Blue Wire. Red Wire. (811 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.61 on 14 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by PoTtY (View user info) at 2006-03-02 00:10:15 EST
Blue Wire. Red Wire.
"John, your hand is shaking."
"I know."
The setting sun cast an unnatural orange on the pale concrete surface and the light crept slowly across the street, causing shadows to trip and tangle. In the background, the caustic din of the evening was replaced by the equally deafening silence. The wind cried out in protest.
"Pliers please."
A slight clank of metal against the concrete vibrated through the street, looking desperately for a place to land. Nervous, the noise slowly crept out the back alley and disturbed no more.
"How long have we been doing this, John?"
"About thirteen years now."
"Hah, the way you say it makes it seem so long. Naw, it wasn't that long ago at all."
Soon, it became quiet again, but this time he wouldn't allow it.
"Do you remember my wedding, John? What was it? Two years after we first met? Do you remember it?"
"It was three."
"Hah, I think you're right. You know, Margaret has been asking you to come over for dinner for weeks now. Can you make it this Friday?"
"Yeah, sure."
The sun had disappeared under the sharp contour of the two-story house. Yet, the rough asphalt road remained hot to the touch. John wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and looked back.
"C'mon John, concentrate."
He turned back slowly.
"You are almost there, just lift the lid now."
His hands trembled gently, like a water strider disturbing the surface of a stagnant pond.
"Relax John; you've done this a million times."
His hand shook more violently, and he closed his eyes.
"Cutters please."
He opened his eyes slowly when he felt the cutters in his hands.
The bomb was simple in its design. It was a homemade time bomb triggered by a clock and by movement. The blast radius was small, maybe a few houses, but it was still enough to kill him. He had already removed the casing. All that was left to do was to cut the wire linking the battery to the clock trigger. It was simple.
He weaved through the nest of wires and isolated two, a blue and a red.
"Hey John, did I tell you about my daughter? Molly had a fever the other night, scared Margeret and I to death."
"No..."
"My Molly, she...we had to take her to the doctors. They don't know what's wrong with her. John, are you listening?"
"No...stop..."
"She's getting worse by the day and I don't know what to do. John! I saw her cry in her sleep!"
He shivered violently and forced himself to look at the wires in his hand. Blue or red, blue or red?
"John, it's red."
No, it's blue.
"John, it's red. Trust me."
Blue.
"John, why wouldn't you listen to me!? Red! Red! Red!"
Sorry, my friend. I'm so sorry.
The cutter clicked as it torn through the wire. The two severed ends of blue wire laid lifelessly on the ground.
He kneeled on the ground and sobbed loudly.
He cried for his undeserving good fortunes, he cried for his dead partner, and he cried because he remembered that Molly's favorite color was red.
User Reviews
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2006-03-02 19:13:12 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Good here and there, and great for a third post.
Submitted by hooch4 (user info) at 2006-03-02 19:06:25 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Soooo was his partner dead the whole time or something?
Submitted by ghola (user info) at 2006-03-02 15:32:58 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
this was a really good attempt and i enjoyed it.
to my tastes.
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2006-03-02 10:48:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by MichelleNJ (user info) at 2006-03-02 10:13:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by STIXS (user info) at 2006-03-02 08:21:26 (#)
Ranking: 2
Hmmm...MY favorite color is Blue...
Submitted by redskieslookfake (user info) at 2006-03-02 08:23:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Not quite a +2. Interesting though.
Submitted by STIXS (user info) at 2006-03-02 08:21:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Hmmm...MY favorite color is Blue...
Submitted by sinna (user info) at 2006-03-02 08:06:27 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
In fact, I'd even go as far as saying it was good stuff.
Submitted by sinna (user info) at 2006-03-02 08:05:35 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
ood stuff.
Submitted by BranDo (user info) at 2006-03-02 04:57:07 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
You mean the greyish-blue or the blueish-grey wire?
Submitted by MandaPanda (user info) at 2006-03-02 04:22:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Good stuff.
Submitted by Chroniclysm (user info) at 2006-03-02 02:00:51 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Sideburns (user info) at 2006-03-02 00:54:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
A man once taunted Chuck Norris with a bag of Lay's potato chips, saying "Betcha can't eat just one!" Chuck Norris proceeded to eat the chips, the bag, and the man in one deft move.
Submitted by secret_of_nimh (user info) at 2006-03-02 00:16:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
There's a bomb on a bus hotshot, what do you do? WHAT DO YOU DO?