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Short Stories




Voices by Jack Linton Thirty-five years ago, Jacob McLoy lost someone very dear to him. He longs to find her through the voic... [1,315 words]
My Message Of Caress by Jacqueline Anel Sheppard This story is about the depth of a daughter towards life and how her existance leads to he... [452 words]
Sincerely, Michelle White by Shelley J Alongi A prominent recording executive realizes her relationship with a band manager has bee... [2,207 words]
Lessons by Albert Davis A short foray into minor philosophy and perhaps a little amusing. [1,359 words]
Tuck And I Steal A Boat To Go Catfishing by Matthew Dean Tuck and I steal a boat to go catfishing. [939 words]
The Night We Saw The UFO by Matthew Dean The night we saw the UFO... [435 words]
Scott Wrestles A Coyote by Matthew Dean Scott wrestles a Coyote. [1,838 words]
Scott Decides To Teach Us How To Break Horses by Matthew Dean Scott decides to teach us how to break horses. [675 words]
Night Run by Song Wright A teenager helps her friend to run away from home in the middle of the night. [2,184 words]
Loss Of Sanity - The Franie D. Story by Christopher McCoy "Love at first site, it may sound trite, but it's true, you know." - Morri... [4,326 words]
Just A Nightmare by Glen Pearson A disturbing short account of a power cut in a family home where a small boys nightmare become... [1,910 words]
How William Fell Into The Septic Tank by Matthew Dean The battles with our septic tank...and how Will fell into it. [1,055 words]
How I Talked My Brother Into Digging by Matthew Dean How I talked my brother into digging up the septic tank. [430 words]
Reflections by Jennifer Nobile Raymond A young woman's unusual experience on a city bus...EXCERPT - “Want to talk? We could go somewhere... [2,171 words]
Stolen Innocence by Deb Meyer Elaine, a gullable high school girl which lacks self-confidence and her own identity, is bulli... [1,743 words]
Night Of Living Hell by Paula M Shackleford This is a story I wrote a couple of years ago about a girl who is waiting outside the cine... [1,227 words]
The Lesser Evil by Nan Deyo “You ain’t tellin’ me my babies is dead.” She was crouched on the foul and reeking stairs, arm... [3,778 words]
Family Genes Considered by Richard Koss A story that is unfortunately, much closer to the truth than not. Although the main ch... [1,198 words]
Glass by Shelley J Alongi About the thoughts and reactions of a little girl viewing a riot taking place in a street in Germany duri... [1,021 words]
The Woman by Shelley J Alongi About the last moments of a woman who perishes in an Auschwitz death chamber and how one person's mem... [790 words]
A Better Place To Be by Steven R. Kravsow Bennie Dean is a tiny little man with a crooked little smile who marks the passage of his ... [788 words]
The Sweater by Jennifer M Haynes Andy finds his dead brother's body in the backyard, and takes the sweater to see if he can catch th... [500 words]
The Smart-Ass Shall Inherit The Earth by John C Smith A true story about winning by losing. [399 words]
Sad Poem by Sunny i cut my soul and let it bleed on the paper. [295 words]
Chances Are by Rekha Ambardar A romantic short story. [1,899 words]
Splitting by Paula M Shackleford When Anna's boyfriend decides to break up with her, Anna is the one who ends up laughing. [1,001 words]
Charlie And Mrs. Miller by Richard Koss A very short story about an old woman on her death bed whose last request is to see an ... [585 words]
Crushed by Paula M Shackleford The story of how a fulfilled crush doesn't necessarily make you happier. [2,005 words]
The General's Driver by Shelley J Alongi About the relationship that exists between a top army general and his driver. [4,245 words]
The Omega Pin by Kevin J. Miller A short-short, Apocalyptic burlesque. [263 words]
Mabel by ~Blythe~ You see all sorts of things when you work behind a bar, this isn't so much what I see, but its what I'd d... [238 words]
Cybertalk by Paula M Shackleford Cassie, 20 years old and desperate for love, meets a guy on a chatroom who almost instantly claims to... [4,606 words]
Lillie by Ben-Ibn Balzac A short story of a man dreaming of his little girl after his wife has died giving birth to his daughter.... [1,375 words]
It's Only A Hat by Pat G'Orge-Walker Hilarious misadventures of the spiritually challenged members of the Ain't Nobody Else Right Bu... [5,379 words]
The Perfect Ending
The Dowry by Richard Koss The Dowry is a story set in or around the year 2020, so I suppose you should consider it science fict... [2,448 words]
Forever, Inc. by Joseph Yenkavitch A man visits a company (Forever, Inc.) where his dead father's brain has been hooked to a virtual... [3,740 words]
The Nightmare by Natalia Pedroza A girl who is a drug addict and is becoming a prostitute. [120 words]
The Box (2) by Nathan C Hedberg Ranell Rabe, captain of the guard in the city of Jaida, is faced with the annihilation of his city ... [3,199 words]
Maudlin Street by Christopher McCoy Loosely based upon the song by Morrissey. The story is about a kid who falls in love with a girl... [4,865 words]
Rainy Day Kids by Jock Pichette The Rainy day Kids were young boy who found something to do, rain or shine, and before the age o... [2,208 words]
Innocent Betrayal by Naadira Shante Rushing - [160 words]
They Are Here by Kate Kreutzer-Spath They came through the windows last time. Why are they here? One woman's nightmare. I am not a... [610 words]
Where The Two Parallel Lines Have Met by Lawrence Naresh A short story. [1,354 words]
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Going Out by Saskia Dodd About two girls getting ready to go out. [941 words]
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Rosemary's Gift by Andy Smith Most people know the story about the three wise men that traveled from afar to bring the baby J... [2,094 words]
Wind Dance by Traci McCoy A description of a woman enjoying the sensations of a cool breeze on an early spring night. [794 words]
Eviction Leads To A New Life by Jock Pichette Eviction Leads To A New Life is all about a young boy, and a mom who lived in a du... [2,738 words]
Jocko by Jock Pichette Involves a young boy who loved hockey, but also had a great deal of pride. So in order to learn how to sk... [2,438 words]
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Blind Pig by Jock Pichette Blind Pig, involves a Polish Immigrant who came to Canada, worked extremely hard in a packing house, ... [1,743 words]
Cattin' Around by Mary Carol Dill Mary Carroll A very short, slightly racy story about the illusion of romance... [261 words]
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Fatal Perception by Richard Koss An off-beat tale about an aging song writer who perceives he is being stalked by a strange lit... [2,959 words]
I Closed My Eyes (2) by Lisamarie Jones After committing suicide, a young man realises what a mistake it was. [1,356 words]
Clyde's Lot by H E Gurlitt Short story for adults, based on real events. [729 words]
Deep Cutting by Shannon C. A girl, wallowing in misery, decides cutting herself can take the pain away. [1,179 words]
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His Wife Could Eat No Lean by Mo Rogers [1,628 words]
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Don't Bank On It by Paula M Shackleford This is the story of how a petty argument can develop into a full-scale war, when it comes to ... [3,766 words]

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TITLE (EDIT)
The Perfect Ending
DESCRIPTION
A tale about a wanna-be writer trying to create a story with the perfect ending. With unsuspecting help from his wife, he succeds, but pays the ultimate price.
[642 words]
AUTHOR
Richard Koss
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Richard Koss, other titles
[November 2001]
AUTHOR'S E-MAIL ADDRESS
taxtime@ameritech.net
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (47)
904 North (Poetry) A tale in verse form about a middle-aged musician/writer down on his luck and recently divorced (again) who moves into a high rise apartment on the ninth floor, which happens to be the same suite a yo... [1,479 words]
A New Perspective (Essays) A different perspective on the 911 tragedy and its aftermath. [614 words]
Are We There Yet? (Essays) An essay I never thought I'd have to write followed by a question I never thought I would have to ask. [1,013 words]
Asleep At Last (Poetry) A man in a hospital bed is having difficulty falling asleep, but he soon will... [152 words]
Bad Boy (Short Stories) A true story about a bad boy growing up in 1950. Was he just mischievous? Would his behavior be considered bad today? [2,844 words]
Charlie And Mrs. Miller (Short Stories) A very short story about an old woman on her death bed whose last request is to see an old friend, much to the surprise of her daughters and granddaughters. [585 words]
Deja Vu (Poetry) In times like these, pacifists come out of the woodwork. This poem was written in anticipation of what we can expect from them. [106 words]
Empty Closets (Poetry) A poem which no doubt, is controversial. I'm sure many will consider it homophobic, (a stupid word) but if liberals are sincere in their belief that everyone is entitled to free speech and opinions, t... [223 words]
Family Genes Considered (Short Stories) A story that is unfortunately, much closer to the truth than not. Although the main character is fictional, the relatives described are quite real, which gives me reason to often ponder my own destin... [1,198 words]
Fatal Perception (Short Stories) An off-beat tale about an aging song writer who perceives he is being stalked by a strange little man. [2,959 words]
Goodbye America (Essays) An essay written by an aging writer who no longer understands the country in which he lives. [662 words]
Hooked (Short Stories) A short short story originally started as a poem, about a man's obsession with a special kind of woman. (Revised June 2001) [323 words] [Fantasy]
How To Fool Most Of The People Most Of The Time (Essays) An essay commenting on the recent election results. [1,530 words]
Know It? - I Wrote It (Short Stories) This is a funny, perhaps silly, outrageous story. I'm not sure of its exact origin, but I must forewarn you. I don't generally make use of extreme vulgarity or profanity in my writing, but in this c... [663 words]
Lost And Found (Poetry) A poem that was originally written as a lyric several years ago for a country western song. [156 words]
Madelaine (Short Stories) An eerie tale set in the modern day Pacific Northwest about a family's nightmarish encounter with a character from a legend with a darkside. [8,451 words]
Moral Values - Who Needs Them? (Essays) An essay. [771 words]
Muriel's Funeral (Short Stories) Imagine yourself dead and observing your own funeral What would you expect to see? You might be surprised. [736 words]
My Three Loves (Poetry) A poem about the three things in life that keep a man going. (At least from one man's perspective.) [101 words]
My Wife Is Missing (Poetry) A poem (well sort of a poem) which raises the question of who is most dear to us. [117 words] [Relationships]
Nostalgic On A Bridge To Nowhere (Poetry) A nostalgic view of the life of a man in his twilight years. [369 words]
Over A Hundred Years Later Nothing New About Progressives (Essays) An essay revealing the fact that progressives haven't progressed much in over a hundred years. [1,317 words]
Please Read My Poem - Again (Poetry) The inspiration for this poem came to me after reading several poems (good and bad) posted on Storymania, as well as their reviews. The poem is directed primarily at the very young, talented writers w... [195 words]
Raindrops (Short Stories) Ever think twice about shopping alone at night. You should - especially if you're a pretty woman. [1,469 words]
Requiem For A Bodybuilder (Poetry) What happens to bodybuilders when they cease pumping iron? [54 words]
Save The Planet – More Fiction Than Fact (Essays) An essay. [1,537 words]
Shirley's Angel (Short Stories) A Christmas story: In the final analysis, we may discover that we love someone because of their vulnerability, rather than in spite of it. [2,228 words]
Still Unsolved (Short Stories) A successful mystery writer returns to his old home town and recalls an unsolved mystery he never wrote about. [2,136 words]
Symbolism Over Substance – The Liberal Manifesto (Essays) A non-fiction essay about liberal ideology and its influence on today's U.S. and world culture. [1,229 words]
The Absolution Of Margaret (Short Stories) A story about life in the confessional booth of a Catholic church. [549 words]
The Better Man (Poetry) A poem about a lonely, young, soldier wating for a train to take him back to base. He becomes enamored with a lovely young girl sitting across from him. Although they never speak to each other, the ... [238 words]
The Diversity Mystique (Essays) The ultimate hype of political correctness. [1,083 words]
The Dowry (Short Stories) The Dowry is a story set in or around the year 2020, so I suppose you should consider it science fiction. But it is also a story of romance with the ending more than a mere possibility. [2,448 words]
The Farnsworth Affair (Short Stories) An innocent man becomes trapped in a web of circumstance from which there is no escape. A somewhat more lengthy story than I usually write. This is a suspense story in the mold of the English mystery... [5,045 words]
The Girl In The Taxi (Short Stories) A shy, young man has an erotic encounter with a strange girl. Is it real or just a dream? [1,493 words] [Erotic]
The Incurable Cynic (Poetry) A man reflects upon his life of cynicism. [143 words]
The Price Of Freedom (2) (Short Stories) A short story. [396 words]
The Rhyme Of Eternal Triangles (Poetry) A poem that describes in a silly, funny way, the futility of wanting someone who doesn't want you. [223 words]
The Song That Failed (Short Stories) A somewhat dubious account of an amateur song writer's ill-fated chance at success. [156 words] [Humor]
The Waitress Fom Hell (Short Stories) The story of a patron's ongoing feud with an over-the-hill waitress. [750 words]
Think Before You Write (Essays) My observations, after reading the work of many aspiring young writers, prompted me to write this. It merely offers some common sense advice to any aspiring writer (including myself) and should not b... [988 words]
Tomorrow's Here (Poetry) The recent death of a friend inspired me to write a poem, which salutes this somewhat hapless, but likeable character. [114 words]
Victims (Poetry) A satirical poem that tells it like it is. The poem confronts a disturbing trend in our society - transferring blame to others instead of placing it squarely where it belongs. [255 words]
What A Pair (Ex-Husbands And Old Shoes) (Poetry) A symbolic poem comparing ex-husbands and old shoes. Some women divorce their husbands, expecting to find something better, only to realize eventually, that the grass is not always greener. [326 words]
What’S Wrong With Assimilation? (Essays) This essay was originally written in 2006 when the Senate was considering an Immigration reform bill, which of course, was not passed. [453 words]
While The Iron's Hot (Short Stories) The story of a woman, a victim of spousal abuse, and her solution to the problem. [774 words] [Relationships]
Wisdom - Lost With Tradition (Essays) An essay which compares the concept of traditional wisdom with the minds of today's intellectual elitists. [500 words]
The Perfect Ending
Richard Koss

Allow me to introduce myself. My name’s Benny Burger and I’m a writer. That is to say, I consider myself a writer. My wife Stella doesn’t think I’m much of a writer though. She thinks I should get a real job like she has and get up and go to work every morning like she does.

I haven’t had a real job in years, ever since I got the bug to write stories. I like to write short stories and I’ve had a few published. I even got paid two hundred bucks for one I wrote two years ago. Besides, it’s 1958 and there’s a recession. Real jobs are hard to find.

What I really want to do is write a story with a perfect ending. A story that would keep the reader in suspense from start to finish and then give ‘em a real surprise ending they would never have dreamed of in a million years. I mean an ending they could never even come close to guessing. That would be a perfect ending. And that ending would make it a great story - a story that could make me famous like O Henry or Damon Runyan. Then Stella wouldn’t tell me to get a job. She’d be proud of me.

I’ve been racking my brains trying to come up with an idea and I think I finally found it.

I’m going to write about another writer just like me. And he’s trying to write a story with the perfect ending too, just like me. You know, sort of like I’m writing about a guy who’s writing about a guy just like himself, who’s writing about another guy just like himself, etc. etc. I’ve seen that before but I don’t know what they call it.

Anyway, this guy’s got a wife like Stella who works too, and she’s always picking on him the way Stella picks on me. Like this morning, as she was leaving, she told me the pilot light in the stove was off and she smelled something funny, like gas fumes. So she called the gas company and they said they would send someone to check it out.

I’ve got allergies and she knows my sense of smell is probably not as good as hers. I honestly can’t smell anything funny. But that’s how she is, always making a big deal out of everything.

Well now it’s almost noon and I’m coming along pretty well with my story. In fact, I’m almost done. I’ve just got to put the finishing touches on my surprise ending just like this writer in my story. He’s kind of stuck on his ending too, so he keeps smoking cigarette after cigarette.


Smoking helps him think, just like it does me. Except that Stella took my lighter and I can’t find any matches lying around. So I guess I’ll have to get up from my typewriter for a second and go into the kitchen and light my cigarette with the matches Stella always keeps on top of the stove. Then I’ll be able to think better and figure out a real dynamite ending to my story.




EPILOGUE


UPI Services, November 30, 1958

Readers Digest’s annual award for best amateur short story was given to a Mrs. Stella Burger of Chicago, Illinois, for her story, “The Perfect Ending.” In accepting the award, Mrs. Burger said she felt she should share it with her late husband, Benny Burger, because she merely finished the story, started by him.

Mrs. Burger was also in the news recently, for winning a lengthy court battle with the Omaha Mutual Life Insurance Company, when a jury ruled that her husband’s death in their household explosion was accidental.

Mrs. Burger said the $400,000 double indemnity policy proceeds would enable her to quit her job and embark on a new career as a writer and added, “Benny would be very proud of me.”

 

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"Great! I think the guy may have found the perfect ending after all." -- Paula S, Hamilton, Scotland.
"Yup - moral: the only way struggling writers can succeed in their career is ... :)" -- Hammund.
"Loved it! It made me smile. Ironic yet anticipated." -- M Smith.

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2000 Richard Koss
STORYMANIA PUBLICATION DATE
June 2000
NUMBER OF TIMES TITLE VIEWED
3522
 

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