Dropping The Red Doll by Paul Leighland MacLaine He hadn't seen his ex-wife in three years. Now, suddenly, she is back in his head and bac... [820 words]
Everything's Falling Into Place by Paul Leighland MacLaine As his girlfriend throws all his possessions from a balcony, the man realises t... [946 words]
Sky Bound by Shelley J Alongi Aviation Series story 8. Five years after Anne and Andrew marry, a crisis in the making forces them t... [3,501 words]
The Way We Actually Were by Jeffrey (George) Winter Recollections from a veteran of the Third Reich. [1,337 words]
Wisdom Dug Out Of Dirt by Jeffrey (George) Winter The wealth possessed by a poor, old farmer. [1,032 words]
You've Got Mail by David B Doc Byron A parody of the secret lives of movie critics. [358 words]
The Spirit Tree by Paul Leighland MacLaine A small boy was living with his Aunt and Uncle on their farm discovers a magic tree, and a mira... [4,197 words]
The Secret Of Pimples by David B Doc Byron You'll never see this one coming.... [362 words]
The Caged Introvert by Michael Harris A shy, unattached man's journey for love... [3,644 words]
Sleep Tight. Nighty Night. by Alessandra Mace This story I wrote before 'Big things come in small packages' see how is has matured... [1,282 words]
Nothing Fits, Anyway by Daniel Taylor A short story. [1,610 words]
Night Bite! by Frank Dunsmore Some believe in vampires and some wannabe vampires but Lieutenant Schmidt and his detectives are un... [3,812 words]
Cutting Critics by Frank Dunsmore We've all heard the debate: what is the responsibility of a reviewer? Is it primarily to tell t... [5,146 words]
As Told By Me by Parker Short Story about a kid that gets caught up in the wrong stuff. [6,534 words]
A Poignant Goodbye by Anne Stewart A very short story about internet relationships. [597 words]
A Pocket Full Of Stones
The Legacy by Paul Leighland MacLaine Abandonment is a terrible way to end a relationship, especially when it is in favour of your best fr... [3,561 words]
The Cool Clique by Pearl S I actually did some reasearch for this, interviewed a few older friends... they don't understan... [837 words]
Sweetchild by Paul Leighland MacLaine Sweetchild is the story of interracial love, a tragic story of a Romeo and Juliet. [2,387 words]
Story Of A Ghost by Matthew Mercieca A short story, about a man who goes through life being consumed by hate. [1,130 words]
Special by Pearl S - [1,338 words]
Space Walk by Sue (Sooz) Simpson May Cause offense. [1,290 words]
So This Is My Life Then by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [517 words]
Renting by Paul Leighland MacLaine Sometimes letting go can be harder than holding on. [390 words]
Remington, Underwood & Royal by Paul Leighland MacLaine Will Kingsway has just purchased the solution to his writer�s block � a black, Rem... [4,378 words]
Pulp-Affliction by David B Doc Byron You figure it out. [568 words]
Podunk by David B Doc Byron A small group of rednecks find out what it's like not to get the last laugh on a minority. [763 words]
On The Singularity Cusp by Matt Tracy Learn the lengths to which humans will go to reach immortality. They reach for the star... [2,287 words]
Newsworthy by Vyacheslav Yampolsky A short story. [1,459 words]
Just A Bloody Card Game by Jerry Vilhotti A strorella. [979 words]
Involution Melancholia by Paul Leighland MacLaine Mead wakes to find he has been sleeping on a bar. The room is filled with people and smo... [1,859 words]
Hickory, Dickory, Dock by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [991 words]
Four Minute Warning by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [476 words]
Close? Only When We Danced by Paul Leighland MacLaine Secrets and promises are often the hardest things to keep. They have a habit of slip... [908 words]
Cherry Blossom by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [435 words]
Big Things Come In Small Packages by Alessandra Mace This story is about a boy who loves playing the piano and wishes to be a pian... [2,075 words]
Anything Has To Be Better Than This by Paul Leighland MacLaine Nixon lives a quiet life, he minds his own business, keeps to himself...it�... [952 words]
Grounded by Shelley J Alongi Aviation Series story 10. Seven years into their marriage, life presents the Crance's with a few welco... [2,957 words]
Fatal Flight by Shelley J Alongi Aviation Series story 9. Reacting to Eric's death, Andrew, Eric's first flight instructor, and pro... [3,852 words]
Instrument Meteorological Conditions by Shelley J Alongi Aviation Series story 6. Built on friendship and common interest, Andrew ... [2,464 words]
Worlds Biggest Loser by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [114 words]
Watch Out, Henry! There's A Hole In That There Bucket! by Pearl S The English Essay I Had Way Too Much Fun Writing. [4,772 words]
Warring Faiths by Ami Another dream... [1,503 words]
Volunteer by Scott Turnit Red Scottturnitred The Empire Falls into civil war. Hard decesions must be made. [2,654 words]
Violet Glowing by Jason Richard Mercer The prelude to a story about an emotionally drained nymphomaniac with the soul of an angel. (I g... [594 words]
Twenty-First Century Mankind by Eric A Hofmann I chose to write a modern day myth which tackled subjects that I thought should be... [1,273 words]
Torn Over Ben by Tracy N Van Brocklin This story is an overview of a young woman's feelings about how she must give up what has been ma... [3,667 words]
The Wrong Love by Samuel James Chase When is love wrong? A story told from the point of view of a person who feels he is the victim i... [2,425 words]
The Music Of Zetaph by Rachael E Bills An intriguing outlook on a futuristic world where aliens from the planet Zetaph have interg... [3,218 words]
The Dinosaur by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [1,523 words]
Rebecca by Tammi Goyns A short story about supposed insanity...read into the mind of a madman and how he finds society to be c... [1,034 words]
Naughty Bunny Goes To Ibiza by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [552 words]
Lake Of The Woods by Stephanie Black A story about man vs. nature. A young boy must face a bear in the middle of nowhere during ... [2,492 words]
Insideout by David B Doc Byron A woman born deformed longs to be beautiful. [791 words]
His Prospects by Caitlin Conaway Repressed Victorians! Plus Antarctic Explorers, a pretty Oxford reject, and a little morphine. [3,535 words]
Four Months by Hopii Canterfield This is not meant to be a trite romance, although I know that it can come off that way. It's just ... [666 words]
Experience As In Dostojewski by Stefanie Aschmann The narrator is a rich, middle aged woman living in Germany. Her outlook on life t... [2,023 words]
Don't Be So Quick To Pull The Plug! by Ami Imagine yourself in her position and SHIVER! It's kind of creepy, a trigger... [1,658 words]
Cat's Chorus by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [1,332 words]
Cancer Of The Circumstance by Paul Leighland MacLaine When a man meets a friend in the street, a long lost friend, he sees that he is dyin... [1,424 words]
Blue Pill by Scott Turnit Red Scottturnitred Deep Space Romance. [4,499 words]
Anne by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [707 words]
After She Left by Paul Leighland MacLaine When a relationship ends and partners go their separate ways, the memory of the lost love begins... [708 words]
A Twist In The Tail by Sue (Sooz) Simpson - [963 words]
Go to page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 [35] 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
| |
TITLE (EDIT)
A Pocket Full Of Stones |
DESCRIPTION
As he walked through the darkest part of his town, he allowed his thoughts to get the better of him. They stepped in time with his feet, and slowly covered his face with a gentle regret.
[929 words] |
TITLE KEYWORD
Relationships |
AUTHOR
Paul Leighland MacLaine |
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
-
[September 2023] |
AUTHOR'S E-MAIL ADDRESS
[email protected] |
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (13)
After She Left (Short Stories) When a relationship ends and partners go their separate ways, the memory of the lost love begins to fade. The half of the brain they once occupied is gradually reclaimed so a person returns to being a... [708 words] [Suspense]
Anything Has To Be Better Than This (Short Stories) Nixon lives a quiet life, he minds his own business, keeps to himself...it�s his neighbours who are warring. The paper-thin walls of this hotel reveal everything and one night, as the battle rages nex... [952 words] [Relationships]
Cancer Of The Circumstance (Short Stories) When a man meets a friend in the street, a long lost friend, he sees that he is dying of cancer. The signs are all there, he is thin, his eyes have dimmed from their once brilliant blue and his hands ... [1,424 words] [Mystery]
Close? Only When We Danced (Short Stories) Secrets and promises are often the hardest things to keep. They have a habit of slipping out in conversation. Phillip, a boy on the verge of manhood, tells all his secrets to a man he�s just met in th... [908 words] [Relationships]
Dropping The Red Doll (Short Stories) He hadn't seen his ex-wife in three years. Now, suddenly, she is back in his head and back in his life. As he sits next to her while she is dying from injuries sustained in a car wreck, he observes th... [820 words] [Mystery]
Especially Brilliance (Short Stories) A little bit of heaven has just come back to earth [2,340 words] [Spiritual]
Everything's Falling Into Place (Short Stories) As his girlfriend throws all his possessions from a balcony, the man realises the order in which they are discarded reflects their story relationship. [946 words] [Relationships]
Involution Melancholia (Short Stories) Mead wakes to find he has been sleeping on a bar. The room is filled with people and smoke..just another night on the tiles? Only this time things are happening that don�t make sense: the barman takes... [1,859 words] [Horror]
Remington, Underwood & Royal (Short Stories) Will Kingsway has just purchased the solution to his writer�s block � a black, Remington typewriter. The only problem comes when it asks him to guess its name in exchange for fame and literary success... [4,378 words] [Horror]
Renting (Short Stories) Sometimes letting go can be harder than holding on. [390 words] [Relationships]
Sweetchild (Short Stories) Sweetchild is the story of interracial love, a tragic story of a Romeo and Juliet. [2,387 words] [Romance]
The Legacy (Short Stories) Abandonment is a terrible way to end a relationship, especially when it is in favour of your best friend. But John, a hack, horror writer, has just found the solution to his woes in the pages of an ol... [3,561 words] [Horror]
The Spirit Tree (Short Stories) A small boy was living with his Aunt and Uncle on their farm discovers a magic tree, and a miracle of nature. [4,197 words] [Spiritual]
|
A Pocket Full Of Stones
Paul Leighland MacLaine
a pocket full of stones
a short story from the collection:
the tales of socrates dancing
by
paul leighland maclaine
As he walked through the darkest part of his town, he allowed his thoughts to get the better of him. They stepped in time with his feet, and slowly covered his face with a gentle regret.
He�d chosen to be wary of women holding mirrors; distrusting of women with vision; and in fear of the many who carried pockets full of stones. Those with mirrors, reflected light into the darkness of his heart to see what hid there and would leave him no place to hide. Those with vision needed no illumination to judge him. The ones with stones would hurl them with enviable accuracy, chipping and weakening the walls of his soul.
When he had met her he�d been afraid, and hid because hiding was the only freedom he knew. When they had been close she had smoothed her hand across his face, looking for something in his eyes.
Searching through their blue for her own longing.
She touched his hand and fingers, exploring for the strength to continue.
�I hate this room. It frightens me. Sometimes I think I�m being watched and I turn to find nothing but my own reflection in that mirror,� she whispered.
He stared at her, trying to understand her desire.
�You could move the mirror somewhere else; then you wouldn�t notice,� he replied.
She had cried her pain not long after they first met, and she asked that he should forgive her the things that she would do...but he had already done so. She smiled at him, and he tried to decide which was the better: to be with her and watch her unease, but have her close, or to have her go and feed his love on the pain that accompanies longing.
In the past he had been very hard on those that had shown him kindness. Perhaps he was punishing them because of his own inadequacies? The true reason for his actions lay deep in his past, and solid in his gut. Too far to recall, and much too close to admit.
The voice riding in his skull that day continued its decay and he stopped, hoping that the sudden braking would force it to spill from his head, and fall to the pavement where he could stamp it into black ash. He felt the rims of his eyes grow hot and itchy, burning dark circles into his features. Would he accept the options the voice offered, or question the intent?
And if he did submit would it all end, or was this just the beginning?
Tapping on the window next to him prematurely retired his next thought. A hand waved him into the flower shop.
�Would you like some?�
The elderly woman held at her chest a fistful of flowers. He hesitated, not quite knowing how to tell her that he would only have to sit and watch them die.
�Go on,� she goaded. �You can have them for nothing.�
He saw a large bin piled high with browning green stalks, shriveled blue mixed with rotting yellow, red, and black, smiled, and held out his hand.
�That�s my boy! �I�d have only tossed them in the garbage. Best you have them, and save them for a couple more days at least. You might have someone to give them to.�
He observed the care with which she performed the ritual of wrapping them in paper. It was like he had spent a thousand dollars. She turned to him, preened the edges straight, and fitted them into his fist.
�I know they might not last too long,� she repeated, holding his hand as well as the flowers. �But it would be such a waste, wouldn�t it?�
He approached a rubbish bin and placed the heads of the flowers into the opening, but he couldn�t let go.
Somehow, it did seem such a waste.
Might have someone special you�d like to give them to.
He did.
The voice in his thoughts tracked him to her apartment block, rode him up the stairs to her door, and tightened his stomach so as he might not have the courage to knock.
He tapped gently.
�Girl�s gone,� said a voice behind him. �Moved out three days ago. Didn�t say where so don�t ask.�
Before he had the time to match the announcement with a suitable face, he heard the click of a safety chain and saw the winking of an eye at the peephole, then it was gone.
He sat on the apartment steps, flowers in his fist and the voice dancing and laughing inside his head.
What a fool you are. What an easily frightened fool.
Suddenly she was there and sat down next to him. She brushed the smooth skin of his cheek, spreading a dampness that made the skin glisten.
�Are they for me?�
He wiped his face on a sleeve, and placed the flowers into her hand.
�Thank you, they�re beautiful.�
She smiled to herself.
�I�ve just moved to the forth floor, like to come inside while I put these in some water?�
He touched a petal on one of the roses and it fell into her lap.
�Mightn�t last long,� he said.
�You can buy me some more and change them when I�m not looking. No one will be the wiser.�
She trotted in front of him up the stairs. He followed her slowly, thinking how for his entire life he had kept the things he loved most, the farthest away.
�Come on, what�s slowing you down,� she called at him from the forth floor landing. �You got stones in your pockets?�
�I�ll be there soon,� he whispered.
|
READER'S REVIEWS (1)
DISCLAIMER: STORYMANIA DOES NOT PROVIDE AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEWS. ALL REVIEWS ARE PROVIDED BY NON-ASSOCIATED VISITORS, REGARDLESS OF THE WAY THEY CALL THEMSELVES.
"Once again truely a story that you can feel like you have been there. or something that you know smeone close to you has felt. I felt it. sad but true a very sad but yet satidfying ending. makes you wonder really what happens next.?" -- rachel williams, west melbourne.
TO DELETE UNWANTED REVIEWS CLICK HERE! (SELECT "MANAGE TITLE REVIEWS" ACTION) |
|
Submit Your Review for A Pocket Full Of Stones
Required fields are marked with (*).
Your e-mail address will not be displayed.
|
|
Submit Your Rating for A Pocket Full Of Stones
|
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 1992 Paul Leighland MacLaine |
STORYMANIA PUBLICATION DATE
February 2003 |
NUMBER OF TIMES TITLE VIEWED
2338
|
|
