Community post
Crossing Paths - A Short Story
It was a random encounter, a chance meeting with a childhood friend. He hadn't seen him in years, had almost forgotten him, but seeing his face reminded him of his childhood. It had been years, the memories locked up by war and terror, but that familiar face pulled things through the shadows. Time spent running through the grass, climbing trees, and digging holes. All gone now.
His friend looked up from his phone, and he saw his friend's face as he recognized what he was. Hesitation, fear. He wished it wasn't so. A small sound played his HUD flashed, and he pulled the notification onto the center of his screen.
"Wanted for Crimes Against the State"
He raised his arm and fired four rounds, then strode past the limp body, his metal suit whirring and hissing with each step he took. His mission here was to talk to the man that currently stood three aisles away, and he could not be distracted.
Through the dark glass that covered his face, his gone friend had only recognized what, and not who he was.
Written for the prompt "crossings" from @linnyplant. Might have subverted the prompt a little, but I intended it to be about two old friends crossing paths, and it kinda ended up touching on past lives and new lives crossing (though I decided not to include any conflict there).
Replies (5)
I had railway crossings in my head when I gave you that prompt. I like what you did with it though! The crossing of friends who have really got separate paths! You also followed through. As your virtual mom, I am proud of you son! Lol
I got a little confused with HUD, I assume you mean Heads Up Display. I didn’t get the firing of the shots either...
Yeah, HUD means Heads Up Display. The shots were him killing his childhood friend because he was labeled an enemy of the state...
I write rather depressing stuff most the time. Railroad crossing probably would have turned into some sorta wreck. I'm not really depressed most the time, I just like sad stuff. Weird thing about humans that we like sad stuff....
That’s what I thought, that he killed his friend, but then it wasn’t quite clear to me that actually happened! It felt a little rushed there. So I think if you fixed that, it’d be even better. :)
Sad is fine. Look forward to the next one.
Yeah, I was trying not to elaborate to help convey the sense that it wasn't a huge deal to the guy, but it was missing something there. Just added another detail to at least make it clear his friend died.
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