Sex, death and a snake in the grass: 19 linked short stories, fiction for the Internet. Read in narrative sequence using the left-hand menu or follow characters through the in-page links
19
Mark put the phone down slowly and looked around the office. Nothing had changed. His desk was still covered in papers, his desk in Post-it notes. But everything felt different. He needed some space.
'Rick, just going out for a fag.'
His fellow cube rat looked puzzled. 'You don't smoke.'
'Back in a minute.'
He punched in his code, pushed through the double doors and went out into reception. He walked through the revolving doors and into a small courtyard with several benches. He chose one that was around 90 degrees from the office.
On the next bench a man and two women he vaguely recognised were sitting huddled over their cigarettes. Mark nodded and then quickly broke eye contact.
He sat and watched a couple of fiery leaves drop from the Japanese maple in the middle of the courtyard. He wondered how trees know when to drop the leaves.
He thought about all the paperwork he would have to do this afternoon, before he could go home. He pictured the mountain of paperwork he would have to do in the rest of his life.
He thought about an old schoolfriend. Jake was handsome, intelligent, and he was also about to be a published writer. He was unmarried and he seemed to just come and go, doing his own thing.
Sometimes Mark envied Jake the life he had.
He sat there and played with his wedding ring. Then he took a deep breath, put his head back and let out a scream. The scream richocheted around the courtyard like a bullet tossed into a glass.
The people on the next bench looked at Mark.
Mark smiled at them.
'It's ok,' he said.
'Is it?'
'I'm going to be a Dad.'
The woman looked relieved. 'We thought you was a nutter.'
'I am. I mean, I-. Well,' said Mark, joyfully.
The three people smiled and turned back to their cigarettes.
Mark got up and walked back across the courtyard. The afternoon sun lit up the windows so that they gleamed.
