Yup, you heard me. Cliffhangers. We've all come across them, probably far oftener than we'd like to. But now... now it's our turn to torture our readers pitilessly, till they're ready to become that cliffhanger. Or maybe it's jumper. Don't worry though, suicide--however much it is considered--is never an option. "Must know what happens next!!!" Remember? Just be careful not to enjoy yourself too much, or you might very well arouse murderous thoughts within your readers. Happy writing!!!
I was startled when the man across the table from me took a deep breath and stuttered, “Alyssa, I... I love you.”
ReplyDeleteHe was on one knee before I could breathe, let alone speak.
“I’ve loved you for a long time now. I would be the happiest man in the world if you would marry me.”
Gerald slipped a small box from his pocket and, holding it up, opened it. I kept my eyes on his, ignoring the sparkle I could see coming from the box out of the corner of my eye. I couldn’t afford to be distracted by an shiny chunk of rock.
He began to fidget when I didn’t answer right away. After a full minute of silence, he was panting, his eyes darting from my face to the box in his hand to the faces of the onlookers around us.
“Are... are you going to answer the question?” he asked finally.
“You didn’t ask me anything.”
“Huh?” He seemed to consider that for a moment, then nodding, he repasted his smile. “Oh, yeah. Will you marry me?”
I didn’t pause even a second. “No.”
He stared at me. After a moment some awareness came into his eyes (made owlish by his huge glasses) and he blinked. “No?”
“No,” I repeated coolly.
The people around us were all either gasping in shock at my refusal or laughing behind their hands at Gerald’s expression. His face (and what was visible of his partially balding head) was beginning to turn red. Looking down at my shoes, he spoke again.
“Why ... not? I... I told you I love you and... we’ve been dating for a while now and...”
“Uh, two dates – if you can call them that. Three if you include this one.”
He pulled at his collar as if it were choking him. “I hate to disagree, but I believe there were four.”
“Well, okay, if you’re counting when I met you at my grandfather’s funeral!”
His blush told me he had been counting that.
Standing, I took a step forward (he jumped and fell back on his rump) and closed the ring box with a snap.
“Look,” I said a bit brusquely, “You’re fifteen years older than I am, you smell like moldy cheese and I hardly know you. I’m sure you’ll find a wonderful forty something woman with no sense of smell one day and make her very happy, but I’m not the girl you’re looking for.”
His bottom lip trembled, but he looked ready to protest. I groaned and stomped on my compassion. I might go on a few dates out of pity, but I was not going to spend the rest of my life with him out of pity.
“Look,” I said waspishly, trying to make up for my momentary weakness, “It’s not my fault you’re completely unattractive to me.” I winced as I said the cruel words, but I knew his type. If I didn't crush all the hope out of him now, he’d never leave me alone.
He sank onto the floor and bowed his head. I bit my lip.
“No need to get up,” I muttered, avoiding looking at him as I gathered up my purse and coat. “I’ll show myself out.”
I groaned when the phone rang yet again. Apparently I had underestimated how much hope-crushing had been necessary. Raising my head from where I lay flopped across the couch to stare at my phone, I debated whether I should answer and tell Gerald to leave me alone for the fifteenth time or if I should just ignore the phone for the sixteenth time. The annoying ring tone I’d given his number kept going and going and, finally, deciding to keep equal numbers, I reached for the phone.
“Gerald, really, this is getting –”
I was surprised when a deep gravelly voice interrupted me.
“If you ever want to see your fiancé again, you will do exactly as I say.”
I froze. “What?”
Awesome! This is masterful. I was squirming over the unfeeling public humiliation of Gerald, but It's essential setup for those final two lines. I'm dying to read the rest of the story.
ReplyDeleteHere a a funny story I was once told which I think relates to this topic.....it's kinda a groaner though so bare with me
ReplyDelete"Once upon a time there were two men who had gone cliff climbing. Suddenly, one man lost his footing and went tumbling down to the bottom. The other man frantically screamed, "Roger!", and was relieved to hear a faint reply."Okay Rodge," shouted Barry, "I'm gonna throw a rope down to you, so wrap it 'round one of your legs and.." but before he could finish, he heard Roger call "But both my legs are broke."Barry suggested his arms, to which the reply was "They're broken too!" So finally, Roger held on with his mouth. Barry struggled to pull up the rope, and when he was nearly there, Barry said, "You right there mate?" to which Rodger replied,"YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS......"