Sunday, April 01, 2007

April Fool

The voice on the answering machine sounds distraught, desperate.

"Hi. It's...errr...it's me. I was hoping to talk to you. But...um...I guess you're not in."

Long silence.

"Look, I really need to talk to you" (panic in the voice now) "I can't take this anymore. I'm afraid I might do something terrible. Please call. Please."

The pleading tone terrifies her. What could have happened? Leaving her shopping bags on the table she rushes over to the phone, starts to dial his number. Then she notices the calendar on the wall. Of course! It's April Fool's Day. How silly. Trust him to come up with a childish, predictable prank like that. And to think she almost fell for it. She shakes her head, amused at her own gullibility, then puts the phone down. She'll call him tomorrow. Just so he can't claim his prank worked.

Miles away, on the other side of town, a lone figure is sitting in his darkened apartment, staring at the phone. Eventually, he stops waiting, goes over to the window. Opens it. Steps out.

6 comments:

Revealed said...

I suppose it can't help but be predictable. It would have probably been predictable either way :)

Unless of course he'd popped over and shot her in the heart. Twice (for effect).

Tabula Rasa said...

this story needs a sequel (to be published on the same day, of course.) that sequel would be along the lines of --

For a beer.

or

Heads downtown.

or some such thing.

Heh Heh said...

into the balcony. and lights up a smoke.

Anonymous said...

too good, leave the predictability aside for a sec...so brief so amazingly precise. hallmark of your writing.

Anonymous said...

ok add another head count to the it-was-so-predictable brigade.. :)

And "precise" I can understand but when did "brief" became the hallmark of Falstaff's writing? :P
- TMWWT

Falstaff said...

revealed: Don't tempt me. I've been reading too much Chandler as it is.

TR / heh heh: nah! too tame. See new post.

anon: Thanks.

TMWWT: Ya well. Predictability isn't all bad you know. Some of my favourite books are entirely predictable.

Though yes, I'm not sure that brief has ever been a hallmark of my writing.