A Short Story Collection #Wattys2018

Abstract Word V

The previous word was betrayal.

"Lies and garbage. Lies and garbage," the man wrote on the wall caked in filth with wet mud from the sodden ground. He moved from wall to wall of the alleyway left and right repeating the words over and over in a loop with a blank expression. His mind was empty except for those two words flashing in front of his eyes blurring out the rest of his vision. The words brought him pain and heartbreak though the reason why was fuzzy and unclear.

But when he watched a happy couple walk down the sidewalk holding hands and laughing, the memories rushed forth and he could think again. Happy times, sad times, times of change, and times of thoughts of the future revealed themselves to him attacking him in waves of sorrow and misery.

Only last year he believed with all his heart that he had found the perfect match for him, but it was not meant to be. She was a good kind person with a funny personality and good looks forming his perfect woman. Yet all the while they were together, his money was slowly disappearing in little chunks month after month along with the money invested into his business. Soon enough his company was going down the toilet leaving him with nothing except for his woman who stood by his side.

But when he popped the question, she rejected him with a maniacal laugh taking the ring from his fingers and slipping it in a suitcase.

"I can't believe how stupid you are," she laughed out grabbing her things and walking away from his pathetic self," I took everything you ever had to your name, and you never even knew."

She then disappeared without a trace leaving no way for him to find her and get back his money. And so he continued down the alleyway writing the words lies and garbage onto the walls.

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