Purple Eyes: A four-part poetry series with each part being posted every Tuesday
A Familiar Shadow: A five-part short story series with each part being posted every Thursday
Night Terrors: Four poems in this new poetry series with each poem being posted every Saturday
I hope you all enjoy the content!
In this episode, I received not one, but two strange compliments from a girl that I consider a friend. The first compliment wasn’t weird or crazy, but it was an unexpected compliment that made me feel some type of way. It was a compliment that she didn’t give to her boyfriend at the time, but she wasn’t afraid to give me this compliment. I didn’t necessarily know how to respond to the compliment, but I think that I gave a reasonable response. The other compliment was more of a realization of where I stand as her friend. It’s a compliment that I think a lot of guys get, but they don’t know nothing about it. Let me tell you all about it.
Last summer, I was hanging out with my friend Rosa at Taco Bell on a Saturday afternoon. It had been a while since I hung out with Rosa, and it was nice to have an opportunity to catch up with her. At Taco Bell, we both got Doritos Locos Tacos and some drinks. We’re sitting down, taking bites of our tacos and we start to realize that there’s something missing in our tacos. We both smiled and realized that we needed some hot sauces on our tacos. So, I got up and went to get a handful of different sauces for our tacos. I brought the sauces back to our table, and we went crazy and drenched our tacos with hot sauces. Then, we started eating our tacos with pure satisfaction.
After we were done eating, we started talking, sharing a few laughs and catching up. I ended up telling her about this girl that I had been on one date with and how there was something strange about her. Rosa was excited and ready for me to spill the tea. So, I explained that on my first date with this girl, she was talking about being exclusive.
Rosa was surprised to hear this and said, “Wait a minute, she asked if you wanted to be exclusive on the first date? That’s interesting, but I know that must’ve freaked you out.”
Rosa knows me and knows that I don’t believe in putting all your eggs in one basket. Meaning, I don’t believe in hopelessly chasing after ONE girl and putting all your time and energy into that ONE girl, even after one date. I think that it takes time and 4-6 dates to determine if you want to be exclusive with that person.
Going back to the story, I replied, “Yeah, it kind of caught me off guard. It surprised me. I guess she was really feeling me on that date.”
“Wow, and what was your response?”
“Well, I said alright and told her that I wouldn’t be talking to other girls anymore. It would be just her.”
“Really? Why would you say that? Aren’t you talking to three other girls?”
“I was, but not anymore. I gave my word that I would be exclusive to her, and I’m keeping it. I cut them other girls out, and I’m just talking to her. I mean, I guess I kinda like her and maybe there’s something there.”
Rosa smiled and said, “That’s what’s up. I hope things work out.”
I shook my head and said, “Yeah, I just have a bad feeling about just being with her. I don’t know, I feel like I’m gonna be disappointed at the end of it all.”
Rosa groaned and replied, “Isaiah, you are such a pessimist when it comes to girls. I just don’t understand it.”
I explained, “I just don’t trust y’all. It’s just that y’all be playing too many games.”
Rosa responded, “Says the guy that talks to multiple girls and has a really hard time committing to one girl.”
I chuckled and said, “First of all, I don’t have an issue committing to one girl. I believe in pursuing the right girl rather than aimlessly chasing after some girl like a hopeless romantic. By the way, why do girls find hopeless romantics attractive?”
She responded, “Because there’s just something sweet about a guy obsessing over you and thinking about you and only you. He goes out of his way to win your heart and treasures everything about you. It’s so romantic.”
I replied, “But that kind of sounds forced and tiring for the guy though. Plus, that level of consistency is unrealistic, and how do you know it’s authentic? What if a guy’s just being this way to catch you like a fish. He has the right bait by being a hopeless romantic, and he ends up deceiving and catching you and you’re disappointed with the results?”
“Isaiah, you’re reaching, that’s not how it is.
“I’m just saying that it sounds like hopeless romantics force love and try to control it, but that’s not how love works. Love is this beautiful, uncontrollable, natural force. It’s patient and kind, and it’s something that is shared and mutual between two people, and it’s not so one-sided.”
Rosa was impressed with my thoughts on love, but she still pointed out that I was still the guy that talked to multiple girls. I sighed and said, “Oh my goodness, y’all are just as bad if not worse. Y’all be talking to other guys too, y’all are just really slick about it.”
Rosa shook her head and replies, “Maybe before we meet a guy, but once we start dating a guy, we’re invested in him.”
I responded, “I definitely believe that, but y’all still have guys around in case things don’t work out. Y’all just have them disguised as your ‘guy’ friends.”
Rosa rolled her eyes at me because she knew where I was heading. She knew that I was about to bring up an interesting rule that I apply to girls all the time. This rule could also be attributed to guys, but in most cases it’s attributed to girls. It’s called the 20% rule. This rule implies that at least 20% of a girl’s friends that are guys are attracted and interested in being with her. For instance, if a girl has 20 straight guy friends, then at least four or five them are interested in being with her.
Rosa couldn’t necessarily say anything because this rule is accurate with her. In our friend group, it was me, her, Jake, Paul, Stanley and Bryce. Five straight guys total that she was friends with. Three of them (Bryce, Paul and Stanley) were trying to get with her. That’s way above the 20% mark with it being 60% of the guys she’s friends with were trying to get with her. Jake and I knew this, and Rosa eventually and slowly found out about this. She claimed that she was oblivious to this, but I didn’t necessarily believe that. I do think that some girls are oblivious to guys liking them, but for the most part girls know when guys are interested in them. Rosa is a very smart, attractive, flirtatious girl, and she always knows when guys are trying to get with her. Rosa likes receiving attention from guys, so it was hard for me to believe that she was clueless about the whole situation between Bryce, Paul and Stanley, but that’s another story.
Going back to this story, Rosa asked me then if I think it’s wrong for a girl to have “guy” friends. I quickly replied that it’s not wrong at all. I do believe that a guy and a girl can have a genuine friendship with one another as long as boundaries are created and set. At the same time, I do believe that girls keep certain guys around in case things don’t work out with their significant other because you never know. I think girls have backup options because I don’t think girls want to completely start over, and it’s more convenient for them to have backups.
Rosa understood where I was coming from, but then she had another question. She asked, “So, do you think that the girl you’re dating now has backup options?”
I replied, “Yeah, she probably does. I just really don’t care too much about it. I’m aware of it, but I’m not gonna stress about it because it’s not necessary. I’m mostly just thinking about her. I promised to be exclusive to her after one date, and that’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna be as real and as honest as I can be, and we’ll see where it goes.”
Rosa liked my response and assured me that things would definitely work out with us. They did not, but that’s another story. Let’s just say that I will never again put all my eggs in one basket.
Alright, let’s get to the juicy part of this story. I ended up asking Rosa how things were with her boyfriend Dexter. Rosa quickly told me that Dexter wasn’t her boyfriend. I was confused, and Rosa told me that he doesn’t necessarily believe in titles. It sounded like they were in some kind of a situationship. This surprised me because she is the type of girl that wants to claimed, and it just sounded like she was settling for less.
I asked her if she was okay with that. She replied, “Yeah, it’s honestly not a big deal for me. We’re definitely in a good place, and he’s just so romantic and sweet with me. We have amazing conversations and our text messages are funny and ridiculous. He’s just so obsessed over me, and he’s such a hopeless romantic, I love it.”
I responded that’s what’s up. As she was talking about him more in detail, it sounded like they were “single but together.” I asked Rosa how long have they been together, and she told me eight months. I was shocked. Then, I said, “Oh that’s what’s up! Look at y’all going all strong and everything, that’s awesome! Being all in love and everything and—
Rosa interrupted, “Oh, we’re not in love. We’ve never said ‘I love you’ to each other.”
This was quite strange to me because Dexter and Rosa had been together for eight months, and they never said “I love you” to each other. I asked Rosa how come they haven’t, and she just told me that it’s not a big deal to them. They just haven’t felt it for each other.
Rosa and I kept going back and forth about them not saying “I love you” to each other because it’s just super weird and confusing to me. How could you not love someone after being with them for eight months?
I started joking and saying that they’re in “luh” rather than in love. I explained that it’s a term that my best friend Obi created. It means that you have a little bit of love for a person, but you’re afraid to be fully in love with a person. You’re simply in “luh.”
Then, I said, “You and ole boy are in luh. You can’t deny the luh that you two have for each other. Your luh is real.”
She laughed and told me to shut up. I chuckled and continued, “Dexter has so much luh for you, and you’re playing games. You luh that boy, and he luh you. It’s that simple when it comes to luh.”
We both started laughing, and she said, “Oh my goodness, I can’t with you. You sound so ridiculous. But nah, I’ll say it when I mean it. I don’t want to say it if I don’t mean it, you know? Plus, I don’t want to look like a fool. When I say it, I mean it, especially with a guy.”
I nodded my head in agreement and said, “Yeah, I agree and understand. You should definitely say it when you mean it. At the same time, you shouldn’t be afraid to love somebody.”
Then, Rosa looked at me in my eyes and whispered, “I mean…I love you.”
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting that strange compliment from Rosa. It took me by surprise because it came from a place of vulnerability, and it meant something more than just a friend. For a second, I didn’t know what to say, but I knew I had to say something fast. So, I smiled and responded, “Aww thank you.”
After I said this, I could tell that my response kind of upset her a little. So, I added, “I’m just kidding, I luh you too, girl.”
My comment put a smile on Rosa’s face, and she just responded, “Isaiah, you’re something else, you’re so weird and extra.”
We both laughed, and I said, “Yeah, I am a little crazy and weird every now and then. And I most definitely extra, I can’t even front. Also, I’m not ashamed of it thank you very much.”
We continued talking some more, and we eventually ended up leaving Taco Bell. I drove her home, and we said our goodbyes. As I was driving home, I couldn’t stop thinking about how Rosa told me that she loves me. What does that even mean? Then, I slowly realized that she does in a sense see me as a backup option for her. I didn’t know how to feel about being Rosa’s backup option, when I just saw her as a friend and nothing more. It’s honestly a strange, weird compliment to be someone’s backup.
It’s kind of nice to be someone’s backup, but I wonder if Rosa and I could still be friends. Can I really be friends with someone that has strong feelings for me? I have an answer to this question, but that’s another story. I just can’t believe the two strange compliments that I received from my friend Rosa
This is the end of “The Strangest Compliment: Episode Two.”
In this episode, I witnessed an old man give one of the strangest compliments I ever heard to a female coworker of mine. It was compliment that had me dying of laughter, and it really made my day. I remember the old man trying to explain his rationale to me, but the damage had been done. The compliment he gave was weird, off the wall and a little creepy. It’s a compliment that one should never use on a woman, especially a young woman. It’s a compliment that all men should stay away from. Let me tell you all about it.
Back when I was working at Sheetz, I remember that I was coming in for my usual 6am-2pm shift. It was a Friday, and I was somewhat in the mood to work with only four hours of sleep. I came in at 5:59, and I saw this new female coworker of mine behind the counter. Her name was Fate, and it was her third day on the job. She was a gorgeous, attractive, young woman, and she was a very optimistic and happy person at Sheetz. I enjoyed working with her all of the time. It was always fun and cool working with her. She would always make me laugh, and I would always make her laugh too, and we just had a really good vibe. It also helped that she was black too. It was nice that another person of color was working at Sheetz, and I didn’t feel so alone.
I walk inside, see Fate behind the counter and say hi to her. She gives me a big smile and says hi back to me. One of my other coworkers, Sara, noticed my interaction with Fate. I put my head back and sighed because I knew what was coming. I went to the backroom, clocked in and saw Sara. I said hi to her, and she gave me a big smile. I chuckled and said, “What is it, Sara?”
“The new girl is kinda cute, huh,” Sara said.
I laughed and replied, “Yeah, she’s cute, I can’t deny it.”
“So, when’s the biggest flirt in the store gonna get her number?”
I laughed and said, “Sara, I’m not a flirt. I’m just friendly, that’s all. I am not flirtatious in any way.”
“Whatever makes you sleep at night, flirt, just go out there and work your magic,” Sara replied.
I just laughed and shook my head. Before I could say anything, Sara left and went to the kitchen. I grabbed my headset and went to the front where Fate was stationed. There was a little line formed to the register, so I wasn’t too concerned with taking care of it by myself. I went to an open register and started ringing customers’ items. I saw that Fate was almost finished with a customer, so I said, “Hey Fate, after that customer, you’re good to go, I can take care of this line myself.”
“Wow, you’re so eager to push me away, I thought we had something special,” Fate joked.
I laughed and replied, “Nah, we don’t, it’s about time for you to go and get the steppin.”
We both laughed, and she said, “You’re so silly, but I have to help you with this line.”
I didn’t object because if she wanted to stay, then that was her prerogative. If the situations were reversed, I would’ve been gone already. Her shift was over, and there was no reason for her to stay and help me out. At the same time, it was sweet of her to stay with me and bring down the line.
Anyways, I was ringing up a customer when this old, black man was at Fate’s register. He was in his late 40s, early 50s. He was a regular customer that would come in Monday-Friday in the morning before he had to go to work. However, he was at Sheetz earlier than usual. I wondered why he was at Sheetz, but then it was revealed. He looked at her and said, “My oh my, I heard about you but you looking even better in person. How you doing?”
Of course, he came for Fate. I was nervous because I didn’t what this old man was about to say to Fate, but I knew that it was going to be something crazy and off the wall. I just had a feeling.
Fate gave a nervous chuckle and said, “Oh wow, I’m doing good, I’m just about to be—
I interrupted, “Fate, hurry up, we got a line forming, you gotta talk and work.”
I interrupted because I knew that Fate was about to tell him that she was about to be done with work. There was no reason for him to know that, especially with the fact that he came for her. The old man laughed and said, “Isaiah, she’s doing a fine, great job with me, you don’t have to worry about her.”
I chuckled and said alright. Then, he continued, ” By the way, you’re such a pretty, little thing. Isn’t she pretty, Isaiah?”
I nodded in agreeance and Fate thanked him for the compliment. Now, I thought that he was done after he said that. That would’ve been a good stopping point for him, but there was more. Yes, what he said next was a truly strange compliment. He said, “Now, are you sure that you’re old enough to work here at Sheetz? You don’t really look that old, but you’re looking just as cute and pretty as a 12-year-old girl.”
My mouth was wide open when he said that. I was so confused and perplexed that I didn’t know what to do. I looked at Fate, and she had this horrified look on her face. I’ll admit that Fate did look young for her age but to call her a 12-year-old girl was kind of pushing it and a little bit more of an insult than a compliment. How was she going to respond? I wondered. She looked at him, gave a nervous smile and chuckled and asked him what did he mean by that. He explained, “Nah, I meant that you have this youthful look about you. You know what I mean? It’s like this, you look like you’re 16 years old. It’s a compliment to your youthful look, baby girl.”
I was trying so hard to keep my laughter, but it was so hard. I was in tears and just trying to keep it together. Then, Fate laughed and said, “I’m older than 16 years old, though. That’s kind of messed up that you think that I’m a child.”
“No, it ain’t even like that,” he said. The old man tried to plead his case, but he was failing miserably. He wanted me to help him out, but I couldn’t. I was trying to keep my composure because I had just heard the weirdest compliment I ever heard. Eventually, he ended up looking at his watch and realizing that he needed to go. He grabbed his things, looked at Fate and said, “I’ll see you around, baby girl. You doing an amazing job, don’t let Isaiah tell you otherwise.”
Once he left the building, I ended up just laughing like crazy. I was rolling. Fate smiled at my laughter and asked me what just happened. I ceased laughter, wiped the tears out of my eyes and said, “Clearly, he likes them young, my bad, real young with his old, pedophilic self. I can’t believe he compared you to a 12-year-old girl.”
We both ended up laughing, and she just couldn’t believe it herself. She said, “Yeah, it was so weird and creepy, I hope I don’t see him again.”
“Oh, you will. He likes you, and he’s trying to get to know you. These old men that come in here, are trying to get young, pretty girls that are employees here like you in any way they can. They think they can say or do whatever they want to you because you can’t run away from them. Ironically, they think you’re product in the store that they can own. It’s sad and pathetic, which is why you gotta be careful here, especially with the male customers. This place is toxic towards the women that work here, remember that.” I stated.
She understood, but she wondered what she was going to do about the old man. I replied, “Oh, that’s easy, all you gotta do is just tell him that you gotta boyfriend,” I responded.
Fate laughed and responded, “But that’s lying, Isaiah. Plus, maybe I won’t see him again.”
It’s true, she wouldn’t see him again. In fact, he would come in the very next day trying to find her. She wouldn’t be there, but I would be there. However, that’s another story. I just really wasn’t expecting such a strange compliment at Sheetz.
This is the end of “The Strangest Compliment: Episode One.”
Be sure to like, comment and share your thoughts on this short story. There are more episodes to come in this short story series “The Strangest Compliment.”
Last summer, my friend Marvin and I were working out at Planet Fitness. It was a Thursday, around 8:30 when we met up at the gym. We ran on the tread mill, worked on our stomach and arms. We ended up being done at 10:00. After we’re done working out, I remembered that I needed to get some water and bread from Walmart. I asked Marvin if he wanted to come to Walmart with me, and he said yeah sure. As we were walking to our cars, I joked, “Hey Marvin, while we’re at Walmart we should get some condoms.”
I laughed at my comment, and Marvin had this confused look on his face. He looked at me and said, “Oh my God, Isaiah. Why would we get condoms? There’s no reason for us to get condoms, bro.”
We both started chuckling, and I said, “You’re right, there’s no reason for us to get condoms. After all, I have so many anyways.”
Marvin stopped walking. I looked at him, and he had this shocked look on his face. I started laughing like crazy at his face, and he was yelling that this was not a laughing matter. He wanted an explanation. So, I chuckled and explained, “Yeah man, I got two in my wallet, four in my backpack, two in my jacket and two in my car. I may have a few at home, too. Other than that, I don’t have that many.”
Marvin exclaimed, “Oh my God, Isaiah. Why do you have so many condoms? There’s no reason for you to have that many condoms, considering you’re…you know…a…um…a…
“A what? Come on, say it with your chest. Don’t be scared,” I interrupted.
Marvin nervously said, “You’re…you know…a…um…virgin. And there’s nothing wrong…
“I know that there’s nothing wrong with being a virgin, thank you very much. Do you know how many girls have been trying to get with this irresistible, caramel body? I’m thankful and blessed to be a virgin, it’s nothing that I’m ashamed or embarrassed about, and you shouldn’t be either,” I said.
Marvin chuckled and said that I was right. Then, we went back to talking about me having condom. Marvin asked for proof of condoms that I had. I said okay, and I showed the two condoms in my wallet and the two in my jacket. Then, we went to my car, and I showed him the two condoms in my car. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my backpack and jacket with me, but the condoms that Marvin saw were enough evidence to him. He had this horrified look on his face, and he said, “Oh my God, Isaiah. Why do you have condoms in the first place? Are you talking to someone that I don’t know about or something, bro?”
I laughed and said, “Nah man, I ain’t talking to nobody. I mean, I hung out with that one girl and nothing crazy happened. I just have condoms for protection, and it’s nice to have them because you never know.”
“Oh my God, Isaiah. Wait, are you still trying to wait till marriage?” Marvin asked.
I told him that I was still trying, then he said, “Then, aren’t you more likely to have sex with a girl if you have a condom with you?”
I laughed and replied, “No because having a condom is like an emergency break for a car. You’re never gonna use it, but it’s good to have it with you. You’ll only use it in case of an emergency.”
Marvin didn’t understand my argument, and we kept going back and forth about me having a condom. We argued for five minutes, until we decided to agree to disagree. Then, I smiled and added, “Well, I think you should get some condoms at Walmart.”
Marvin asked why he would do such a thing. I said, “Well, aren’t you going to visit your girlfriend in Virginia this weekend? You don’t want to be unprepared when she’s ready to get it on and all.”
Marvin blushed and said, “Oh my God, Isaiah. You honestly think that me and Mary are gonna do it?
I chuckled and said, “Oh yeah, it’s very possible. I’m like 80% sure that y’all are gonna do it. You two haven’t seen each other in months, and it just wouldn’t surprise me if y’all did anything.”
He agreed with me, and I told him that it honestly wouldn’t hurt to get some condoms. Then, he looked at me and wondered if maybe he should try to wait like me. The thought of having sex made him nervous. He didn’t know if he was ready or prepared for something like that. I laughed and said, “Relax man. You’ll be fine. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. You just gotta go with the flow man. You love her, right?”
Marvin nodded his head, I shrugged my shoulders and said, “Well then, it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared just in case something does happen.”
My friend understood exactly what I was saying. We talked a little bit more, and we ended up walking to our cars and heading to Walmart.
When we made it to Walmart, we went in the grocery section, so that I could get some water and bread. After I got those things, Marvin and I headed to the other side of Walmart to get some condoms. As we were getting closer to the treasure, I noticed that Marvin was getting a little nervous. I asked him what was wrong, and he said, “It just feels weird getting condoms at Walmart. Like what if somebody sees us?”
I laughed and dramatically said, “Now that I think about it, we are very, very bad boys right now for getting condoms. I mean, these people in Walmart, who probably aren’t virgins themselves, will probably look at us with judgment and disgust. Why, they’ll be thinking to themselves, ‘Those boys are nasty. Getting condoms to have safe, protected sex. It makes me sick. How dare they consider it. Fornication makes me sick. Lord, please forgive these sinners for even considering getting condoms. I beg of you, Lord Jesus. I cannot believe what I am seeing with my unclean eyes. I am appalled at these heathens.'”
“Oh my God, Isaiah,” Marvin laughed.
Then, I continued, “Yeah, they just need to wait till marriage. That’s all they need to do. I mean, I didn’t do it, it was hard for me. It was a struggle, but they can’t know that it was hard for me too. They just need to know that it’s expected of them, and they can surely do it. They don’t need no condoms at all until they are married to their wife. And if one of them do decide to fornicate and shame a girl, well then she’ll just end up pregnant and it will be all a part of your plan, God, for his life.”
“Oh my God, Isaiah. You’re so dramatic,” Marvin said.
I laughed and said, “Of course I am. But look man, I promise you that these people in Walmart don’t care what’s going on with us. And it’s normal and responsible of us to get condoms. It’s nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about, I promise you.”
Marvin appreciated my words, and he admitted to me that there was some fears he had in regards to religion and how they would view it. I replied, “Look man, I wish the church would be more helpful in these situations. I wish that they were more open and honest with the young people that are confused about their sexual desires. I wish the church would be willing to educate and help those that are confused about sex, but they don’t want to deal with that in an effective way. They want to continue to do what they’re doing, even though it’s clearly not working because it’s the way it must be according to the elders. This old-school mentality to just abstain from sex and fear fornication when it’s clearly not working. You still have people in the church getting pregnant left and right because you’re afraid and uncomfortable to have an open dialogue about sex.”
“Oh my God, Isaiah. You’re right, it’s up to us to really be responsible,” Marvin said.
I nodded my head and said, “Yeah man, you just need to get some condoms because you never know what’s going to happen. You could easily have sex with Mary or maybe nothing’s going to happen, but it’s good to be prepared and responsible with some condoms. If you do end up having sex without any condoms, and she ends up pregnant, then your life is going to change completely. Why take that risk? Just get some condoms man for protection.”
Marvin appreciated my words of wisdom and thanked me for them. Then, he was ready to go to the condoms. We looked at different condoms from Skyn, Trojan, Magnums, Durex and others. Marvin ended up finding the right ones for himself, and we ended up checking our things out. Then, we headed out of Walmart.
When we made it outside, we headed to our cars with our things. As I was putting the water and bread in my car, there was a thought that came in my head. There was something important that I needed to tell Marvin. So, I rushed over to his car and yelled wait before he left. He got out of his car and asked what was wrong. Then, I said, “Make sure you practice putting the condoms on before seeing Mary.”
Marvin laughed and said, “Oh my God, Isaiah. Is that really necessary?”
“It’s absolutely necessary. You need to make sure you know how to secure that thing. Otherwise, it will be going all over the place. I’m just trying to help you out man,” I replied.
“Ok will do, bro. And thank you again for helping me out with this. I would’ve been lost without you,” he said.
I told him that it was no problem, and I was glad that I could help him out. As I walking away, Marvin asked me to wait. I turned around, and he asked, “Do you think that you’ll still be a virgin till marriage?”
I was surprised by this question, and I was surprised by my answer. I said, “I don’t really know man. I don’t know how I feel about waiting till marriage anymore. I remember that I was 15 years old when I got my purity ring, and I’m 22 years old now and I’m a different person now. I don’t have the same views like I did before, and I don’t know if I want to retain some of them. For right now, I don’t know anymore if I want to be a virgin till marriage.”
“Oh my God, Isaiah. My boy’s gonna have a little bit of the sex,” Marvin responded.
I laughed and said, “I don’t know about all that man. I mean, if I fall in love with a girl, then maybe I will. But again I don’t know man, it’s something that I need to think about. I mean, I don’t know if I want to be open for business for these ladies that have been waiting for me, and just give them everything they needed and wished for such a long time. But for a girl I love, maybe. It’s open to interpretation.”
This is the end of “Getting Condoms With a Friend.”
Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone, and I hope that people that are having a little bit of the sex tonight have protection.
Dylan is in shock to find out that he killed Dan. He can’t believe it. His heart is pumping like a speeding train, and he can’t seem to control his breathing. He looks down and sees the white mask in his hands. He quickly throws it across the room, then he looks at Cupid. Cupid tilts his head to the right and smiles ever so slightly at Dylan. Dylan finally gets control of his breathing and says, “Please, tell me that I didn’t kill Dan.”
Cupid’s smile widens. He tilts his head to the left, laughs and whispers, “Oh, you killed Dan. I saw the whole thing, and it was honestly a work of art. The passion and the drive you showed was breath-taking. It was kind of romantic.”
Dylan shakes his head and says, “No, I just put that mask on a couple of seconds. There’s no way that I killed Dan. There’s no way that I could ever do such a thing. I don’t remember doing anything like that.”
Cupid chuckles and responds, “Well, that’s good because you weren’t supposed to remember anything. However, if you don’t believe your blood-stained hands, change of clothes and that bloody knife in the bathroom, I would be more than happy to go in detail of all the torturous, sick, twisted things you did to Dan.”
Cupid slowly tilts his head to the right. He continues to smile at Dylan, but it’s freaking Dylan out. Then, Dylan gets up to see if there was a bloody knife in the bathroom. He gets up and walks to the bathroom. Dylan’s hesitant to peak in the bathroom, but Cupid yells for him to take a look. Dylan exhales, and he’s disappointed to see a bloody knife in the sink. He drops to the ground, and he starts crying. Cupid starts laughing and says, “You know, it’s interesting seeing you be so regretful in killing Dan.”
“Why is it interesting?” Dylan asks.
“Because you enjoyed every minute of torturing and killing him. It was fun for you, Dylan. In fact, watching you murder Dan was like listening to a song. You were killing him softly, and I loved every minute of it,” Cupid says.
Cupid smiles as he reminisces about the brutal, horrific murder he witnessed minutes ago. Dylan looks at Cupid, and he’s frightened by his look. Cupid quickly snaps out of his daze and says, “Let’s not forget why you did what you did to Dan. Remember, he was a monster that mistreated your beloved Melanie. You saved her, Dylan, and now you two can be together.”
Dylan realizes that Cupid is right, and he can finally be with Melanie. Her husband can no longer get in the way of their love for each other. Dylan thought to himself that he was going to have his Juliet. There’s a sense of relief from Dylan, then Cupid gets up and heads for the door. Dylan asks Cupid why he’s leaving, and Cupid responds, “Oh, you don’t need me right now. You’ll be fine, but don’t worry, I’ll be back in a couple of months.”
Cupid opens the door, but Dylan stops him and asks why he’ll be back in a couple months. Cupid smiles, looks at Dylan and says, “Just to check on you and keep you motivated. Also, I want to visit you on my favorite day of the year.”
Dylan frowns and explains that Valentine’s Day is next year. Cupid chuckles and says, “Valentine’s Day? I can’t stand that day. No, I’m talking about Halloween. Something tells me that it’ll be an interesting Halloween for you and Melanie.”
Dylan asks Cupid what he means, but Cupid only smiles and doesn’t answer his question. He quickly leaves and disappears into the night. Dylan locks the door, looks to his left and sees the white mask lying on the floor. He goes to it, picks it up and stares into it. Then, he shakes his head, takes it to his room and puts it in a box. Dylan hopes he never has to see the white mask again, and he can just put it behind him. He smiles because him and Melanie can be together finally with no interferences. He would have his Juliet.
A few months passed, and Dylan was still having a hard time getting closer to Melanie. Dylan understood that Melanie needed time to figure things out, but he was still hurt that she didn’t try to make an effort with him after some months passed. He would text her daily, but he would barely get a response from her. Most of the time she would reply a day or two late, and it really bothered Dylan. Also, he was buying her flowers, chocolates, perfume and food, at least two or three times a week. Sadly, it still didn’t make a difference. He didn’t understand. Why couldn’t she see how much he loved her? Why couldn’t she see how much he needed her? Dylan starts to think to himself that she’s not taking their relationship seriously, and it’s a problem from him. Dylan killed Melanie’s abusive husband. He saved her from a monster, but it feels like she doesn’t appreciate everything he’s done for her.
Today, it’s Halloween. Dylan is not working his typical 2-11 shift, but he’s working a 9am-6pm shift at Sam’s Club. He comes in 30 minutes early, and he’s excited to be spending time with Melanie. They have a date today. When he arrives at work, he walks into Sam’s Club with a dozen roses and a wrapped present for Melanie. He’s feeling bold and excited today because he’s finally gonna have lunch with Melanie again. It’s been four months since their last “date,” and Dylan’s ready for his special Halloween date with Melanie.
He puts all of his things for Melanie in his locker. He thinks about his sweet Melanie and texts, “Hey beautiful, I can’t wait to see you for lunch. I’m so excited! Also, I have a surprise for you that I know you’ll love.”
After he texts that, he closes his locker. All of a sudden, he’s confronted by Elijah. He tells Dylan that he needs to talk to him. Elijah and Dylan go to the break room, and they find a table to sit at. Thankfully, it’s empty. Dylan urges Elijah to tell him what’s going on. Elijah sighs and says, “Okay, you’re doing too much with Melanie, man.”
Dylan doesn’t understand. He asks Elijah how he knows he’s doing too much, and Elijah adds, “Because she told me, Dylan. You’re making her very uncomfortable with the gifts. She told me that she’s been trying to be nice to you, but she’s close to telling a supervisor about you.”
Dylan thinks that Elijah is lying to him, and he doesn’t want to hear anything else from him. Dylan says, “Then, why is she having lunch with me, Matthew? If she didn’t want to be with me, then she wouldn’t agree to go on a date with me.”
“Bro, it’s not a date. She’s just trying to tell you what I’m telling you. She’s honestly hoping that you listen to me, instead of her telling you when you have lunch with her,” Elijah explains.
Dylan shakes his head because he can’t believe what he’s hearing. Why is Elijah trying to sabotage his relationship with Melanie? Elijah says, “Listen, I understand that you…like her, but she doesn’t feel the same way about you. No amount of gifts or text messages is going to change that. She’s not interested in you, man. You need to let her go and move on.”
Dylan is angered by Elijah’s words and replies,”I’m not giving up on her, Elijah. I’m a hopeless romantic. That’s just who I am. I’m giving her my all because I love Melanie so much. I’m sorry that I can’t be all nonchalant and hide my emotions like you do Elijah. I want Melanie to know how I feel about her. I’m not afraid of embarrassing or exposing myself to girls like you are. I feel bad for you Elijah because no girl is ever going to love you because you’re a coward that doesn’t know how to take a chance on love. It’s pathetic and sad.”
Elijah is a little hurt by Dylan’s insulting words, but he gives a chuckle and responds, “You know what, have fun on your date? It does take a lot of dedication and wasted time to be obsessed with a girl that doesn’t want you. In fact, you give everyone here at Sam’s Club something to laugh about. It’s funny, for four months, you’ve been harassing a newly single mother that recently lost her husband. You’ve been making things uncomfortable for her at work with your stupid gifts that she just throws away in the trash. So, I can’t wait to hear what precious gift you got her for your little date. It should be interesting to hear from her because she does like to talk to me. She’s a real fast responder too, but you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
Dylan is silent and angry. He wants to punch Elijah in the face, but he controls himself. Elijah laughs and walks away. Then, he turns around and yells, “Oh, and happy Halloween, Dylan. Have fun on your little date, you piece of trash.”
Dylan couldn’t believe the words that Elijah spoke to him. A few minutes later, he gets a text from Melanie. He’s excited to see the text message, but he’s disappointed to see that it reads that she won’t be able to have lunch with him because something came up. He doesn’t understand. Dylan asks why she has to cancel, but there is no response. Ten minutes later, he clocks in. As he’s walking to the backroom, he stumbles upon Melanie. She arrives an hour early to work, and Dylan sees this as the opportunity to get close to her. Dylan says hi to Melanie, and she replies hi back. Then, she asks Dylan if Elijah talked to him, and he responds, “Kind of, but look. I actually got you a present that I think you’ll love.”
Before Melanie could object, Dylan begs her to see the present he has for her. She says fine, and he rushes to his locker to get the roses and the special present for her. Dylan makes it back to Melanie as she groans at the roses and present. Dylan tells her that she’ll really like this present if she just gave it a chance. Melanie sighs, takes the presents and opens it up. When she opens it, her mouth drops. She can’t believe the present that Dylan gave her. She simply responds, “Oh my God.”
This is the end of “The White Mask: Part Five.”
The next day, on a Sunday, Dylan goes to work with the white mask on his mind. He didn’t touch it at all, and it’s still sitting on his table. While he’s working at Sam’s Club, Dylan contemplates if murdering Dan is the only way he can be with Melanie. He also wonders if he can completely trust Cupid. He wants to know Cupid’s motives with him and the white mask. What reason does Cupid have to giving Dylan such a powerful, frightening mask? What does he gain out of Dylan killing Melanie’s husband? These questions and many more plagued Dylan’s mind at work.
At around lunch time, Dylan decides to have lunch with Elijah. They decide to drive to McDonald’s and eat there. As they’re driving in separate cars to McDonald’s, Dylan looks at his phone and wonders why Melanie hasn’t responded to any of his text messages from yesterday. Dylan prays that everything is alright with Melanie, and he hopes that she’ll respond soon.
Dylan and Elijah make it to McDonald’s and park right next to each other. As they’re getting out, Elijah comments, “Bro, I just realized that we could’ve just taken one car or something, instead of driving separately.”
Dylan laughs and agrees. Elijah looks at Dylan’s car and notices the red roses in the car. Elijah smiles and says, “So, I’m guessing your date didn’t like the roses, then?”
Dylan didn’t understand Elijah’s comments, until he sees the four red roses in the backseat of his car. Dylan remembers how Melanie couldn’t really accept them because her husband wouldn’t appreciate them, but she loved them. Dylan knows that. Dylan tells Elijah to shut up, and Elijah teases Dylan for getting his date flowers. Elijah sees that his teasing is bothering Dylan, and he quickly stops and apologizes. They just head inside, order some food and get a table. While they’re sitting down and eating, there’s a few minutes of silence. Then, Elijah says, “So, who did you go out on a date with yesterday?”
Dylan is a little surprised with this question, and he’s not sure if he should tell Elijah about his relationship with Melanie. He’ll have too many questions, and Dylan just doesn’t want to be bombarded with them. At the same time, Dylan does need some advice, and maybe Elijah can help with that. Dylan decides that he wants to tell Elijah about his relationship with Melanie. Dylan says, “Alright, I’ll tell you who I went out with, but you have to promise not to say anything about it to anyone.”
Elijah promises not to say anything, and Dylan tells Elijah that he had a date with Melanie. Dylan goes into detail about their date yesterday. He talks about how they connected and how he thinks that they’re ready to take things to the next level. After hearing everything, Elijah says, “Ok cool, um yeah, I love Melanie. She’s so awesome and cool, but are you sure that you want to be involved with someone that’s married? I mean, I know her husband is an abusive piece of trash, and she hates him, but she’s still a married woman. Are you sure about her? ”
Dylan quickly responds that he is absolutely sure about Melanie, and he’s ready to take things to the next level. Elijah understands and responds, “Ok, I feel you. Now based on what you told me, are you sure that you went out on a date with Melanie?”
Dylan is confused and asks for Elijah to explain. Elijah explains how it kind of just sounds like Dylan and Melanie just had lunch together, and it wasn’t necessarily a date for her. Dylan gets defensive and responds, “No, it was a date, Elijah. Yeah, we only spent an hour together, but it was special with her. I got her roses, I opened doors for her, I paid for her fries and we connected like crazy yesterday. It was a date, Elijah.”
Elijah decides to not argue with him anymore, and he says, “Ok cool. And yesterday was when you got her number too, right?”
Dylan says yes, and Elijah could see that his questions were bothering Dylan. So, Elijah says, “Hey man, I’m proud of you for going on a date with Melanie and getting her number. You’re doing good, man. So, how’s the texting been? What have you two been talking about?”
Dylan thanks Elijah for his kind words and tells him that she hasn’t responded to his messages. Dylan looks defeated, and Elijah adds, “You know, she’s probably just really busy right now. Plus, Melanie and her daughter are in Ohio visiting her sister. I think Dan stayed here, and Melanie and her daughter should be back on Tuesday.”
Dylan asks Elijah how he knows that, and Elijah explains that he saw it on Facebook. Melanie and Elijah are friends on Facebook. Melanie had taken some photos and posted some this morning. Elijah gets his phone out and shows Melanie’s pictures to Dylan. Dylan looks at the time these photos were posted, and he sees that they were posted in the morning and afternoon. Then, Dylan wonders why Melanie didn’t respond to his messages, but she was able to just post on Facebook. It isn’t right to Dylan. Why couldn’t she respond to his messages?
Elijah sees the concern on Dylan’s eyes, and he’s compelled to tell him something. He asks Dylan if he can be real with him. Dylan reluctantly gives permission for Elijah to be real for him, so Elijah says, “Look, man, I just don’t think that she’s into you at all. I think that she just mostly sees you as a friend, and I think it would be better for you two to just be friends because you two work together and she’s married. Plus, I know there’s someone better out there for you. Better than Melanie, I promise you. You just have to be patient.”
Dylan rolls his eyes and says, “Be patient? Elijah, I’m 30 years old and the clock’s ticking for me. I need someone in my life right now, and I know that that someone is Melanie. I want to shower her with gifts and flowers, and I want to be her knight in shining armor. I want to give her all my love. I love her.”
“Really? You love her after one date,” Elijah says.
“Yes, I do. And I don’t expect you to understand because you’ve never been in love before. You don’t what love’s like. It’s beautiful, it’s crazy, it’s…murderous.”
Elijah is confused with Dylan saying “love is murderous,” but he shakes the thought out of his head. Then, he says, “Look, I understand that love is whatever, but all I’m saying is—
Dylan interrupts, “And all I’m saying is I don’t want anymore advice from you, and we should just eat and change the subject.”
Elijah shakes his head and changes the subject.
They eventually leave McDonald’s and head back to work.
After work, Dylan heads home and thinks about Melanie. He has to save her from the monster that is Dan. Dylan has to show Melanie that he would do anything for her. He wants their relationship to blossom into something deep, meaningful and wonderful. How could he do such a thing?
When he arrives home, he opens the door and immediately sees the white mask. Then, he sees a figure sitting next to the white mask on the couch. Dylan squints and discovers that it’s Cupid sitting in the chair next to the white mask. It’s dark as usual with a little light from a lamp next to Cupid. Dylan tries to turn the lights on, but Cupid stops him. Cupid says, “Please, Dylan, I’m actually more comfortable in the dark, so I would prefer for the lights to still be off with the exemption of the lamp, if that’s okay with you?”
Dylan understands, and Cupid motions for Dylan to have a seat next to him. He slowly comes over to Cupid and sits down next to him. “Yeah, that’s fine. But dude, I thought you were giving me another day to think about wearing the white mask.”
Cupid smiles and says, “I was, I was, but an opportunity presented itself for you that you have no idea about.”
Dylan asks to hear about this new opportunity, and Cupid explains that tomorrow would be the perfect time to kill Dan. It is the perfect opportunity for Dylan because him and Dan will be off tomorrow, and Melanie and her daughter will be far away and won’t be back till Tuesday. Dylan says, “Ok, but how am I gonna figure out where Dan lives, the right way to kill him and when to kill him?”
Cupid chuckles and tilts his head to the right. Then, he responds, “Well, that’s the beauty of the white mask. It will amplify your abilities and motivate you to figure out whatever your true heart desires. It will do the work for you. All you must do is trust the mask.”
Cupid grabs the white mask on the table, holds it in his hand and simply tells Dylan to take it. Dylan is scared to cross a line with the white mask, but he knows that killing Dylan is the only way for him and Melanie to be together. Dylan grabs the white mask and tries to put it on, but Cupid stops him. He tells Dylan to remember to face a mirror when putting on the mask. Dylan tries to get up, but Cupid doesn’t allow it. Then, Cupid gets really close to Dylan. Dylan grins and says, “You can simply use the reflection in my red sunglasses to put on the white mask. It’s really more convenient and better for you.”
Cupid stares into the eyes of Dylan, smiles and whispers, “Just simply look into my eyes. And remember you need to save Melanie from Dan. You must do this.”
Dylan takes a deep breathe and asks again if he’ll remember anything, and Cupid assures Dylan that as long as he faces a mirror and/or a reflection, he should be fine. Cupid adds, “It will literally be like two seconds for you, when you wear the white mask in front of a mirror. Also, you can decide if you want it to be visible or invisible to people.”
Dylan’s heart is pumping, and he’s not sure if he’s ready to do such a thing. However, he’s ready to provide a better life for Melanie. He looks into Cupid’s sunglasses, and there’s some sort of weird feeling he gets. Dylan’s not so sure about it. He starts shaking, and Cupid smiles and whispers, “Relax, Dylan. You’re gonna be fine. I guarantee it. Just let it happen.”
The shaking continues for Dylan and pain starts to well up in Dylan’s chest. He’s never felt such pain before. Cupid only smiles and gets closer. Dylan tries to look into Cupid’s eyes, but he can’t see them. Instead, he sees something sinister in Cupid. Cupid laughs and says, “You need to focus on your reflection. Otherwise this won’t work. Put on the white mask now. It’s the only way to ease the pain now.”
Without hesitation, Dylan puts on the white mask.
A few seconds later for Dylan, he takes the white mask off. He finds himself sitting on his couch, and he notices that his hands are stained with blood. Dylan also discovers that he has a new change of clothes. Dylan gets his phone out and sees that it’s Tuesday, exactly 3:00 a.m. He doesn’t remember anything that’s happened, and it’s scary to him. Then, he looks to his right, and he sees Cupid sitting next to him with a big smile on his face. Dylan asks him why he’s smiling so much. Cupid’s smile widens, and he responds, “You did it. You actually did it. You crazy lunatic. You killed Dan.”
This is the end of “The White Mask: Part Four.”
Be sure to like, share and comment your thoughts on this short story.
The man in the red suit tells Dylan that his name is Cupid, and he’s here to help him. After a few seconds of silence, Dylan looks to his right and sees his shotgun near his coat rack. Cupid discovers where Dylan’s eyes are looking. He gives a devilish smile and whispers, “I wouldn’t advise shooting me. You could damage your furniture.”
Dylan didn’t care to think about Cupid’s words, he reaches down for his shotgun. He grabs it, turns the safety off, cocks it and says, “Alright pal, you got five seconds to get out of my house before I shoot you. I don’t want no trouble, you hear?”
Cupid laughs and says, “Alright, I’m leaving. Don’t need to get your panties in a twist. But before I go, don’t you want to know how I can help you?”
“Not interested, pal. Just get out of my house,” Dylan says.
Cupid laughs and says, “I promise I’ll get out, but I have an interesting proposition that I think you would like to hear. Why it’s about your beloved Melanie.”
Dylan didn’t understand how Cupid could possibly know about Melanie. However, he was interested in learning more about what Cupid knows. He starts lowering his shotgun and relaxes. Then, he asks Cupid what all he knows about him and Melanie. Cupid smiles and says, “Oh, I know everything about you two love birds.”
Cupid goes on to explain how he knows that Dylan has been in love with Melanie for about a year now. Also, Melanie and Dylan had just gone on their date today, and Dylan had just gotten Melanie’s number. Dylan is stunned by Cupid’s knowledge of his relationship with Melanie. It’s surprising to him, and he asks, “So, are you actually the Cupid? The Cupid, the angel or god of love?”
Cupid chuckles and responds, “In a way, but I’d like to think of myself as the god of passion/desire, if you will. That’s my area of expertise, honestly.”
Dylan nods his head and Cupid continues, “Enough about me, let’s talk about the solution that I have to unite you and Melanie together.”
Dylan is still hesitant with Cupid, and he doesn’t know if he can trust him. He asks Cupid why is he wearing red sunglasses in this dark room. Cupid smiles and whispers, “Let’s just say, these sunglasses help me see things and people more clearly. Now, can I please tell you my solution to your problem?”
Dylan still isn’t sure, but he decides to hear Cupid out. Cupid smiles and says, “It’s quite simple really. All you have to do is kill Melanie’s husband.”
This comes as a surprise to Dylan. He starts laughing, and Cupid joins in with the laughter. After a few seconds of laughter, Cupid quickly stops smiling and laughing. He just stares at Dylan. Dylan is filled with fear now, and he asks if Cupid is serious about murdering Dan. Cupid tilts his head to the right and says, “Why wouldn’t I be serious? Melanie can’t leave or divorce Dan. You have to know that killing him is the only way for her to be free of Dan’s torment and in your arms.”
“That’s just crazy! That’s ridiculous!” Dylan yells.
Cupid giggles, tilts his head to the left and responds, “I know. However, the greatest love story of all time is crazy and ridiculous.”
Dylan has this confused look on his face and Cupid continues, “It involves two, young hopeless romantics who fell in love with each other at first sight. Their love led to lies, deception, and most importantly murder. It ended with the star-crossed lover killing themselves because they couldn’t live without each other. Do you know the story that I’m talking about?”
Dylan knows this story all too well, and he whispers, “Romeo and Juliet.”
“Yes, Romeo and Juliet. Why, isn’t Melanie your Juliet?” Cupid asks.
Dylan sighs and responds, “She is my Juliet, but—
Cupid interrupts and asks, “And would you not kill for the woman that you love with all your heart?”
Dylan nods his head without hesitation and Cupid says, “Melanie is wondering where her Romeo is. Why aren’t you there for her? You’re her Romeo, are you not?”
Dylan says, “I am her Romeo, but love is—
“Love is crazy. Love is ridiculous. Love is passionate. Love is murderous,” Cupid interrupts.
There’s a long silence between Cupid and Dylan. Dylan knows that killing Dan is crazy, but it makes so much sense to him. However, he could never do such a thing, even if he wanted to. He couldn’t go through with killing Dan. Cupid knows what Dylan is thinking and whispers, “Dylan, what if I gave you the ultimate tool to kill Dan with ease? In fact, what if I told you that there was a way for you to not remember killing him in the first place?”
Before Dylan can say anything, Cupid puts something white on the coffee table. Then, he brings a lamp closer to the table and shines the light on this sinister-looking white mask. The white mask has evil eyes, sharp teeth and a sinister smile. It isn’t scary to Dylan, but it’s rather comforting to him. He walks closer to the table and reaches to touch it, however he’s stopped by Cupid. Cupid says, “Wait, let me tell you about this mask before you go and put it on.”
Dylan stops himself from touching the mask and listens to what Cupid has to say. “Now, this mask will give you the drive, the determination and the motivation to do what’s necessary,” Cupid says.
“Okay, that’s kind of a little vague. But how am I not going to remember what I did?” Dylan asks.
“It’s quite simple really, all you have to do is put the mask on in front of a mirror. As long as you put it on in front of a mirror, you’ll be fine and forget whatever deed you commit once the mask is off. Think of a mirror as a protective blanket from the white mask. But be warned Dylan, if you forget to put on the white mask in front of a mirror, then you will be lost forever wearing the white mask,” Cupid explains.
The last part scares Dylan. He’s still not sure if it’s necessary to murder Dan. Cupid smiles and says, “I tell you what. I’ll give you two days to determine if you want to utilize the white mask or not. If you don’t want it on day two, then I’ll just take it back it’s that simple. What do you say?”
Dylan isn’t sure. Cupid adds, “I promise, I’m only trying to help you get the girl. Nothing more.”
“I guess wouldn’t hurt to think about it some more,” Dylan says.
“Excellent! Then, I guess I’ll see you again soon,” Cupid smiles and whispers.
Cupid leaves the white mask on the table and walks past Dylan. Dylan manages to get a little look at Cupid, but not enough to see his face in the dark room. Then, Cupid opens the door, looks at Dylan, smiles and says, “You know, I am rooting for you, Dylan. I’m honestly just dying to see a sweet, hopeless romantic like yourself get the girl.”
Before Dylan can say anything, Cupid goes out and disappears into the night. Now, Dylan is alone with the white mask.
This is the end of “The White Mask: Part Three.”
Be sure to like, share and comment your thoughts on this short story.
I will be sharing and posting “The White Mask: Part Four” Saturday on the Warfield Zone.
Melanie is just so gorgeous to Dylan. Despite being in her uniform, Melanie is just irresistible to Dylan. He can’t help but look at her cherry, red lips and her long, brown hair just draped on her shoulders. She has the prettiest smile to Dylan, and it always seems to melt his heart. Her light brown eyes are intoxicating and hypnotizing to his soul. Melanie is short and skinny, and it’s perfect for Dylan. Melanie is Dylan’s perfect angel that he will gladly worship and adore on his date with her.
Dylan rushes to the other side of his car to open up the passenger door for Melanie. She’s surprised by the this and remarks, “Wow, such a gentleman, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it, my lady,” Dylan cheerfully says.
Melanie steps inside the car, and Dylan runs to the driver side of his car. He gets in and presents the roses to Melanie from behind his back. “These are for you, my lady,” Dylan says.
“Oh, these are lovely…um thank you,” Melanie responds.
The hesitation bothers Dylan, and Melanie quickly adds, “They’re absolutely lovely, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that I know that my husband will get a little mad and jealous if he sees these flowers, so I’m probably just gonna have to keep them in my car and let them die.”
Dylan is devastated that Melanie can’t take care of the roses or fully accept them. Melanie sees the disappointed look and says, “But I do appreciate the sweet gesture, bro. These are beautiful. You’re such a good friend.”
Dylan perks up a little bit because Melanie appreciated the sweet gesture of the roses. He knew he didn’t mess up with getting Melanie roses. So, Dylan smiles and says, “It was my pleasure, my lady. Now let’s go get something to eat.”
He has his energy again, and he’s ready to kick off his date with Melanie. He starts the car and drives them both to Chick-Fil-A.
As they’re driving, Dylan asks Melanie how things are with her husband. Melanie replies, “Still a disaster. I still hate him and can’t stand him. I just want to divorce him, but I can’t. I hate Dan.”
Dylan knew this all too well. He knows that Melanie’s husband, Dan, is physically abusive towards. In fact, everyone at Sam’s Club knew this because she would always talk about it with coworkers. He’s 6’4”, overweight and 20 years older than Melanie. He would slap her, push her, kick her and punch her almost daily. Melanie always has to wear makeup to cover up the fresh bruises and cuts her husband would give her. It hurt Dylan to see his precious angel take such an abuse from a monster. She was young and naïve to get with him in the first place at the age of 20, Dylan thinks to himself. She needs to be saved from him.
It only takes a few minutes to get to Chick-Fil A because they’re so close to it. When they park, Melanie tries to open up the door, but Dylan stops her. He insists on opening the door for her. He gets out of his car, rushes to the passenger side and opens the door for her. They walk together and make it to the entrance. Melanie reaches to open the entrance door, but Dylan stops her because he wants to open the door for her. He does so and there’s another door presented. Melanie reaches to open that door, and Dylan yells for her to stop. Melanie sighs and waits for Dylan to open the door for him. Then, they finally make it inside the restaurant.
They wait in line until it’s eventually their turn. Dylan orders his food and asks Melanie what she wants. She insists on paying for herself, but Dylan is insisting on paying for her. Melanie sighs and says that she’ll just have a large fry. Dylan orders the food, and they find a booth to sit in.
Dylan and Melanie start laughing and talking, and Dylan feels such a strong connection with Melanie. It was real and special to him. Eventually, their food comes, and they start to enjoy it. As they’re eating, Melanie starts talking about her three-year-old daughter Violet. Melanie loves Violet with all her heart and can’t imagine life without her daughter, she explains to Dylan. “Yeah, I just can’t afford to leave Dan. Also, I don’t want Violet to grow up without a father. I want to give her the best life possible. He’s a decent father to her, and I guess that can be good enough for me.”
Dylan shakes his head and says, “I understand that, but is it good for your daughter to see you getting hurt all the time? What example are you setting for your daughter?”
Melanie gets a little uncomfortable and replies, “I don’t have that many options seeing as how I barely have enough money to divorce him. I’m just pretty much stuck with him. It sucks, but it’s just the way it is. I wish there was a way for Dan to be out of my life and somehow have a good life for Violet. But there isn’t a way. Now, we can just please change the subject, I’m tired of talking about my abusive husband.”
Dylan understands and changes the subject. They talk for 40 more minutes, and Melanie realizes that it’s time for them to go back to work. They start gathering their stuff, and they throw their trash away. Dylan tries to open the doors for Melanie, but she opens them on their own. She says, “It’s fine, bro, I got it.”
When they’re outside, Dylan runs past Melanie and opens the door to the passenger side. Melanie sighs and gets in the car. Dylan closes her door, runs to the driver side, gets in and drives back to Sam’s Club. They make it back to work with five minutes to spare. They’re sitting in the car, and Melanie tries to get out. Dylan stops her, and Melanie says, “It’s okay, Dylan, I got it. I’m fully capable up opening my door.”
“Oh okay. Well, I just wanted to let you know that I had a really great time with you, and I definitely would love to do this again,” Dylan says to Melanie.
“Oh yeah, for sure,” Melanie responds.
There’s an awkward silence, and Dylan awkwardly asks, “Hey, um I was…um… wondering if maybe….um… I could have your…um…phone number, possibly?”
Dylan has been meaning to get her number all day, and he was just ready to take the next step with her. Melanie smiles and says, “Yeah sure, bro. Let me just put it in my phone.”
She types his number in her phone and sends him a text message. Before he could say anything, Melanie rushes out the car and yells, “Hurry up, we’re gonna be late clocking in.”
There’s a big smile on Dylan’s face because he had finally gotten Melanie’s number. It’s a dream come true for him. He starts getting out of his car and humming “Singin’ in the Rain.” The date was a success for Dylan, and he couldn’t wait to swoop Melanie off her feet and be her knight in shining armor.
The rest of the day for Dylan goes by fast. He does good work, and he finds himself thinking about his sweet Melanie. Around 8:00, he texts her that he can’t stop thinking about her and is looking forward to seeing her again. There’s no response from her. At 10:00, he texts her, “So, when do you want to have lunch again, Mel? I think the days that we’re working together are on Tuesday and Thursday of next week, so let me know what works for you.”
Again, there’s no response. It bothers Dylan a little that she’s not responding, but he quickly assumes that she’s just busy working. Around 11:00, it’s quitting time for second shift. Dylan rushes to clock out and runs to his car. When he gets in his car, he texts Melanie if she’s alright. He knows that Melanie finished working at 8:30, so it made no sense to him that she wasn’t responding to his text messages.
He drives home worried sick about Melanie. When he makes it home, he thinks about calling her. He opens the door to his house and hears a male, deep voice in his dark house say, “Hello, Dylan.”
This startles Dylan, and he looks around his house to find the person saying hello to him. He can’t see anything, then he hears the sound of his lamp turn on. He looks to the far, left corner of his house and sees a man in a red suit with red sunglasses on. Dylan can’t see his face and his heart is pumping like crazy. Who is this man? Why is he in his house? How did he know his name. So many questions were running in his mind. Then, the man in the red suit smiles and whispers, “Hello, Dylan. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Cupid, and I’m here to help you.”
This is the end of “The White Mask: Part Two.”
Be sure to like, share and comment your thoughts on this short story.
Next week, I will be posting and sharing parts three and four of “The White Mask.”
Last year, I was working a typical, Saturday morning at Sheetz from 6:00 am-2:00 pm. As usual, I was stationed at the front to work the register. Five minutes into my shift, I’m approached by my co-worker Sasha. She asked me if she could talk to me about something important. We’re not really busy early in the morning, so I didn’t have to worry about any customers. I asked her what was up, and she said, “So I have this friend that I was with on Sunday, and she saw a picture of you on Facebook and thought you were cute.”
I giggled, and I asked her how her friend saw a picture of me. Sasha explained that she was just scrolling through Facebook, and her friend Sarah stopped her scrolling when she saw a picture of me. Sasha continued, “Yeah, you were wearing this really nice suit, and you were with your sister and cousin I believe.”
At first, I didn’t know what picture she was talking about, but she showed it to me on her phone. Once I realized the picture, I said, “Oh that picture. Yeah, I was at wedding last week. It was my cousin Dajah’s wedding. I got to be an usher, and I was taking a couple of pictures with my cousin Camilla and my brother Isaac. It was such a beautiful ceremony, and I’m just so happy for my little cousin.”
Before I continue the story, I need to address and help my Facebook stalkers out. So, if you go on my page, which you always do, go on my see all photos tab and click on uploads. Once you click on uploads, click on the first picture of my uploads picture, which should be my profile pic. After that, you just keep swiping left till you reach 50 of 95 and 51 of 95. Or you can just swipe down till you see me in a nice suit with my cousin and brother. Anyways, those are the two pictures that me and Sasha are referring to right now in this story. I just wanted to help y’all out and make y’all’s life a little bit easier. I kind of appreciate you all, hope y’all like them and happy stalking. Now back to the story.
“Aww that’s nice that your young cousin got married and all,” Sasha said.
I replied, “Oh no, she’s older than me. I just call her my little cousin because she’s shorter than me.”
We both laughed, then Sasha talked about her friend was so cute and asked if I was interested in her friend. I asked if she would show me a picture of her, but she refused. She said, “Wow, Isaiah, you can’t trust me when I say that my friend is cute and pretty. I’m hurt.”
I looked at her and said, “Sasha, your friend saw me on Facebook and thought that I was cute. Don’t I deserve the same courtesy? I should see a picture of her and determine if I’m interested in her or not. I mean, I need a little something to work with since she got enough to determine that I was a whole snack for her.”
We both started laughing, and she understood where I was coming from. So, she went on her phone and tried to find a “good” picture of her on her phone. After five minutes, she eventually found a “good” picture of her in her phone and showed it to me. When I first saw the picture, I thought that she was pretty. So, I said, “Alright, she cute. I’m not gonna promise anything, but I’m down to get to know her a little bit and see what’s up. You can just give me her number or something.”
Sasha was happy to hear this and explained that she could give her friend my number. I told her that was fine, and she went back to the kitchen all excited that I would be potentially “talking” to her friend.
After all that, I went back to register. It was around 7:00 am, and it was still a quiet day at Sheetz so far. Then, this old, white man came into the store. He looked like he was in a rush to find some things. He ended up getting a coffee, and a few snacks. After he got all his things, he headed my way to check his things out. He was in a rush, but once he saw me, he started to slow down. Then, he stopped halfway towards me. There was someone behind him, and he politely let that person in front of him. I thought it was really weird because he was in rush, now all of sudden, he was no longer in a rush. It didn’t make sense. After I was done with the customer, I said to the old, white man, “I can take you right here, sir.”
He looked at me with disgust and said, “Bring someone else up to ring me, would you? I don’t want you.”
I was so confused and perplexed as to why he didn’t want me to ring him up. Then, I looked at myself and realized the reason. I sighed and decided to try to call someone up to ring because I wasn’t trying to deal with him. However, I quickly noticed that my headset was off. Before I could turn it on, the old, white man said, “Hurry up, nig….boy.”
I stopped myself from turning on my headset and wondered to myself, “Was this old man really about to call me the n-word?”
Also, it didn’t help that he called me a “boy” either. So, I looked at him and asked him again what he said. He saw how serious I was and said, “Just hurry up, I’m in a rush.”
I responded, “Oh ok.”
Now, I was looking down on my headset and an idea popped in my head. I was thinking to myself that maybe I ask for someone to ring up this old white man, but I don’t turn on my headset. Then, I asked myself, “Do I really want to be that petty and ruin this old man’s day?”
The answer was yes. At this moment, I was gonna be petty-ish with this old man. Why? Because he ruined my day, and I was just gonna return the favor. There was a part of me that wanted to turn the other cheek, but I just couldn’t at this moment. So, I said in my off headset, “Is someone able to ring this person up?”
I knew that no one heard me, but the old man was satisfied. Then, he said, “Yeah, I don’t want you touching my things. I prefer someone else.”
Now, I deal with a lot of racists at Sheetz, but this one right here was the most ridiculous one to me. I didn’t say anything to him after his statement, and I just stocked cigarettes while he was the only person in line.
A few minutes passed, and he was frustrated and growing impatient. I was just standing at the register watching him. He was looking at his watch, and he asked me, “Hey, is someone gonna come up and ring me or not, boy?”
Again, he called me “boy” and it just made me chuckle a little bit because I could feel the anger in his voice. I smiled, looked at him and said, “Oh, I don’t know what’s going on. They might’ve just forgotten about you, but I’ll ask again.”
So, I asked again on my off headset if someone would ring up the old man.
Ten minutes passed, and this old, white man was still waiting for someone other than me to ring him. He was determined to have his stuff rung up by a white person, and it was honestly pathetic and shameful to me.
All of a sudden, he yelled, “This is ridiculous! I have been waiting here for service for 15 minutes and no one is trying to ring me up! Where’s your manager, boy?”
I just looked at him and shrugged my shoulders. I decided not to say anything anymore because I just wanted him gone at that point, and it was nice to see that he had reached his breaking point. Then, he said, “Are you gonna answer me, boy?”
I smiled, chuckled and shrugged my shoulders again. He was really angry that I wasn’t answering his questions, and he ended up just going to the kitchen. He demanded that someone ring him up. My co-worker Mark was coming up to the register, but then he saw me. Then, he said, “Oh, Isaiah can ring you up, sir. He can take—
The old man interrupted, “I don’t want that…that….just ring me up, will ya?”
Mark ended up ringing up all his stuff. When he was close to being done, I looked down at my headset and said, “Oh my headset isn’t on. That’s why you guys couldn’t hear me.”
I started laughing, but the old man was fuming. After Mark was done bagging his things, the old man snatched his bag. He looked at me and said, “I’m never coming back here as long as you’re here.”
Before I could say anything, he stormed out of Sheetz. I laughed at him, and Mark asked me how come he didn’t want me to ring him up. I said, “I don’t know, man. I don’t know.”
Sadly, I guess some things are hard to let go of in this world.
This is the end of the short story “Another Petty-ish Moment.”
Be sure to like, share and comment your thoughts on this short story.
Next week, I will be posting and sharing parts one and two of the six-part horror story “The White Mask.”
Hey y’all, sorry that it’s been a minute since I posted on the Warfield Zone. I found myself needing to take a little break and focus on my senior year of college, my relationship with God and other things as well. Anyways, I’m back, and I’m ready to share some of my stories with you all. A story that comes to mind and kind of connects with another story that I will be sharing this week as well is “The Old Man at the Beach.”
This summer, my family and I took a trip to Virginia Beach. It was the end of June, and it was exciting for me because I had never been to Virginia Beach. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew that I was gonna have a great time with my family. Also, I made sure to bring my camera with me as well because I knew that I could get a lot of great pictures for my photography shop Eyes Haven’t Seen. For me, it was gonna be a very productive vacation.
My family and I would be in Virginia Beach for a couple of days, and it consisted of us making a lot of great memories with each other. However, one day spent at the beach is where I would meet an interesting, old man.
It was a hot, summer day at Virginia Beach. My family and I were excited to go to the beach and enjoy the sand, the sun and the ocean. The weather was a perfect 90 degrees. I remember the wind blowing perfectly and the ocean looking so pretty. Luckily, my family and I found a great spot on the beach to claim, chill and relax. I had my Canon E0S Rebel T6 with me, so I knew that I was gonna take some amazing pictures. I had on a T-shirt, swim trunks and sandals. I decided to take my shirt off and go take some pictures. I told my mom that I was just gonna roam around the beach and take some pictures. My mom said alright, and I went to take some pictures.
As I was walking around the beach taking photos, I realized that I had left my phone with my family. At first, I was thinking about going back to get it, but then I thought that it wasn’t necessary because I wasn’t going to be gone too long. Sadly, I was wrong.
I was taking pictures, and I saw that I was kind of far away from my family. I was thinking about being done taking photographs and heading back to my family, but I thought that I could use a hundred more photographs in my camera.
Anyways, I’m taking more pics in an area that has a few people in it. There’s a guy sitting down on a bench and another guy is just standing and looking at the ocean view. While I’m still taking pictures, I’m approached by this old, black man. He was wearing some shades, a hat, a nice watch, pink shorts and some sandals. He had a fat belly and a little white beard. Anyways, he came over to me and asked if I wanted to take some pictures of him. I told him that I was fine, but then he got a little closer to me. He asked again if I was sure, and I told him again that I was fine. He was uncomfortably close to me, and I kind of felt trapped. Then, he said, “Can I just say that you are a very handsome, young man? Also, very strong. Do you work out a lot?”
Before I could answer, he ended up touching my arms and shoulders. He even patted my stomach a little and said, “Oh yeah, you definitely work out a lot.”
He ended up laughing, and I laughed a little and said, “No, just a little. I just work out like two or three times a week.”
He started laughing, but I kind of just gave a chuckle. I was really nervous and uncomfortable with him, and I just really wanted him to give me some space and to stop touching me. I tried to walk away, but then he said, “Hey, do you wanna smoke some weed with me? It’s back at my car, and it’s some good stuff.”
I replied, “Oh no thank you, I don’t smoke weed.”
I chuckled, but he walked up on me all serious and said, “Don’t you lie to me. I know you smoke weed. I can see it in your eyes. Why don’t you wanna smoke with me?”
I took a step back because he was really close to me, and I said, “Again, sir, I don’t smoke weed.”
“Why are you lying to me? I know you like weed. There’s no way that you don’t smoke weed. I don’t believe it,” he said.
He was still looking serious, and I was still a little scared. He just seemed very insulted that I didn’t want to smoke with him, so I said, “Yeah sir, I don’t smoke weed. Also, I’m vacationing with my family and—
“Oh, I know. I saw you with your family. You’re family is quite lovely. When I saw you walking away from them with your camera, I was hoping to bump into you,” the old man interrupted.
That was kind of a little creepy and stalker-ish to me. I just wanted to get away from him, but I couldn’t. We ended up talking another ten minutes just about each other, and I just really wished that I had my phone with me. I would’ve used it to call my mom or something. Anyways, we ended up talking about music and the instruments we played. I told him how I played the drums, and he explained that he played seven different instruments. Then, he pointed in the opposite direction and explained that his house wasn’t too far from here. He said, “If you want, we can go back to my place, have a little jam session cause I have a lot of instruments with me and maybe smoke some weed.”
He was so adamant about smoking weed with me, and it just made me uncomfortable. I really just wanted to get away from him. Then, he abruptly asked me if I was seeing someone. I quickly responded, “Yes sir, I am seeing someone. An amazing girl that I’m just so in love with right now.”
Then, he said, “Aww that’s sweet, what’s her name and what’s she like?”
Now, there wasn’t a girl that I was deeply in love with at all in my life. I was just saying that because it was more convenient to stretch the truth in this situation that I was in with this old man. So, I said, “Yeah, her name is Denise and she’s just the most special girl in my life right now. I couldn’t imagine life without her.”
“Aww that’s sweet, is it new and fresh,” the old man asked.
I said, “Well, kind of. We’ve been together for six months, but I can tell that she’s the one that I’m gonna marry. I’m actually planning on proposing to her soon. I just don’t want to wait any longer with her, and I’m ready to commit to her. I love her with all my heart. Also, she’s kind of my weed partner in crime.”
We both laughed, and he said, “Aww, so that’s why you don’t wanna smoke with me. Do you have any pictures of her?”
I replied, “Yeah, I have lots of pictures of her and us together, but I don’t have my phone with me. Otherwise, I would show you all the pictures.”
We ended up talking a little more with each other, but he eventually had to leave. I was relieved, and I ended up rushing back to my family. I told my mom what happened, and she was happy to know that I was safe and away from the old man.
This is the end of “The Old Man at the Beach.”
The Warfield Zone 