Anette and Sven
Annete and Sven
Author: Mirosław Leśniak
Friday afternoon. Anette was watering her flowers when she heard a sound of an incoming phone message. She put the watering can on the ground and looked on her phone.
- Hey Anette, maybe we gonna go out for a party tonight, DJ Plastique will play at The Depot.
He always made her giggle, it’s probably the fifth time he tried picking her up.
- OK, I will be ready for the evening. - she replied.
She had no plans anyway, and Sven despite being silly, wasn’t the worst companion.
* * *
Climbing poles, standing on jibs, constant, omnipresent smell of bilboard glue. Sven had a job at a company mounting ads around the city. When he was back home from work he was having supper, was opening a beer, turning on TV and going to bed. Over and over, for last three years since they dropped him out the university.
However today was different, today he’s going to the club with Anette. There will be music, beer, friends and Anette. That turnes the things around, Sven was enjoying the excitement.
* * *
- Hi!
- Hi…
They exchanged few friendly kisses at their cheeks. A moment later the cab was already there. Fifteen minutes later they were standing under the club.
The Depot was theirs. Everyone knew everyone, arguments were rare, one could have fun in peace. After a set of high fives and other forms of welcomes, Anette and Sven ordered beers and sat at a table.
Track after track, beer after beer, cigarette after cigarette. Hours passed, both of them had enough of the party, it was time to get a cab and go back.
* * *
They went out the cab at Anette’s house. The street light was shining at her wooden house and the garden.
- Anette… - Sven stuttered.
- Yes?
- Anette I would like to have you, very…
Anette laughed.
- Come on man, you’re drunk, go back home, we’re just friends.
Sven had enough of this. He works his ass off every single day. Barely manages to live out of it. In addition to this he throws flowers at Anette every time he can. He deserves more. Sven feels his blood boiling. He grabs her arms hard.
- I want you… - says through clenched teeth.
Anette gets overtaken by fear. She gets free out of Sven’s grab and rushes at the porch. Opens the door. Enters, and whams the door. Looks outside a window, Sven is gone already. She hears noise in her head. She got enough of alcohol, loud music and Sven. She drops at her bed in her clothes. Falls asleep instantly.
* * *
Sven decided to simply spend the night at a bench. Alone. He didn’t want to get back home. There was a gas station nearby, he went there to buy a few beers. He sat at the bench next to Anette’s house and started drinking beer. No, it cannot be like this… he was thinking. All of this for nothing, I do whatever I can and more and no one wants me anyway…
All the alcohol made him dizzy. He made a decision. He’s gonna take Annete by himself. He deserves it. He wants justice. Gets up from the bench, takes last sip of beer and shatters the bottle at asphalt. Unstably walks in direction of Anette’s house. Front door are closed. After few yanks he resigns trying to get in.
There has to be another way in… he thinks. Goes around the house, enters the garden. The garage door seem to be open, he goes in. He smells a not fresh stink inside and there is a slight fog right above the ground.
- I want you! - shouts a male voice.
- What the hell… - he asks himself.
He decides to get out the room, turns back but when he tries to walk out he sees a man shape in black uniform. That uniform is nothing like he seen before, maybe similar to a cosmonaut uniform or perhaps an old school diving uniform. For sure it is thick large and hard, there are pipes connected to it here and there. When it comes to that it’s covered with a glass cloche that appears to be filled with some sort of liquid. And inside he clearly sees a head of an old man with long, gray hair. His face seems to have no mimics and only his eyes move. His hands hold something that seem to be a taut rope. In an instant move he entangles Sven’s neck with the rope hitting his stomach with a knee at the same time. Sven can’t get out of this. Sven dies.
* * *
First sun rays wake Anette up. She gets up, her head hurts.
- What a hangover... – she said to herself.
She gets at her computer, checks the messages. There is a message from Sven. It says:
“Thank you for the awesome evening, it was fantastic. Unfortunetly I urgently need to travel out the town and we wont be able to do that again. Water those flowers! And btw, a cat made birth to kittens next to your house!!! Think about that too! Bye :*"
And the birds remained silent this morning.