Beneath Paper Cranes (a coming of age short story) Read Online Free
Author: Claire Svendsen
burns where he pushed himself inside me but I don't tell him that.
“No,” I say. “I'm fine.”
“I'll stay,” he says again.
“No, really. Go.”
And he does. I think maybe the real consequences of sleeping with the dying girl have suddenly caught up with him. The fact that the moment should have been special and despite everything, somehow wasn't. How this will be the last intimate moment I have and when everyone at school is obliged to go to my funeral, he'll stand there knowing he was once inside me. It doesn't matter that I didn't die beneath him because a part of me is dead already and that's the part he made love to. The detached part who calls her brain tumor Bob and doesn't care that she's going to die.
I lean over the edge and watch him climb down the rope ladder, disappearing into darkness and leaves. When the rope finally goes slack, I know he's reached the bottom. I wait a while and then pull the ladder up, hand over hand until it's a pile in front of me.
Thirsty, I rifle through the cooler and find sodas, chips and cookies. I could stay up here for as long as I want. I could stay up here forever. Eventually maybe even die up here under the birds. I lay back and sip my coke, smile as the real me takes over from the dead one. I open my mouth and scream as loud as I can, voice echoing through the cavernous tree, sending birds squawking out of their nests. I'll lie here in this magical cocoon and I'll ask the paper birds to save me, and if they don't? Then I'll join them. A paper skeleton rustling in the breeze, her magic hidden from the world for all eternity. And as I lay still, the birds come to life once more, fluttering around the tiny room and landing on my body. They tickle my skin, cock their paper heads and stare at me quizzically. They know as well as I do that it will soon be time and right now, there's no place I'd rather be.
THE END
Did you like this short story? Do you want to know what happens to April next? Then please leave me a review and tell me. If enough people are interested, I’ll write a sequel. Plus, I’d love to hear from you!
You can find my other works here: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00C12AHUI
To keep in touch please follow me on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorClaireSvendsen
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClaireSvendsen
My Blog: http://clairesvendsen.blogspot.com/
“No,” I say. “I'm fine.”
“I'll stay,” he says again.
“No, really. Go.”
And he does. I think maybe the real consequences of sleeping with the dying girl have suddenly caught up with him. The fact that the moment should have been special and despite everything, somehow wasn't. How this will be the last intimate moment I have and when everyone at school is obliged to go to my funeral, he'll stand there knowing he was once inside me. It doesn't matter that I didn't die beneath him because a part of me is dead already and that's the part he made love to. The detached part who calls her brain tumor Bob and doesn't care that she's going to die.
I lean over the edge and watch him climb down the rope ladder, disappearing into darkness and leaves. When the rope finally goes slack, I know he's reached the bottom. I wait a while and then pull the ladder up, hand over hand until it's a pile in front of me.
Thirsty, I rifle through the cooler and find sodas, chips and cookies. I could stay up here for as long as I want. I could stay up here forever. Eventually maybe even die up here under the birds. I lay back and sip my coke, smile as the real me takes over from the dead one. I open my mouth and scream as loud as I can, voice echoing through the cavernous tree, sending birds squawking out of their nests. I'll lie here in this magical cocoon and I'll ask the paper birds to save me, and if they don't? Then I'll join them. A paper skeleton rustling in the breeze, her magic hidden from the world for all eternity. And as I lay still, the birds come to life once more, fluttering around the tiny room and landing on my body. They tickle my skin, cock their paper heads and stare at me quizzically. They know as well as I do that it will soon be time and right now, there's no place I'd rather be.
THE END
Did you like this short story? Do you want to know what happens to April next? Then please leave me a review and tell me. If enough people are interested, I’ll write a sequel. Plus, I’d love to hear from you!
You can find my other works here: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00C12AHUI
To keep in touch please follow me on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorClaireSvendsen
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClaireSvendsen
My Blog: http://clairesvendsen.blogspot.com/
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