Here the nominees of Best Shortstory can post excerpts from their work!

Nominees:

• Songbird - Bruisesfade
• Careless Whispers – Mena
• Entertain me – Aurora
• The Curse of the Kajali - CatwomanWBB

[Edited to add:] Let me remind you of the rule to stay UNDER 600 words!

xxx

Entertain Me


Drop drop drop

Oh holy mother of God, can someone turn off the rain for me please? Hm, I think I might even have said that out loud in complete and utter frustration. Not that it matters though, because Heath is still flipping pages every once in a while, totally oblivious to my very presence. He probably wouldn’t even notice if I did a striptease on the table now. God, it should be illegal to be this bored. Lalala. And the problem is that Heath doesn’t even bother to entertain me the way he usually does. All he does is sitting there on one of our IKEA chairs at one of our IKEA tables with an undoubtedly hell of a boring book closed in one of his elegant hands, eyes shifting at a dazzling speed while he reads. The egocentric wanker. If I didn’t love him so much, I would have poked him in the eye.

Isn’t it totally wrong that he prefers Franz Kafka over me, whoever that is? I mean, I know I wouldn’t spend such a godawful long time reading some dreadful novel, especially when I got a pretty and sexy boyfriend watching me from the couch. He’s reading for exactly 42 minutes and 29 seconds now. 42 Minutes and 29 seconds in which I haven’t got even the tiniest bit of attention. Is it too much to ask to be even looked at every once in a while? I always tend to become a teeny tiny bit – or as Dom would say in his fake posh British accent: tre-men-dous-ly – annoying when I’m bored and/or ignored. I fear this time won’t be an exception. I’m an attention-whore, what can I say?


I cough. A very nice polite cough, one I frequently use in shops to make my presence known to the cash-girl who, like every cashier nowadays, is often involved in matters that are apparently more important than helping a very friendly and not to mention quite attractive young man who is still in the prime of his life. So, like I said, I cough, softly, subtly.

Seconds pass. No reaction.

Determined, I cough again, a bit louder this time, a bit more of the attention-whorish kind, looking at my bespectacled lover in anticipation. He’s still busy reading and even busier with his new favourite pastime, i.e. Ignoring Bored Orlando’s.

In complete despair, I cough so loud that I’m actually doubling up on the couch with a sore throat and painful stomach. When I hopefully peek across the back of said couch, my eyes are greeted by the sight of a frowning Heath, who is, surprise surprise, imperturbably continuing his reading. Damn it, I could die of acute pneumonia and he would never know.

I hate shorties with twists. If you post the end, it's disappointing. If you do not, it's nonsense. Gah, distressss!! :cry:


"But Orlando! It's nonsense! Just because I got married, I won't disappear from your life!" she pulls me closer, in a sympathetic effort to comfort me.
(…)
Her eyes glow bigger and bigger in the drunkard light of my imagination, her cruel body pressing against mine, hearts beating in unison, music sucking away my will, jasmine scent so strong that it is not an evanescent fragrance anymore, but an addictive moisture pouring on my face like honey.
I feel my body reacting in the way I'm fearing the most, I am aware I'm getting harder and if I don't push her away she'll realize it too…
I struggle in her embrace but she grips my hips, pushing herself against me, and it's already too late: her eyes wide, lips part and blood colours her cheeks, a shiver quaking her body with an intensity that mine ends up sharing.
"Orlando?" she calls, leashing her unsteady breath.
Say what you have to say, stupid, instinct driven man! (…), set her free for good, because you cannot have her now and you never will!
"I'm sorry love… I am… a bit tired." I part from her, my heart and body and mind screaming for the pain. "Maybe you should go and dance with your husband now."
(…)
She smiles weakly, slightly turning away from me.
I could make love to you right here, right now…
"Ursi?" I call softly. "I hope you'll live happy, everafter." I whisper.
A voluntary feigned careless whisper.
She tosses me a flashing smile, turning away and leaving me alone on the dance floor.
I watch her moving smoothly among the guests, love and need and lust for her still making my limbs growling, and at the same time I hate her now, I hate her because I know she read my mind, but voluntary ignored my body language and the crazy thumping of my heart, to focus on the only thing she wanted: my careless whisper that released her from me, forever.
She rejected me, and I hate her now. But still, I cannot but loving her helplessly and sickly, in my perverted, morbid and totally wrong personal hell.
I scroll my head to kick frustration away, when suddenly I sense a fresh hand on my shoulder.
"Mum!" I call cheerfully embracing the woman who stopped by my side. She hugs me quickly, tossing me a warm smile.
"I saw you and Ursi dancing together." she says quietly, her eyes looking for the bride in the dim room, scented, intoxicating jasmine of mine.
(…)
"You were so kind to come, Orlando. I know how busy you are right now. But it was important that you were here… I really appreciate it."
I answer to my mother in the way I am supposed to do, my eyes still digging deep into hers, and I sense that inside me something has just died.
"You are my mother, and Ursi is my sister. I just could not miss her wedding."

The end

CURSE OF THE KAHALI




He couldn't remember a time when he was in this much pain. Almost every muscle in his body screamed in protest when he moved. He could feel the bubbling water all around him, warm and fragrant, and that seemed to helping, especially when it was applied to his tender joints.

She admired his stamina, sexually as well as physically. Some men bruised heavily around the joints, where others, like the beautiful man in her arms, bruised lightly. One of the men came in with a tray containing the things she requested, and left quickly at her request.

He could feel fingers massaging his shoulder, which felt good until the fingers rubbed a spot that was so sore, it felt like someone stuck a hot knife in it. He gasped and moaned, when he heard a voice say,

"I'm sorry luv. I know you're hurting. Try and relax and let the bath do it's work."

The voice was very familiar to him, but he couldn't place it. When he tried to open his eyes, he was surprised when he found he could keep them open. He looked around and saw that he was in a large bathroom full of candles, and dim light. He opened his mouth to talk, but nothing came out but a dry croak.

He looked at the hands that bathed him, and beheld long tapering fingers, the nails long, painted a pale lavender color. He remembered those hands, but his mind was in such a fog holding a thought was almost impossible. He tried moving even though he knew it would hurt, and felt a pair of legs surrounding him. He felt the gentle hands still caressing him, and he could feel her breasts pressing into his back. He tried to move, and though he hurt he had to see who was holding him.
She pressed him back and said.

"Do lie still luv. You wouldn't be able to stand unassisted, and I know all this moving around is hurting you. Please trust me and relax."

"Who are you?" He finally managed to get out.

She kissed his temple. "It's Andrea luv. Can you drink this tea for me?"

He was finally starting to remember his evening with her. Her demanding kiss, the feel of her hands, and the unbelieveable head she had given him.

He carefully took the cup of tea from her, and sipped it. Definately herbal, with a soothing fragrance. It was just what he needed. It helped him to relax, and he cradled his head against her shoulder. The hand that held the cup started to shake, and when she leaned down to steady his hand, he turned his face toward hers, and saw that it was indeed Andrea. She smiled at him.

"Can you do one more thing for me?" He sighed and nodded. "Take these pain pills. It will make you feel a whole lot better."

He still hadn't remembered that she had drugged him, so he took the pills without question, and drank the rest of his tea. She refilled his cup, and asked him to drink more. He did.

The hot bubbling water felt so good, and was doing such a good job of easing his pain, the feel of her breasts pushing into his back, and the gentle caress of her hands made him feel a bit more secure. The longer he lay there the stronger he felt.

"Andrea?"

"Yes luv?"

"Did we have sex?"

He felt the need to ask these questions, as his relaxed state deepened. And he was becoming a bit sleepy.

"Indeed we did." She answered. "And may I say you are an awesome lover."

He smiled up at her, and she could see sleep was coming on him. She must get him out of the tub and into bed while he could stand on his own.

"Ok lover, you and I are starting to prune, so it's time to get out of this tub. Do you think you can stand without help?"

"I think so." She could see him wince, as he stood. When she stood, she quickly got out of the tub and took a hold of him, and helped him out of the tub. She grabbed one of the big fluffy towels and wrapped one around his waist, and another to help dry him off. He was wobbly, but he was able to walk without help, so she grabbed a towel and started to dry herself off. He was headed for the bedroom, she close behind him, when she saw him lurch and sway against the door frame of the bathroom. He lurched a second time, and she grabbed onto his arm.

He couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. The image of a beautiful man beast hovering near him sinking into his body suddenly flashed in his head. Then an image of that beast, a huge muscular creature, ravaging the body of a black haired girl also flashed through his mind. But that beast was him. He was the one who was tearing into that delicate flesh. He shook his head.

"No." He said softly. "I couldn't do anything like that."

Andrea took hold of his arm and lead him to the bed. He sat down.

Another flash hit him. This time he was in the arms of a tiny blond, who was holding him, telling him that she loved him. And....

He looked up at Andrea tears starting to fill his eyes, and roll down his face. They dripped on his hands. He looked down at his hands wondering what these hands did this night. He was becoming so sleepy that it was becoming hard to think.

Andrea sat down next to him, wiping the tears from his face. He look at her.

"What did I do Andrea? Did I do what I think I did?" Fresh tears coursed down his face. Hysteria starting to tinge his voice. "How do I live with this?"

He was starting to sway as the pills and the tea started to take effect. She held him and said.

"Honey, you did nothing wrong. Do you hear me? You did nothing wrong. Come luv. You need to sleep."

She pulled back the covers and made him to lay down. Groaning from the pain he was still feeling, he settled into the bed and shuttered a sigh.

"You sleep now. In the morning I will explain it all to you. This was none of your doing."

It was then he remembered being drugged.

"Why did you drug me Andrea?" He asked lethargically. Before sleep took him he said. "What did I do to make you hate me?"

She stroked his forehead until his regular breathing told her he was asleep. She got up, and picked up the wet towels, and put on a robe. She thought if she kept moving she could push his last question out of her mind far enough, so she wouldn't have to think about it. She turned off the jacuzzi, and drained the water in the tub, then blew out all the candles. As the last candle went out, she stood in the dark where that one question continued to haunt her.

She and her sect, had shattered his life, and he was asking her why she hated him. The truth of what her people had to do to survive, rained down on her and smote her to her knees, where she wept uncontrollably into the wet towels.