Four Short Stories by Artistikem Read online

Silent Crimes of Love

  The long ballroom stretched out through the main floor of the hotel. A quartet of strings served as the perfect background for the loud buzzing taking place.

 

  Helena, in her long black dress, glided through the room. Her mischievous eyes would encounter some male ones and smiled, much to the discomfort of the women around. She was there alone, as always. Every man knew her, every woman disliked her and she liked it that way. There was not a man in the room that hadn’t fall for her charms at least once. However, marriage was something she had always ran away from. Commitment wasn’t her style, she preferred to have them all and feel like a queen than become a slave under one man’s wing. Lately she had thought of changing that, at her age it is expected for a woman to have a home and a family. Only one man could ever occupy that place and he was there.

 

  A few steps away, Anne felt the instinct to pull her husband’s arm and break the eye connection he had with Helena, she was repulsed by the woman’s presence. She restrained herself; it lasted for less than ten seconds. However, it was her husband’s sneer that gave her that revolting sensation in her stomach. Sebastian, Anne’s husband, quickly strode Helena’s way. Anne sighed and stayed behind, she had promised not to leave Danielle’s side. “At least you still have him.” Danielle’s voice was almost inaudible under the heavy buzzing. ‘Why would I be happy to have him if I feel like losing him every day a little more?’ Anne thought to herself under the consoling smile she was giving Danielle. Every time he walked away from her side to talk to another woman she was reminded of the many times she had regretted marrying Sebastian. She wasn’t blind to the fact that he was an unfaithful husband, even when she tried to act as oblivious about it as she could.

 

  Peter, Danielle’s husband, had died a year before. He was a good, well-mannered man, caring and protective husband and father. He had every quality Sebastian lacked. Danielle’s life revolved around her husband and the children they had together. Peter made sure that her soft hands never had to grip anything harder than a flower’s stem. After losing him, Danielle had shut herself in. This was the first time she had gone out of the house since. She was there because of Anne’s insistence. “I think I’ll be leaving early.” Danielle said, taking the champagne to her small, thin lips. Anne couldn’t hear her, Sebastian’s handsome profile was too close to Helena’s.

 

  Katherine walked quickly through the groups formed by people chatting their way through the party. She had an elegant blue dress and her hair swayed gracefully with her light steps. Men would turn as she walked by them. Even Sebastian took a glance of the sixteen year old who had developed a body worthy of a magazine spread. They had all seen her grow up, knew how much she had struggled through those awkward stages adolescence likes to put humanity through. In spite of all that, she had turned out as beautiful as beauty can make. The gods of elegance and grace had blessed her. Sebastian kissed her small hand and tallied her as he was used to with shipments. Katherine blushed at his maverick demeanor, she knew him very well and his acceptance was all she was wishing for that night. Her father had served in the military with Sebastian and she was used to see him around in family gatherings and parties. During her life she had admired Sebastian’s poise and looked up to him as an example of an extraordinary man. With the deceitfulness of eyes that haven’t seen much of the world, she not only looked at him, she dreamt about him.

 

  Helena cleared her throat loudly. She was standing next to Sebastian and felt insultingly obliterated from the scene. Katherine smiled innocently at her before walking towards Anne. Sebastian gave Helena a reprimanding stare and followed little Katherine through the room. Even when it wasn’t pleasant for Helena, Katherine reminded her of herself at that age. When you are young and full of life and all that counts is to find the approval of those you admire. Playful as she was, there was almost no trace of the joyful young woman Helena once was. Above all, she was reminded of how much time had gone by since she felt delighted by a man’s truthful attention, especially from the only man she considered of her stature.

 

  Sebastian was tall and good-looking, a decorated man of war and known heartbreaker. Anne was his fourth wife and the most tolerant yet. She was the only one in the room that didn’t think of him as good wine, the older the better he gets, for he was a bitter man and even evil when he wanted to. His charms made the women around him sigh, his eloquence attracted him admirers everywhere he went. When Anne met him, she thought not of him as the love of her life, but a good candidate to form a family with. She couldn’t have been more wrong, not only he didn’t have intentions of having children, he would also keep her up all night waiting for him to get home late under some badly crafted lie.

 

  Danielle was Anne’s confidant, she knew all about Sebastian’s crimes. Her eyes turned bigger the moment Sebastian stood next to Katherine, opposite to Anne. From where she was sitting, it all looked wrong. Anne didn’t seem to notice, so she thought of it as her troubled mind making things up. Her eyes had deceived her before, her mind was tired of the many hours spent thinking of her grief. “You are old enough now.” Sebastian encouraged Katherine to take the champagne flute he had brought for her. Katherine looked at Anne as a child looking for a mother’s approval. Anne shrugged and the girl took it as a yes. Not being able to hold it, Danielle pulled her friend away from what she thought smelled like trouble. Not knowing what to say, she took her to the bathroom. There were too many women there; it wasn’t the place to talk so Anne decided to wait outside.

 

  As she was standing there, a smile struck Anne like a bullet. “I thought I’d find you here” Nicholas’ broad shoulders and confident glare were walking towards her. Nicholas, a long lost friend, looked even more handsome than in his college years. His big dark eyes had never left her mind. Danielle came out of the bathroom, met Nicholas and scurried away. After a friendly greeting and chatting, Sebastian’s deep voice broke the conversation short. The two men looked at each other with a snicker. Anne knew her husband was the jealous kind but had never felt such rivalry in his tone.

  They all got back inside and Sebastian’s concern went away as rapidly as it had come to him. Katherine was delighting people with her well-mannered conversations and naïve smile. Helena roamed around the room until Gavin, the oldest and most unflattering man in the room invited her for a drink.

 

  Danielle sat down on a divan set in a corner. Anne stood behind her because she couldn’t sit; she was anxious, feeling uneasy and not realizing why. Danielle knew her friend too well and after some meaningless comments, got Anne to spill out what was troubling her. “It is not fair.” Anne whispered, two men with cigars were eavesdropping close. “Everybody knows, they look at me with pity. I notice.” It was true, even Danielle herself had looked at Anne with pity. Everyone there knew Sebastian’s ways, his colleagues respected him and for that, protected him. The two women could see him from their corner. He smiled, laughed louder than anyone else and kept himself a pace away from Katherine during the whole night.

 

  Madame Elinor was sitting at the opposite corner on a divan identical to Danielle’s. The two women, Madame Elinor and Danielle couldn’t be more different. Both widows, but for Madame Elinor it was a fortune, literally, to have lost her husband to the reaper. Her recently acquired status hadn’t taken away any of her power or wickedness. And there she was, looking around to see the jealous women’s faces as every man in the room paid their respects to her. She was well over her seventies but hadn’t lost her taste for younger men. Sebastian was the only man known to have not been under her expensive Egyptian sheets, as both shared the like for younger flesh. A despicable woman as she was, there was no escape from showing her the respect a person of her position demanded. Helena was given a place to sit next to Madame Elinor. The old woman thought of Helena as her apprentice.
<
br />   The latter thought she had outgrown her mentor for she had had Sebastian entangled in her silk bedding. It was hate mixed with admiration, friends and foes for each other.

 

  In her conversation, a moment after exchanging sneers with Sebastian, she had spoke about Anne as a puny woman and all the women around her stared without décor at the referred woman. Anne didn’t notice, it was Danielle the one who felt the burning stares intended for her friend.

 

  Nicholas stepped out to the terrace to light his cigar. Danielle encouraged her hesitating friend to follow him. Sebastian’s stare followed her out without leaving his post beside Katherine’s mother. Nicholas and Anne had a history together, one they kept alive in their minds even after years of not seeing each other. Five years to be exact. He had left on a mission that she later learned was outlined by Sebastian to drive him away from her. She looked out into the dark grass lightened up by dim light posts. A young couple thought they were hidden by the shadows but the full moon above them was betraying them. There was no need for words as both stood in silence, studying the couple as they stepped into the labyrinth of leafy walls as if it were they. They had indeed been into that labyrinth just like them. She remembered well the many times they kissed, loosing sense of direction and laughing hysterically when the exit seemed to disappear for them. Those cold November nights, their steps on the snow. Sebastian’s footprints on the snow had never had the effect Nicholas’ had. Nicholas’ invited her to follow, her husband’s invited her to walk away. The summer night breeze woke them up. Nicholas looked down at the woman that had owned his dreams every night he spent away and sighed. The back of his hand caressed her soft cheek with the tenderness only true love can achieve.

 

  Danielle was holding in the need to get out of that place, there were too many things going on inside the crowded room and she was over-sensitive to all of it. When Anne got back inside, she rose from her sit, startled by the sight of Nicholas walking the opposite direction. Anne threw herself on the divan with a sigh. Madame Elinor watched closely and directed her gazelle-like steps towards Anne. “How wonderful you look tonight.” It was the only time she had ever heard a compliment come from the wicked woman, even when it was poisoned by her sarcastic tone. Helena stood beside Madame Elinor with a smile that showed what looked like fangs for both Anne and Danielle. After some minutes of holding snorts, both women were left to mend their troubled souls. Madame Elinor had the power to wither even the youngest flower. As soon as the old woman and her companion walked away, Danielle surveyed the room and didn’t catch sight of Sebastian nor Katherine. Only Nicholas was peeking at them. She elbowed Anne, not to tell her that Sebastian was nowhere to be found or that he had been missing for over ten minutes, but to make her aware that Nicholas was glancing at her.

 

  Nicholas watched Sebastian disappear but didn’t have the courage to approach Anne again. Only the sight of her had put an arrow through his chest, he couldn’t bear to watch her suffer. Influenced by a feeling of impotence, he decided to leave.

 

  Another elbow from Danielle and Anne followed Nicholas out of the ballroom and into the hotel lobby. “Nicholas!” she cried. He turned stiff before turning around to face her. A long staircase stood between them. They kept their distance even when both were dying to run into each other’s arms. Their stares lingered for what seemed to be ages. “Did you come for me? Tell me.” she cried. Nicholas’ trembling knees kept him mute. “Tell me, please.”

 

  Something distracted Nicholas, who looked up at the staircase. Katherine came running down with her hair almost undone and her eyes filled with tears. She held her dress with one arm while pulling her spaghetti straps up with the other. Agitated as she looked, her steps ran away from Anne’s sight. Behind her, Sebastian stepped slowly down the staircase, calmly rearranging his shirt and jacket, brushing away the ruffles.

 

  Nicholas fixed his eyes on the floor when Sebastian frowned at him. Anne felt breathless, her eyes wet. With a quick, mechanic movement, Sebastian pulled his wife by an arm and back into the ballroom. Nicholas turned around and started for the exit.

  Identity Theft

  He woke up one morning and his mind wasn’t even a blur, it was just empty.

  He couldn’t recall a thing. Nothing rang a bell for him. He was lying in the middle of the street, a cab driver yelling and honking at him to move out of the way.

  He was dressed: trousers, shirt, coat, shoes. But he didn’t recognize any of it. What place he was in, the name of that street, heck he didn’t even know his own name.

  “Get out of the fucking way!” The cab driver shouted and he leaped to the sidewalk.

  Raindrops fell on his head, he stretched out his hands, drops made a small puddle inside.

  Who am I? Where the hell am I? Nothing answered back.

  “Identity Theft.” A bum said.

  “Excuse me, sir?”

  “I survived it, you may not.” The bum pushed a loaf of bread into his wet hands.

  “I need to talk to the police!” He cried.

  The bum laughed, “They won’t believe a man who doesn’t even know who he is”, and turned on his heels.

  “How could this happen? How do you know this? There has to be an explanation.” He looked round the empty street, desperation creeping up on him.

  “Explanation? They robbed your identity, that’s it.”

  Then he watched the bum run away, the ground trembling under him.

  ‘Now I’ll never know’ he thought as the out-of-control garbage truck got dangerously close.

  ‘Martin Scott, thirty-six years old, husband of Deborah Scott, thirty-two years old. Father of Lindsay, three and Maggie, 6 months. Grew up in Texas, first girlfriend Sandra, the pretty blonde from 8th grade. Moved to Boston when M.I.T. accepted him to their Computer Engineering Program. Graduated top of his class, job offers even before graduation. Married Deborah a year later, perfect wedding, beautiful house, perfect kids, and beautiful office.’

  He remembered as the truck ran him over.

  ###

  About the author:

  Astrid H. Cruz, aka Artistikem, is a writer from San Juan, Puerto Rico. She loves writing, music, photography, her husband Carlos, her cockatiel Dalí and her dog MacDuff.

  This anthology has been published thanks to the help of many people that encouraged her to write even when she thought she wouldn’t get anywhere: Mom Teresita, Aileen Díaz, Allison Martínez, Ana Teresa López, Anny L. Santana, Christie Capetta,

  Enid T. M. Vázquez, Kilani M. Díaz and Sonia Camacho.

  Connect with Me Online:

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/artistikem

  My blog: https://www.artistikem.com

  Facebook: Artistikem