Straight Up: Short Bedtime Stories Easy Reading

By Rachel A. Frias

Abstract
Rachel A. Frias an adult fiction writer, offers an eclectic entertaining collection of 24 short stories in Short Bedtime Stories volume 1, titled Straight Up. Volume 2 of this Short Bedtime Stories collection is called Spice Up and offers and assorted amusing selection through 21 short stories. Controversial topics are presented inviting the readers possible curtailed stimulation to be uplifted, and provoke thoughts otherwise committed to the discretion of others.
I have summarized the topics in each book below and addressed questions 1-5 from the press release questionnaire.
Straight Up
In Straight Up the variety of themes and issues, including character decisions are listed here:
A mechanics cold world, the run down state of some school buildings, how financial investments rise, the fiction of replaying living organisms, uneasiness and terror due to skepticism, the value of frivolous antiques and candy, identity theft, fitting new furniture in old buildings, in addition some other themes in Straight Up by Rachel Frias are the dangers of trespassing, neighborhood quality, military giving away their lives, reaching for more than one can achieve, unexpected accidents and also family intrusion.
Straight Up uses themes that can be summarized into:
Feelings, socioeconomic status, science fiction, value of antiques and candy, id theft, obesity, casual love at first sight, military betrayal, passionate accidents, family and queers.
Providing proof:
By including a bit of reality and dressing these naked themes with fictional garments, the author of Straight Up, Rachel A. Frias, brings fiction to life in narrative conversation. Each of the 24 stories in Straight Up is original and contains at least one element of surprise as one reads the daring writers composition take for instance Wisk Away where and overweight and lesbian Josephina pulls out a cell phone and surrenders John as a drunken driver because of her vengeful personality.
Being original:
To illustrate the originality of these 24 short stories in Straight Up by Rachel A. Frias check that such a modern topic as stem cells is approached by Helena and she- as a character, takes advantage of this procedure to have a vertebral disk regenerated.
Counter Objections:
Straight Up is a work of fiction not meant for children because some topics are censored to minors. These short stories address situations that can occur in a community, and are a mild recall in awareness that what could happen, can be prevented and avoided: As what could happen in The Generals Apple which is another short story where generals betray each other.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Apr 29, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456723897

Rachel A. Frias

Rachel Frias (1967-Present) Rachel was born from an American mother and Spanish father, graduated from Oakwood School, NY and gained degrees in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Teaching. She enjoys writing short stories for fun, entertainment or, to be used as a distraction.

Book preview

Contents

Ambrosio’s Starter

Class Construction

Helena’s Greek Spring

New Architectural Design

Playback Disco

Red Fall

The Antique Town

The Candy Man

The Chic Collection

The Cornered Paycheck

The Crane’s Stance

The Dark Side of the Cut

The Date

The Dead End Project

The General’s Apple

The Need for a New Profession

The Ribbon Boy

The Shade Garden

The String-Theory Conversation

The Straight Snake

The Swim’s Team’s Menu

The Swirl of a Curve

The Twin Rabbit

Wisk Away

Ambrosio’s Starter

He got tired of telling his wife what to do. Ambrosio, a thirty-four-year-old mechanic, did not want to tell her anything else. Since she’d had a child, he had had to tell her about all the ménages and daily duties in his house. His work allowed him to, but he did not see the usefulness in dictating everything a person must do as a continuous part of his life. That day, in 1987, Ambrosio put his hand in between her legs and snapped her back. Her central nervous system had been disturbed, her memory forever was affected, and she could not move.

She allowed his hands to break her, and she saw a white dove fly in the blue sunny sky.

Ambrosio threw her out of his car and into a ditch, still breathing. He reported her missing; changing the physical description he’d given to the police. His children now had adoptive parents, and as time had gone by, she was never mentioned again. No one remembered his family, and he had forgotten the meaning of love.

• • •

Ambrosio pedaled while his lifelong friend, Carlz, rode on the back of the thin, black Schwinn bicycle. Carlz, a mechanic and business associate, revealed in the quiet night, a dark, heavy bag of tools that he held to his body between him and Ambrosio.

As the silent, amber traffic light changed to green, the colors reflected off the warm summer pavement. Ambrosio pedaled through the middle of the road, knowing no cars were going to make it around town at that dark hour. On one side of the street was a big cement building that manufactured and packaged computer items. On the other side were some buildings and a wide parking lot.

As they progressed, the bicycle was directed toward a junkyard about two miles past downtown. The closed gate, was opened, and both men went in. The silence of past death and other tragedies, took over the cold, silent metal of cars distorted in crashes. Sometimes the sight saddened Ambrosio when he thought of why the cars were there and of the different car parts needed and where they came from.

Carlz, who didn’t have a romantic view, approached a car, checked the make, and got to work. Soon enough, between both of them, they had three starters.

• • •

As he entered Bronco’s newly painted garage floor, Paolo, a body-shop expert, smiled. He was too thin to fill the clothes he wore— wiry, but strong, his hair stayed young and voluminous. The garage was next to the junkyard. Bronco’s dog, left in charge of the garage, was barking. Paolo ordered the hound dog out the door still barking. He sprinkled the entire garage with some gasoline.

Paolo lit a cigarette and headed out the door. Before he shut it behind him, he threw the cigarette in and closed it with a smirk. The dog was outside barking; the thin man threw a piece of meat its way and left on a red bicycle while the dog was busy chewing.

• • •

Carlz and Ambrosio, in their early thirties, were in shape, and so they returned promptly to their Blue Garage, past the center red light in town. The three starters had been left underneath the counter. They left the garage on the bicycle, passing Bronco’s flaming garage. Staring and pulling out a cell phone, Ambrosio called Bronco. Even though both had filth under their nails, a property in flames was not to be dismissed.

Someone in their life, perhaps their mothers, had driven some values into these two mechanics. Even if they were not related, both had the same women around them growing up. Carlz’s mom had died tragically; leaving Ambrosio’s to raise both of them.

In the distance they heard the sirens. Even though the fire department was ten minutes away, it took about forty five minutes. Since the paper work had to be filed first, the guys just dilly-dallied on the call until the acting secretary okayed the outfit.

Ambrosio was greeted by his big, fat, tire-chewing Rottweiler. Carlz was greeted by his wife, who was considering leaving in two weeks because of a wealthy man’s offer. Ambrosio might have had other children out there, aside from those from his first marriage, possibly from women he had met and he had abandoned, or from one of his date-rape victims. However, he had none at home, and he was single. On the other hand, Carlz had three children who were older now, in their teens.

• • •

Early in the morning as Carlz opened the Blue Garage, a police car pulled up. After a tough round of questioning, Ambrosio dismissed them.

Since Carlz and Ambrosio had been friends all along, an alibi was never in question. Even if one of them ever needed one, they had each other as sworn in brothers. Their friendship dated back to a bar fight at Sharkie’s. Throwing darts, they both had their eyes on the target, and so they had a discussion about how close to the bull’s eye one of their darts had made it. Being in a euphoric, imbibed state, their male bonding took the shape of a common fist fight, which they were unable to take seriously since they drank in between.

Bronco dropped by the Blue at noon after calling the insurance agency. He stepped into the garage and stared thoughtlessly at the three starters under the counter. Immediately Ambrosio came out of the work area, cleaning his greasy hands on a torn rag, and glanced at his blank stare, while standing in front of the starters to hide them.

Bronco explained his loss. The new floor and the toolboxes were burnt. Luckily I didn’t have any cars in the garage last night. My dog was all right. He stopped and frowned. I’ll bet I know whoever did it, because the dog didn’t bite him.

Ambrosio listened to all this, undisturbed. Good thing I saw it and called 911 right away, he said.

That day, a customer asked what was wrong with his car and how much the repairs would cost. You need a water pump, Carlz said.

Stop trying to rip me off. The only pump in a car is the fuel pump, the man said.

Ambroiso knew Carlz used the water pump gimmick to pay for his wife’s nails. She’ll have to go without getting her nails done this time. Then the phone rang, and Jay, their clerk, answered.

Who was that? Carlz asked.

Some man asking for your wife.

That rich bastard has a lot of nerve to keep calling my wife.

• • •

Carlz spoke to his wife about moving to Pennsylvania, because the weather was nicer and housing had lower taxes than New York. He could drive over to the Blue Garage in the morning; it was just about an hour away. What his wife did not know was that Carlz had his driver’s license revoked for ever, and if he could live in Pennsylvania, he could have one issued by that state. In addition, he wanted her to forget the rich man who threatened to steal her from him. He tried smoothing his wife with appreciation for all the years they had been together, but he was too late with his words. She did not understand anymore.

His ego was hurt, and he tried his best to convince her to live in Pennsylvania. However, her argument was strong; it included having her friends, business connections, and relatives in New York. The conversation ameliorated and dropped down into a silent spell while Carlz thought of just keeping an address in Pennsylvania and renting that apartment or house out while still living in New York.

He tuned into the radio station for her, and they sat lovingly on the couch. The decisions would flow his way as usual while she, in her mind, considered leaving him. The music surrounded them.

When Ambrosio got home, he found a starter next to his Rottweiler. He took a deep breath. The broken glass pieces on the floor indicated that someone had thrown the starter through the window. He was calmer now, knowing his dog did what he could and did not jump out the window. He fed and talked to the Rottweiler and got an answer in his mind that Bronco was the only one responsible for this. He got out a bottle of scotch and drank to a heavy drunkenness till he fell over in the bed.

Paolo, slithering into Ambrosio’s place, heard the snores coming from the bedroom. He petted Ambrosio’s Rottweiler as he sat on the living-room couch, listening to the same radio station Carlz and his wife were listening to that night. Backed by his past navy experiences, Paolo liked to feel on top of everyone, knowing he could out do anyone in his line of business and in other matters by taking action.

Male bonding occurred in different ways—the garage fire had been one of them.

Class Construction

Coming out of third period class into the noisy hallway where students were wearing the newest fads, Mr. Bender looked forward to his soda in the staff room. A little break from all those interruptions and rude remarks was exactly what he needed. He couldn’t afford to lose his temper. The little big bastard actually called me fuckface. He’s gonna regret that. He then went back to correcting American History quizzes.

His next class, fifth period, was taught in a science class, room 132, which had three laboratory sections. Having a different environment provided Mr. Bender with a bit of energy.

He greeted the new class coming in for the fifth period. This class was the toughest, because the students came from many financially involved parents, such as insurance agents, stockbrokers, and psychiatrists. Some of these teens would be so mean as to wish each other’s death and laugh out loud about how much insurance money the remainder of the family would get. Mr. Bender bet that some in this class would also give up their lives for a party—or worse yet, coldly sacrifice someone else’s life and say that it’s just part of life to die. Mr. Bender thought, whoever had put this class together must also be making money as a hit-man or woman.

Mr. Bender was single, and personally he would not sign his life away to insure even one tooth. But the new district’s administration was forcing teachers to sign an insurance policy, put through by the Jan Hancack Insurance Company, for more than one hundred thousand dollars to keep their jobs in the 2008–2012 teacher’s union contract. Needless to say, Mr. Bender was not happy with the arrangement. He had discount cards, and he kept as healthy as he could. He thought one could work at a not-for-profit outfit like this school and still choose his insurance or discount programs. Mr. Bender wanted the teacher’s union to include a clause to that effect in the next contract.

He and two other teachers had conferred and agreed that the insurance policy was way over the limits for a not-for-profit organization. They jokingly sought out a hit man or woman. One suggested targeting the new principal, explaining that the administration would not agree to the contract