Friday, 20 June 2014
Pebbles
“She's not the only pebble on the beach. Once we're married I'll be rolling in it, then I'll have my choice of any pebble that takes my fancy.”
Rachel had slipped back out of the bathroom to grab the forgotten towel and overheard David on the phone. She froze in shock. Her mind refusing to believe what she had just heard.
She returned to the bathroom and climbed into the hot foamy water, tears of grief rolling down her cheeks. How could he? Why would he treat her this way? He loved her. Her money didn't matter, he would love her just the same if she had been penniless, that's what he had always said.
As the water cooled, so did her feelings for David, she felt hollow, empty inside. A seething anger boiled up within her, filling the void.
By the time she had finished bathing and dressed she had retained her usual composure. She walked into the lounge smiling as if nothing had changed between them. Her voice betrayed no trace of the rage she was holding inside.
“I want to go down to the beach this evening and watch the sunset, it's so romantic, don't you think?”
“What? Uh... oh yeah.” David pasted an interested expression on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes.
And so before long they were strolling side by side, their shoes crunching deeply into the shingle.
After only a few minutes Rachel stopped suddenly, and fixed David with an icy stare that would have frozen lava.
“What's wrong?” Said David.
Rachel didn't reply, she bent down and selected a pebble from the beach, she placed it in the flat of her hand, holding it out so David could see it clearly. Pushing it up right under his nose.
“Take a good look at it David. Don't you think it's beautiful? Do you see the patterns? The way the different shades of grey follow each other? They look so much like a heart within a heart within a heart. Do you see it David? Do you?”
“Yes, yes I can see it. What of it? It's just a goddam pebble.”
“Oh, this isn't just any old pebble David, this is a special pebble, a very special pebble. Look at it.”
David stifled a yawn. “ I am looki...”
“LOOK AT IT!”
David started, alarmed at Rachel's sudden temper, and the snarl of her lips. He had never seen her behave this way before.
David stared into her eyes as Rachel drew her arm back and threw the pebble as far as she could along the beach. He heard the faint chink-skitter as it landed somewhere far behind him.
Rachel turned her back on David and began to walk away, the last rays of the setting sun pinkening her ivory blouse, she called over her shoulder.
“Bring it back to me before dawn, or the wedding is off.”
©2014 Stephen. J. Green.
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Oh yeah, I like her attitude! Lets see if he can really see that not all pebbles are the same. Nice story with a nice lesson in it. ^_^
ReplyDeleteThanks Helen. I don't give much for his chances, it'll be dark soon too. :-)
Deleteoh, that was well done! I love how you gave her a way to take her power back, after she found out the truth about him. Nice!
ReplyDeleteThanks Claudia, I do enjoy writing stories that involve a bit of well-deserved payback. :)
DeleteIt's a good thing she found out now, before the vows. Though it's hard, at least she won't have to deal with all the other pebbles afterwards.
ReplyDeleteHi Stephen. Yeah, sooner is always better than later with a situation like that, people like David just do more and more damage as time goes by.
DeleteOh now that IS an awesome way to deal with that!
ReplyDeleteThanks Icy. Let's hope he spends all night searching for that pebble... futilely.
DeleteOh YES! She runs in and slams the ball into the back of the net! Supremely clever play, Mr. Green!
ReplyDeleteAah, thanks Miss Alister.
DeleteAnd the score for tonight's beach football is... Rachel 1 - David 0. LOL.
I don't think he's even in her league, really. :-)
All right! Glad to see her take charge now, while there's still time. Great one Steve!
ReplyDeleteThanks Roslyn. I could have written the ending about her choking him on a pebble, but this seemed much more fitting. :-)
DeleteLOL I have this picture in my head of him spending the night on his knees desperately searching for that damn pebble. I'm much more vicious - I would have planned to elope with him, promised him a Ferrari and fabulous beachfront condo, etc. and then left him standing at the altar (notified that it was all off, of course by a hand written note delivered at the last minute.)
ReplyDeleteHmm, I think I've become too emotionally invested in your story! :)
Hiya Li, I may use all that for next week's flash, and call it Pebblejilt. LOL.
DeleteIt takes a certain type of cluelessness to say stuff like that over the phone while the one person you don't want to overhear it is in the same house as you.
ReplyDeleteKudos to Rachel for mixing in some poetic justice with her breaking-off.
Hi Katherine. I think men like David are smug enough to think they can get away with just about anything, and if they come a cropper that they'll be able to charm and lie their way through. It's nice when they are proven wrong though, isn't it? :-)
DeleteOooh, I like the idea of her choking him on a pebble.....I would :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, that special one if he was lucky enough to find it before dawn. LOL.
DeleteShe's boss! As if she had the word of the lord on her lips, giving out that command. I'm sure,oh so sure he'll do his best to find it. Or else. Fantastic last line, Steve!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cindy. He might scrabble around trying to find that pebble, hopefully just ending up with sore knees and fingertips. :-)
DeleteI can see him coming back to her with a pebble, just something he found during the night. If she holds true to her rage she will stand by him not finding the right one, even if he somehow manages to find it. But he will still try, because he is just awesome in his own eyes.
ReplyDeleteHi Jon, Guys like David do think they are a superior species, he would probably grab the nearest pebble, go to the pub for a few hours to give her time to calm down, then wander back thinking he was just going to carry on like before. Probably a few minutes later finding himself sat on the doorstep next to his clothes. :-)
DeleteWell done, she has spunk and isn't worried about what she will do without him. We're trying to raise our two girls to believe they can do anything on their own, and they can, even if others want to tell them otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jason. Rachel will certainly be better off without David in her life.
DeleteGiving your girls self confidence as they grow is one of the greatest things you can give to them, it can make so much difference as to how they view life, and relationships.