Just Desserts

Short story I had to write for English, based on the prompt 'She lowered the knife and it grew even brighter.'

Don't mind the Doctor. XD

--

She lowered the knife, and it grew even brighter. Smiling, she stabbed downward, the new scents wafting up her nose.
"It’s ready! Even all through the middle, not runny at all, and a nice healthy glow."
A loud cheer erupted from the living room, with a wildly-proclaimed "Finally!" from a man in a bowtie. He leaned in the doorway, flicking on the light switch and illuminating the previously-dark room.
The ginger grinned, turning around to slice the rest of the cake. "Hush now, you, you’ve tried all kinds of delicacies from other planets. Galaxies, even. What does my pumpkin cake hold to in comparison with that?"
The bowtie-clad man raised his eyebrows. "All the delicacies in the cosmos couldn’t hope to hold a candle to your pumpkin cake, dear. Can I help you with that?"
"Get over here and you can."
Talking and laughing silently, the two got to work at laying out plates and setting out individual slices for the partygoers, light and the cheer of youth playing in their eyes.
"Alright, you lot," the woman said, turning to face the party. "Come and get it!"
"Before I take it!" the man in the bowtie added, before the woman slapped his wrist away. Shaking her head, she stepped to the side and watched her eager friends step up to the table, taking plates, chatter coursing above their heads.
Smiling now, she elbowed her friend squarely in the ribs, who let out a whoosh of air before making a mock hurt face.
"Annie, what was that for?"
"For being you, Doctor Smith," she replied smartly, leaning against the wall.
He let out a short laugh. "Should I stop being myself, then?"
"No, keep doing that. I just thought I’d remind you that you were doing it, that’s all."
"Oh, I see how it is. You think you can just saunter up to me and tell me what to do, well, do I have news for you, Annette Lake..."
Annie smiled, watching her friend Rae stumble about the edge of the crowd somewhat awkwardly.
"...You really like him, don’t you?"
"What?" she asked absentmindedly, twirling a lock of hair in her fingers.
"Rae, I mean. You two get along brilliantly, and it’s a smart match, if it’s not too bold to say so."
She sighed. "I never said anything about Rae, Matt. And besides, you and I know it wouldn’t work."
"Ah, but that’s the fantastic part. I do." He let a satisfied smile take his features and he absentmindedly twirled another lock of Annie’s hair between his fingers. Letting out an irritated huff, she swatted his hand away again.
"Oh, you and your shenanigans," she chided good-naturedly. "C’mon, let’s go greet the guests to our late-albeit-fantastic dessert party, shall we? I mean, you did just get your doctorate - this is for you, Matt."
Again he raised his eyebrows, this time in surprise. "For me? Why?"
She let another smile take her features. "Because you’re my best friend, that’s why."

***

The date was November 26th, 2999. If Annie closed her eyes while she tried to sleep at night, she could recall the date. The time. The occasion. The people. And it haunted her like nothing else in her life; no other decision she’d made, other event in her life revisited her like that one. That was the one event, the one thing that had changed her life and who she was forever.

"GERINOMOOOO!"
The loud pop of a champagne cork breaking free of its holds sounded throughout the room, accompanied by shouts of surprise, laughter once again coursing as freely as the champagne now flowing from the bottle. A man in a leather jacket, holding the bottle, chuckled and handed it to a nearby blonde woman who then filled the glasses of the people around her.
Rae, looking surprised, laughed.
"Now this, this is downright wonderful, Annie," he said.
"Thank you, Rae," she said, laughing lightly. "It’s a lovely party, but it has to be if we’re throwing it for our Doctor Smith, shouldn’t it?"
Looking slightly uncomfortable now, he laughed. "Right, the Doctor. Um, what’s he got a degree in now?"
"Neurosurgery. I’m going to be cutting open peoples’ heads and seeing how they work," said Matt, crossing his arms, far too satisfied.
Rae looked Matt directly in the eyebrow.
"Neurosurgery? You didn’t tell me any of that," Annie said playfully.
A confident air returning, Rae nodded. "Neurosurgery, of course... Annie, uh, what’d you make the cake out of?"
"Oh, well it’s all very easy," Annie said, to which Matt gave her a friendly, light shove on the shoulder. "Stop that."
The two of them burst into laughter, unnoticing of Rae’s surprised look.
"Right, right."
"Oh, I’m sorry, he’s just being a bit of a moron," she said, still laughing. "Don’t mind him. What were you saying, Rae?"
"Uh, the cake."
"Oh, simple recipe. I don't know why anyone gives me so much credit for it - Matt, stop - when it's that easy. I can give you the recipe if you'd like."
"That'd be brilliant." Rae nodded. "When did you make it?"
"Um, maybe when I was fifteen? So quite some time ago, it's undergone revisions since." She shrugged, trying to make it seem smaller than it was. "Not that big of a deal, like I said."
"Annie, may I have a word?" Matt asked suddenly. "Alright, thanks," he asked just as abruptly, fingers wrapping around her arm, pulling her off to the side of the small crowd.
"Wha- Matt, what is it?"
"Stop downplaying yourself to seem humble. Look, I know humility is attractive, but- Annie, you don't give yourself enough credit for anything you do around here, and it's time you took at least a little of the credit. Annie, st-"
"Annie, stop!"
And then suddenly there was Rae, grabbing her arm in the exact same place Matt had grabbed her arm not two seconds before.
"Rae -" she started, surprised to being grabbed again, to see the look in his eyes.
"Annie, stop it. Stop talking to him."
Her eyebrows drew together fiercely. "And who are you to tell me who I can and can't talk t -"
"I won't stand for you talking to thin air anymore! Annie, he's not there. Can't you see that? He is not there. He's not real. Can't you see that?!" he repeated.
"What- is this some kind of joke? Of course he's real!" she retorted, her face sliding into a small smile.
But then one of the worst things happened – she entertained the notion. There had always been a small part of her brain that entertained notions thrown to her deliberately, but she paused on this one. What if Rae wasn't joking?
No, that's silly, she thought.
And yet, there sat the possibility.
"He has to be real, I was talking to him a few seconds ago," she said, though with less conviction. Annie, this is ridiculous. You were just talking to him. Then, taking a breath, she went on. "Look, he's just over th-"
But he wasn't. Where Matt had been standing before there was now an empty space.
She stared. And she stared. And then she stared some more.
And then she screamed, attracting the attention of every person in the crowd.
He had been right there – he really had – where had he gone? Did he go out for a breath of fresh air while she wasn't looking? She never should have driven him away, she never should have thought, she shouldn't have, why did she -
Rae was holding her fast now, his arms fast around her, pinning her arms in place. She fought his grip tooth and nail, but in the end, he was stronger than she was. She had no power over Rae. She had no power over what was happening to her.
And then Annie succumbed, strength leaving her, tears flowing freely down her face.
He was gone.

***

And now Matt looked up from the snow where his eyes had been fixed seconds before, ears perking up at what had to be Annie's scream. He recognized her voice. More than anything, he wanted to go back there and hold her, tell her everything was going to be okay, she wasn't insane.
He looked back down at the plate he held in his hand, still holding a slice of the lightly-glowing cake on its delicate surface.
I was never even here. That's the rule. Because in the end, he thought, setting the plate down on the frosted ground, this never happened. Pain in each step, tears of his own coursing down his cheeks, he turned and walked away from the house, leaving it forever.
This was all just desserts.

You should really write things more often. o3o

That was FABULOUS~ ;;3;;

GaDGeT wrote:You should really write things more often. o3o

That was FABULOUS~ ;;3;;

'u' This is probably my favorite work of mine~

Thank you. '3'

~like~

This is awesome! Top notch work!

Chrome wrote:

GaDGeT wrote:You should really write things more often. o3o

That was FABULOUS~ ;;3;;

'u' This is probably my favorite work of mine~

Thank you. '3'

I can see why~

Yup. ;u; No problemo~