Sometimes A Man (703 hits)
Category: RomanceRating: 1.84 on 34 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Hourman (View user info) at 2008-05-13 07:40:06 EDT
"Sometimes a man's got to do what a man's got to do... and sometimes a man's got to do what he shouldn't" Jack thought out loud. He splashed the water onto his face and looked up from the sink and into the mirror. "Of course the question is moral... but what question isn't?" he grabbed the towel off the rail, wiping the water from his face he slung it in the bath. "I suppose that's the difference between a man and a boy; that a man makes a decision and sticks to it." He walked back into the bedroom and opened the wardrobe, pulling out a black t-shirt "Who in their right mind has never thought something was right until it was too late?" he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and shuddered with anxiety, he knew what was coming.
Trotting down the stairs he dipped and grabbed the paper by the door, "Could we ever do any better than 10th? Fuck it, not being relegated is a good season for us." The milk was off, and the bread looked mouldy... so it ended up being Frosties and water, which in itself wasn't as bad as some people had it.
The sun had been hiding for a long time now; it hadn't seemed to come back since it went away last Autumn. Jack didn't really care though; it never seemed to shine quite so bright any more. Nothing did.
He walked through his home town, remembering all the things that had happened here, and all that history had changed. That one night. Now he had to end it. Put all these mother fucking demons to rest. He had little further to go, and then it would be time.
"Anxiety does funny things to a man" he pondered "on the one hand it makes you aware of what is to come. On the other, it makes you realise just how fucking scared you are." The tube was hot and over crowded, it was only a short trip to go, but it was uncomfortable none the less. People avoided him too; he seemed to eat the air around him, strangle others with his bitterness, people sense that within another person. Especially on a London tube.
"Fuck I'm scared." He burst into tears... right there on the pavement just down from the haunting of his past, future and present. "I don't know what to do baby" he cried looking up, "I don't know where you are right now... but I've never needed you more... fucking help me..." He cried softly into his hands.
Wiping the tears away, Jack regained his composure, "Be strong" he thought "For them." Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulled the only thing he had left out, and held it against his heart, before putting it away again. It wouldn't be needed till the end.
He took a cigarette out and took one long drag, the dirty poison filling his lungs and it felt good. It felt like the clouds from heaven were billowing into his very chest. "Thirteen years of quitting down the shitter." He threw it on the floor and proceeded towards the building, his legs carrying him fast, probably faster than he wanted.
The walls were bland and the place stank of death, the drab building was falling apart, and no one gave a shit. He'd been here before, one too many times; he pushed open the only door he knew, to the only world they knew.
"Jack... I'd ask how you were doing... but"
"It's over" the words flew out of his mouth; he thought he was going to hurl "I want to sign it."
"...Jack if you do -"
"I know what the fuck it does, but I want to sign it, it's over. No more."
Minutes passed, and it seemed like years, he sat by her bed, his twelve year old daughters' hand, lifeless and limp, her body moving only with the help of the machines.
As the metaphorical plug was pulled, and her heart stopped beating, he cried gently against her skin, he regretted every second he'd spent at work, he regretted every minute he'd sent her to her room, he'd trade all his money, his time, his very life just for one more chance to tell her how much he cared. How much he loved her and how much he cherished her very life. Her love was indisputable, relentless and unquestionable, it was whole and pure and true.
He left the hospital, his wife had died on impact, and his daughter was finally taken, he had lost everything that mattered. Everything except one thing. He took it from his jacket pocket and raised it to his lips, kissing the picture of his family, staring at their smiles, before putting it back next to his heart, in his jacket pocket, knowing that it'll be forever with him.
User Reviews
Submitted by czwij (user info) at 2008-05-14 08:10:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
this type of scenario has entered my head many time in dark dire hours.
if this happened to me (the kids part, i could live without the wife) i would simply blow my brains out.
guaranteed.
not really a +2 but definitely didn't make me smile.
Submitted by hour_man (user info) at 2008-05-14 03:42:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Shit did I fuck up much with my grammer? I have slipped as of late due to not writing on here a tenth as much as before.
No matter what you say about Ubersite, if you really want to learn to write, this is a fucking good place to do. People on Uber can smell whether or not you farted whilst writing something.
Submitted by X54 (user info) at 2008-05-13 22:30:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
It's worth more than a 1, though.
Submitted by X54 (user info) at 2008-05-13 22:29:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
This was good. I liked the surprise ending. But I'm too much of a grammar nazi to give you a +2, Goddammit.
Submitted by AshyLarry (user info) at 2008-05-13 12:59:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Darkness warshed over the dude.
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2008-05-13 12:51:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by orph (user info) at 2008-05-13 12:39:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Very good.
Submitted by beer-turtle (user info) at 2008-05-13 12:37:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
something in my eye....
Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2008-05-13 12:24:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by Susie_Derkins (user info) at 2008-05-13 11:41:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Nellypaal (user info) at 2008-05-13 11:26:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
No Comment
Submitted by orphelia (user info) at 2008-05-13 11:24:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2008-05-13 11:23:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Pretty much one of my worst fears...
Submitted by Squirrelly_Girl (user info) at 2008-05-13 09:31:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by forensicgirl3 (user info) at 2008-05-13 08:27:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I read this hearing Sam Elliot's voice as the narrator.
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For some reason I heard Alan Rickman's voice. Is that wrong? It feels wrong.
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2008-05-13 09:29:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2008-05-13 09:16:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by LittleMonster (user info) at 2008-05-13 09:12:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
.........
Not me sweetheart
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*scribbles notes to self*
I'm only kidding.
Not about wanting to spend time in your happy area... about mailing you.
Submitted by LittleMonster (user info) at 2008-05-13 09:12:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
.........
Not me sweetheart
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2008-05-13 09:10:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by LittleMonster (user info) at 2008-05-13 09:07:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Well shucks beano, why didn'tcha say some'ut?
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Huh... well then who HAVE I been mailing!?
Submitted by Linus (user info) at 2008-05-13 09:09:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
No Comment
Submitted by LittleMonster (user info) at 2008-05-13 09:07:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Well shucks beano, why didn'tcha say some'ut?
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2008-05-13 09:05:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by LittleMonster (user info) at 2008-05-13 09:03:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Holy moley. I'm going to have to eat a lot of cream cakes and drink half a bucket of tea to recover to my happy place.
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I'd like to spend some time in your happy place.
Submitted by LittleMonster (user info) at 2008-05-13 09:03:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Holy moley. I'm going to have to eat a lot of cream cakes and drink half a bucket of tea to recover to my happy place.
Submitted by hour_man (user info) at 2008-05-13 08:56:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by monkeyswithguns (user info) at 2008-05-13 08:46:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Unexpected ending. I thought there'd be a gun involved for certain.
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I wanted the reader to assume that the gun would be the last resort, where actually in most cases it's not.
This was in no way inspired by Mark.
This was, if anything, thought up simply because SO many people seem to see death as the only option, in many cases it's nowadays assumed it's the only option. I wanted to write something where there was a choice in life and death, but there was only a 'percieved' choice.
You'll often hear people talk about death being the only way, when actually it's far from that. It's the only way they see.
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2008-05-13 08:48:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Interesting... Director has -2'd 22 of my last 30 or so posts! hahahaha
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2008-05-13 08:47:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by DrogoRoch (user info) at 2008-05-13 08:32:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Downer my good man, big downer. But good none the less.
You know for a moment there I thouhgt you were writting about that presenter guy who killed himself cant remember his name, you know the one whose fiance killed herself by accident a while ago.
This was good ignore me I have to think for a bit and it normally ends up hurting.
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Me too Drogo,I initially thought it was going to be about Mark Speight.
Submitted by monkeyswithguns (user info) at 2008-05-13 08:46:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Unexpected ending. I thought there'd be a gun involved for certain.
Submitted by TheGoat (user info) at 2008-05-13 08:46:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by DrogoRoch (user info) at 2008-05-13 13:32:53 BST (#)
Ranking: 2
Downer my good man, big downer. But good none the less.
You know for a moment there I thouhgt you were writting about that presenter guy who killed himself cant remember his name, you know the one whose fiance killed herself by accident a while ago.
This was good ignore me I have to think for a bit and it normally ends up hurting.
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His name was Mark Speight. Shame no one was quick to realise that the dude was going through a really tough time. He could have been 'saved' otherwise.
Submitted by lostnphound (user info) at 2008-05-13 08:33:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by DrogoRoch (user info) at 2008-05-13 08:32:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Downer my good man, big downer. But good none the less.
You know for a moment there I thouhgt you were writting about that presenter guy who killed himself cant remember his name, you know the one whose fiance killed herself by accident a while ago.
This was good ignore me I have to think for a bit and it normally ends up hurting.
Submitted by forensicgirl3 (user info) at 2008-05-13 08:28:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
That deep soothing voice made it very poignant.
Submitted by forensicgirl3 (user info) at 2008-05-13 08:27:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I read this hearing Sam Elliot's voice as the narrator.
Submitted by hour_man (user info) at 2008-05-13 08:25:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Why thank you very much.
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2008-05-13 08:15:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Now young man, this is really rather good.
Submitted by F.J.Bell (user info) at 2008-05-13 07:49:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Bummer.