The Acts of 1: A Collection of Short Stories

By Jon de Silva

There are times when a person’s life changes forever on one decision or action. Whether the choice is on impulse or well thought out, innocuous or major, these short stories of the paranormal and science fiction explores the actions and consequences of those decisions. Some of the stories are:

The Prayer – A teenage boy who gets in trouble for beating up a bully at school wakes up in the hospital the next day, badly beaten from losing the same fight he won.

The Note – A teenage couple each receive a strange note from themselves to meet at an abandoned house. Everything depends on it.

A Flash In Time – A store manager driving home in a lightning storm in 1999 and after a blinding flash of lightning strikes near him, he’s in 2011.

The Librarian – A librarian and her coworkers face the pending relocation of their library due to budget cuts and need a miracle to save their historic building.

The Immortals – A drama professor shows his class a recently restored silent movie that was once considered lost. There is more to this movie than meets the eye.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jon de Silva
• Release date: Jul 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311294036

Book preview

The Acts of 1

A Collection of Short Stories

Jon de Silva

The Acts of 1

A Collection of Short Stories

Copyright 2012 by Jon J. de Silva

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission by the author. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actuals persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the memory of my grandmother, Mary Piacun Silva. She could try a hobby and become proficient at it in short order. She learned to play multiple musical instruments, design and create ceramics, all on her own and she mastered these hobbies with a respectable level of expertise. Many of the ceramic creations she made decades ago are still around today. Her great project was to write a book. She worked on it for many years, but died before she could submit it. If she were around today, she would have self-published.

This is for you, Momo.

Table of Contents

The Prayer

A Wish for Sarah

Waiting Room

The Note

A Flash in Time

The Librarian

The Immortals

Acknowledgements

About the Author

The Prayer

Kyle Parsons sat in the discipline office going over in his mind what happened a little while ago. He and Matthew Bennett had been fighting again. Miss Tyson sent him to her office and Matthew to Mr. Johnson’s office.

Kyle knew how this would end and his stomach sank. Miss Tyson just finished talking to his father on the phone. They already had a long talk about him losing his temper and getting into fights at school. He was in trouble, even though he didn’t start the fight this time.

Kyle was a 15-year-old sophomore at Moss Grove High School. He was overweight for most of middle school and into his freshman year of high school. But he recently had a growth spurt, which evened his build. As he grew, his voice changed. His father put him on an exercise regimen at the beginning of the school year and he took to it pretty well.

Over time, he became stronger and much faster. His father taught him how to defend himself. He discovered he was a natural counter-puncher, becoming quite effective with that tactic. Since then, he lost his fear and got into fights at school, usually defending Ted from Matthew. Ted tried to put up a good fight, but he was no match for the much bigger Matthew.

Matthew Bennett was a school bully who liked to pick on fat kids or kids smaller than him. He started growing fast in seventh grade. That was when both Kyle and Ted became two of his favorite targets. Even with Kyle’s growth spurt, Matthew still had a height advantage. Matthew usually had a couple of his friends with him when he picked on other students.

Today, he picked on Ted Warner, Kyle’s best friend. Ted’s growth spurt just started, though he still had several inches to go before reaching Kyle’s height. Matthew’s friends held Ted against the wall while Matthew slapped him in the face and humiliated him. Kyle turned the corner in the hall and saw the bullying. He lost his temper and went after Matthew.

Ted and Kyle had been friends since first grade. They were into science fiction and considered geeks by other students. This year, at their parents’ suggestion, they had gotten involved in other activities at school to meet other students and expand their horizons. Two weeks earlier, Kyle started dating Beth Hall, one of the sophomore cheerleaders at school. Along with his parents, she tried to help him control his temper and not get into fights.

Miss Tyson hung up the phone. Didn’t we just have this conversation, Kyle? You said then that you would stop losing your temper and getting into fights with Matthew.

He pinned my best friend against the lockers and slapped his face. What did you want me to do? Stand there and watch?

No, you tell a teacher or you tell one of us.

Yeah, I remember doing that last year. Nothing would happen except Matthew beating on us harder. I’m more his size now and I’m not gonna take it anymore.

You were such a good kid last year. We didn’t have a single problem with you.

No, but I got picked on and beat up a lot.

Mr. Johnson entered Miss Tyson’s office. Matthew claims Kyle was bullying him.

Kyle jumped up. "He’s the bully! I went after him for what he did to Ted."

Mr. Johnson pointed at Kyle. Pipe down and sit!

A fuming Kyle sat down.

Really? Miss Tyson said with sarcasm. Kyle’s bullying Matthew? Sounds like karma to me.

Yeah, Mr. Johnson said. I put him on a five day out-of-school suspension.

I saw the video. Miss Tyson glared at Kyle. I’m sending you home for the day and you have a one-day out-of-school suspension tomorrow. You can return on Friday. Now go to the office. Your father’s coming to get you.

Kyle crept toward the office. He knew his parents would severely punish him. Last time, he lost telephone and computer privileges.

As he entered the office, he asked the secretary, Can I use the bathroom?

You could have gone on your way here.

He shrugged. I didn’t think about it until now. Can I go?

She motioned toward the door. Go ahead, but make it fast.

Thanks. He went in and texted Beth about what happened, and returned to the office shortly before his father arrived.

Dave Parsons entered the main office. He had a slight limp from a wound he got in Iraq when an IED exploded. Kyle saw the expression on his father’s face. He was in deep trouble.

Hi, Jill, Dave said.

Hi, Dave. He’s right there. She nodded toward Kyle. He has a lot of his father in him.

Unfortunately, he has his old man’s temper.

He has OSS today and tomorrow. He can come back on Friday. The person he fought has a five day OSS.

You mean Matthew Bennett.

Jill nodded.

Dave signed his son out. Okay, thanks. See you later. He turned to Kyle. Come on, son. Let’s go.

They drove home without saying a word. Kyle knew his father was angry with him and he didn’t want to make things worse by protesting.

When they got home, Kyle received the punishment he dreaded. His father grounded him for a week, with the loss of computer and all phone privileges. What’s worse, he couldn’t go on his date with Beth.

At dinner, Kyle’s sister, Trudy, laughed at him for getting sent home. She was a senior at Moss Grove. She was shorter than Kyle, but she had her mother’s good looks. Her long brown hair hung behind her.

Her wisecracks angered him again, but she calmed him down by saying, "I heard you beat Matthew up today…good! You may be a nerd, but I like the fact you gave that jerk a dose of his own medicine. I despise him."

Why? Mrs. Parsons asked.

Trudy hesitated. He’s a jerk.

Tell them what he did to you, Kyle said. I got punished for that fight.

Dave turned to her. Tell us. Tell us now.

Trudy’s eyes burned into Kyle. Thanks, big mouth.

You did nothing wrong, sis. I gladly took my grounding for what he did.

Okay, okay. She put her fork down and sighed. For the past two years, Matthew’s been hounding me to go out with him. That turd won’t take no for an answer. A few weeks ago, he caught me alone below the stairwell near the office. He tried to force himself on me, but Erin came in and got me out of there.

Then she told me and I beat the snot out of him, Kyle said. And that was why I got sent to the discipline office last time. Now you know the real reason I went after Matthew.

Dave’s face reddened with anger. I’ll take care of that.

No, Dad, Trudy said. The office knows and Kyle beat him up. Matthew hasn’t messed with me since.

If he messes with you again, he’ll have to deal with me. Dave resumed his meal.

That night, Kyle sat on his bed, bored to death. A half hour earlier, his parents lectured him about getting into so many fights. He thought about what happened that morning and knew he would do it again to help Ted. If he could grow a little taller and fill out more, Ted would be able to take Matthew, too.

Son?

Kyle looked up to see his father peeking into his room. Yeah?

Dave entered the room and sat on Kyle’s bed. Do you remember what I taught you about fighting?

He nodded. Never start a fight, but always finish it.

That’s right. I understand why you took up for Ted. I’d have done the same thing for my best friend. But you have a problem with your temper now and you’re getting into too many fights. If you don’t control your temper, sooner or later, you’ll be just as bad as Matthew. Now is that what you want?

No, sir.

You have to learn to choose your fights wisely. Keep your anger in check. Think. It’ll keep you out of trouble.

After his father left, he got a strange feeling. He couldn’t quite describe it other than a sense of purpose. He took his father’s advice to heart and prayed he could control his temper.

Kyle closed his eyes and went to sleep.

♦♦♦

Kyle began to stir.

Mom, he’s waking up, Trudy said.

He opened his eyes, but everything was a blur.

Kyle? his mother cried. Kyle? Can you hear me?

He tried to sit up, but couldn’t. Then the pain hit. He felt like he had been in a car accident and bounced around like a basketball. His vision cleared. He was in a hospital room. How did he get there? Then he saw the date on the marker board. The hospital made a mistake. It’s not Wednesday. It’s Thursday. His head and side pounded in pain. Mom? Mom, what happened?

You were attacked yesterday at school. Mrs. Parsons wiped the tears from her eyes. Who did this to you?

Did what? What happened?

I know what happened, Trudy said. Matthew Bennett and his buddies beat you up again for telling Miss Tyson what they did to Ted yesterday. They got you later and had you two pinned against the lockers.

That’s not what happened. I didn’t tell her anything. She sent me to her office for beating up Matthew, because he had Ted pinned against the lockers. Dad had to pick me up from school. You guys grounded me yesterday for losing my temper and fighting again. He pointed to the board on the wall. The fight happened on Wednesday. Today’s Thursday.

What are you talking about? Mrs. Parsons said. Your father’s dead. He’s been dead for six years. And today’s Wednesday, son. Your attack happened on Tuesday.

Kyle tried to sit up, but failed, No! Dad’s alive! He chewed me out yesterday and last night for getting into another fight. He winced in pain from his ribs.

You’re kidding, right? Trudy said. "You haven’t been