So this week I'm doing something a little different …
Here I present a short short, 750 words that originated from 1. One of the assignments that my Advanced Fiction class was given was to write a short short of 750 words or less. It's a snippet, a scene, a juicy little taste if you will. In my case I took one word and turned it into this assignment.
Something I really enjoyed about this assignment is that background information, long drawn out explanations of little details, character bios, none of that was necessary to create a small little moment that could potentially become something more.
Who knows perhaps I'll do more of these, I'll take word suggestions too! Though on the off chance I don't know the definition of the word or understand it I may not use it to create a short short. In this case the word that started it all was TRANSPARENT. So please enjoy …
Two Faced
I know the tricks and I know how
they’ll try to influence me. But there’s not much to tell when I haven’t done
anything wrong. The sitting, the waiting, the questions, it’s all more of the
same at this point.
A detective entered the room with his
generic, sorry for the wait, yeah right. He told me his name, but it didn’t
even register in my brain. I know why I’m here this time, I know why it’s
different from all the other times, learning his name is not part of the equation.
“Can I get you anything?” he asked. Trick
number one, give me a can of Coke and bam they have prints and a DNA sample.
“Yeah let me go,” I said. No Cokes for me.
The detective opened a file and slid it
across the table to me. “I’m afraid we can’t.”
I looked at the file, at the pictures of
the crime I’d supposedly committed. “This is all very impressive, but it means
very little to me. I’m innocent.”
“Funny because you look an awful lot like
the composite we put together.” He took a paper from the file and turned it
towards me. Striking resemblance I’ll give him that, but no cigar. “We also
have prints.”
“But not my prints and you can’t take mine
because I’m not under arrest,” I said, wiggling my leather covered fingers.
Trick number two, they have prints, but nothing to compare them too. “Besides
if I gave you my prints you’d only be disappointed and where’s the fun in
that?” His face started to go red, good, the more flustered he gets the
sloppier he’ll get. Just keep him talking a little longer.
“If you’re so innocent your prints could
clear you,” he said.
“And have ‘em go into the system? I don’t
think so,” I put my hands on the file and pushed it back.
“You’ve been questioned quite a bit.”
“Questioned, not charged, two very
different things,” I shot back.
Someone from the outside tapped on the
glass; the detective got up and left me alone in the room again. I gave whoever
was watching a little wave and a smile. The detective wasn’t gone long this
time.
He returned with a new piece of paper and a
grim look.
“Let me guess, this is the part where you
say we have DNA evidence against you,” I drawled.
“Where is she?” The detective put the piece
of paper down and slid it across the table to me. Annie.
They found my birth record, well more
specifically they found mine and my twin’s birth record. Mia and Annie, born
three minutes apart, identical twins yet we couldn’t be more different. It’s
why I fit the profile of every crime she’s ever committed.
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying,” he snarled.
I leaned forward and lowered my voice so he
had to listen. “Prove it.”
The sergeant came in just then and
announced my brother was here for me, I’m not under arrest so they have to let
me go. Ben and I made it three blocks away from the precinct when he stopped
me.
“What happened? Do you know how long you’ve
been in there?”
“Don’t worry at the forty-eight hour mark
they have to let me go or charge me,” I said. “I had it under control.”
“Jesus Mia, how much longer are you going
to keep doing this? How many times can you cover for her?”
“It was the last time Ben, I swear.”
“You said that last time,” he said
frustrated. Ben always gets stuck with picking one of us up from jail.
“No it is this time,” I said. “Annie’s not
coming back. She’s gone for good this time.”
“What …”
“She killed a cop Ben, she comes back she’s
getting a needle in her arm,” I said.
Ben’s face paled. “What did you do?”
“Bought her time,” I said. “I went to her
place because she wasn’t answering her phone, they found me there and hauled me
in.”
“Mia you could get in serious …”
“How? They brought me in. They questioned
me. The only thing I did wrong was try to check on my sister,” I said. “Ben I’m
safe, I just kept them talking. She got a thirty hour head start.”
“Why?” Ben asked. “Why put yourself through
that?”
“She’s my sister, and if they’re looking at
me, they’re not looking for her.”
