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Short Stories




Hothouse Lizzards Part 1 by D G Williford Voodoo, New Orleans, Spanish Moss, etc... all the things that everyone wants to read a... [2,641 words]
Flower Taboo by William S Patten Novice.... looking for feedback. [711 words]
Losing Mrs. Jefferson by Shelley J Alongi In 1782, Thomas Jefferson was summoned by Congress to serve in france as the new United S... [2,277 words]
Wheatley's Last Wish by Drakeman Robert Kincaide Continuation to previous entries. [3,119 words]
The Unloved Woman by Emmie Sinclair A sad tale about the life of a homeless person, people we often forget. [585 words]
The Leprechaun's Gift by Carrie Landes A short story about a girl and how a little leprechaun teaches her a lesson. [964 words]
The Horror Of Existence by Sunny Musings on a shitty moment in time. [573 words]
The Heart Behind The Shield by Sara Roggy There's a heart behind every lie, every temper, and every shield. [770 words]
Peggie by Robert Levin My chance to cross gross obesity from the list of body types I hadn't yet scored. [1,519 words]
Nothing's De Facto by Ben S D If your the type of person who hates stories with no eventual ending, then I sincerely apolo... [2,682 words]
Night In Antigua by D G Williford Part one of a slighted warrior bent on revenge towards his derelict father... [194 words]
Missing Pieces by Ian Goodall An unusual event happens aboard a space ship called the Basilisk. An engineer finds himself in a... [696 words]
Desk Lunch Part 6 by D G Williford Life goes on in the cubicle world... [136 words]
Desk Lunch Part 4 by D G Williford On the way to postal... [303 words]
Dear Stepdad by D G Williford A stepson realizes what it takes to be a caretaker. [256 words]
Cmon You Can Tell Me by Sunny Let's compare notes on our moms and dads... [523 words]
Desk Lunch Part 5 by D G Williford She has totally lost it, but you guess... [153 words]
Words.Enter.Head.Write.Something.Good. by J L Watts The story of someone who struggles to find anything decent to write. It'... [1,013 words]
Tunnel Vision by Gerald E Sheagren This story, my very latest, entitled "Tunnel Vision", deals with a man's uneasy relationship with... [7,587 words]
Tsp - Part Two by David B Doc Byron The hit is set up. [456 words]
Tsp Part Three by David B Doc Byron The hitman kills time while awaiting the big day. [506 words]
Tsp Part Four by David B Doc Byron The hitman decides to go through with it. [272 words]
Tsp - Part Five by David B Doc Byron The moment finally arrives. [515 words]
Tsp - Interlude by David B Doc Byron See if you can make the connection. [143 words]
Tsp - Epilogue by David B Doc Byron The hitman is still haunted by his past. [399 words]
The Running by David B Doc Byron A man left alone after a holocaust reflects back on his former life. [437 words]
The Pursuit by J L Watts A dark story that I'd like feedback on concerning the twists and vampire elements. My darkest work ... [1,877 words]
The Messiah by David B Doc Byron A small town youth grows up to be the anti-christ. [331 words]
The 2nd Party - Part 0ne by David B Doc Byron An ex-hitman reflects back on the job that changed his life forever. [295 words]
Sweet Revenge by Ashley Mowery Story of lust, romance, and revenge. [498 words]
Quiet by Christopher Syrett - [217 words]
No Hesitation by Amelia R James ‘I don’t care how it gets done. I just want it done and I want it done now! Am I clear?’ said th... [3,628 words]
Moses And The Parting Of The Red Sea by Rowan Davies A story adapted from the greatest work of fiction ever written. I would se... [796 words]
Jesus Christ Superslacker by Rowan Davies The happy work of a contented atheist. [686 words]
Getting Gas by Ashley Mowery A young girl questioned her boyfriends commitment to her. As a result, she finds herself in a terri... [318 words]
From Riches To Rags by Nicole Mowery She lived in a well to do neighborhood with well respected parents. Her life couldn't have ... [1,827 words]
Desk Lunch Part 3 by D G Williford The sales rep continues with her day... [314 words]
Desk Lunch Part 2 by D G Williford The same but more.... [346 words]
Desk Lunch Part 1 by D G Williford A middle aged sales rep deals with the confines of her life. [390 words]
City Of The Dead by David B Doc Byron The original story that inspired the poem ''Book of the dead.'' [407 words]
A Rural Tragedy by Nik Siromah - [986 words]
A Spontaneous Arrival Of Exalted Fancy by Bob M Ra - [908 words]
Variation On A Theme In The Key Of - Part Ii by Erik Sjoen - [5,231 words]
The Wooden Box by D G Williford Lesson in shared grief through an antique box. [509 words]
The Optimist Club by David B Doc Byron Its a surprise. [395 words]
The Locket by D G Williford You tell me.... Please read and review... feel free to comment! [880 words]
The Killing Ground by Gerald E Sheagren A short story. [2,196 words]
The Keepsake by D G Williford Love Story... read and review... come one come all! [837 words]
The Extraordinary Stillness by Bob M Ra - [547 words]
The Eland by Martin Glenpool A story of a young khoi-san boy's coming-of age. [637 words]
Rooms Ana Houses Of Haunting by Serepx A story bout the ghosts of a forgotten past. [2,967 words]
Queenie Takes The Match by Gerald E Sheagren This story is set in 1903 New York City, which, by far, was a lot more dangerous place ... [3,828 words]
People Are Talking by Erik Sjoen - [1,161 words]
Mist Walkers by D G Williford How I feel every time I visit a new cemetary... [112 words]
Malaise
Joe And The Woman by Elicia Marie Berg A narrative of a romantic relationship. [1,245 words]
Heaven Or Hell by B C Mercer A Reverend encounters events he never dreamed would happen to him and his family. He questions ... [5,708 words]
Destiny's Fate by B C Mercer An inspirational revelation of two young lovers in a foreign land. [1,699 words]
Crash by Matthew Mohan A short "out-n-back" story involving a teenager's struggle with responsibility, action, alcohol, and wait... [4,243 words]
Big Hit At The Lone Wolf by Gerald E Sheagren Having the two largest and most profitable casinos located in Connecticut, I often hea... [2,333 words]
At Nite With Liv by Serepx A short story about a girl with intense bloo eyes. [3,674 words]
A Crown Hath Promised by Keri McGriff - [156 words]

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TITLE (EDIT)
Malaise
DESCRIPTION
The tale of a troubled and depressed young man.
[1,408 words]
AUTHOR
B C Mercer
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am a college student pursuing a career in creative writing. Short stories, poetry, songs, it doesn't matter what it is, just as long as I'm writing.
[April 2003]
AUTHOR'S E-MAIL ADDRESS
CamB1302@aol.com
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (16)
A Mother's Magic (Poetry) - [9 words]
Destiny's Fate (Short Stories) An inspirational revelation of two young lovers in a foreign land. [1,699 words]
Determination (Poetry) - [220 words]
Dilemma (Poetry) - [134 words]
Emotional Rollercoaster (Poetry) - [267 words]
Heaven Or Hell (Short Stories) A Reverend encounters events he never dreamed would happen to him and his family. He questions his faith and comes to the conclusion of whether serving God and Jesus is the path he is suppossed to fo... [5,708 words]
How Do You Feel? (Poetry) - [142 words]
Little Black Dress (Songs) - [202 words]
Moksha (Poetry) A spiritual poem. [170 words] [Spiritual]
Mr. Smith (Plays) An inspirational story of the accounts of a working class man. He enters the elevator early one morning where he will meet four strangers that will change his life forever. [2,245 words]
Now And Then (Poetry) - [185 words]
Oceanic Orchestra (Poetry) - [12 words]
Southern Beauty (Poetry) Haiku of my home-state, North Carolina. No it's not an advertisement as mentioned in the review at the bottom. I love the great state of North Carolina, what can I say? It's a HAIKU - of course it'... [7 words]
Spiritual Embrace (Poetry) - [11 words]
The Entrance (Poetry) A sonnet. [90 words]
Writer's Passion (Poetry) - [10 words]
Malaise
B C Mercer

“Billy, come on down. Everyone is waiting.”

My mother’s stentorian voice has pierced my soul for the last time.

Staring at thousands of miniscule protrusions on the ceiling, like stars in the sky, my will to live faded with every dot I counted. At twenty-three years of age, my greatest accomplishment is counting four thousand seven hundred thirteen of these diminutive blotches above my head. How I long to be a fragment of foam bonded to someone’s ceiling. Hanging there day and night, year after year, observing your inhabitant’s journey through life. Not a care in the world. No worries about work, family, girls, or GPA. Pure ecstasy.

My luck could never achieve this magnitude. I am manic depressive and suffer from routine panic and anxiety attacks. My bloodstream is constantly polluted with chemicals whose purposes have long since come to a screeching halt. Prozac, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, and most all mainstream antidepressant, antianxiety medications are no match for the Great Wall of Immunity my body has constructed. What has happened to me?

At age eighteen, coming out of high school, I was a good-looking, muscular, and happy kid. I was captain of the basketball team and senior class president. I had a fiancé that was good to me. My family was proud. I had a full scholarship for college. I did not believe my life could get any better.

Moving away from home for the first time was both the most highly anticipated and feared moment of my life. Three thousand miles away, I was not accessible for weekend trips back home. From the small town of Monroe, North Carolina and Sun Valley High School, to the big city of Los Angeles, California and UCLA, it was a grueling adjustment. This must have been the apex of my sanity. The downward slope was looking steep and icy.

I had no friends yet, so when I arrived at school I kept to myself. My roommate was so preoccupied with his mission of locating the source of contraband substances that we did not converse until our third day on campus. I missed home.

Vince, my roommate, turned out to be quite the character and quite the pharmacist as well. About three weeks into the term I was getting anxious and could not concentrate on studying. I had an exam approaching that I could not afford to bomb. Vince sets a little blue pill on my desk and says, “Take this and I guarantee you ace that exam.” I laughed. What was I supposed to do? I laughed hard. It was the first time I had cracked a smile in days. I assumed it couldn’t hurt, so I dry-swallowed Vince’s brain power.

Twenty minutes later Vince and I were having the time of our lives. Dancing and singing in our dorm room. We released all the stress that had built up inside of us these first few weeks on campus. Two hours later, when the effects began to fade, I was cool, calm, and laid-back. I could actually study. I felt great.

The next week I aced my exam as Vince had guaranteed. I had no idea what he gave me but it worked. Vince turned me into a new person. I no longer worried about my fiancé back home, how I was going to play once basketball season started, or what marks I would receive for the term. I was displaying the characteristics of that piece of foam. I was living for the first time in my life.

Eventually, Vince and I stopped going to class completely. We slept all day and partied all night. With my extra scholarship money and the checks Mom and Dad were sending every week I became Vince’s partner. We were natural entrepreneurs. We had employees; three freshman to answer our phones while we slept. We were making money, friends, and a name for ourselves. And I thought my life couldn’t get any better!

Vince and I were on our way home from a football game one evening when we were stopped by a police officer in front of our building. Lights were flashing everywhere and sirens blaring. People were scrambling around screaming. We didn’t know what to think and didn’t take it seriously. The officer sat us down on a bench under a large oak tree that shaded the emergency and street lights from us. He told us that a young boy had overdosed on prescription drugs. He asked if we would come with him for some questioning. We obliged.

Upon arrival at the police station we were greeted by an unruly mob of our peers. Apparently, someone brought their little brother up to school with them for the weekend to get a taste of the college-life. They obviously didn’t watch out for him very well and he was pressured into ingesting over thirty pills of Xanax. The trail obviously led back to Vince and me. We were charged with involuntary manslaughter, illegally possessing prescription drugs, and illegal sale of prescription drugs. If it were not for our parents and their money, we would have been incarcerated for a long stretch of time. We were released after seventy-hours with three years probation. UCLA expelled both of us the next day. Vince and I went our separate ways. I never saw him again. Apparently my life couldn’t get any better.

Now the question was could my life get any worse? Yes. The story of the teenage boy made national headlines, along with the photograph of Vince and me handcuffed. In a small town, news travels fast. My parents most likely had messages on their answering machine before I was even charged. My reputation of being a model student and pillar of my community was shattered. I was the murdering drug dealer. The only person to stick by my side through everything was my fiancé. She didn’t care what was happening around us. She even said she was happy; I was home after all. In her eyes, she knew I would never intentionally hurt someone. She was the only one to realize that.

For the months after, I was ridiculed by everyone from family members, friends, and strangers that would just recognize my face. I did not maliciously mutilate anyone. I did not rape anybody. It was not even my fault. It was an act of hazing that no one could recognize. It was just easier to pin it on the ones who sold the drugs. I accepted my punishment and walked away from it. It was the only option. I returned home to people I thought were dear to me. I thought they would be comforting and understanding to someone with a problem. Wait. Do I have a problem?

The road to recovery. I had to change, again. I recognized my problem on my own. Isn’t it funny that after all I went through; no one ever asked me what was going on in my life? What made you start using drugs? I had the drive to clean myself up though. I went to the doctor and this is when I was prescribed my antidepressant and antianxiety medications.

I took my medications on time everyday. I was feeling better about myself with every waking moment. The “cleansing drugs,” as I called them, may actually provide me with some stability in my life again. Inadvertently, however, I was becoming dependant on these drugs. “If it’s not one thing it’s another.”

I was finally hired by a local grocery store to bag groceries every afternoon. No one wanted the felon working for them. So I settled with my mediocre employment. It was a start. My “cleansing drugs” were keeping me in a positive state of mind. I was happy to go to work everyday, I was delighted to help the elderly people load their groceries into their cars, and I was grateful, everyday, for my second chance in life. The only setback was that I had another problem to endure. The medications began to lose their effect. I was walking with my head down once again and losing my newfound self-esteem. I hit that steep, icy, and rocky downfall for the last time.

This brings us up to date. I’ve been lying here in my bed, alone, for nine hours. Four thousand seven hundred eleven, four thousand seven hundred twelve, and four thousand seven hundred thirteen. My despondent and unresponsive conscience is torpidly shutting down. How I yearn for two blue beauties and a tall glass of ice water. Happy birthday to me.

      

 

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2002 B C Mercer
STORYMANIA PUBLICATION DATE
April 2003
NUMBER OF TIMES TITLE VIEWED
2445
 

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