every single piece of living things, even plants, were now dead… - I don’t think this is permanent – I said with a heart full of hope to my best friend – if you came back to normal, others can too. And, as I said this, I saw the woman looking at us. Those black eyes were full of evilness, her smile was sarcastic and cold, as if she was having fun with our suffering, and I could feel myself freezing. Luckily, there’s no fear bigger than my hope of saving humanity, as it truly is; so, hesitantly, but decided, I started walking towards her. Her smile disappeared. Her eyes looked scared. The environment changed, and I couldn’t even understand if was for the better or if something bad was about to happen. A sound, like a siren, starts coming from the woman as she was about to explode. Now, all made sense. What gave her power was the fear, the sadness, and all the negativity the day has carried with it. My best friend finally released his fear and ran to me, giving me his hand. She began fading away. Some of the colors were starting to return and she screamed, desperately, while others started to wake up and came to help us. We were about a hundred people, holding hands, hoping for the best; and so, as we did, she disappeared. Everything was back to normal. Turns out, there is no dark capable of winning the power of people. When we stand together.
Ana Sofia M.
13
April 2020
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