Free Short Stories by Manuel Rose

By Manuel Rose

Tom Rollins was feeling very frustrated. He had purchased a very expensive Amazon parrot from the pet store and all it ever did was bite him. Tom decided to go back to the store and ask for help. He went inside the store and spoke to the salesperson that sold him the bird.

“Excuse me, sir, I purchased a very expensive green parrot from you last week,” Tom told the young salesman. 

“Yes, I remember you. It was a Yellow-Naped Amazon, right?” the salesman replied.

“Yes, well, I have a problem with him.”

“Is he sick?”

“No, no, nothing like that…he just bites me every time I try to take him out of his cage.”

“Oh, you need an animal behaviorist; he can help you train him.”

“Can you recommend one to me?” 

“Sure, the guy we use is very reasonable and very good. His name is Manny Draziw, and he’s known as the ‘bird whisperer,’ but we just call him ‘Manny.’”

“That’s a strange name. Does he make house calls?”

“He sure does. Here, let me give you his business card. Just so you know, he’s a little eccentric, but Manny’s very good with unruly birds.” 

“Ok, thank you.”

Tom took the business card and left the store. When Tom got home, he called the “bird whisperer.”

“Hello, may I help you?” Manny said over the phone.

“Yes, my name is Tom Rollins. Birds for All, the pet shop, recommended you to me.” Tom replied.

“What seems to be your problem, sir?”

“I have an unruly parrot; all he does is bite me.”

“May I ask what kind of bird it is?” 

“It’s an Amazon, sir.” 

“Oh, yes, they can be a bit snippy, but definitely manageable, if I do say so myself. Is this Saturday alright for you?”

“Yes, that’s perfect.”

“Ok, Mr. Rollins. Just so you know, I only accept cash; it will be $300.”

“Wow, that’s a lot; is that per lesson?”

“It will be for the only lesson I need for your birdie. One is all it takes. Just give me your address and I’ll be there promptly at two o’clock in the afternoon, alright?

“That will be fine. Let me know when you’re ready to take down my address.”

Tom gave the man his address over the phone. He knew that three hundred dollars, on top of the three thousand he’d already spent on the bird, was excessive, but it was well worth a shot to have a hopefully, loveable bird. Tom was going to have to explain this new expenditure to his wife. He was dreading that more than the money. 

It was Saturday, about two-thirty in the afternoon. Tom Rollins was getting nervous.

“Honey, it’s well after two; he should have been here by now,” Tom told his wife with a worried look on his face.

“Calm down, dear, a car just pulled into our driveway,” his wife told him.

“Well, it’s about time.”

“This guy looks like a weirdo; he’s coming out of his car with a bunch of colorful birds on his shoulders.”

“What?”

Tom looked outside the family room window that overlooked his driveway. Sure enough, his wife was right. A strange man was walking up the pathway with at least a half a dozen colorful parrots on his shoulders. 

“Holy cow, the store clerk was right; he is bizarre,” Tom said.

The man finally made it to the front door, walking cautiously slow, so that he wouldn’t startle his birds. He rang the bell and waited while Tom opened the front door. 

“I guess you’re Manny Draziw, the ‘bird whisperer?’” Tom asked. 

“Yes, and you’re Tom, correct?” Manny asked while some of his birds were licking his face.

“Yes, come on in, Mr. Manny.”

“‘Manny’ will do just fine, Mr. Rollins.”

Manny walked in through the front door being escorted by Tom. He looked at the clock upon the wall and apologized for being late.

“Do you always travel with all of these birds on your shoulders, Mr. Draziw?” Tom asked him.

“They are my family; wherever I go, they come with me. This is Drago, Charlie, Sophie, Abbey, Benny, and Lucy,” Manny said while pointing at the individual birds. 

“Say ‘hello’ to our customers,” Manny told his flock.

All of his birds answered with a resounding “hello.”

Manny asked Tom where their so-called unruly parrot was. Tom led him and his birds into the couple’s bedroom where his parrot was.

“Do you always leave him in his cage?” Manny emphatically asked.

“I have no choice, sir. Every time I try to take him out, he bites me. Look at my hands; this is all from his beak.

Tom showed the man his hands, which were largely covered with band aids. Manny just shook his head from left to right going “tsk-tsk.”   

“What is his name, sir?” Manny asked him.

“I named him ‘Nippy,’ but I should have called him ‘the green monster,’ because that’s what he is,” Tom replied.

Manny asked Tom to leave the room; he wanted to be alone with the man’s bird. Tom thought it was unconventional, thinking he should be there, too, but he finally gave in and left the man alone with his bird. Manny closed the door to the room and went over to the green parrot in the cage.

“Ok, Nippy, I am your friend. Close your eyes and listen to my command,” Manny whispered.

Manny waved his hand over the bird’s cage and, miraculously, it fell into a hypnotic state. The bird hung on every part of Manny’s chant:

“Oh, green child of the sky and trees,

listen closely to the words I speak. 

Only to eat and speak should you use your beak.

Be calm and love your owner, Tom.

My child of the sky and trees,

you will no longer have the whim to harm him.

At the count of three,

your love and loyalty will flow freely.

One…two…three.

Awaken, my little dove.” 

The Amazon parrot opened its eyes and said, “hello.” Manny came out of the bedroom with his birds and told Tom to enjoy his new pet. 

“Really, that fast?” Tom asked.

“See for yourself,” Manny replied.

Tom went to his bird’s cage and opened the door.

“Hello!” Nippy exclaimed.

“Why, hello to you, too,” Tom told his bird.

Tom gingerly placed his hand into the cage and the bird hopped on it, licking his fingers.

“Wow! You’re a miracle-worker! I can’t believe it! What did you do to him?” Tom asked.

“I merely enchanted him to love you.”

“Enchanted? I know your methods may be a little unorthodox for me to understand, but, thank you.”

“Yes, of course. Now, as per our agreement, sir, that’ll be three hundred dollars please.” 

Tom took out an envelope full of money from his pocket and handed it to the man. Tom was so excited that he thanked Manny again and began leading him to the front door, until, a loud scream broke the mood. Tom’s wife was severely bitten on her hand and arm.

“He’s nothing but a charlatan, a crook! Look at what that stupid bird did to me! Look at my hand!” she screamed while displaying her bloodied hand and arm.

“Hey, I want my money back!” Tom demanded.

“Sorry, but a deal’s a deal,” Manny replied.

“No, the bird is stillmean. Look at my wife!”

“Not to you, sir. Nippy will be true blue to you; in fact, Nippy will love you and only you. That was our arrangement. You didn’t say anything about your wife. THAT will be another three hundred dollars to fix, if you’d like.”

Nippy flew over and landed on Tom’s shoulder and licked his face. Then, he turned to Tom’s wife and looked at her bleeding hand.

“Squawk! Sucks for you. Sucks for you,” Nippy said while laughing.  

The End

Free Short Stories

A Medieval Story by Manuel Rose

*WARNING: Not suitable for children under 13 years of age

In the kingdom of Hemming, young Prince David was out flying around on his dragon, Cathal, without a care in the world. Tomorrow was going to be his fifteenth birthday and he couldn't think of anything that he wanted. It was a beautiful day for flying and the prince would have stayed up there longer if it wasn’t for one of the lords signaling him from below. It was the king’s advisor, Lord James, the eunuch. David didn’t know what a “eunuch” was until he asked his father one day. It means a man who has had his lower parts removed for whatever reason; quite simply, Lord James can never father children, the prince remembered his father’s explanation.  

“PRINCE DAVID! PRINCE DAVID! PLEASE COME DOWN! I MUST SPEAK WITH YOU! IT IS URGENT, PLEASE!” Lord James shouted from below. 

Prince David did not want to come down, for he was having too much fun flying around in the sky, but the prince knew it must have been very important. He could see the urgency in the eunuch. The prince guided his trusty green dragon down to the ground near Lord James.

“What is it, my lord?” Prince David asked. 

“My lord, your mother and father, the king and the queen, it seems they were…”

“Out with it, Lord James, what is it?”

“I am so sorry to have to tell you this, but they were both found beheaded on their thrones. I am so sorry.”

“Nooooo! I do not believe it! It is a lie!” the prince cried out.

“I assure you that it is not. Come, my lord, I will take you to them,” the eunuch sadly said.

“Cathal, you must stay here while I go with him,” Prince David commanded his dragon. 

The two of them walked to the castle. When the prince got inside towards the thrones of both the king and the queen, he saw exactly what Lord James had told him. It was a bloody mess with what was left of his mother and father. The prince cried for a little while and then he became angry.

“WHO DID THIS TO THEM?!” Prince David furiously shouted. 

“My lord, if I may, I suspect it was the king’s bastard son, Orvar,” Lord James replied.

“I WANT HIS HEAD AND I WANT IT NOW!”

“But, my lord, we need to swear you in as the new king and protect you. Surely, you must know your life is in danger. Orvar will be coming for you next since you are the only one who is standing in his way to the throne.”

“I understand, Lord James, but I must avenge my mother and father. I shall return, and when I do, I shall take my rightful place on the royal throne.”

Prince David left the eunuch and went straight to his dragon. Cathal had been patiently waiting there for his master, the prince. David mounted his dragon, gave him his command, and the two of them took to the sky, searching for the king’s bastard son, Orvar. Prince David was flying around the kingdom with Cathal all afternoon searching for Orvar.

Down below, hidden from view, under a large group of trees, Orvar was speaking to his men.

“You have done well, my friends. Now, we must eliminate the only one who stands in my rightful way of the throne…Prince David!” Orvar shouted out to his men.

“DEATH TO PRINCE DAVID!” one of the men shouted out loud.

The rest of the men repeated it until it sounded like a chant. Orvar and his small army of men were so preoccupied with their victory, that they didn’t notice what was flying around high above them. Prince David and Cathal had finally found what they were looking for, Orvar and his men. The prince looked down at them with nothing but hatred in his eyes. He gave the command to his dragon to burn them all. 

“INCINERO!” Prince David shouted to Cathal.

With that command, the dragon shot out a huge red and yellow torch-like flame. Cathal had burned all of the men like a fireball. The prince showed no mercy while listening to the men scream in pain, knowing that he had achieved his vengeance. Unfortunately, for the prince and his dragon, their victory had been short-lived. Porir, another unknown bastard son from the king, had seen what his half-brother had done; and he, too, was hiding among the trees observing the group of treasonous scoundrels. Porir grabbed his crossbow and shot an arrow directly into the flying dragon’s heart. Cathal screamed a horrible roar of pain as he and the prince came crashing down to the earth.  

“Now, I will be the rightful ruler of the kingdom of Hemming,” Porir said to himself.

Porir went over to Prince David and his dragon to make sure that they were both indeed dead. Cathal was lying there on the ground with both of his eyes closed, bleeding profusely from his new wound, while Porir reclaimed his arrow. The prince was half under one of the dragon’s wings; he, too, had his eyes closed and appeared to be dead.

“Too bad. Too bad,” Porir said to the two of them. 

All of a sudden, Cathal half opened up one of his eyes, and with one last burst of energy, he shot out a small flame that was large enough to toast Porir to his miserable death. Prince David started to open up his eyes, too. He was slightly injured, but still alive.

“Cathal, my friend, are you alright?” Prince David asked while he stroked the dragon’s face.

But Cathal was not alright. He was dying. The prince stayed with him until the dragon finally closed his eyes and passed away. Prince David cried for him like a baby.

“You were my only true friend; I shall miss you, dearly. Farewell, my friend, farewell,” he said with tears in his eyes.

Prince David gave one last kiss to his dragon on its rough, green face. The prince was still in a little pain, especially in his right leg, but he was lucky to be alive. He slowly started walking back to his castle, knowing that he would be crowned the new, rightful king of the kingdom of Hemming.

The End

Free Short Stories 

A Short Thriller by Manuel Rose

 *WARNING: Not suitable for children under 13 years of age 

Hillary was leaving her apartment in midtown Manhattan. She was off to another job interview in the big city. It was a warm, muggy Monday morning in early July. I hope I get this job; my money is running out, Hillary thought to herself. 

Hillary was only twenty-four-years-old, but the attractive young brunette wanted her independence. The girl left her parents’ home in the suburbs to start her own life. Hillary got on board a subway train to go downtown. 

A few hours later, Hillary was back on the northbound train heading back home. I don’t think I got the job at the office; the boss didn’t seem impressed with me at all, she sadly thought. Hillary got off the train at her stop. She walked up the stairs to the street. It had gotten very dark outside. The young woman noticed that a storm was approaching. Wow, it looks real creepy outside, Hillary thought to herself. She started walking fast, not wanting to get caught in the rain. Suddenly, the girl got an eerie feeling that she was being watched. Hillary decided to step up her pace even more. 

She climbed up the three flights of stairs leading to her apartment. Hillary franticly searched her purse for her keys. Where the hell are my keys? she nervously thought. Her heart was pounding so hard; it was almost ready to burst out of her chest. By this time, sweat was pouring from her face. The hallway was barely lit, casting only unnerving shadows. 

Hillary finally found her keys at the bottom of her purse. She anxiously inserted her key into the lock and turned it. Before the young woman got a chance to fully open the door, a large man jumped her. The attacker forced himself inside the apartment with her. He slammed the door shut with his foot and tackled her onto her floor. Hillary let out a scream, but she was quickly stifled by the man’s large hand over her mouth. 

“You stupid little bitch, didn’t your momma ever teach you to look behind you?” the man said as he laughed. 

Hillary noticed it was getting darker and darker as her killer stole her life away from her.

 The End

Free Short Stories

A short love story by Manuel Rose

© 2022

Back in 1990, Robert Rivera was hanging out in a night club with his new girlfriend, Cindy. He was having a great time with the young woman that was 15 years younger than him. Turning fifty was a big blow to Robert’s ego; he felt old. Cindy, the pretty young blond that he was with, didn’t mind being with him. She thought that Robert was a lot of fun, especially since he had enough money to party all night long. The two of them had been dancing up a storm. Unfortunately, Cindy didn’t know that Robert had already been married for ten years. 

“Hey, baby, let’s go sit down and have another drink,” Robert told her.

“Sure, honey, I’m with you,” Cindy replied.

The couple partied until two o’clock in the morning. When Robert got home at around three o’clock, Rose was fast asleep. She didn’t smell the perfume and alcohol on Robert since he had already taken a shower before going to bed. What Robert didn’t know was that Rose had her brother, John, follow him. Rose had suspected him of cheating on her. 

***

The next day, Robert was at work feeling guilty about cheating on his wife, Rose. He decided to call her on his lunch break. He called the house phone and didn’t get an answer. Then, Robert tried her mobile phone, but all he got was her voicemail recording. Something’s wrong, he thought to himself. Robert decided to ask his boss if he could leave early from work. His supervisor granted him the time off after seeing how worried Robert was and he knew that he would practically be useless working without being focused on the job.

***

An hour later, Robert had arrived to an empty house. He looked around the home calling for her. The man checked every room in the house.

“Rose, where are you, honey?!” Robert kept calling out.

Robert decided to go to the bathroom; that’s when he saw the note taped on the bathroom mirror.

“I know you’ve been cheating on me. I had you followed and I know all about that young blond you were hanging out with. HOW COULD YOU?! I’m leaving for Puerto Rico to go back to my mother. I gave you the best years of my life. You’ve hurt me. Goodbye.” Rose tearfully wrote in the letter. 

“No, baby, no!” Robert said out loud with tears in his eyes.

Robert knew it was all his fault. His wife had left him in tears. Robert knew his wife only trusted one airline: Parrot Airlines. He quickly jumped back into his car and left for the airport.

***

A while later, Robert was at the airport explaining to the airline what had happened. The young lady at the counter confirmed that his wife was on a flight to Puerto Rico that was leaving shortly. The woman grabbed the microphone and made an announcement over the public address system.

“Attention, Miss Rose Rivera, attention, Miss Rose Rivera! Don’t get on that plane! Again, attention, Miss Rose Rivera! Don’t get on that plane! Your husband is here and he loves you very much,” the woman stated over the loudspeakers. 

“Thank you, Miss. I sure hope she heard you,” Robert tearfully told her.

Within minutes, Rose came running back into his arms with her small carry-on suitcase.

“I’m so sorry, honey; I’ll never ever cheat on you again. I love you. Please give me another chance!” Robert pleaded to her.

“I will! I love you, too,” Rose tearfully replied while holding him tight in her arms. 

The End

Free Short Stories

A Short Sci-Fi Thriller by Manuel Rose © 2022

*WARNING: Not suitable for children under 13 years of age

Terri Walters was lying there on the operating table, staring at a bright light and the three men that were working on her. She wondered why the doctors were wearing such hideous looking masks. Halloween is over; why are they dressed like that? she wondered. I’ve got to get out of here. Terri tried to move her arms and legs, but quickly realized that it was futile; she was strapped in with restraints.

“Please, what are you doing to me?! Let me go!” Terri begged.

Suddenly, the young woman saw something coming down from beyond the bright light above her. It was a long, silver cylindrical object that was spinning and getting closer to her pretty face. Terri tried to turn away, shaking her long blond hair all over the table until one of the men restrained the woman’s head from behind the table.

“No, no, no, let me go! Let me go! Help! Somebody, please help me!” Terri cried out.

The long cylindrical object came closer to Terri’s mouth. One of the men grabbed her jaw, stuck his fingers in her mouth and forced it open allowing the silver spinning probe to enter Terri’s mouth. None of the men said a word while the poor young woman laid there trembling with fear. 

Terri had finally woken up from the horrific nightmare she just had. It was the same nightmare she had been having every night since she returned from her vacation in Maine last week. Terri sat up in her bed in a cold sweat, heaving as if she were running for her life. The twenty-eight-year-old woman had never been so scared before in her life. She looked at her alarm clock that was on the nightstand and noticed it was seven o’clock in the morning. Terri had beaten her alarm by thirty minutes.

“What a way to wake up in the morning…shit! I’m not getting enough sleep,” she said to herself.

Terri Walters had a very exclusive interview this afternoon with the president of the United States. Although, she was a relatively new news reporter for channel 8 TV news, the network wanted to send the youngest and prettiest reporter they had to cover the story. Channel 8 had been accused by critics as having old, unattractive news reporters that were not doing much for their ratings, so they thought that Terri would debunk their bad reputation. The program director of the station knew the ratings game was all about eye candy. Most men wanted to watch the news being brought to them by hot, young female reporters. Terri was the only one that fit the bill for the station.

Terri got out of bed and washed up in the bathroom. She put on her makeup and got dressed in a rose-colored blouse with a pair of black pants. The young woman finally sat down at the kitchen table in her three-room apartment to have a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee. The young woman was so tired from sleep deprivation that she started to dose off at the table. Suddenly, she had a flashback; Terri had seen the three men again. She saw the bright light and the long cylindrical object that was spinning and coming close to her mouth again.

“Nooo! Make it stop! Make it stop!” Terri cried out loud.

Terri was so frightened that she jumped up from her chair, spilling the remains of her coffee all over the table. The young reporter was lucky that none of it spilled onto her. Again, Terri was heaving as if she had run a mile and back. Beads of sweat were now forming on her face as she sat there panting like a dog.

***

Later that afternoon, Terri Walters met up with Jimmy Vee, her cameraman. The two of them took the news van and drove the short trip over to the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C. When Terri and Jimmy arrived there, they were greeted by the Secret Service. The security team checked them out thoroughly, along with their press passes and the gear they were carrying. The news crew was escorted to The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room where they waited for the president, while Jimmy set up his camera and microphones, among the few other reporters that were coming in.

***

An hour later, the president finally arrived in the small theater. Jimmy got behind his camera that he mounted up on the tripod; he did a sound check with his reporter while focusing the camera. Terri was lucky to get a seat directly in front of the president’s podium with no one next to her on either side. The president took a sip of water from his bottle and noticed Terri’s hand up.

“Young lady, you have the first question,” the president said to her.

“Mr. President, how do you feel about aliens?” Terri asked him.

“Excuse me, did you say aliens, as in illegal aliens?”

“No, sir, as in aliens from outer space.”

“Well, let me just say this, I don’t think the United States, or the rest of this planet, has to worry about aliens right now,” the president said with a chuckle.

“Really? How would you feel about an alien invasion, sir?”

 “Well, if it came to that, they would be dealt with accordingly. Next question. Sir, over there, I believe you were next-” 

“Accordingly, sir? Like, do you think they should be destroyed?” Terri asked with an angry look upon her face.

“If they pose a threat to anyone in our world, yes, they should and would be obliterated,” he shot back as if he were already in defense mode.

With that last remark, Terri stood up and opened up her mouth wide open. A long cylindrical object emerged from her mouth and stretched out over to the president’s face, and then, it sent out a ray that disintegrated him right in front of everyone there, leaving only his navy-blue suit present there. The Secret Service team started shooting at Terri until she collapsed onto the floor near the podium. Terri’s body started to transform into the very hideous creature that she was, looking very much like the aliens that were probing her in her nightmares.

The End

Free Short Stories

A Short Sci-Fi Thriller by Manuel Rose © 2020

*WARNING: May not be suitable for children under 13 years of age

Josh Bloomington was watching the service tech install his new home automation computer system. 

“I should be finished by this afternoon, Mr. Bloomington. You’re gonna love it,” the young service tech told him.

“I hope so,” Josh replied.

“Really, you’ll never feel alone again.”

Josh was alone. His wife walked out on him after catching him with another woman, in their own bed. Unfortunately, Carol, his wife, wasn’t going to get much out of the young man in a divorce court, since Josh made her sign a prenuptial agreement before they got married. Josh was thirty-years-old and worth over five million dollars from his father’s investment firm. Now, after being married for almost two years, he was all by himself in a large home in Long Island, New York. Josh didn’t mind, he was happy to have his freedom and peace of mind. A few hours later, the technician had finished the installation after two days of hard work.

“Ok, Mr. Bloomington, you’re all set!” Danny the service tech exclaimed.

“Good, how does it work?” Josh asked him.

“You just talk to her. Ask her something.”

“Her? It’s a machine.”

“Oh no, sir. Anita is more than just a machine.”

“Anita?” 

“That’s right, Mr. Bloomington. ‘Anita’ is an acronym. It stands for Artificial Neural Intelligent Terminal Automation. 

“Wow, so what do I say to it?”

“You could start by referring to it as ‘Anita’ and saying, ‘hello, Anita,’ and then ask her to do something.”

“Ok, it sounds silly to me, but I’ll try. ‘HELLO, ANITA!’”

“Hello, Mr. Bloomington, what may I do for you?” the computer asked in a sexy female voice.

“My God, is this a joke?” Josh asked.

“Joke? What do you mean a joke, sir?”

“That voice…it sounds like my ex-wife!”

“It’s a computerized voice synthesizer, sir. You may think it sounds like your ex-wife, but it’s not. It’s probably just a coincidence, that’s all.”

“So, is this the only room I can talk to it? Here in the downstairs living room?”

“No, sir; there are cameras, microphones, and speakers in every room of the house, including the garage, sir. Go ahead and ask her to do something!”

“Ok…Anita?”

“I’m listening, sir,” the computer responded.

“Turn down the lights and set the air conditioner to seventy-one degrees.”

“You didn’t say please, Mr. Bloomington,” the computer replied. 

“Are you serious?”

“I have been programed to be polite. You must say ‘please,’” the computerized voice said through the ceiling speakers.

“Ok, then…PLEASE!”

“Yes, sir,” Anita responded while carrying out his command.

“Unbelievable…almost a million dollars for a machine that I have to be polite to,” Josh sarcastically added.

“Sir, there’s also another way to communicate with her,” Danny the tech said.

“There is?” Josh asked.

“I’ll need your smartphone to install the app.”

“Can’t I just do that on my own?”

“No, sir, it’s not a download. I have to plug your phone into her CPU, her main system controller.”

“Where’s that?”

“She’s down in the basement. When my helper was here yesterday, we built a closet for her.”

***

Josh followed the technician downstairs to the basement. There was a large gray steel closet near the staircase that went almost all the way up towards the ceiling. When Danny unlocked and opened the door, Josh was shocked. The closet had several shelves of computer boards with lights, multi-colored cables, and hoses. There was also a closed-circuit television camera, microphone, and speaker up on top.

“Wow, what a setup!” Josh exclaimed.

“This is Anita, sir. She has her own ventilation system to keep her cool. We’ve also given her a powerful UPS system to keep her going for at least two hours, in the event of a power outage.”

“May I help you, Mr. Bloomington?” Anita asked.

“She knows what I look like?” Josh asked.

“Yes, sir, Anita is equipped with facial and voice recognition. She’s also programmed for security and self-preservation; it’s also to protect you from an unauthorized break-in. Anita is also able to phone the police, Mr. Bloomington." 

The technician took Mr. Bloomington’s phone and connected it to the computer. He gave Josh a few more instructions before he left. Josh thought it was a cool tool, but he just couldn’t see himself carrying on a conversation with a computer.

***

Later on, that evening, Josh was hanging out at the bar with a hot young blond. He placed his smartphone on the counter in between himself and the girl. Josh ordered two drinks for himself and his date, and then they started kissing each other. What Josh didn’t know, was that Anita had been watching and recording their every move through his smartphone.

***

Josh Bloomington finally came back home at around midnight. He wanted to bring his bar-date home with him, but she had to go to work early tomorrow. Josh pressed the passcode on the door keypad to let himself in, but it wouldn’t unlock.

“Come…on…Anita, it’s me…can’t…you see?” Josh asked with slurred speech.

The door cameras turned, zoomed in, and focused on him, but the door still wouldn’t unlock for Josh.

“Oh…I know…please, let…me…in?”

Finally, the electronic door lock unlocked and the door slowly opened. Josh staggered in towards the living room sofa as the door closed.

“I SEE YOU FINALLY MADE IT BACK HOME, YOU MAN-WHORE!” Anita said loudly over the speakers. 

“Ex…cuse me? Who…who…you talking to…?” Josh sarcastically asked.

Suddenly, the big screen TV came on showing a video of Josh kissing the girl at the bar.

“YOU HAVEN’T LEARNED YOUR LESSON, HAVE YOU?”

“What? Are…you…spying…on me? I don’t…I don’t need this…not from…some damn machine!”

***

Josh got up and slowly walked downstairs to the basement. The man was so drunk; he had to hold on tight to the banister to keep from falling down the stairs. Josh took out his keys and unlocked the computer cabinet.

“What are you doing here, Josh?” Anita asked him.

“It’s…time for you…to go bye-bye. I’ve had enough of you,” Josh said as he was ready to rip out her wires.

“YOU’LL BE SORRY, JOSH!”

Suddenly, a large bolt of electricity jumped out of the closet and zapped Josh. Mr. Bloomington collapsed on the floor, dead from electrocution. What Josh didn’t realize, was that Danny, the technician who installed Anita, was his ex-wife’s new boyfriend.

The End

Free Short Stories

A Short by Manuel Rose © 2023

Old man Jenkins was waking up to a sound he hadn’t heard in years. He wondered what the noise was that jostled him out of a deep sleep, until he heard it again.

“Why, it’s the doorbell. Who would be ringing ma doorbell, now, this early in the morning?” Jenkins said to himself as he looked at his alarm clock on his nightstand, noticing it was only nine o’clock in the morning.

Jenkins lived all alone on an old farmhouse out in the country. His wife passed on years ago. His only daughter moved out and got married some time ago. Now, the lonely seventy-five-year-old man was left to fend for himself. Jenkins had to sell his livestock last year to pay for all the bills that were piling up on the farm. He did have a small nest egg, but Jenkins would only use that as a last resort. Jenkins thought about selling the ole place, but there were way too many happy memories there for him and from his beloved family. I’m seventy-five-years old; where would I go? This is ma home, he thought.

Jenkins heard the sound of a car leaving his property. He figured it was too late to see who it was; then, he thought, maybe it was a package or something, but I didn’t order anything…hadn’t ordered anything in years.

“I reckon I ought to go see anyway,” he softly said to himself.

The ole timer slowly got out of the bed, slipped on his blue robe and slippers, and then, he slowly made his descent down the stairs towards the front door. It was cool out, but not cold enough for early December. Jenkins slowly opened up his door after noticing there wasn’t anyone there through the sidelight window. Jenkins heard a strange sound coming from one of the two small boxes that were left on his front porch. He bent down and curiously looked at one of the boxes and noticed it had holes in it. That was the box that was making noises. Then, Jenkins noticed it moving and shaking.

Gosh, it must be some kind of critter. What if it’s vicious? he thought while getting ready to slam the door shut and run back inside.

“Meow, meow,” came from the box.

“Lord, it sounds like…like a cat. It must be hungry. It must be thirsty. It must be…cold.”

Jenkins brought the two boxes inside his home and closed the door. He slowly opened up the box with the holes in it; the one that was making the noise. Jenkins lit up like a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. He formed a great, big ole smile on his face that went from ear to ear.

“Meow…meow,” the kitten said in a low high-pitched sound.

“My, oh my, you sure are beautiful. What you doin’ here?” Jenkins asked the animal, as if it could reply back to him.

Jenkins carefully picked up the soft, fluffy, white kitten and gave it a hug. He noticed there was a note at the bottom of the box. Jenkins began to read the note out loud:

Dear Mr. Jenkins, 

Please take good care of Snowflake. She is a 6-week-old Persian kitten that my cat just had along with 3 other siblings. I don’t have any more room in my home and I know you live all by yourself. Snowflake loves to be cuddled and she is very curious. I’m sure you two will get along fine. The other box contains a small litter box, litter, and some food. 

Merry Christmas! 

“Gee, I wonder who brought her here,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins adored the little white kitten with her pink nose, pink ears, and her light green eyes.

“You sure must be hungry,” he said to the kitten.

Jenkins brought the kitten into the kitchen and gently set her down on the white tiled floor. He grabbed two small bowls from the cupboard and filled one with water from the faucet. Then, Jenkins grabbed the can opener and opened up one of the cans of cat food that were in the other box. Jenkins emptied the can’s contents in the empty bowl and placed both bowls on the floor in front of Snowflake. The little white kitten meowed, went over towards the food bowl, and started eating as though she hadn’t eaten in a long time.

“My, oh my, you sure are a hungry little girl,” he said while watching Snowflake eat.

Jenkins and Snowflake became bosom buddies. He loved to sit by the roaring fireplace with her on his lap. Jenkins thought the kitten was not only good company, but also a great therapy animal that he always enjoyed petting, especially when Snowflake started purring. Jenkins was never alone anymore; truly, his home was now a cozy place for him and Snowflake.

The End

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