48 Hour Short Story Contest

Sheri got out of the bathroom, her hair still wet from a long, hot shower. She toweled herself briskly and slipped into a black pleated skirt and pulled a red Guess top over her bra. Not bothering to comb her dripping, raven hair; she grabbed the coat, which was tossed on the floor along with the red jumper, and pink jeans she had been wearing that evening. Then she faced the problematic task; she had to take the camera hidden behind the vase on her nightstand, without waking-up her heavily sedated stepfather.

She grimaced in disgust at the half-naked man lying on her bed, snoring as if he wanted to bring the house down. She felt the violent, untamed rage roaring through her as she looked at him, and wished she could just kill him then and there, when he looked so helpless. But she knew that wouldn’t go well; she didn’t want to end-up in jail on his expense. Nobody would believe her self-defense story of her stepfather’s wrongdoings; he was the town’s politics hero. Nobody would listen to her story of how he had rampaged into her room each night, drunk and slobbery, with a menacing face that resembled a trim-mustached monster. She had nobody to turn to with the pain in her heart, the shame, the rage, and utter humiliation- until she had met Sid.

Sid had been there to hold her, and assure her that he’d save her from Harold; her stepfather. After her mother died from a heart attack one year ago, Harold had turned to his next victim; 19 year-old Sheri. He had molested her, relentlessly; despite her beseeching pleas to leave her alone. She thought she had no choice except suicide, until Sid fought his way into her shielded heart. Sid gave her hope, told her to be strong and plotted the plan to stop her stepfather.

So far, things were going well. She had somehow managed to pour the dissolved sleeping pills into his mouth after he had zonked out. With Task One completed, now she had to get out of the house with the camera. She closed her eyes and remembered Sid’s reassuring voice; then got down to business.

Within minutes, she was sprinting to her friend and Sid’s younger half-sister, Mia’s house. Sweet and helpful Mia was the only person besides Sid who had the slightest glimpse into Sheri’s dilemma. Soon, Sheri and Mia were speeding away from the neighborhood.

“Sheri, do you really think this is going to work?” asked Mia as she kept her grey eyes focused on the road. She took a turn into a rocky path.

“Yeah, I have nothing to lose. I don’t care what happens anymore, I just need to do something to stop that fucking bastard!”

For a while, they drove in silence. Mia studied Sheri’s oval face. Her dark eyes were puffy and red, with dark circles underneath them. There was a visible bed-crease on her smooth cheek, and a very prominent bite-mark at the base of her neck. Mia gritted her teeth in frustration; Sheri was right, something needed to be done, even if Sid had been the one to plan it. The setback was the fact that Mia doubted Sid. He was generally a good person but he had a darker side, which Mia hated. Mia had tried to tell Sheri not to depend on Sid too much; he was insecure himself. Their parents were constantly trying to hold Sid from going over the edge; when cocaine, cigars and booze were his likely escapes. She did feel sympathy for him, as before her mother had married his dad, Sid had a hard time with his parent’s messy fights and divorce. She prayed he wasn't the person his image suggested.

Now Sheri was clinging to Sid with her life, and Mia hoped he didn’t do anything stupid. All she could do was stick by Sheri’s side, whom she had grown to love and care for like her own sister.

“Mia…” Sheri whispered suddenly, “I’m so scared.”

Mia felt her heart squeeze painfully; she hated to see Sheri like this. With one hand controlling the wheel, she tightly clasped her free hand on Sheri’s.

“It’ll be ok. Everything’s gonna be all right,” Mia tried to convince herself as much as she tried to soothe Sheri.

After parking the car near the Bilmoore woods, the girls entered into the shroud of trees. In quick steps, they walked silently towards an old shack, holding hands. When they were finally standing at the shack door, Sheri quickly pulled out the double key Sid had given her. The door swung open with a satisfying ‘click’.

The girls looked around the room. It was dark and musty, with a neglected feel to it. Some dusty portraits of flowers hung on the walls, and the only objects in the shack were a narrow bed made of plywood and a dirty old broom resting on top of it.

A blond, lean boy in his early twenties sat on the dust-covered floor, as if he was comfortably sitting on his own bed. When the girls entered, he quickly got up and crossed the room to give Sheri a long hug. He acknowledged Mia with a nod, who returned a similar greeting.

Sheri drew back to look into Sid’s hazel eyes. She searched his eyes for the confidence she needed to go ahead with the plan. He returned her gaze, his eyes bright with love and tenderness. Even with the slanting scar between his eyes, and a golden hoop in his left earlobe, he lacked the bad-boy look when it came to his eyes; they were warm enough to melt the polar region.

“Where is the camera? Did you get it?” He asked, his husky voice echoing in the darkness.

Sheri wordlessly held it out to him. Smiling, Sid cupped Sheri’s face in his hands and kissed her lips softly.

“You are so brave.” He said.

Sheri smiled, her eyes glistening. “We have to hurry up, I don’t know how long the pills will hold him back,” she said.

“What’s to be scared of? He was drunk wasn’t he?” said Sid.

“Not tonight. He wasn’t drunk. I hit him on the head with a metal paperweight.” She replied.

“What? You mean you…” began Mia looking alarmed.

“No, he isn’t dead. He was snoring after a few minutes.”

Sid’s mouth was set in a grim line, “Come on, we need to hurry then.”

They filed out of the shack, after locking it behind them. The camera now with Sid, they sprinted for the car. Just as they jogged up to the battered blue Mustang, Sheri suddenly shrieked. Sid and Mia looked up to see her gaping over their shoulders; it was Harold.

Harold, still looking dazed, was sitting behind the wheels of his black sedan. When he spotted them, he began to open the car door.

“Get in! Get in, quick!” Sid yelled at the girls. Mia and Sheri scrambled into the car hastily. Sheri looked back to see Harold starting the car.

“Sid!” she gasped fearfully.

“I thought you gave him the pills!” cried Mia.

“I did, I don’t know, maybe I dissolved them and it didn’t work,” Sheri was babbling.

Sid revved up the car and zoomed out into the night, as Harold’s Sedan began to tail him.

“That son-of-a-bitch is following us!” screamed Sheri.

“Crap!” yelled Sid.

“Faster Sid! The Police Station isn’t far!” Mia shouted over the roar of the engine and rushing wind.

Thankfully, the streets were nearly empty; the stretch of road deserted except for their speeding machines. Sid sped up, trying to outrun Harold.


But Sid’s car was no match for Harold’s fast one. He was soon so close that their cars were within bumping distance.

“You little bitch! Give me that camera! You didn’t think I would see that my priceless camera was gone, did you bitch?” Harold roared at them.

“Shut up you bastard!” Mia couldn’t help shouting back.

Sheri was crying now, her body shaking. Her heart was beating loud enough to drown-out the wind and the rusty engine.

Somehow, they managed to lose Harold for a minute as they entered the highway, where muddles of cars were zooming past them. Sid quickly eased down to Landerville lane, the Police Station was now within visible range.

Sid was about to relax when he noticed the black Sedan pulling-up next to him.

“Hand her over asshole!” Harold yelled at Sid.

Sid glanced back at Sheri, who was hugging Mia. Her red eyes were filled with fear, and she was still trembling visibly. Sid felt a wild sensation boil up to the surface as hot anger surged through him. Suddenly he snapped.

Sheri saw the scene unfold, as if it was in slow motion. Sid reached under his seat, and pulled out a shotgun, aiming it at Harold, carefully. His eyes looked wild and crazy. Mia began to shout at him to stop, as Sid snapped the trigger. Harold’s cry thundered as the bullet shattered the car window and made a neat hole at the side of his head.

Harold’s car spun out of control, and for a second, Sheri thought they were going to all die as the Sedan threw their car back.

After spinning a few rounds, the car slowed down. Sheri threw up all over the backseat, as Mia tried to sit up. Sid watched as a police car pulled up, the beacon on it flashing.



At the Police Station, the guard snapped the handcuffs on Sid’s wrists as a sobbing Sheri sat at the Officer’s desk with Mia.

“Please, let him go, it’s my fault,” pleaded Sheri, as Mia held her.

“I’m afraid we can’t do that miss, we have witnesses to the crime. But we’ll see to the matter you requested regarding the evidence on this camera. I recommend you girls to stay in the town until this matter is investigated properly.” Said the burly officer who was sitting behind the desk.

Mia slowly led Sheri to Sid, who was smiling despite his handcuffs.

“Honey, it’s all taken care of. I’ll be back soon, stay with Mia.” He said, softly when Sheri stepped closer to him. She threw her arms around him and hugged him until an Officer drew them apart.

The girls stepped out of the Police Station, both with their clothes soiled with dirt, hair disheveled and faces grim. Mia paused to look up at the sky and took Sheri’s hand. Both of them watched as a shooting star whooshed across the sky. Mia turned to Sheri, her violet eyes misty, her long brown hair dancing in the breeze.

“It’s all over Sheri, everything will fall into place, eventually,” she said.

Sheri looked at Mia solemnly, and nodded as they began to walk ahead.

Word Count: 1,802

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