Welcome to the Wednesday Briefers
flash group. The short stories have a maximum of a 1000 word count plus links
at the bottom to the other flashers. The prompts for this week are:
"Anything you want, you got it..."
or use: ferry, head, position,
or "May I ask what you
think..."
or use an animal of some kind or use
an accident
or "When he/she said... I
thought I would..."
I’m
using: "May I ask what you
think..."
All That He Desires #6
“May I ask just what
the hell you thought you were doing by hanging up on me?” Miles snarled.
Jules ran his hands through his hair. Class was over and
Miles had ambushed him outside. And yes, he was as mad as Jules figured he’d
be. He really shouldn’t have been surprised. He’d called, but Miles hadn’t answered,
which warned he was in full drama meltdown mode. Sighing, Jules buttoned up his
coat. It was cold and getting late too. The stupid instructor had kept them over…
of all days that stick in the mud had to keep them over, it would have to be
today.
“I’m sorry, man. I should’ve call back, but I had things
going on. Yeah, I was shocked when you told me they’re moving. That really
knocked me for a loop, considering I’d just said something about it, but I
shouldn’t have hung up. Or at least I should’ve call back. Look, don’t be mad,
okay?”
“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” Miles puffed on a
cigarette, leaning against the side of the building. He yanked the collar of his
coat up as a cool wind teased his hair. “You act like a jerk and all I get is
this half-assed—”
“I said I was
sorry. You want me to write it in blood or what?” Jules snapped. Oh God, oh
God, he was running out of time, plus now he owed Miles another apology. He glanced up at the sky. The sun had set, the
last brilliant displays of yellows, oranges, and purples sinking below the
horizon. Night was on the way. He needed Miles to leave, dammit.
Jules shivered in his coat. Lovely, the damn wind was
picking up. “Ah jeez, sorry! I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just—”
“You do know smoking is a dangerous habit, right? It can
lead to all sorts of nasty things.
You really should think about giving it up before it’s too late.”
Jules stiffened. Oh holy fuck, he knew that voice. It had
whispered all sorts of things in his
ear last night. Dreading what he’d see, he turned. Yup, there was a body, a
real body, attached to the voice and dressed in a long black
leather coat and a green scarf—just like before.
I’m fucked.
* * * *
Anslee stopped several
feet from Jules and his friend. One human looked ready to pitch a fit and the
other looked like he was ready to fall to the floor in a dead faint. He’d
warned Jules he’d come for him when darkness covered the land. Of course, he
hadn’t said where he’d show up, now
had he?
Anslee held his hand
out. “Shall we, Jules? I do believe I told you early this morning I’d come for
you.”
“I-ah… I…”
“Well, shit, man!” Miles elbowed Jules, a grin on his face
while he eyed Anslee. He ground out his cigarette. “No wonder you hung up on
me. Why didn’t you just say something? I’d have definitely understood.”
“I-I-I…”
“Whoo wee.” Miles winked at Jules. “Right then, I’m off. You
two have fun. Give me a call when you can, dude, ‘cause, you know, you got some
‘splaining to do!” Miles thumped Jules on the back. “Don’t do anything I
wouldn’t.”
“Ah…”
“Jules?” Anslee raised an eyebrow at Jules, his hand still
extended. “Come.”
Jules listened to Miles twitter at the word choice as he
hurried off, and somehow found his hand in Anslee’s.
“Very good.” Anslee drew Jules closer. “My car is over
there.”
“I-I-I…” Jules snapped his mouth closed. “Running would do
me no good, would it?”
“None at all.”
“Are you going to hurt me?”
Anslee walked Jules to his sports car and opened the
passenger door. “Hurt you? That’s the last thing I want to do you to, little
one.”
“Then what the fuck do
you want with me?” Jules slid in the car, the well-appointed leather seat
holding him close. “Why are you hanging around me? How the hell did you even notice me?
What did I do to—?” Jules waved his hand at Anslee.
What did I do to—?” Jules waved his hand at Anslee.
Anslee shut the door and walked to the driver’s side. Once
in, he started the car, the engine growling to life. “What did you do to gain
my attention? Nothing really. I happened to be passing by and felt your
desperation, so I stopped. Buckle up, Jules. ”
Jules pulled the seat belt over his chest. “And?”
“And I presented you with an questionable opportunity that would solve
your problems—the
winning lotto ticket.”
“Shit, that was you?”
“Yes. That’s what my kind does. We present an opportunity
and wait to see what you humans do with it. But there’s always a catch. For
example: a man loses his job, his car, and is about to lose his home. He robs a
bank… and gets away with it, but loses the life, and the family he once had, because
now he’s a wanted criminal.”
“Jesus.”
“If you take the opportunity offered, which you did, by the
way, then my kind is free to pursue you. You yourself wondered about that very
thing before you cashed the lotto ticket.”
Jules closed his eyes
as they pulled on the main street. “So I doomed myself when I cashed it in?”
“Don’t think of it that
way. Think of it as you opened yourself to opportunity… to me, in particular. ”
“Are you human? Good or
bad? You called yourself a dark lord. Does that mean you’re… bad?”
“I am neither good nor
bad. I’m called a dark lord because of my features—my dark hair and skin. I’m
not human either, but you already knew that. I am áimear—one
of the dark lords of Opportunity, and you are mine.”
TBC!
Make sure to visit the
other flashers:
Victoria
Adams m/f
Chris
T. Kat m/m
MC Houle
m/m
Lily
Sawyer m/m
Nephylim m/m
Cia Nordwell m/m
Tali
Spencer m/m
Julie Hayes m/m
