An Actual Problem

By Kelly Stevenson Reed

An Actual Problem is a collection of three short stories, diverse in tone and genre, but all relying on something fantastic happening. "The Negotiation" is a suspenseful tale about a boy visiting his mother in the hospital finding what you can bargain for - with the right flavor of bubble gum. "Rochelle, Rochelle" shows a depressed college student sharing her thoughts on a blog, while a socialite with the same name mysteriously appears and burns through her fifteen minutes of fame. "Blue" is a fairy tale about a young fairy, curious about human love, enters the world of humans and learns an important lesson.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kelly Stevenson Reed
• Release date: Mar 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310920301

Kelly Stevenson Reed

Kelly Reed was born and raised in Chicago, but now lives in northeast Ohio with her husband and son. Kelly has been writing screenplays, stories, poems, and random thoughts in several worn notebooks as long as she can remember. She had a couple of short, quirky screenplays produced in the early nineties, but pretty much took a break from writing after that. Kelly’s poetry was recently published in the Greensilk Journal and Foliate Oak.

Book preview

An Actual Problem

Three Short Stories

By Kelly Stevenson Reed

Copyright 2010 Kelly Reed

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Table of Contents

The Negotiation

Rochelle, Rochelle

Blue, A Fairy Story

The Negotiation

Eric and his father rode in silence to the hospital for what they thought may be the last time.

Remember what we talked about, his father said to him, before they took the elevator to the second floor. Eric was still adjusting the identification sticker on his jacket. It had his picture on it, and a bar code, which made him feel like he was for sale.

The somber mood followed them into intensive care and his mother’s room, where the already mourning relatives were waiting. Immediately, they were the center of attention, Eric even more than his father, he thought, probably due to his age. The aunt with too much perfume hugged him first, followed by the one who always smears makeup on his face. The one uncle he liked, Bob, nodded at him, and then they all gathered around her bed.

She didn’t even look like the lively woman who took him to the zoo any more, but a weaker, older version of herself. The nurse said that she was resting, so they all filed out to the waiting room.

Eric really didn’t like the waiting room; it was obviously designed with no thought to what kids like him might like to do. The magazines were old and boring, and the television always turned to the news. But even if it was filled with toys, he really didn’t feel like playing anything anyway.

Eric got up, saying, I’m gonna go to the gift shop.

Eric’s father, Mark, replied, The gift shop’s closed, Eric,

The cafeteria then.

Mark reflexively jerked forward to follow him, but held himself back. Eric was ten now, and could be trusted in a hospital. Besides, he didn’t want to be there either. But he had to stay.

As soon as the doors closed, Eric punched all of the elevator buttons, and looked out onto each floor as the doors open. There were only twelve floors, and two basements, so it didn’t take him too long to go all the way down. The first basement had a guard at a desk, so he just looked out. But the second basement seemed empty, and quieter.

He stepped out, waiting to get yelled at by a guard. But the floor remained quiet, so Eric began to wander around. It was partially lit, and looked more like an abandoned floor of an office building rather than a hospital. Discarded and dated office and medical equipment, locked maintenance rooms, no parking lot exit, no morgue, not much else.

For some reason, Eric wasn’t afraid. Probably because of what was going on upstairs on the second floor. Besides, this was much more fun, at least for a little while. Turning down another hallway, he saw light coming from one room near the end. Trying to be as quiet as possible, he slowly walked towards it. He could hear noise from a television set, and voices.

What - they lost again? Stupid bastards. Can’t ever rely on them.

Not even when they fixed the game.

Fixed the game? How?

That referee, you see the bald one?

Yeah?

His kid owes money to gamblers. And that other one there, with the blond hair?

Yeah?

"He has, shall we say, a seriously alternative lifestyle. Perfect blackmail