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Dick Darm
Dick Darm
Germany, Bonn

Words: 1007
Access: Public
Comments: 2

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The Fish Tank

We were actually supposed to be working, only that's not very fun is it? Our group had been assigned to do some clean up work in the Langen military housing development which was far enough out that no one would bother to come around and check on us. It didn't take us long to agree to hangout at Jay's apartment for a while. Still, a little paranoid we took the extra precaution of parking the big government Dodge 6 pack, a real icon in Europe, behind a dumpster. One never could be too careful, the Air Force was full of spineless snitches who would jump at the chance to turn someone in.
Up in the apartment we picked on each other while playing video games and smoking.
The door swung open.
Jay glanced over away from the TV for a split second before turning back and yelling. 'Hay Diesel!'
'OΒ΄ fuck you Jay!' came the angry response from his wife. (He started calling her Diesel ever since the night he told her that she was getting to heavy for him.) She slammed a bag of groceries down on the kitchen counter and stormed into the living room. It was obvious that she was angry and from her shocked response it I could tell that she wasn't expecting guests, still she took it in stride.
'Hi Wayne, Hi Dick.'
'Hallo Mrs. Grubber' we responded
'Don't call me that!' she snapped, looking over at Jay,' That name makes me sick!' She then looked in our direction again, 'Do yawl want something to eat?'
'No, No Mrs. Gruber, really I'm not hungry' she could really read your mind though.
' Oh yawl are just saying that because you don't want to put me to the trouble, I'm going to make some sandwiches anyway!'
'Well Ok, seeing how you were going to make sandwiches anyway!'
Jay who was still focused on the TV playing video games, shouted in the direction of the kitchen' Diesel, I don't want you feeding these skumbags!'
'Oh, shut the fuck up!'
'No!' he countered, still keeping his eye on the game, 'Their my guests and I don't want you feeding them!'
Mrs. Gruber more shouting back at Jay than asking a question yelled, 'Well then, Wayne! Dick! I'm inviting you as my guest. Would yawl like a sandwich!!?'
Not wanting to get in the middle of their quarrel I denied the food once again.
'No! Mrs. Gruber I'm not hungry, really.'
'What are you trying to say that my wife's cookin aint good enough for you?!' provoked Jay.

He could really be a fuckhead sometimes, I yelled back to him 'No, I'm trying to stay out of your argument!'
In the meantime Mrs. Gruber had finished preparing the food, 'Here's your sandwich Dick.'
'Thanks' I replied, picking it up off the plate and hungrily biting into a ham & cheese sandwich. In the meantime over in the living room someone had just lost, or got killed, I don't know, whatever the video game seemed to be over. Jay came over to the table and sat down and stared at me, watching me eat.
'Ya like eating my food and having my wife wait on you?'
Before I had a chance to reply Diesel snapped at him,' Why don't you just go back and play video games or something?'
'Well! actually I was going to, but first I wanted to show the guys maay ROOOMMMM!' He screamed, standing up clapping his hands motioning for us to follow.
' No! No! No! listen to me, you guys do NOT want to go in their!' Diesel pleaded us not to follow. 'Jay you asshole! I cant believe your showing them that shit!' she yelled. She looked back over at us,' really yawl don't want to go in their.' She begged once again, but it was too late, my interest had been sparked and I was already on my way.

The room didn't leave any immediate negative impressions other than the big pile of packing boxes. Their was a desk pushed in the one corner, a few posters on the wall and in the other corner their was an empty aquarium. We walked in and Jay who was opening the blind mentioned to the tank. 'You guys like tropical fish?' We walked on over to the and looked in. The glass had a dirt calcium crust which intensified as it went down and in the bottom was about an inch of the blackest water. Then the smell hit me, a potent mixture of stale water, shit and bacteria.
'Eaa, man that's nasty,' I said backing away.
'What!' Jay yelled 'you guys don't like ma fish?!'
'I didn't see any fish in their! Theirs no water!' I said peering down despite the smell.
Jay walked over and started banging on the glass. Suddenly their was movement in the tank. Two fish which I hadn't seen on account as to how mucky was, started swimming around franticly. After a few seconds they settled down their dorsal fin and a portion of their tail protruding out of the water. I had completely overseen them.
'Man what the fuck!' I gasped in disbelief. 'Why don't you put some water in the tank?'
Wayne was disgusted, 'Man, that's just wrong!' he said still looking down at the water shaking his head. I stared, watching the fish as their gills went in and out, in utter disbelief that something could live in that water.

'I got sick of them about 8 months ago.' Jay explained. 'Since then I haven't fed them hoping that they would die!'
pause
'The way I figure, the only way they have survived till now is by eating their own shit!' he explained with a devilish grin on his face. I laughed, and so did Wayne, it was really so fucked up it was funny. Two weeks later the fish died.

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Comments  
Dick Darm Comment by: Dick Darm - 2006-12-01 12:41
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Thanks for your comment Kerosene you have a valid point about my grammar problems, the ending, think about it not everything goes out with a bang thatβ??s just life.
Kerosene Comment by: Kerosene - 2006-12-01 10:50
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You nailed the backwoods tone but the story seems to be lacking something. I thought it was going to go somewhere but it doesnt, leaving the ending lacking punch.

Some corrections and suggestions:

Title: Fish? or Fich?

A lot of "their"s should be "there"s
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By Dick Darm

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