r/shortscarystories
1 yr. ago
punkandprose
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You Should be Careful Today
"You should be careful today."
My girlfriend across the table looked at me with serious pleading in her expression. “I have a bad feeling.”
I rolled my eyès. "What, like a 'psychic feeling'?" I put my fork down so I could make proper air quotes.
She sighed and cast her fac͘e down. I was glad she felt dumb. She was one of those 'astrology girlies' who believed those TikToks about manifesting, who bought crystals, who texted emoji spells to her friends to wish them good luck. But usually she knew not to pull that
around me.
"We've talked about this," I said. "The universe is run on logic and reason. Any seemingly super natural explanation for things has a reasonable scientific one. And psychics are frauds."
"I'm not saying I'm a psychic," she said. "I just have a horrible feeling͞ that I can't shake."
“And why does that feeling have to have anything to do with me?”
She straightened her shoulders. “Because my horoscopes specifically say my life will improve today. I don’t want to find money or something, but meanwhile you break your leg or whatever.”
"Well I’m not going to walk around scared because you don’t understand your own subconscious mentαl suggestibility."
"Okay, Julian. Fine."
"What, now you're màd?"
"No, it's just, you don't want to listen to me, so fine. Don't be careful then."
"I’m sick͞ of this puerilism, Bretta. I've been trying to help you get more enlightened for years—I've recommended Carl Sagan to you, I've tagged you on the good Rëddit threads, but you're just... always going to be like this. I'm going to get some work done at the library. When I get home we need to ta1k."
In my rush to escape this ridiculøus woman, I stuffed the rest of my salad into my møuth. I stood and bumped into the table, inhaling in surprise. A piece of food lodged in my throät, and after attempting to cough, I realized I was choking.
Bretta rushed to my side, reaching out to help me, to stabilize me. She put her hand against my back and I waited for her to hït it, or posıtıoned herself to give me the Heimlich.
She slowly backed away.
I became more dazed and scared as I lost air. I fell to the floor in fear and panic while Bretta stared with huge eyes.
“Hxlp me,” I mouthed silently.
She shook her head. “This is happening just like I was scared it would. If I help you, I’d be provoking the universe as bad as you have.”
Something about her ıdıot logic fueled me with a surge of energy. I grabbed onto the table to pull myself up so I could lunge at her.
All it did was knock over the serving bowl, which fell to the floor, shattering around me.
I collapsed, fading, st*bbed in the places I’d fallen on the glass, covered in increasingly bloodƴ piĕces of salad as my cønsciøusness ended for ever.