Writing Contest Finals

Sorry about delay in posting the stories...been busy.

Here are the finalist...please read and place your vote.

Jimmy's Song

By Jax the Jester



“Three days, six hours and thirty four minutes was the start of the siege that still has local police tied up outside of the Third National Savings Bank…”

Jimmy turned it off with a click. There were never any good cartoons on anymore and the news was too boring to watch.
“Help!”
The scream came from just outside of the house; high pitched and desperate. It made Jimmy drop the remote.
“Heeeelp!”
Oh no.
Not another one.
Jimmy turned the news back on and tried not to listen, but the voice was desperate and insistent.
“Help! Help! …Heeeeelp!”
“Awe, damn it!” Jimmy cursed as he stood up and glanced cautiously at the family room. His father was still passed out, empty bottle in hand. Maybe if he was quiet he could get rid of it before he woke up. If Pa heard though… Nothing would be worse.
“Help!” The cry came again.
“Shush up!” Jimmy whispered loudly as he inched towards the door. “You gotta keep quite or Pa will hear you!”
The door let out a loud creek as it opened, prompting Jimmy to look back over his shoulder. The old man hadn’t moved.
“Help… lost…”
A pitiful voice pleaded from the porch. Jimmy looked down and shook his head at the ragged kitten that was perched there.
“Awe hell. Why do ya’all keep following me? I told you I can’t! If he finds me talking to you he’ll hurt you!”
Not to be deterred, the kitten stepped forward rubbed it’s head on Jimmy’s leg. “Lost… hungry…”
Jimmy shook his head. “Oh, crap on a stick…”, he complained back to it.
Grandpa Jack used to tell him this was his special gift. To see the spark in things. Pa called it a freak show. Said it was why Ma left. Said if he ever caught Jimmy-

“What is this shit!?”
Jimmy’s heart froze in his throat. Oh, god no. When did he get up?
“It ain’t my fault Pa”, he began quickly, “I swear!”
But the fist still came fast and hard.
Jimmy didn’t even realize it until he felt himself hit the ground. Why did that damn cat have to follow him?
“I told you boy! I warned you good!”
Jimmy curled up on the floor. He knew that the best thing to do was wait it out. No talking back. No running. No crying.
“Damn piece a crap cats!”
The cry that the kitten made when his father grabbed it off the porch sounded too much like a child screaming for Jimmy to block it out. He looked up despite himself.
“I set out rat traps. I set out poisons! You still show up on my damn front steps!”
The twist was violent. The snap was loud. Jimmy watched as the spark grew dull and then faded away. Then he watched his father stumble towards the basement door and throw the limp body down the stairs.
“In with the rest of ‘em. Ya’ll can rot down there.”
That’s when Jimmy sobbed out loud. And then quietly cursed himself for doing so.
“Oh, I ain’t forgot about you boy. I told ya what would happen if I caught you doing it again…”
Jimmy tried to scramble backwards. “Please Pa.. I.. ain’t …meant for..”
He pressed his hands out in front himself defensively, but knew it wouldn’t help.
“Too late freak show! I told ya what would happen!”
Jimmy yelped as his father grabbed him by the hair and dragged him towards the basement door.
“No, Pa! Please! Please!!!” His fingers scraped at carpet to no avail.
“It’s the same damn reason yer’ Ma is gone. You both just won’t listen.”
Jimmy felt cold horror as his father swung the door open with a violent jerk, and screamed when the smell hit him. He never knew anything could smell like that.
“In you go, lill’ bastard.”
The shove was too strong to resist. He screamed even louder when his knees hit the first stair. And he thought he heard himself scream one last time when his head cracked on the concrete floor at the bottom.


The room was just like he remembered it. No carpets, but all kinds of throw rugs dotting the floor. A big Dreamcatcher hanging from the ceiling. And a warm fireplace. He loved Grandpa Jack’s house.
“Ya see lill’ Jim, it’s the spark that you’re looking at. The thing that Mother Earth puts in all of her creations to make them work.”
Jimmy smiled up at his Grandpa. He enjoyed sitting on that floor and listening to him talk. Grandpa Jack seemed to understand him more than anyone else. When Ma found out what Jimmy could do, she cried. When Pa found out he got angry and hit her. When Jack found out, he just smiled. That’s why Jimmy loved him most of all.
“You’re gift is to speak right to that spark lill’ Jim.”
Jimmy rested his head on the thin rug below him as his Grandpa spoke on. It smelled like hickory and pine near the floor. He loved that too.


“Help.”

Jimmy’s eyes fluttered open, but it was too dark to see. Why did it smell so bad? He sat up and rubbed his head. Something wet and sticky came off it.
“Heeelp.”
The cry was quiet and strange. Like someone talking through a fan.
“Who’s there”, he whispered to the darkness. Where did Grandpa Jack go? He could have sworn that he was just sitting at the cabin…
“Oh, no!”
With a start Jimmy remembered being thrown down the stairs. He was in the basement. With all of the dead things! He scrambled up the stairs, heart racing. Before he was halfway to the door he began sobbing again. His fist hammered as hard as he could make them.
“Pa! Pa! Please, Pa!!!”
But Jimmy knew that his Pa wouldn’t answer. Sinking to the ground, he hugged his knees and wept uncontrollably. It was so dark in here. No sparks to see. No life. Crying into folded arms, Jimmy found blackness again.

“Help.”

This time he was sure he heard it. It sounded like an echo. Jimmy looked up to find that he could see a little now. Enough to see patches of fur and dark spots on the ground. Enough to make him squeeze his eyes shut again.
“Please.”
Could one of the cats be alive still? He saw his Pa twist every one of them. Heard the snaps. To scared to walk back down the steps, Jimmy ducked low and peered around as best as he could. Nothing. No spark. No life.
“Heeelp.”
The cry startled him so badly that he nearly lost his footing.
“Who’s down there?” he called out to the darkness below.
“I’m… lost.”
The kitten from the door. Maybe it really was alive! Summoning all the courage he could muster, Jimmy slowly made his way down the steps. He almost screamed again when his foot slipped on something thick and moist. Holding his breathe, he made his way cautiously towards the noise.
“Please.”
Jimmy moved closer to the curled up body. And saw that it was dead after all. No spark. No life. Its eyes were open and glazed. Its head hung loosely; its neck twisted and broken. Jimmy felt hot tears running down his face again.
And then he heard it speak again.
“Heeelp.”
This time he did loose footing, and quickly found himself back on the basement floor.
It spoke. But… it’s dead.
“lost.”
Struggling to his knees, Jimmy looked around frantically. As he did, more voices added their own calls to the dead kitten’s plea.
“Cold.”
“Hungry.”
“Please.”
All of them had that same funny sound. Confused and afraid, Jimmy pushed himself to his feet and stood shaking.
“What do you want?” He cried.
“Cold. Lost. Hungry. Please.”
Jimmy was cold too. And terrified. So terrified that he just stood there with his eyes pinched shut for what seemed like an eternity.
But eventually, after a very long time, he opened them again. And when he did, he saw something that had he had never seen before. Not the spark. Not life. But a… place? A place where the spark was supposed to go.
“Help us.”
Blinking tears away, Jimmy found a strange compulsion was at war with his fear. His head felt all fuzzy. It allowed him to move just a little closer to one of the limp forms. Yes… Right there. A spot where the spark is supposed to go. Like a missing puzzle piece.
“Help us make it stop.”
“Make who stop?” Jimmy asked as he reached out to touch that strange missing piece, “Make Pa stop?” His head was ringing.
“Make it stop breaking. Snapping. Ending.”
“I… I can’t stop him. He’s too big. Too strong.”
Jimmy felt an odd sensation as touched the empty spot.
“Please.”
“Stop.”
“Breaking. Snapping.”
“She didn’t leave you Jim.”
“Huh?” Jimmy pulled his hand back quickly. None of them had ever called him by name before. That voice seemed oddly familiar. “Who didn’t leave me?”
It really was like a puzzle. Right there. Something is supposed to go right there…
“Breaking”
“Snapping.”
“Help.”
“He killed your mother Jim.”
Jimmy’s hand froze in place.
He… killed her?
“Breaking”
She yelled at Pa for hitting him.
“Snapping.”
Why didn’t she ever say goodbye?
“Twisting.”
He thought... she left.
“Breaking and snapping.”
Suddenly Jimmy wasn’t cold anymore. All he could see was his mothers face. He didn’t realize his little hands had balled up into fists. He didn’t understand why he wasn’t shaking anymore. But somehow, through all of the red, he finally saw clearly.

“Oh. That’s what goes there.”


“Boy!”
Frank shuffled towards the basement door, stopping to take another drink as he reached for the knob.
“Hey, freak! You ready for your next lesson?”
He kicked the door for added effect. Instead of a blubbering child though, the cry Frank heard was deep and guttural.
“Rowr?”
He stopped, blinking. What the hell was that? Swinging the door open, he gazed down into the darkness.
“You down there freak? You hide from me; you’ll get it even harder!”
Something moved. Ah. There’s the little shit. Frank smiled at the barely visible form creeping up the staircase.
“That’s right. Come get what’s come’n.”
The form moved closer. …Along with another. And another?
“Rowr?”
Frank peered down, squinting to see past the darkness.
“You got some damn cats with ya down there? I ain’t killed all them summa bitches?

“ROWWWRRRR!”
The sound was angry and far too loud. Frank felt his eyes grow wide as the darkness broke giving way to countless tiny forms.
“What the hell!?”
He felt himself hit the ground before he even registered that he was tripping. When did he start backing up? That thought was upon him when he felt the first bite.
“Oh god...”
That was the extent of Frank’s ability to vocalize what he saw as he looked down at the tiny form clinging to his leg. A single small bone was jutting out from its twisted broken neck. Glazed eyes stared back at him as the first thin trickle of blood ran down his leg to the floor.
Then he saw the others. All broken. Twisted. Rotting. They dragged themselves up the stairs and climbed towards him. There were so many. How many had he killed?
“B… Boy? Jimmy?!”
The last form he saw coming up behind them was the most terrifying of all. His son’s skin was so pale. And something red and thick was leaking from the back of his head, falling down in clumps to the ground as he climbed the last of the steps.
“…Jimmy boy?”
Those were the last words Frank muttered before the swarm was upon him. His screams were loud and horrific. They poured from him until the last of his spark was gone.

To Jimmy, it didn’t sound human at all.
More like the high pitched scream of dieing cat.

Huerito Heat

Three days, six hours and thirty four minutes was now the official time they had been robbing and running. Robbing everything from money to stones and running from cops and guns. They had stopped to rest for a little bit; put in some gas maybe; but soon they'd be off running again...but first, Taryn needed a cigarette.

She flicked her cigarette; as she hung half out the car window. She wasn't very nervous; she didn't even have a craving for the smoke. Just a lot on her mind. And when you're the Queen Bee, having a lot on your mind is not a good thing...

Taryn knew this...she flicked her cigarette again.

"So, how are we gonna do this?", asked Nikki, Taryn's "Best Friend Forever", of course neither girl liked the other enough to even consider her just a friend but either girl didn't mind putting on an act either.

"Just like every other time. Just don't fuck it up again.", Taryn said, smoothly; taking another hit of the cigarette.

"Me? Bitch, you need to---", Nikki was cut off. Taryn had grabbed her by the chin, tight, and pulled her close to her face; the sparky ashes of the cigarette slowly making way to her eyes...

"You need to remember who you're talking too!", growled the scorned queen as she continued, "without me, you're nothing...you get nothing.".

Nikki saw the inpatient look in Taryn's eyes. Her heart beat fast; Taryn wasn't letting go and somehow, even though she was no longer applying any, the pressure seemed to be increasing. Nikki was reminded that they weren't really the best friends they claimed to be. The inpatient female finally let go. She took a glance at Nikki; who was thankful and angered at the same time.

"Do your job right and I won't have to mess with that pretty face of yours. Do it wrong and your face is going to be the least of your worries!", snapped Taryn.

"Fine, your highness...", muttered a sarcastic Nikki. Her pride had been hurt but she knew she would have the last laugh...hopefully.

Then there was a silence. Either girl cared to talk anymore. But when Taryn, finally, crushed out her cigarette, both knew it was time to get out of the car and into the all-night liquor store. This would be the fifth one they would rob. Money, after all, is one of a girl's best friend...
Nikki and her somewhat cruel boss loaded and hid their firearms; no need for masks. Each were so vain, the thought of covering their face was more of a crime then what they were about to do. They never got caught either. No leads. No mistakes. They made a small fortune from being so lucky. Tonight, their luck would be coming to an abrupt halt...

The girls walked in. The chimes of the door went off; letting the clerk know he had two customers, who apparently needed liquor at 2:30 in the morning. Once he got a look at them; he was glad he accepted to take the night shift job. Looks can be deceiving though and the fool was about to learn this lesson the hard way...

Taryn, as usual, made the rounds. Cleverly putting herself in enough view for this poor slob to get a good look at something he could never have and having time to disappear. Nikki, the more flirtatious of the two, as usual, went up to the store clerk; and began chatting the doomed fellow up:

"Hi there, cutie...working late?", smiled Nikki.

"Yes, ma’am. It's been slow but it's picking up now!", admitted the clerk.

"Aw, that's sweet of you to say! Isn't he sweet, Tare?", asked Nikki.

Taryn hated when Nikki used their real names; or abbreviated versions of them. "Fuckin' idiot!", she thought. She looked up from the back and with her best restraint replied, "Sure is!".

The store clerk thought himself to be of godly proportion now.

"So, did you two just come from a club or what?", he asked. Maybe he'd be invited to go next time...

"Oh, something like that...it's a club of sorts...we work there!", giggled Nikki.

"Really? Like what, a strip club?", asked the brave clerk.

Taryn, again, filled with anger. Why was this every guys first answer? They see two gorgeous women and the only thing they can do for a living is strip for dollar bills? She again, did her best to control herself and shot back, "Does that work for you or should we be out on a corner somewhere?".

The clerk ignored the comment. The giggly one was more of his taste. Nikki knew this. She acted on it...
"Ah, she's just teasing! We actually work together. Like a team. But, uh, I think for you, I could do a solo show...", Nikki seductively said, as she fixed up her top to reveal huge amounts of cleavage.

"R-r-really? You can do that? How much?", asked the eager clerk.

"Well, how much do you have in the register?", asked Nikki as she pulled her gun from her generous cleavage.

The young, horny clerk knew then he had been had. Luckily he had been prepared for such a thing! He lunged the cash register in front of the evil beauty; and while distracted, pulled out his own gun and shot her in the arm. Nikki fell to the floor.

"Fuck!", yelled Taryn, who was dodging his gun fire; avoiding getting the same fate as her bubbly partner in crime. She hid behind a shelf; giving her time to recollect her thoughts but also giving the clerk time to reload. "Bitch always fucks things up!", Taryn said out loud; hoping her fallen partner could hear her through all this fun excitement...

The now heroic clerk sent a warning blast from his pistol and then a warning message: "Come on out, doll...I won't hurt you...if you play your cards right...come here and let me have a look at you beautiful...a touch...and maybe, I'll keep my mouth shut when the cops get here!".

Now Taryn was pissed. She now pulled her own gun; which she had hid until now; and in a more practical place than in her breasts. She had forgotten the mission. She didn't care about the cops, who were probably on their way. Even Nikki wasn't her number one annoyance anymore. She got up and fired wildly...hitting him multiple times. He dropped to the floor instantly.

Taryn straddled herself onto the fallen store official; jammed her gun to his sweating forehead; and then surprisingly, kissed his lips.

"Is that what you wanted, baby?", Taryn asked, with lust and insanity in her eyes. She got his arms up; one of which was shot; and had his hands caress her face...

"You think I have a cute doll face do ya?", she asked and again with, "You think I'm a doll?".

He wasn't very responsive. The major loss of blood will do that to you.

Taryn was losing it. This pig wasn't oinking. She placed his bloody hands on her chest.

"Maybe you'll like these then? I mean, who wouldn't right?", the irritated queen bee spoke.

Still no response. Now she was insulted. How dare such a lowly man deny such incredible beauty! She had only wanted his money; but now she wanted him. Somewhere along the line, this stopped being a money issue; and more of a need for a thrill...

Taryn removed her top; revealing her light blue bra to the unconscious victim. Clearly, too small; clearly planned for such an occasion.

"Go ahead. You said you wanted a touch...so touch!", Taryn yelled.

No answer. She lost it.

"Touch me! You fucking pig! Touch me!", the queen was completely over the edge now.

She made up a fist; held it back and SMACK! Her hit woke him, semi, up. He was bloody and now, confused...

"I'm...sorry....sorry...don't...", this was all he could manage.

"Don't be sorry, baby. I'm not sorry. You shouldn't be either...okay, how about I sweeten the deal for you?", Taryn replied.

She didn't wait for an answer. She started to remove her silk, blue bra.

"Surely you want a taste?", she smiled at him and continued, "I know you want a taste. Every man wants a taste...", asked the seductive villain, still trying to get her garment off; but before that could happen...

"Taryn, what the fuck are you doing?!", questioned a recuperated Nikki.

Taryn, looked up. She had forgot Nikki was even there.

"What does it look like? I'm giving this poor asshole the best thrill of his worthless life! Wanna join in?", replied the thrill giver.

"Okay, yeah, like I never take my clothes off for the victims. Are you nuts?", shot back Nikki; she added, "Fucking whore...".

Taryn didn't like the gratitude Nikki was giving her. She did save her life, somewhat, earlier. She shot Nikki in the other arm. Nikki yelped in pain as she fell to the floor again. Taryn turned her attention back to the lucky victim...

"So, I guess you don't like me after all. That really sucks...", Taryn began to speak, not really caring that his ignoring her had nothing to do with her whatsoever, "I let you taste my kiss...I let you touch my body...I even wanted you to fondle me...who knows? I may have gone all the way with you. But you just don't like me I guess. The weird part about that is---"...

BANG!

She shot him; point blank in the head. The blood fled from his skull. His face; blank. His body, now lifeless. Taryn smiled as she began to put her top back on.

"--There isn't a man ALIVE that doesn't like what I have to offer. Sorry, baby. You're just not what I was looking for...".

She loaded up the cash and started to walk out of the store and was almost at the exit when she had remembered Nikki's earlier comment. She went back and stood over Nikki.

"I told you to shut your fucking mouth. Now you're out. This fucking money is mine. Oh yeah---"...

BANG!

She shot Nikki in the head. Her Best Friend Forever was no more. Taryn straddled herself onto her deceased ex-partner in crime. She kissed her cheek and licked some of her blood that was pouring down her eyes. She put her tongue inside Nikki's lifeless mouth and massaged it with her own; while fondling the newly corpse's breasts; thinking how her own were superior. However, this had purpose: she found the car keys. Taryn laughed at her ex-partner's predictability. She stopped for a while; gazed upon the dead; and kissed her lips one more time before getting up and finishing what she was saying earlier:

"I'm not a fucking whore, you cunt!".

Taryn spit on the dead and ran out the door. The cops, who had been called into action several minutes ago, still no where to be seen. This town had no heroes. For a little while longer anyways...

The now solo criminal walked slowly to the car; lighting up another cigarette, of course. She had deserved it after what she had just gone through. There were two fatalities but it could have easily been three. The job hadn't gone according to plan; but at least she made out with the cash--and with a corpse. She flicked her cigarette...

Now inside the car, Taryn let out a sigh of relief and satisfaction. She wiped some blood off of her face and stared at her now blood stained hand. She had crossed the line tonight; took two lives...and loved it. She loved the feeling of power and superiority she got. It was almost sensual. No, it was sensual...

In the distance, police sirens began to glare...

Before she sped away, the new Taryn took one last hit off her cigarette; crushed it out and flicked it out the car window...

wow. it's really close! i didn't expect this. i was sure jax was gonna be kickin me ass!

hey, mick! when does this voting time end?

September 6th...should be more than enough time for everyone to vote.

Congrats to Heat for winning the contest and thanks to all who participated.

congrats hueros

jax gave a decent fight.