"From Here" - Superb Flash Prose/Flash Fiction Piece by Stephen House

From Here

I go upstairs, grab my bag, kiss her on the cheek, and head back down the narrow creaking stairwell. “Stay here,” she shouts. I keep moving; leave her softly crying and looking out the window and down to him on the boardwalk by the river.

I go to the boardwalk, hold him tightly for a moment and begin moving away. “Don’t go,” he whispers. His plea is like a knife in my heart. I so want to take him away from this and them; from all that I am and have been too. Find some of what is dragging me to flee and try for change and offer it up to him. But I can’t; I don’t know how to give him anything at all; I’m incapable; because I am struggling so hard to somehow help myself to try to not be what I’ve been for so long, that I have nothing left to help him along.

The drunks and addicts are playing some silly morning game like we all do around here. He kisses me on the cheek and drifts down to join the chaotic tribe. I watch him for a moment, through my tired, foggy, eyes; tempted to run after him, take his vulnerability in hand and continue this thing on; deeply sad, but strangely beautiful too.

I turn away and pace; past some angry red head shouting and swearing into the air, past my one-time lover outside of his nasty bar; laughing and chatting to his new gullible trade, past some skinny hustler that I once bought pot from, or sold it too; across the bridge, and get into a cab on the corner.

The green-eyed driver turns to me and asks where I’m going. “I don’t know; as long as it’s away from where I’ve just been. Have you got any suggestions?” He smiles and I smile back, and for a long moment we sit silently, almost face to face, two men looking deeply into each other’s struggling life. He pulls away from the curb and moves us onwards, turns quickly, and asks what way. “The Central Bus Station” I answer, and he does a crafty U turn and merges into the traffic. I have no idea at all where I’ll go from here, and right now I don’t really care.

"From Here",

Is an adapted excerpt from Stephen's one hour monologue, "Almost Face to Face", published by Australian Plays Transform. But of course, in this form / stand alone adapted to flash fiction, it has never been published.

Stephen House has had 20 plays, 3 short films, and several exhibitions produced. He has won many awards and nominations as a poet, playwright and actor. He’s received international literature residencies from The Australia Council to Canada, Ireland and USA, and an Asia-link India literature residency. His chapbook “real and unreal” was published by ICOE Press Australia. His poetry is published often, and he has performed his acclaimed / published monologues, “Appalling Behaviour” and “Almost Face to Face” widely. Stephen’s play, “Johnny Chico” has been running in Spain for 2 years and continues.