LisaLizzieRichardSerendipidyJustin the Space TurtleDavid FairbanksNorval JoeTomPlanet Z

The next topic is Outsider

JUSTIN THE SPACE TURTLE

Three… You never know how it’ll turn out. You thought it would be amazing, as endless as anything can be this side of Heaven, and be a little slice of it.

Two… surely it’s just a challenge, it will be OK, just try again, learn, try harder, be better. Push through the pain, do the best you can.

One… It’s not right anymore, you say. You’re told you’re wrong, but also that you’re right, and it’s done.

Zero… It’s over, gone, and there’s nothing left but the broken pieces of your life. And the struggle to keep what should remain.

DAVID

Officer Under Fire

“Officer under fire!” blared across the radio.

Andrew Macarthy had been in fistfights and gunfights, fended off dogs, and had cars crash into his own at breakneck speed. This experience put them all to shame, for a child held his fate. Constricted with no way out, a chill running over him, he could only wait.

One shot fired, missing by inches.

A second shot, a little closer.

Andrew looked out the glass, where the child held his baseball with fiery eyes. The kid wound up and threw—bullseye!

Andrew plunged into icy water with shocking effect.

“Officer down!” the announcer cheered.

RICHARD

Officer Down

"He's lying very still, Sarge… I think he's dead"

The sergeant gave me a grim look, "Let's hope not. Bad enough having an officer down, without it becoming 'killed in the line of duty'"

We inched forward, wary of hidden shooters but, as we neared the body, we sighed in relief at the sight of the rise and fall of his chest. He was breathing.

No... Snoring!

A nudge from my foot brought him to bleary-eyed, surprised, wakefulness.

To be honest, I think the Sarge would have preferred 'killed in the line of duty' to 'sleeping on the job'!

SERENDIPIDY

You never know quite what the immediate future is going to bring.Any random action can result in unforeseen consequences; like that trip over a paving stone, that sends you flying helplessly into the path of a bus!Unlikely, I know, especially if you’re the cautious, careful type; but accidents can happen!Then again, it may be the random action of somebody else entirely that completely ruins your day.Like the moment I sneak quietly up behind you, and randomly push you into the path of that approaching bus.It wasn't me though.You tripped over that paving stone, right?

LISA

GatheredThe fire crackled; my muscles, stiff from spending months on the floor, began to unknot in the warmth and comfort of the heavily cushioned sofa.

“When I gathered the first of you it was a completely random action.” Our faces all grimaced at his word choice. “I’d just got the idea of starting something pure but, believe me, this really wasn’t the beginning I wanted for it. It felt like the exact opposite of what I wanted. I had no choice”

He winced as if this was hurting him when it was us it affected.

None of us had spoken.

LIZZIE

One, two, three, something… The numbers got jumbled in his head. He wanted to call her. He never understood why she had left. He was a caring husband. He yelled at her sometimes, true, but it was just to toughen her up. He always bought her flowers afterwards. The ungrateful would make a face and walk away. Two, three, something... No. He still loved her. But she abandoned him when he needed her the most. That punch was... Well, but she talked back. Three, one... He kept trying to remember it, not knowing that she had long changed her number.

TOM

Everyone has their Reason – Rule of the Game

Morty had lived his life by other people’s rules. Parents, teachers, Bosses, wives, anyone of authority. He was old and dying inside. The logical option was finding some high bridge and take a swan dive.