good endings for all
Posted: 08 Oct 2020, 07:08
I sit one day on my sofa at home, thinking about life and the short stories I write, when my 7-year-old nephew comes to me with a story I gave him.
"Did you like it?" I ask, motioning for him to sit down. He sits. "No," he says. "The ending is bad."
"What was wrong with the ending?" I ask him. The story I gave him ended with a boy winning a football (soccer) match. "they won." He says, in a tone which tells me he is angry.
I sigh. "Would you rather it ends with them losing?"
"No."
"So how would you like the story to end?" I ask, puzzled.
"I would like it to end with all the characters dying."
"Why?" I ask. "Did you not like them?"
"They were OK, " he says. “it's just… well, whenever I read a book or story I feel like I'm there. And when I get to the end I always feel sad because I won't know what else will happen to them in their life. Unless they are dead. In that case, I know what will happen to them. They will be eaten by worms." Then he looks up at me, smiles, and says: "can you please kill everyone next time?”
I think about the wise things he said.
I tell him I will.
I take out a knife.
I cut his head off.
He dies.
I turn the knife around.
I commit suicide.
THE END
"Did you like it?" I ask, motioning for him to sit down. He sits. "No," he says. "The ending is bad."
"What was wrong with the ending?" I ask him. The story I gave him ended with a boy winning a football (soccer) match. "they won." He says, in a tone which tells me he is angry.
I sigh. "Would you rather it ends with them losing?"
"No."
"So how would you like the story to end?" I ask, puzzled.
"I would like it to end with all the characters dying."
"Why?" I ask. "Did you not like them?"
"They were OK, " he says. “it's just… well, whenever I read a book or story I feel like I'm there. And when I get to the end I always feel sad because I won't know what else will happen to them in their life. Unless they are dead. In that case, I know what will happen to them. They will be eaten by worms." Then he looks up at me, smiles, and says: "can you please kill everyone next time?”
I think about the wise things he said.
I tell him I will.
I take out a knife.
I cut his head off.
He dies.
I turn the knife around.
I commit suicide.
THE END
