Inside story

Below is the first part of a story I've been considering.

I don't write prose anymore. It's too frustrating, too heart-breaking. If you're unpublished it's become impossible to get anyone to even give your work a passing glance. However, I do know an editor who is holding a short story contest and he will at least look at stuff I send him. So, I wrote this fragment--I do have more in mind but I don't know at this point if I'm going to go further with it. I kinda dig it and think it's a good idea, but that's now . . . tomorrow I may feel differently.

So, look it over, and let me know what you think--should I finish it? It'll be around 6,000 words or so when I'm done, I reckon. Around 25 pages or so. Oh, and it's based on my own song, "Inside." Never written a story based on one of my own songs before.

INSIDE


by J. Franklin Evans

"I'm so sorry, Beth."

Renatta was old. The oldest woman Beth had ever seen, as far as she knew. She looked really bad, sitting there in her creaky chair. The darkness of the room, underneath the alley, didn't help.

"Sorry?" Beth asked. "You're sorry? I spent months looking for you. Every whisper. Every hint. About all people know about R'shaka is the name. Nobody knows what or who he is, only that you do. I was nearly killed more times than I can count. I was almost arrested, three times. I'm sure the cops are still looking for me. I was attacked. Nobody trusts me. I can't even cop now."

Renatta settled into an old chair, her walking stick across her lap. "I'm so sorry, Beth." she said again, her voice sounding more like a wheeze.

"I need him, Renatta. I have nothing left. Nothing. No family. No friends. No money."

"You've been using a long time now, haven't you?" Renatta said.

The sympathy, the understanding, the sadness in Renatta's voice caused Beth to weep uncontrollably for a long while. "I've got nothing, Renatta. Nothing. I may as well be dead. If you turn me away I will be dead. I have no other options."

"I’m so sorry, Beth." Renatta said for the third time.

"Why do you keep saying that? You're sorry for turning me away? For killing me?

"No." Renatta said. "I'm sorry, but you're perfect for us."