42 "Take everything," he screamed, "you deserve it all!"

Says:

"Take everything," he screamed, "you deserve it all!" He took his clothes and threw them in with hers, slamming the suitcase shut. "And as a matter of fact, why don't you take my CD collection and all of my graphic novels," he said as he similarly slammed these into her bags.

She rolled her eyes and walked over to the drawer as he continued to shout at her and shove more things into her suitcase. She opened the drawer and slipped in her hand. Looking him dead in the eye she finally spoke up, "Why don't I just take your life too." She whipped out a revolver from the drawer and fired three shots into his chest. Calmly, she walked over to her stuff and began to load it up to take out. Before she left the room, she took one last look at her former fiancée and muttered, "Drama Queen."

41 She yanked the knife out of his leg and jabbed it into his arm.

Says:

She yanked the knife out of his leg and jabbed it into his arm. He yelped yet again. She gave him another moment to speak before swiftly taking the blade from his arm and stabbing him in both legs before letting it lodge into his other arm.

“Ready to talk Bonjovavich?” she said smiling, taking pleasure in every moment.

He just sat there bound in the chair, blood-soaked and silent. She waited more. With still no response, she took the knife and slid it through the chair into the very center of his back.

“If I were to push this knife but another inch, Bonjovavich, you would be paralyzed from the waist down. I advise you talk.” Her smile widened and she paced around to look him in the eyes.

He finally looked up and said his first words in over an hour, “Bite me.” As he did, he shifted his weight and kicked off the floor. The chair toppled over backward and the force of the knife hitting the floor tore apart his spinal cord killing him almost instantly.

Her smile faded to a look of disgust and she lit up a cigarette. “Send in the next one,” she said grimacing, “and have someone clean up this mess before it starts to smell.”

40 "We're running short on skin; we'll need to harvest more lesbians."

Says:

"We're running short on skin; we'll need to harvest more lesbians." The men grabbed the guns and walked out of the subway into the deserted streets to start hunting.

Since the dawn of time, men have been different from women. Eons of struggle, trying to work together could only last so long. After the introduction of artificial insemination, an all female activist group took it into their own hands to rid the world of men. They developed a deadly nerve gas that killed off over ninety percent of all males. The rest developed heightened reflexes and superhuman strength. They became the Testosteronies, a force to fight off the evil vixens. It was their destiny.

The Testosteronies were out to fight once more, and they wouldn’t take no for an answer.

39 "It's me time," he said, lowering his pants.

Says:

"It's me time," he said, lowering his pants. His boxers came off next, and soon enough he was standing naked in the hall. He picked up the clothes and started toward the room at the end of the hall. He reached the door then looked at his watch. The roommate would be home in 45 minutes. This was his one chance to wash the only clothes that he owned.

He burst through the door and ran into the washing machine. He shoved the pants, shirt and boxers into it and madly poured in the detergent. He paced anxiously on the tile floor. It was ten minutes in when he realized that he was still wearing his socks. He cursed as he hopped around yanking them off and thrusting them into the wash. His now bare feet tapped the floor until he heard the water drain. He opened it up and began to hand wring out the rest of the water, throwing each item into the prepared dryer.

As he finished with the shirt and shoved it into the dryer he heard the phone ring. No time. He slammed the door shut and slammed the button. The clothes began to dry as he heard the phone continue to ring. He looked around anxiously until the answering machine finally picked up.

“Hey Jim. It’s your roommate Nick, just letting you know I’m off work early and I’ll be there any minute. I was hoping you’d want to grab a bite to eat. Doesn’t look like your there though. Gimme a call,” the message finished with a loud beep.

There wouldn’t be time for the clothes to dry. He put on the still damp clothes and ran out the front door. Fortunately enough for him, Jim and Nick would never find out.

38 “This’ll teach you to borrow my loafers,” he said, flinging the shoe at the mailman.

Says:

“This’ll teach you to borrow my loafers,” he said, flinging the shoe at the mailman. As the shoe hit the postal worker he exploded. Mail and bits of body burst outward from the impact and fell still smoking into the yard. So this is the curse that the gypsy had spoken of.

Daniel had met a gypsy the night before and made a bargain with her. This bargain had gone sour and from the looks of it, she put a few safeguards to get revenge. He looked around before he dropped his coffee mug on the porch only to see it explode into flames with bits of the porcelain shrapnel cut his legs.

He walked inside very carefully, making sure not to touch anything. He walked past the T.V. and into his room, but knocked off the remote in the process. Another miniature explosion went off and bits of plastic hit his chest. He ran into his room, and jumped onto his bed. There was a slight creaking before the legs snapped.

The explosion could be heard for miles.

37 He spat on the book.

Says:

He spat on the book. The book spat back, and at this point he knew this was definitely the right one. He had been seeking this cursed book for over three years and now it was in his grasp. He smiled as he caressed the spine before cracking it open.

He flipped through the pages and found nothing. All blank. He turned to the inside of the front cover and found something scrawled in Latin. He ran his fingers over it and realized what he must do.

He took out his knife and stabbed it into his chest. He dropped the book and fell to the floor hunched over it as blood poured onto the pages. Letters began to appear on the pages, inked in crimson. He began to read aloud the first line, and as he did his chest began to glow. As he continued, the gapping wound sealed shut, leaving nothing but a sliver of a scar running over where his heart lay.

He picked up the book and began to walk out. They didn’t stand a chance anymore, not with the devil on his side.

36 "Oswald," she said, biting her lip slightly, "Are you wearing my pants?”

Says:

"Oswald," she said, biting her lip slightly, "Are you wearing my pants?”

Oswald turned around quickly, startled by his girlfriend’s entrance. “Hey Monica. I, um, didn’t hear you come in.”

“Why are you wearing my pants Oswald?”

He clamored for words before replying, “It’s all the rage. Really. I hear that--”

Monica interrupted, “Most of the pants that they are wearing don’t have sequins and unicorns embroidered. Nor do they put make up on to match.”

“Cut me a break dear. I just want to feel… well, you know. Free.” She rolled her eyes before he continued. “I dress up as a woman. You know this now. But Monica, I love you from the bottom of my heart.”

He sank down to one knee and took her hand, “Monica LeBaron, will you marry me?”

“Oh Oswald. I love you so much. Of course I’ll marry you. Only as long as I’m the one who wears the dress.”

35 "Harold, I refuse to let our son grow up to be a junkie creep like you."

Says:

"Harold, I refuse to let our son grow up to be a junkie creep like you."

“Shut up and eat woman. I ain’t no creep and that’s the end of this conversation,” said Harold and took another bite of his potatoes.

“But don’t you think--” she started, but was cut off as Harold hit the table. The flimsy fold out shook as two needles and a fork fell off the table.

“You made me drop my stuff again,” he said as he glared at her. He got out of his chair and walked over to her. “Don’t you dare talk back,” he shouted and backhanded her, knocking her out of her plastic chair.

She ran out of the room crying and into the baby’s room. She leaned against the wall and slid down the floor, sobbing. She looked at the crib, lit by the moonlight and cried even harder. This wasn’t the way a child was supposed to be raised.

She took the baby, wrapping it in its blanket, and opened the window. She was finally about to make a stand. She could hear her husband walking down the hall as she slipped out into the night. She started running, as fast as she could. She didn’t stop till daybreak.

34 As far as I'm concerned, he opinioned, Devo was the best thing to hit the musical scene in the last twenty years.”

Says:

As far as I'm concerned, he opinioned, Devo was the best thing to hit the musical scene in the last twenty years.” He pushed up his glasses and adjusted his red authentic Devo hat.

He took another puff on his inhaler before continuing, “Mark Mothersbaugh anyone? I mean seriously.” He lisped his s’s, only adding to his geekiness. He was the official leader of the International Devo Fan Club and had been since the young age of eighteen, as the youngest leader to date. Within a few weeks he would be the longest running leader.

This all might seem trivial to most, but not to Thomas. He knew what was important, and what wasn’t. He had all of his priorities in the right order. There was life and there was Devo. The first didn’t go on without the second.

Many might have found this sort of dedication obsessive and unhealthy, but it was quite the opposite. Devo gave him reason. Devo was his everything. He would do anything for them.

This was his downfall. After he finished his speech about Devo’s perfection, the crowd fell silent. Only the leader of the group stood up. He was a bald man in what looked like his mid-thirties. He took a guitar that was with his group and smashed it against Thomas’ head.

Nobody believed Thomas when he regained consciousness. I mean what reason would Michael Stipe of R.E.M. have to assault an innocent man.

33 He sniffed awkwardly and sighed a breath of deep relief.

Says:

He sniffed awkwardly and sighed a breath of deep relief. It was all almost over. He carefully led his foot out in front of him, tapping on the brittle tiles. Three of them fell into the abyss and his foot rested on the last one standing. The slender square column looked firm and he brought his other foot to meet it.

The door way stood less than five feet away and he could almost reach it. He took another deep breath and let his foot venture out again. There were no more stable tiles and the remainder caved into the darkness. He’d have to jump. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and took the leap.

He flew across and his hand hit the doorknob and grabbed tight. He hung desperately from his one hand swinging back and forth. He swung his other arm up and pulled himself up until he was standing cautiously in the three inch door frame. He laughed a little bit and just smiled for a moment savoring sweet victory. He reached into his pocket for the key and his smile faded. His hand did not meet cold metal but the warm flesh of his thigh. A hole.

32 “Yours is the worst fortune I've ever read, she said.

Says:

“Yours is the worst fortune I've ever read, she said. She set down the girl’s hand and looked blankly. She waited for nearly a minute before continuing, “That will be 5 dollars.”

“But you didn’t tell me anything about my fortune. All you said was that my fortune was the worst you’ve ever read,” said the girl in disgust.

The old woman did not break her gaze into nothingness but just cleared her throat. The girl laughed and started to leave without paying before turning around and sneeringly shouted, “You’re the worst psychic I’ve ever seen. This was ridiculous.”

“Seven days,” said the old lady in a raspy voice, still not breaking gaze.

“What the– are you not only stiffing my fortune, but copying The Ring? What a cop out.”

The girl did die seven days later. She was found stabbed in her own house. The knife found showed the fingerprints to be the same as the old gypsy. Or were they? Dun dun dun!

31 He entered the exit.

Says:

He entered the exit. He walked down the hall and then out the entrance. He pulled out of the handicapped spot and onto the open road. Not ten seconds into driving, he pulled an illegal U-turn.

His name was Johnny and he was a rebel without much of a cause at all.

30 "It's just a question of numbers," he said, "numbers and science."

Says:

"It's just a question of numbers," he said, "numbers and science."

“How’d you find this out? Wasn’t it hard?” asked the reporter.

“Weird isn’t it?” replied the scientist.

“Sir, it’s a bit disconcerting when you respond to my questions before I ask them.”

“My mind is ten seconds into the future, while my body is here with you,” stated the scientist.

“What’s going on?” the reporter looked around anxiously.

“What am I about to say then?” they said in unison. The reporter dropped his pad and let his mouth hang open in astonishment.

“We’re still working on it,” the scientist said in response to the question not yet mentioned.

“What is the use of this? Why did you develop it?” asked the journalist.

“There is one thing. It has shown us that fate exists. I know exactly what you’re going to say. It cannot be changed.”

Words stumbled out of the reporter’s mouth almost involuntarily: “Have you found any sort of use at all?”

29 The fortune cookie read: "The trouble with dreams is that they don't come true."

Says:

The fortune cookie read: "The trouble with dreams is that they don't come true." I crumbled the cookie in my hand and let it fall on my plate. As the bits of it mixed in with the sweet and sour residue and bits of rice I thought to myself about what this all meant. Not seeing any connection to me, I wiped away the last crumbs sticking to my hand and stood up.

I looked around and saw that I wasn’t in a Chinese restaurant, but at the beach. A girl came up to me and started talking to me. The words are a blur, but her face stood out to me. It was Sherry from high school, the girl I had a crush on. She started laughing at me and pointing. I looked down and realized I was only in my underwear.

I started to run, but the sand kept slowing me down. It felt like I was sinking in it, like it was quicksand. I slowed to a stop and saw the sand covering me up to my knees. As I sank deeper, I struggled and tried to worm my way out, but it only sped up the process. I was up to my neck before I faded away. That was about the time I woke up.

28 I never was the kind to disagree.

Says:

I never was the kind to disagree. Not till I met Sara. We were meant for each other. Well, if it weren’t for our little quibbles. I loved her oh so very much. She was always there for me, but for the most part it was to criticize.

She’d tell me what was wrong with my posture and point out when I wasn’t paying attention.

In turn, I’d show her when she didn’t cook dinner for me or return my calls.

Last night she called me on her way home. It was a snowy night and she wanted my voice to comfort her as she drove. It was late and she’d woken me so I told her off. One thing led to another and we were into another argument. I shouted that I wished she’d die and hung up.

She got into an accident soon after we hung up. She broke her spinal cord and is paralyzed. I try and look on the bright side though: at least she listens better now.

27 “This is not my blanket,” the woman said, frowning slightly.

Says:

“This is not my blanket,” the woman said, frowning slightly.

“It is now,” said the soldier shoving it in her face. “You ought not pick a fight. We’re here to protect you, you know.”

She lay the blanket on her lap and wheezed as she laughed. “Us? Need protection? Oh, my boy. It is you who will need the protection. They aren’t after us village people, they’re after you.”

“What do you mean ‘they’? Do you know what roams the shadows, old lady?” the soldier had stopped handing out blankets and rations and was staring suspiciously at her.

The lady just turned away and started fiddling with her blanket. Without looking up at him she continued, “They’ve already gotten your back up. You’re lucky they haven’t reached the caves yet. You’re the last one.”

The man simply smirked at the idea. He walked away, thinking to himself “what a crazy lady.” Just to be certain he pulled out his transmitter, “Squads yellow and red, do you read? Squads yellow and read?”

The man shivered as darkness came over him hearing only the empty static of no replies.

26 "Josh, I'm going to need your half of the rent or I'll kill your cat.”

Says:

"Josh, I'm going to need your half of the rent or I'll kill your cat.” He picked up the cat by the scruff of the neck and punched it in the face. “That was just a warning.”

Josh laughed, still strapped to the wooden chair in the otherwise empty room. “You’ll never get answers from me!” The roommate flipped a lever and ten thousand volts surged through Josh’s body. He spit out blood and kept laughing.

Josh looked at the clock and saw that 3 hours had passed. He rolled his eyes and realized that they had been right. This is why the board didn’t usually allow spies to room and board together.

25 "The service was terrible," he said, handing the waitress a fifty dollar bill.

Says:

"The service was terrible," he said, handing the waitress a fifty dollar bill. She took the bill and began to walk off, before he interrupted her, she folded the bill and put it into her apron before turning around. “Waitress? May I have my bill please?”

She took the pad out of the pocket of her apron and set it on the table, “Your total comes to 15 dollars.”

“All I have are fifties. Can you break that?” he said and she nodded her head. “The service was terrible,” he said again and handed the waitress another fifty.

She smiled as she walked away for the fourth time. For once she was glad she always got the crazy ones.

24 "Have you ever watched a child cry? Really watched a child cry?"

Says:

"Have you ever watched a child cry? Really watched a child cry?" The screen flickered on to a kid no older than six bawling on the floor. I couldn’t help but grimace at the sight. I had never seen a child cry. I had never been a child myself, and this sight disgusted me. Why would people care so much for such a thing? I could feel my flesh burn as electricity surged through my body. The TV faded off as did the electricity, and I relaxed in the leather chair, though still strapped down.

“Next lets show you something a bit older. Here are two children at school during their break,” said the voice as another clip began to play. The children were fighting over a toy and began yelling at one another. I cringed as one of them pushed the other over and another violent shock hit me. I tried to calm myself and I let out a deep breath and waited for the screen to fade to black.

I closed my eyes and pushed my mind elsewhere. I may be a clone, and I may have never been a child, but this conditioning is going against what little I’ve learned from my experiences in the world. I realize I’m a killing machine and I can’t let anything stand in the way of my target. This includes children. I suppose it’s for the best. Desensitization and electro shock is the only way.

The overhead voice came on again: “Oooh, and here’s a good clip with puppies.”

23 “You’re lucky I don’t hit women,” he said, shooting her knee cap.

Says:

“You’re lucky I don’t hit women,” he said, shooting her knee cap. He walked closer to her and looked down at her. She clutched her left knee and was screaming in pain. Blood seeped from between her fingers and began to pool on the cheap motel rug beneath her.

“Then again, I’m lucky you’re not a woman,” he said snatching the wig off of what was now noticeably male. The high-pitched crying stopped and his voice dropped back to what it should’ve been, cussing instead of whimpering.

“I know who you are, and I know why you’re here. My name is Detective John Rafferty, and you, my friend, are what we’ve been calling ‘the hairy lady’,” said the man standing, still holding his gun ready.

“Prove it,” he replied and spit blood on Detective Rafferty’s shoes.

“We plan to,” he said, lighting up and taking a drag on his cigarette before shouting, “Lock ‘im up boys.”

Five men in full body armor and gas masks burst through the front door and picked up the man in drag. As they carried him out, a man in a trench coat and fedora entered the room squeezing past them. He pulled out his notebook and turned to John Rafferty and said, “You think we really got ‘im this time John?”

He took another puff on his cigarette and answered, “Hell, all I know is that this is the third man in drag I’ve had to lure back here. I sure as hell hope so.”

22 He cursed his parents and his unfortunate name.

Says:

He cursed his parents and his unfortunate name. He saw a rock laying on the road in front of him and picked it up. He threw it as hard as he could and it landed just short of his parent’s window. The dogs started barking and he could hear his dad start to yell.

“O’Bannon. Why the hell did I have to be Irish,” he muttered to himself tugging at his thick red hair. He had tried bleaching it, dying it, buzzing it, but it always came back, usually within a couple weeks.

Two neighborhood kids road up on their bikes and skidded to a stop in front of him. “Hey, Scotty. Want to help us find a pot of gold under the rainbow?” They both laughed before the taller one continued: “What’s the matter? Looks like you need a kiss from the blarney stone.”

They pushed him over and rode off. As Scott O’Bannon lay in the road with his nose bleeding, he thought to himself about how the world got it all wrong. People may think that black people and Hispanics have it rough, but being Irish is just about as bad it gets. He smiled and thought to himself, “At least I’m no Spaniard.”

21 He half-heartedly tossed the grenade across the room.

Says:

He half-heartedly tossed the grenade across the room. His head drooped and he looked at the floor as he slumped out of the room and into the next. Three more cardboard cut outs popped up from behind the tables. With out even looking up he drew his pistol, nailed all three, and kept walking into the next room.

“He’s really taking the break up with Charlene pretty bad. Good thing it’s not affecting his performance,” said one of the men in a shadowed surveillance room.

“Better not. We put a ton of money into this man and we can’t back out now. He’ll do his job,” said the other.

On the bottom left monitor they could see him breaking the necks of 8 dummies as they dropped from the ceiling. He let out a sigh and hit the button on the wall letting him out of the simulator.

The two men began picking up their supplies. “Well, the good part is, the next generation will be wiped of emotion as well,” and with that they walked out and boasted of what was to be.

20 "Grab the fire extinguisher and come with me," she said.

Says:

"Grab the fire extinguisher and come with me," she said. Confused and startled, I bent down and picked it up off the ground. She ran around the corner and I panted trying to keep up. “Hand it to me,” she said sharply while peeking around the corner. She took it in her hand and then swung it out into the hallway blindly. She stepped out from the corner before it hit the tile floor and pumped three bullets into it. Still panting, I peered around the corner to see 3 dead guards and the girl, Cindy, running down the hall.

Something told me that wasn’t her real name. Something else told me that she wasn’t really “just a nurse.” I waited a few before jogging after her, trying to keep up.

“Wait up--” I tried shouted, before she popped me in the shin with her pistol.

“I told you to keep quiet. You just had to go and make things difficult,” she said, picking me up and slinging me over her shoulder, “Now they now you’re here.”

“Why does it matter if I’m here? This is a hospital. I have every--” Again I got cut off by her hitting me again, this time with her fist.

“Let me put it this way boy. You’ve been contaminated. You are a threat to everyone here. I’ve got less than an hour to get you back to headquarters.” She said this and then was quiet, listening for something. Without warning she sprinted towards the window, with me bouncing on her shoulder, and broke through it. Three stories up. I remember a helicopter noise, but that’s about the time I blacked out.

19 He watched uninterested as the head rolled off the table and onto the floor.

Says:

He watched uninterested as the head rolled off the table and onto the floor. He picked it up and set it back on, rolling his eyes all the while. The severed head grinned slightly and proceeded to roll of the table once again.

“What’s the use? I’m not going to pick you up if you roll off again. I’m tired of your shenanigans,” said the man in the grey jumpsuit as he leaned over to pick up the head once more.

The head tried to hold back from snickering as it was set on the table once more. When the man sat back down, the head once more spun its way off the table and onto the tiled floor.

“HA! If you think I’m going to pick you up again, you got it all wrong. You’re staying there till the lady says it’s our turn,” said the man sitting.

The face tried to look as though it were pouting, but was cut off as the lady behind the glass called out their names, “Mr. Johnson and Mr. Anderson?”

Standing up and taking the head with him, the man in the grey jumpsuit walked towards the counter and was greeted by a young secretary, “Doctor Johnson is ready for you.”

The man smiled and thanked her before walking back, head in hand. He looked down at it and said, “You know, I never believed in magic before you. Let alone Voodoo Doctors. I guess we both have a lot of learning to do.” He chuckled and playfully gave the head a noogie as they walked down the hall.

18 The bottle exploded as it touched his lips.

Says:

The bottle exploded as it touched his lips. The glass shards left cuts over his body as they blossomed outward from the blast. Time slowed down. As shards entered his left eye and then his right he was blinded. Time kept slowing. His shirt ripped every which way and blood began to seep through it. Time stopped. A few shards floated in mid air, while most had already buried their way deep into the man’s flesh. The look on his face was frozen in anguish, and his muscles were tense in mid flinch. This exact moment was the most painful moment of his life; not because of the physical pain, but the heartbreak of this traitorous act. How could she have done this?

He concentrated harder still than he already was and time began to move in reverse. Shards slowly floated out of his skin and back into the shape of a bottle and he watched as his arm moved it away from his face. He set the bottle back on to the table, and began to tear up as he walked out of the room.

17 "Everything is beautiful when you're young and pretty," he thought.

Says:

"Everything is beautiful when you're young and pretty," he thought. His arthritic hands reached into the drawer and shook as they pulled out a revolver.

“To youth,” he said and pulled the trigger.

Black enshrouded him and he closed his eyes. He floated freely in the darkness for a while relaxing before a sharp piercing light hit him. He opened his eyes and found himself in a pure white sterile room; a couch stood alone near the far wall. Muzak played over an unseen intercom system. He sat down on the couch and waited.

Nothing happened. The muzak continued and he kept sitting.

Finally the song came to an end and a voice came on, speaking in a soft, firm voice, similar to flight attendants, “Hello all you out there, and welcome to purgatory. Please remain seated while we process your judgment.”

The man situated himself more comfortably, sinking deeper into the clean white cushions. He kept waiting, growing more and more impatient. He readjusted himself, lying down on the couch. On top of this waiting, even in the after life he was still old. Everything still ached and he still had all his usual pains.

Finally the voice came back on, “Sorry for the wait, our operators are currently all busy with other customers. If you would please hold, someone will be with you soon as possible.”

“I ended it all for this? I was just sick and tired of being old. Now what? I’m old for eternity?” he thought out loud to himself. He hobbled about pacing for a while, but soon grew tired of it and sat back down to let more time pass.

The voice came on again with the same prerecorded message, apologizing for the wait. He groaned and buried his head in the cushions, trying to drown out the painful muzak that followed.

16 He let go of the piano and watched it slide back down the stairs.

Says:

He let go of the piano and watched it slide back down the stairs. That ought to slow them down, he thought as he continued running up. Perhaps spending an extra forty five minutes to drag a grand piano up a flight of stairs only to release it on his competitors would be a bit much for most marathoners. Not Dave though. Dave had the drive and determination to win. So what if the piano only took out three of the eight opponents left. Three less for him to deal with. Reaching the top of the stairs he panted and looked back down. He was in the lead by a great deal, but this is not enough for Dave.

Finding a compact car near the top of the stairs, he let off the parking brake and began pushing it towards the edge. He sent it careening down the stairs and watched as it bounced over the first runner and then hit three after that. Dave looked back at where he was supposed to run and saw the finish line in sight. Perhaps he could make it by skill alone, but perhaps not. He reached into his jogging shorts and pulled out two small proximity mines and set them near the top of the stairs before taking off towards the finish line.

He was about to break through the finish line tape when he heard the first mine go off, and turned around to enjoy the fireworks. He laughed to himself before noticing a figure emerging from the smoke. The last runner had survived. Dave couldn’t let this be. Dave was a true winner. He began to rummage around for something to throw at him, but couldn’t find anything. He panicked as the man got closer and was soon within ten feet. Finding nothing to attack him with, Dave flinched and stumbled backwards as the other man broke through the tape and won the race. The crowd surrounded him and Dave was forgotten. Dave just scoffed at the people. They didn’t know what winning was anyways.

15 “I always cry at weddings," he said, tossing the gift onto the table.

Says:

“I always cry at weddings," he said, tossing the gift onto the table. He walked out of the room as dignified as he could, with his tux in a mess and tears staining his face. The bride looked at her new husband giving him an apologetic look before following the unexpected guest out.

She caught him just as he was about to go out the back exit and shouted out, “John, wait.”

He stopped for an instant, and then dashed through the door. The bride hiked up her dress and chased after him through the parking lot. She managed to catch up with him as he was unlocking his car and grabbed his wrist.

“Why’d you come John? I’d thought we’d decided.”

“Why’d I come?! Why? Why do you think Mary? I love you Mary. I always have,” he said before leaning in to try and kiss her. She pushed him away, but he kept trying. “Can’t you see? Couldn’t you tell all those years I said I was over you? I wasn’t Mary.”

“Get off me John. It’s not like that. I love Shawn, and I’m not sure I ever loved you. We were always friends. Wasn’t that enough?”

John became more physical and pushed Mary against the car, holding her arms down. He was now shouting, “Listen. I love you. I always have. Shawn doesn’t deserve you, I do. Look, I’m going to prove it to you.”

He pulled a gun from the back of his pants and flashed it at her. Cocking it, he pointed it at the back door that Shawn was just coming out of. There were three gunshots, then chaos followed. People screaming, horns blaring, sirens wailing. Mary didn’t hear any of this, nor did she hear John trying to calm her. She just crumpled to the pavement and cried and cried until it wouldn’t come any more.

14 "I know it's too late now," he gasped, "but I always loved her more when she was with you."

Says:

"I know it's too late now," he gasped, "but I always loved her more when she was with you."

“¿Realmente?”

“Yes, Paco. Even though you’re just the pool boy, you meant more to her than I ever did.”

“Mi amigo--” Paco stuttered, taking Dr. Joseph Randall’s dying body in his arms.

“She always was happier with you. At least ever since my brother got involved with those hare-brained schemes. Besides, even being the world’s most prestigious surgeon, I can’t undo how the past has changed me. I’m dead.”

Catharine entered the room, and gasped as the two were nearly going to have one final kiss, and screamed, “But Dr. Joseph Randall! Paco!”

Paco looked away in shame, but Dr. Randall spoke up “I know you don’t know who’s baby it is Catharine, but I do. It’s mine. When I’m dead, I want you and Paco to get hitched. I love you Catharine, but I can never do what Paco can do for you.”

Dr. Randall’s body weakened, but instead of dying he fell into a coma.

“¡Porqué!” cried out Paco in agony.

Catharine took, Paco in his arms. Little did he know that she was having twins. Fraternal twins, and they both weren’t from one man.

13 “Listen,” he said, “there's no reason why we should be together, but–"

Says:

“Listen,” he said, “there's no reason why we should be together, but–"

A toaster hitting the wall just left of his head cut him off. He opened his mouth to keep talking but found himself ducking and fleeing as the blender and assorted silverware followed.

“Sweetheart, you’ve got to listen to me,” he pleaded from the dining room “I’m ready to change.”

Laughter erupted from the kitchen before stomping could be heard coming in his direction. This was much worse than last time. He shifted uneasily as she entered the room with a frying pan in her right hand.

“Darling, it doesn’t have to be like this. Why can’t we just talk? Don’t you know I love you?”

She fell apart and started crying, loud sobs muffled by her free hand. The man walked in slowly and began to hold her close, rocking her softly. There was near silence for once; the only sound was of her heavy breathing, recovering from her tears. Her breathing slowed and she calmed and a dull thud followed.

The man crumpled to the floor and took the frying pan with her back to the kitchen. He may be a horrid person, but she knew she loved him. She took the frying pan and set it on the stove, while getting the eggs out of the fridge. He’d be hungry when he came to. He usually was.

12 He kissed her gently, knowing it was for the last time.

Says:

He kissed her gently, knowing it was for the last time. He pulled her closer to him, and felt her body shake as she sobbed on his shoulder. He tried to be strong as he pulled her away and looked into her eyes. Looking into her big brown eyes, now red from tears, he smiled and felt the tears build up as well. She was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.

He gave her one last kiss on the forehead and started to pull away. She tugged him back and buried herself in his chest crying still. As the muffled noises faded, she squeezed him even tighter. She looked up at him and smiled through the tears.

“I’ve grown awfully fond of you. You wouldn’t go and do anything like getting yourself killed would ya?” she asked hopefully, averting her gaze downward.

The man smiled and nodded gently. He grabbed his bag and walked towards the train, looking over his shoulder one last time at what could have been.