Ellyn Ussery
Stories (3/0)
Combination Safe
The executive suite did not measure up to Audrey’s expectations. To begin with, the glass coffee table was hideously outdated, as was the boxy entertainment cabinet that housed a bulky television set and a DVD player. On the bed lay a tacky duvet with green and blue seashell patterns swirling all over the rough fabric, creating a nauseating image that could not be ignored. A planned distraction from the rest of the unappealing decorations in the room perhaps. Amid the questionable décor was a mesmerizing painting of a ship sailing on a sun-soaked horizon. Not a cruise ship, gaudy in its 21st century build, but a beautiful ornately assembled wooden ship. On the bow clung a commanding figurehead, depicting a warrior woman throwing a spear in combat. Massive sails caught a gust of wind that guided the ship towards the engulfing orange horizon, while a flag bearing the image of a family crest whipped vigorously off the stern. Audrey was sucked in, but she knew she had to hurry. Martin would be back any minute. She took the ship painting off of the wall and set it carefully on the floor. Behind the painting was a safe. 01-99-03 was the combination, a detail she found too easy to acquire. The door opened at the first try and five bricks of cash fell out onto the worn carpet. If Martin had been telling the truth, then Audrey was now in possession of fifty thousand dollars.
By Ellyn Ussery3 years ago in Humans
Elevated Dating
The Roundtop Rock Climbing Warehouse was located in the same shopping complex as Deborah’s favorite restaurant, Creek Shore Bar and Grille. The outdoor patio was lined with round, marble tables that were paired perfectly with pink metal chairs. Her favorite part about the chairs were the curved, low back design style that allowed her to move freely with animated laughter when her companion said something especially funny. This was the place Deborah most associated with joy. It was where she met her friends when someone had a birthday, an achievement to celebrate, or a bad date to vent about. It soon became apparent to Deborah that she had never once suggested meeting a potential suitor at the CSBG. There was fear in sullying her favorite spot with an unsavory online dating experience. Passing by without stopping felt wrong, like she was betraying something deep inside of herself.
By Ellyn Ussery3 years ago in Humans
Layers
It had been eighty-seven hours since the power and heat had been shut off. The temperature was plummeting into single digits outside. Celia allowed herself to come to terms with the fact that she was going to have to spend another dark, freezing night alone in a house that had quickly become an unfamiliar place. Sentimental possessions that she lived amongst in daily nonchalance became strangers to her in the cold walls of neglect. She walked from room to room, touching items as if they belonged to somebody else. It felt as if she had broken into a stranger’s home and was rummaging through the cabinets and drawers with malintent. Any minute the owner would arrive, and she would have to run for fear of being caught.
By Ellyn Ussery3 years ago in Humans