Welcome to Gaia! ::

*Yawn

Man oh man, were are the members at man!!!

Anyway I've decided to throw this SS. for your enjoyment or judgement. It was for a competion but nothing came off it crying . Oh well. It's probably the shorteat story I've every written. Let's see what you lovely lot can make of it. Oh don't forget to tell me what y'all think!!!
Title:Luck

She ran down the road shattering the surface of a puddle that was in her way. The mudded water was thrown onto her trainers and trousers. That was the least of her newfound troubles. Another road was crossed into where she hid in a small alleyway. No one would ever look to find her in between the terraced houses.

The rain soaked into her hair, down her face and into her clothes. She snivelled wiping the rain drops off her redden cheeks. Deeply she breathed glaring down at her damp hands to observe the item she cared for like a baby. It was kept warm and hidden from the weather and anyone's eyes. How could she compare this item to a baby? Babies were loved. You could not love and appreciated something stolen.

The compacted disc reflected her features. Something different appeared between the distorted face of the plastic and the convex raindrops that formed. She was a theft. Her heartbeats were felt against every inhalation and exhalation. Despite all the effort she made escaping she could only think of her friends. Now they will view her differently and not a spoiled little brat they made her out to be.

She hated the image and wiped the rain off the cover but she didn't return it to the safely of her coat and the warmth of her body. Her large green eyes continued to stare at this negative image of herself. Her three friends appeared in her minds eye. She was now one of them; it was what she wanted but not by doing this.

A subtle noise startled her. She turned sharply throwing her damp hair in her face. A "Toyota Yaris" drove by slowly - too slowly for her to accept the person inside was not looking for her. She stopped breathing waiting for the vehicle to be out of sight and out of her mind. She would take off again. The shops were far away. The owners wouldn't have time to look for her in the housing areas. The girl was more alert now. She had to be if the police were to be evaded. The police - why would they call the police? It was just a CD, no more than £2.99. They would not miss it.
There was no desire to run or jog. Justice was circling her mind. Get caught and get it over with. No! And look a fool in front of her friends!? Her fingers pressed against the cover. A smile appeared. Her friends and classmates would think she was 'hard', and her parents? A devastating frown appeared. The CD was brought back out. Now her mum and dad reflected in her youthful features. The only two who believed and trusted her and respected her as an adult. The rain was wiped away again. The CD was no more then a childish act of acceptations. She began to run up the street as far as the rain and puddles would let her.

"They'll understand. I had to do it." She whispered airlessly running through a park.

An old lady walked by. There was an umbrella in one fragile hand and a trolley was found in the other. The two glanced at each other before going on with their journey.

"What must she think of me? Does she even know?"

Her legs grew tired under the added weight. She walked over to a waterlogged bench and sat on it, sluggishly falling deeper into her thoughts. That look the old lady gave her sent a weird and freighting pain through her nerves. She was edgy and wary about everything and everyone. First the car startled her, now the old lady. Everything needed an explanation so her actions would seem acceptable in some way. The more she thought about the watchful eyes of the people and the words of trust her parents would praise her with, the more her actions affected her.

"I disgust myself,"

The CD was taken out one more time. The raindrops began to spit against the cover, rippling the paper inside, finally forming on the CD itself.

"I know stealing is bad. So why did I do it?"

In all her frustration she threw the compact disc to the floor and listened to the scratching of plastic against the concrete, and another sound. She looked up from her drench hands to glare at the CD. Beside it was the small crystal her father brought for her. Like her name it was a Beryl stone. An oddly cut and polished cyan blue crystal, with white strips of crystallised rock and brown bits from it's rough cut exterior. The crystal is said to bring good luck to the wearer. The crystal was picked up and held vertically between her thumb and middle finger. She shuddered replacing her hair behind her right ear. The crystal got her through her SAT's, and various sports events. The Beryl crystal made her accomplish all those good things. Now it helped her achieve the possession of a CD. There was nothing good about that. That was nothing she could be proud of.

She wondered silently if her friends had ever felt this way. Gwyneth always went on about the item of clothes she took, or the shoes she merely walked out with. Every word that came out of her mouth was 'easy, easy, easy.' Then there was Holly who always insisted Beryl give it a go. If she got caught it would be another episode in her life, nothing she couldn't handle. Lastly, Norma would dig at her that it's societies fault that people steal. If they didn't want poorer folks to steal they wouldn't have made it so easy to get away with. That's what her dad would tell her and now she believed it. Norma seemed most troubled with the stealing business. Almost like she didn't want to be in the game anymore. The other two had to feel the same; Beryl felt like that and it was only her first time.

Beryl enclosed the stone in her shaken hand squeezing it tightly not wanting to lose it. Is this how you want your life to be? Beryl asked herself holding the stone to her forehead. If it weren't the CD that was stolen maybe she would have robbed from a car. That yellow metallic "Toyota" that drove by could be her next victim. Or if not the car, maybe the mugging of that old lady who strolled by, minding her own business.

"Pathetic," Beryl told herself replacing the crystal back in her pocket. The rain penetrated thought her clothes onto her skin. She was cold all over and didn't care. Her elbows rested on her knees so her head could be held in the palms of her hands.

'Is that what you want your life to be, Beryl?' She asked aloud.

The settled rain washed off of Beryl's clothes and onto the floor where it drained away. She didn't want to bring the CD home but she had to. The scratched water-filled plastic cover was back in the safety of her jacket. One last look was given to the CD. It did not reflect her face and the guilt that appeared in her eyes. Good, she did not want to see her own face right now. A question reclaimed her senses from the sights and sounds.

"Would I do it again?" There was a long pause that gave the rain dominance over every sound she heard.

She turned up the path to the bus stop not wanting to retrace her original steps. The CD was back in her pocket. Her fingers brushed the stone. She answered the question.

"If chance allows me... if I'm lucky."

End

Wow, that was short sweatdrop Now that I look back at this... it's pretty empty. Oh I'll fix it later. xp

You would say short is good, being the "master" of short stories in here!!! whee

But glad you liked it. It's been sitting in my laptop since... goodness, 2002 feeling alone and retundant. I can say that the story feels good now. I think I'll post up a creepy story... or as most people like to say "dark" mood-like story. Peace out

Ta