Featuring 2 short stories - Lurking Inside a Bottle and Beeps and Bunnies #shortstory

On the 3rd Thursday of the month I've decided to post something different. I belong to a writer's group. Not an online one - one with real humans, meeting in a real room - interacting with each other!  Sometimes I can make the meetings - other times - I'm in belly dance class.Each month there is a challenge, which can be addressed either as fiction or non-fiction and limited to 750 words. I use the challenges, whether I make it to the meeting or not, as a writing exercise. So on the 3rd Thursday of the month, I'll post the literary results of my tackling the challenge. This month I decided to combine the last 2 months - as they happen to make more sense together. I was in a weird mood when I wrote them.
 
Lurking inside a bottle The coolness of the wall leeches through my t-shirt as I press my back against it, trying to become invisible. More invisible.The laughter and music filling the room grates against my psyche.I hate these people. I hate this game. I hate my life.With no worries of being watched, I slip my hand into the front pocket of my jeans. The smoothness of the brown plastic soothes my soul. Relief. Respite. Revenge. Lurks within the bottle.I slip the small green pill into my mouth. Fourth? Or fifth one? It sticks to my throat. I choke it down. Sniffing, I swipe at tears. Unconcerned that anyone noticed. I'm invisible.The music stops, but the noise ramps ups to sickening with shrill giggles as asses race for chairs. Cassie fakes a fall off her seat, squeals and races over to glue her chest and lips against Michael Stanton. I turn away as his hand snakes under her blouse.A chair tossed aside, slams into the one in front of me. I edge further back against the wall.Does anybody even remember I'm here? The game begins again. A child's game played by drunken teenagers.Lydia screeches with triumph. She's the last one seated. She's the victor. Of course she is. She always is. My perfect little sister. Flawless skin. Perfect teeth. With boobs and a butt that grabs every XY chromosome crotch's attention.Why did she drag me to this party? To humiliate me. Again. No one spoke to me. No guy's hand snaked up my shirt. Steven Maitland pushed me off that chair so I was first one out of the game. They all laughed.To the world, I am nothing. Lydia's laugh drowns out all other sounds. A razor blade across my wrist would be more enjoyable.  My little sister. Mom and Dad said I had to look out for her. I'm the big sister. Had to share my toys. My parents. My life.She took them all away. I exist no more. Unloved. Forgotten. It's always Lydia. Lydia. Lydia. Lydia.Look at her. A false smile glued on her face as she humbly confesses amazement that little old hercould have won.There'd be hell to pay if she hadn't.Mommy and Daddy's little princess.The room sways. Steadying myself, my neck muscles protest as I squish the back of my head against the wall.The flick of my fingernail against the stolen prescription bottle gives me comfort. I could slip ten - or so - of the little round contents into her beer. Leave it an hour then, as the magnanimous sister that I am, offer it to her. She'd be too drunk to notice. Then she'd sleep.A long deep sleep.Possibly forever.The thought fills my heart with joy. I squash it back. No joy until no Lydia.She's standing in front of me. Speaking to me. No – speaking at me. Laughing. I hate that laugh. My deepest desire at this exact second is to rip her eyeballs out of her head.Her face blurs.  Movement slows. She drags me back to the circle. We're going to play again.I don't want to. But I'll do it for her. For Lydia. Everyone always does everything for Lydia. Just this one last time. We stand in a circle. Smiles painted on faces. Friends challenge each other. Crowing they'll be the champion this time. I clench my fingers on the chair back, trying not to fall. Music starts. The game begins. I stumble, lose my balance and slam my butt against a chair just as the music stops. Kevin is left standing. My heart sings, "Loser!" I play again. And again.Two people remain. Everyone watches, believing we are loving sisters. But I know hatred lives in both our hearts. I will win this one. I will not let Lydia defeat me again. I can barely hear the music, the pounding in my ears drowns the sound. I float around the sole chair, swaying to my own song.The chair becoming two. Two blurry brown blobs. Which chair leads to victory? To conquer Lydia. To crush her like a cigarette butt.Music stops. Diving forward, I aim for that last chair. My butt settles then blessed blackness swarms me. Not caring about anything, I allow myself to melt into it. What happens will happen. I care – not.
Beeps and Bunnies
After the elation of victory, I blissfully slid into darkness and oozed outward like a skim of oil on a calm sea.Quiet.Peaceful.A total Lydia-free zone.Heaven?
Beep=Beep=Beep
Hmmm?
Beep=Beep=Beep
I thought there were supposed to be choirs of angels and a big pearly gate? Not those annoying beeps.Beep=Beep=Beep
Okay – getting the hint this might actually be hell. Just my stupid luck I'd go the wrong way. But then I got lost in Disney World and spent 5 hrs waiting for my parents to notice and come and collect me.Beep=Beep=Beep
That's getting friggin' annoying, you know.Beep=Beep=Beep
Somebody stop that stupid thing. If Lydia wanted it stopped, it would. In an instant. Can't upset Lydia. Well, I'm her sister – same DNA makeup. So stop it.Beep=Beep=Beep
Even here – wherever here is – no one'll listen to me. I truly suck. It's cold here in the darkness. Somehow I thought it would be hot in hell. You know like – wow – it's hot as hell.Beep=Beep==Beep

Beep===Beep

Silence.Cool.I sever myself from my existence, Orgasmic relief floods me. Never again do I have to deal with people. With them comparing me to Lydia. How she's taller. Smarter. Prettier. Alive.The darkness morphs to brilliance. Is this heaven? You know, a simple sign would be nice. Hello – Welcome to Heaven. No smoking.Something scurries by my foot. A kitten?I glance down. Of course not. Lydia doesn't like kittens. She likes bunnies so obviously heaven would be full of bunnies and there they are, hopping around my feet. I flex my toes, stifling the urge to boot one of the long-eared, furry bundles of hoppiness all the way back to – wherever they came from.  A sneak attack blur kicks me in the chest, you know - ninja style. Ow.Bad Bunny. Probably a Lydia bunny.Another bunny flies at me screeching – Aiyah! And boots me in the chest.Bad bunny.Bad bad bunny.Bad beep.The light fades. Darkness swarms me. I'm back. Trapped back into my pitiful existence.Beep=Beep=Beep
So not impressed.I force my eyelids open. Oh, you have to be kidding. Lydia's hideous face stares down at me. She leans closer. "I won. You lost. You fell off the chair and I sat on it and now you're stuck in that bed until you die. Loser!"Her eyes flash. People say they twinkle, but all I see is malevolent repulsion, and now it's tinged with sadistic triumph.She's beaten me. Mom and Dad will pour their love on to her to comfort her. The world will bend to her will. "Poor Lydia. She suffers so." And they'll give her whatever she wants.And she knows it. I can't let her win. I can't let her rule Mom and Dad. I have to protect them from the hellchild they created.Beep Beep Beep BeepLydia straightens and grins.Beep Beep Beep BeepHer hand moves to my left.Beep beep beeee…….

Silence.Darkness.Peace. Freedom.