Writing Resources from Fifteen Minutes of Fiction

Glass Houses

I didn't think that it could happen like that. Just a breath and you're shot up into the sky, so high you can't see the stars beneath your feet. But it's all about a facade to keep up, a clear wall that keeps them on the outside and the real you safe on the inside. If that wall even falls in the slightest, then everyone knows. What they do is inevitable. They'll be the last to catch you if you crash through the clouds.

The fact is, you're in a glass house.

And one pebble can make the whole structure collapse.

[x]

"I need my goodluck charm."

Even though I know he's looking at me, I can't help but glance over my shoulder and sigh.

"Come on, babe. It'll be fun."

Someone screams loudly that I should go for it and I look at my friends as they stand beside me before I give into his grin and the light that shines from his eye and take his outstretched hand.

"It'll be okay, I promise. You're with the best guy out there," he laughs.

I can't help but smile at his pompous attitude as he opens the car door for me, "My lady," he mumbles as I slide in, shuts the door and walks over to his side of the car.

Once he's in, he revvs up the engine and I hear the car beside us do the same. Alyssa's laughing as she walks out, a little bit ahead, in between the two cars. Her right arm outstretched, holding a white tee shirt.

I can see her lips move, but the pounding in my body silences them.

Ready.

Set.

The white shirt drops and the car is propelled forward as Michael presses his foot on the gas. We move so quickly that I fall back, the breath going out of me.

Michael laughs as I scramble for my seatbelt.

"Don't worry, baby. Best one out here."

"Yeah?" I mumble, locking myself in and digging my fingers into the seat, "He said that too before he got in his car."

"Well, he's going to be sorely mistaken," he murmurs and coasts off of the street heading for the highway.

"Where are we going?" I whisper, but he doesn't pay me any mind as he presses the pedal a little more.

"Michael," I growl, "Where are we going?"

"Shush, babe. I'm concentrating."

"I'm going to jump out of this car if you don't - " I scream as we come close to hitting a minivan but Michael quickly switches lanes, his eyes searcing in the rearview mirror for the yellow, opposing car.

Michael doesn't answer as he drives, and I feel my chest constricting and my palms sweat the further into traffic we go.

"I don't like this," I whisper.

He remains silent and the yellow car comes into view before shooting down an empty lane.

Michael growls to himself before he takes off after it and for a moment, I'm beside the driver's side of the car.

The guy looks over at me and winks, "I think you wanna switch cars, don't you baby?" he yells through his open window into mine.

Silently, I roll my window up and flip him off.

"We better win," I murmur and Michael laughs.

"We will," he sighs, "I can promise you that."

We're ahead now, the yellow car stuck behind. I can't help but crane back to watch him, even though I know Michael is concentrating on just getting to the end, not where the other car is. A red light blinks up ahead as we cross through the middle and I see the yellow car has snaked it's way behind us, it zooms through the redlight the same time a motorcycler does.

I gasp and for a moment, everything stops. Time is suspended on a fragile string and Michael looks over at me before I turn to face the front of the car before my eyes widen and I grab the wheel, turning it from opposing traffic. Mike seems to be lost and I'm in control of a speeding car.

"Michael," I whisper, "Michael, come on. Slow us down. We can turn around and check on him. Mike," I beg, "Please."

More writing by this author

Blogs on This Site