A Very Scary Story?

Link to the Challenge:

Me? It’s my turn to tell a story?

My fault for not wanting a flaming s’more in my mouth, I guess…

Well, here it goes…

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Once upon a time, there was a very happy man who lived a very happy life with his friends, hobbies, work and…whatever else he could find to fill up the time. He was not a popular boy when he was in school, but once he graduated and found himself out in the real world, he became quite successful with things that he never thought would be a part of his life. There was money and work that he actually enjoyed. There was time to finally enjoy a gym class that did not have terrible teachers, bullies and vocal critiques. There was a life in a city that was not his hometown, and he actually began to pity the ones who never got out (he could see what they did for a living and who they married, so the criticism was fair). Because of this change in his life, his few friends thought that he was ready for another change in his life:

“When you gonna get married?”

“You gettin’ married someday…?”

“You settlin’ down?”

“I always wanted grandkids, y’know…”

And so on and so on until…

Yes, it will get scary. You just gotta be patient. Finish your marshmallow and listen.

He heard this on repeat from the moment he got his high school equivalency and the work took off. He would get messages to and from the office he founded, during meetings with the managers he was responsible for hiring and firing, at dinners and conferences where expensive deals would go down or be renegotiated. It became such a steady part of his life that he would feel a little disappointed if a relative or a friend did not get on his case about his apparent love of the bachelor life. It was a part of meaning for being in their orbit as they handled bills, dealt with runny noses, report cards, disappointment and the other stresses of their lives. It even made him smile.

And then he met her.

Yeah, this is really good hot chocolate. Good with marshmallows…

No, I’m not going to use real names with this one.

Let’s call her…the B.

The B was very charming when I met her. She was someone I knew for a long time and…

I mean, he knew for a long time.

I need more hot chocolate.

Yeah, he knew her for a long time, and there was never really a chance that things were going to develop into something special. You spend enough time with someone and you begin to get the hint. She was just totally and completely out of his league.

So he thought…

Yes, it is just hot chocolate.

No, you can’t have some.

Eat a s’more.

So, yeah, the B ended up back in his life and all these weird, old feelings kept coming back about what could have been…and what might still happen. You never know what an old face from the past can do when you have everything you think you need for a good life.

She said that the reason why she was back in his…kingdom is because the sure thing she thought she had with someone turned out to be just a guy with the right words but no ambition or real future that she could see. And she was not so sure that she wanted him as a father to the kid she always wanted and talked about since high school ended and…well, she knew what she wanted.

She really did.

If you keep interrupting me, I’m gonna stop and just finish this up.

So, she was back, and the very happy man, not knowing when he had a good thing right in front of him, decided to invite her over one day if she was willing, and one thing led to another, so…

Yeah, he tried marriage.

She really tried marriage.

They both realized that this was probably a big mistake about two years to the day she got back in town. There were lots of arguments about what they were going to do in their free time when she wanted to take trips, see her mother every other month, and there were phone calls and texts she would not explain to him. She complained him simply wanted to take a break after work and not have to worry about the state of the garden and the fact that he forgot to put down the toilet seat again even though she kept reminding him and left all those ridiculous Post-Its all over the seat like a bad joke…

Anyway, it did not work out and they got over each other.

Well, like I said, I need more hot chocolate...

Yeah...HOT CHOCOLATE!

Sorry.

I should tell you that the B…was a real monster who terrified the happy man and never left him half of the things he worked so hard for and paid for and owned outright, but the evil judges and lawyers in her corner refused to play fair. The happy man was cast out into the cold, surviving on contract work and the occasional touch of rum that hurt nobody and was no one else’s business but his and the doctor who was sympathetic and looked the other way.

Yeah, that's the end.

Anyone want s’more?

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Thank you for reading!

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You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.

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