These Conversations Kill

A dialogue only flash fiction, continued

Alternate title: I made myself sad while writing this, so now you must be too.

So the dialogue only flash challenge that was only meant to be a one-off thing at best, inspired my Muse so hard it bit me and wouldn’t let go. I wrote this in snippets in the middle of the night on my phone notes app and then typed it all up properly the next day while listening to a playlist I built specifically around this scene. I had one very specific artist in mind, and one very specific song, and it was Daughter and ‘Smother.’

I once heard someone describe listening to Daughter as willingly tying an anchor to yourself and drowning, and I’ve never heard an artist more accurately described. Daughter has such a unique sound that you truly can just sink into and let it overtake you, with lyrics that are so raw and so *human* that it takes your breath away. (Disclaimer: this is not a sponsored endorsement, I just really like their music.) I couldn’t think of a better selection to encompass the feelings behind and between these characters than the ones I compiled, and I take no responsibility for tears shed while reading or listening.

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B: We need to talk about what happened last night.

R: Nothing happened last night, so there’s nothing to talk about.

B: Is this really how you want to do this?

R: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

B: Ok. Lie to me then.

R: Why can’t you just let it go?

B: Because it’s later elephants time so we’re talking about it.

P: Talking about what?

R: Piss off

B: None of your business Parker.

P: Oookey I’m gonna just coffee and popcorn in the corner here, don’t mind me.

R: You’re being minded.

B: Parker, bridge. Now.

P: Right away, cap!

R: … ‘Cap’?

B: Not important.

R: No no no. Very important. I’d say pachyderm level of import, honestly.

B: Well you’re not being honest so looks like it’s fine, actually.

R: You motherf—

F: No bedroom activities in the breakroom.

R: I swear to all the deities….

B: Just a conversation, Faran, don’t worry about it.

F: Then I expect to see the both of you ready to go in 00.50.

B: Will do.

R: *silent*

F: You got that, tourist?

R: …understood.

B: Rhea—

R: Don’t.

B: You know she’s only—

R: Don’t you dare say joking.

B: Ok.

R: You’re thinking it.

B: I wasn’t aware I couldn’t think.

R: What do you want me to apologize for? Being in your bed? Because from my perspective you seemed to enjoy it just as much as I did.

B: Yeah well history is always written by the victors, isn’t it?

R: What is that supposed to mean?

B: Nothing.

R: Sure as hell sounded like something.

B: Alright which elephant do you want to start with then? The one where you dodge around your feelings and can never actually give a straight answer as to whatever this is between us, but somehow still keep winding up in my bed? Or how you cut and run the moment anything serious comes up because galaxies forbid you take any kind of responsibility or worse, be involved?

R: Bri—

B: Or what about you having one of the most brilliant minds I have ever seen, and yet you still somehow manage to have such an inferiority complex.

R: That’s not—

B: Or how about you, having the nerve to look me in the eyes and lie, and say that it’s nothing?

R: Well. You sure are dredging a lot of shit considering….

B: Considering what.

R: That you said you didn’t regret me.

B: *silent*

R: So, which one of us is lying again?

B: You don’t get to turn my words against me like that, you do not—

R: And you don’t get to tell me how I’m supposed to feel! As if you had any right to….

B: To what? To care?

R: Please.

B: Yes, I said I don’t regret you and that will always be true, I just would like to feel like you are taking part in this. I’m the one constantly reaching for all the pieces of you that you throw at me and—

R: Pieces? I’m not some broken thing that you can just glue together and then put on display! It doesn’t work like that! 

B: I never said that it had to. But it all keeps falling to me and I can’t keep waiting for you to decide to communicate just because you’re afraid.

R: I’m not af.… I’m not going to apologize for needing time.

B: You’ve never apologized for anything in the past, so why start now.

R: Is this you not having space on the door, or is it you letting me go?

B: What?

R: Ti-Titanic. There…there was plenty of space on the door, Rose just let go. So….

B: I thought I was meant to be Jack.

R: …right…

B: So I guess that’s up to you, really. If there’s space on the door. But I’m tired of holding on.

R: Don’t…

B: It’s time to go. Later elephants, right?

R: …yeah. Later.

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