- Joined
- Apr 16, 2010
This is a short story I've had floating around my head for a whole and finally buckled down and wrote tonight. I derived a lot of inspiration for it from "Adam's Song" by Blink-182, thus the title and the titular protagonist. This is my first draft, so I'm sure it isn't near perfect. Tell me your thoughts and criticism or just enjoy the read.
It was 6:36. Then it was 6:37. The clock changed, but the world didn't.
Everything stood still as Adam sat on his bed, his father's pistol cocked against his head. A tear lingered on his cheek. He stared into nothingness, then slowly closed his eyes.
* * *
A blur of black was all Adam could see through his squinted, teary eyes. Rain poured, matting his thin black hair to his head. Adam heard a dull voice that seemed distant, despite coming from only a dozen feet in front of him. A marble casket lied on the earth next to the man speaking; the casket contained a thin, pale woman with pallid lips and jet black hair that flowed to her elbows.
With a brief "Amen" that echoed throughout the mob of black, the man's speech ended. Adam felt a comforting hand rest on his shoulder and begin to turn him around. He contemplated telling the woman in the casket goodbye, but he knew it was too late.
* * *
It was 6:37. Then it was 6:38. The clock changed, but the world didn't.
Adam loosened his grip on the pistol and lowered his hand, resting his wrist on his thigh. He dropped his eyes to look at the gun, then closed them.
* * *
Her smile meant everything to him. If she smiled, he did, and if she didn't, he didn't. He gazed into her eyes; they reminded him of rain - soothing Sunday morning rain that the world awakes to and after a minute's though falls back asleep to.
Adam put the photograph on his desk and picked up the poem he had written earlier. He read it and, when finished, tore it to shreds. Adam placed another sheet of paper in front of him, almost shedding a tear as he wrote another poem on it. He picked up the photograph, smiled at her smile, found solace in her eyes, placed it back down, read the new poem, and tore it to shreds.
* * *
It was 6:38. Then it was 6:39. The clock changed, but the world didn't.
Adam stared into the barrel of the pistol. He crossed his eyes as he pressed it against his forehead, and then he closed his eyes again.
* * *
"Look Adam, this is our new house."
"Wow!"
The car pulled into the driveway. Adam and his mom stepped out of the car, and, before Adam could get a better look at the house, a woman and a little girl walked toward them. Adam tried to keep walking, but his mom stopped him.
"Adam, these are our new neighbors. Ashley here will be in your second grade class."
Adam reluctantly turned to look at his neighbors. He immediately froze when he saw her. Ashely smiled, and he couldn't help but smile back. He looked into her eyes and was reminded of rain.
* * *
It was 6:39. Then it was 6:40. The clock changed, but the world didn't.
Adam rested the gun on his bed and lied down. He adjusted his head on his pillow and closed his eyes.
* * *
Adam felt a hand stroke his hair. He opened his eyes as tears rushed down from them.
"Mom, what happens when you die?"
His mom paused for a moment, pensive.
"No one knows for sure, Adam. Most people think you go to Heaven when you die to join all of your friends and family who died before you. That's what I believe."
"But what if you don't go to Heaven?"
Adam's mom paused again.
"I'm going to die before you do, Adam. I won't let it happen the other way around. If Heaven doesn't exist, you'll still have lived a long, happy life. And if Heaven does exist, then I'll be waiting for you."
Adam closed his eyes again.
"Good night, Adam."
"Good night, Mom."
"I love you."
* * *
It was 6:40. Then it was 6:41. The clock changed, but the world didn't.
Tears rushed down Adam's cheeks. He sat up again and hovered his hand over the gun. He shut his eyes abruptly.
* * *
Rain poured onto the cement. Blood spilled from Adam's mouth. His right eye was black and blue. Another punch sent him to the ground. He took a kick to the stomach and rolled over.
"You don't ****ing tell anyone, you understand?"
Then Adam was on the ground alone. A comforting hand touched his shoulder.
"Adam! What happened?!"
Adam couldn't manage any words, but he turned to look at Ashley. Her eyes looked like two more raindrops falling from the clouds above. She smiled, and he couldn't help but smile back.
* * *
It was 6:41. Then it was 6:42. The clock changed, but the world didn't.
Adam snatched the gun furiously and placed it back against the side of his head. His whole body shook with anger. He closed his eyes to try to calm himself.
* * *
Adam stared into Ashley's eyes from across the classroom. The phone rang, but in his daze he could barely hear it. He froze as he noticed Ashley look back at him, and then he noticed the entire class doing the same. He snapped out of his phase and could now hear his teacher say:
"Adam, you need to go down to the main office."
Adam quickly left the classroom and swiftly made his way through the hallways until he reached the office. The secretary directed him to the principal's office.
The principal sat at her desk and looked at Adam with red eyes. Adam sat in the chair opposite of her.
"Adam, there's been an accident."
Adam stared at his principal, puzzled.
"Your mother was on her way to work this morning, and...there was a crash. A drunk driver hit her. It was a hit and run. It happened only minutes ago, so the driver hasn't been found yet."
Adam rested his head in his palms, not knowing how to respond. The room sat silent for what felt like an hour to Adam. Then the silence was broken.
A gunshot echoed throughout the school. It was followed by hundreds of shrieks, then another gunshot.
* * *
It was 6:42. Then it was 6:43. The clock changed, but the world didn't.
Adam held the gun tighter, feeling adrenaline and anger run through his veins. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself one last time.
* * *
Adam heard a knock at the door. He groggily stood up from the couch and opened it. Ashley was crying. She hugged Adam and held him close.
"We're done."
"What happened?"
"He got drunk again," Ashley sobbed. "And he tried to hit me."
Adam tried to think of a response, but he couldn't find anything comforting to say.
"You knew, didn't you? You know he's an alcoholic, but you're too scared to tell anyone because of what happened that day. One day he's gonna kill someone while he's out driving drunk, or try to attack me again, and I hope you know it's your fault."
Ashley briskly walked away, crying even harder. Adam wanted to follow her, but he knew she was right. He took one last look at her as she rushed into her house and slammed her door shut, then Adam slowly closed his.
* * *
It was 6:43. Then it was 6:44. The clock changed, and so did the world.
Adam choked back a sob. It was his fault. His fear cost them their lives. So without any fear, he took his own.
* * *
It was 6:36. Then it was 6:37. The clock changed, but the world didn't.
Everything stood still as Adam sat on his bed, his father's pistol cocked against his head. A tear lingered on his cheek. He stared into nothingness, then slowly closed his eyes.
* * *
A blur of black was all Adam could see through his squinted, teary eyes. Rain poured, matting his thin black hair to his head. Adam heard a dull voice that seemed distant, despite coming from only a dozen feet in front of him. A marble casket lied on the earth next to the man speaking; the casket contained a thin, pale woman with pallid lips and jet black hair that flowed to her elbows.
With a brief "Amen" that echoed throughout the mob of black, the man's speech ended. Adam felt a comforting hand rest on his shoulder and begin to turn him around. He contemplated telling the woman in the casket goodbye, but he knew it was too late.
* * *
It was 6:37. Then it was 6:38. The clock changed, but the world didn't.
Adam loosened his grip on the pistol and lowered his hand, resting his wrist on his thigh. He dropped his eyes to look at the gun, then closed them.
* * *
Her smile meant everything to him. If she smiled, he did, and if she didn't, he didn't. He gazed into her eyes; they reminded him of rain - soothing Sunday morning rain that the world awakes to and after a minute's though falls back asleep to.
Adam put the photograph on his desk and picked up the poem he had written earlier. He read it and, when finished, tore it to shreds. Adam placed another sheet of paper in front of him, almost shedding a tear as he wrote another poem on it. He picked up the photograph, smiled at her smile, found solace in her eyes, placed it back down, read the new poem, and tore it to shreds.
* * *
It was 6:38. Then it was 6:39. The clock changed, but the world didn't.
Adam stared into the barrel of the pistol. He crossed his eyes as he pressed it against his forehead, and then he closed his eyes again.
* * *
"Look Adam, this is our new house."
"Wow!"
The car pulled into the driveway. Adam and his mom stepped out of the car, and, before Adam could get a better look at the house, a woman and a little girl walked toward them. Adam tried to keep walking, but his mom stopped him.
"Adam, these are our new neighbors. Ashley here will be in your second grade class."
Adam reluctantly turned to look at his neighbors. He immediately froze when he saw her. Ashely smiled, and he couldn't help but smile back. He looked into her eyes and was reminded of rain.
* * *
It was 6:39. Then it was 6:40. The clock changed, but the world didn't.
Adam rested the gun on his bed and lied down. He adjusted his head on his pillow and closed his eyes.
* * *
Adam felt a hand stroke his hair. He opened his eyes as tears rushed down from them.
"Mom, what happens when you die?"
His mom paused for a moment, pensive.
"No one knows for sure, Adam. Most people think you go to Heaven when you die to join all of your friends and family who died before you. That's what I believe."
"But what if you don't go to Heaven?"
Adam's mom paused again.
"I'm going to die before you do, Adam. I won't let it happen the other way around. If Heaven doesn't exist, you'll still have lived a long, happy life. And if Heaven does exist, then I'll be waiting for you."
Adam closed his eyes again.
"Good night, Adam."
"Good night, Mom."
"I love you."
* * *
It was 6:40. Then it was 6:41. The clock changed, but the world didn't.
Tears rushed down Adam's cheeks. He sat up again and hovered his hand over the gun. He shut his eyes abruptly.
* * *
Rain poured onto the cement. Blood spilled from Adam's mouth. His right eye was black and blue. Another punch sent him to the ground. He took a kick to the stomach and rolled over.
"You don't ****ing tell anyone, you understand?"
Then Adam was on the ground alone. A comforting hand touched his shoulder.
"Adam! What happened?!"
Adam couldn't manage any words, but he turned to look at Ashley. Her eyes looked like two more raindrops falling from the clouds above. She smiled, and he couldn't help but smile back.
* * *
It was 6:41. Then it was 6:42. The clock changed, but the world didn't.
Adam snatched the gun furiously and placed it back against the side of his head. His whole body shook with anger. He closed his eyes to try to calm himself.
* * *
Adam stared into Ashley's eyes from across the classroom. The phone rang, but in his daze he could barely hear it. He froze as he noticed Ashley look back at him, and then he noticed the entire class doing the same. He snapped out of his phase and could now hear his teacher say:
"Adam, you need to go down to the main office."
Adam quickly left the classroom and swiftly made his way through the hallways until he reached the office. The secretary directed him to the principal's office.
The principal sat at her desk and looked at Adam with red eyes. Adam sat in the chair opposite of her.
"Adam, there's been an accident."
Adam stared at his principal, puzzled.
"Your mother was on her way to work this morning, and...there was a crash. A drunk driver hit her. It was a hit and run. It happened only minutes ago, so the driver hasn't been found yet."
Adam rested his head in his palms, not knowing how to respond. The room sat silent for what felt like an hour to Adam. Then the silence was broken.
A gunshot echoed throughout the school. It was followed by hundreds of shrieks, then another gunshot.
* * *
It was 6:42. Then it was 6:43. The clock changed, but the world didn't.
Adam held the gun tighter, feeling adrenaline and anger run through his veins. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself one last time.
* * *
Adam heard a knock at the door. He groggily stood up from the couch and opened it. Ashley was crying. She hugged Adam and held him close.
"We're done."
"What happened?"
"He got drunk again," Ashley sobbed. "And he tried to hit me."
Adam tried to think of a response, but he couldn't find anything comforting to say.
"You knew, didn't you? You know he's an alcoholic, but you're too scared to tell anyone because of what happened that day. One day he's gonna kill someone while he's out driving drunk, or try to attack me again, and I hope you know it's your fault."
Ashley briskly walked away, crying even harder. Adam wanted to follow her, but he knew she was right. He took one last look at her as she rushed into her house and slammed her door shut, then Adam slowly closed his.
* * *
It was 6:43. Then it was 6:44. The clock changed, and so did the world.
Adam choked back a sob. It was his fault. His fear cost them their lives. So without any fear, he took his own.
