Five Minute Read - The Knife

[Phin he/him]

I wrote this a few years back. Its short almost to the point of flash fiction. Feedback is appreciated. It is a bit rough around the edges but honestly, for this story I think it works. 

 

 

 

The Knife

 

Just as I hear the door shut behind me I let out a quick laugh. The quirky little guy behind the counter had no Idea what he just sold me. I am glad I left work a little early today. It must have been that “meant to be” crap the is always preached to me. I drop behind the wheel of my car and pull the Cold Steel Talwar Knife out of the bag. I look at the $10 price tag on the black pistol grip handle and laugh again. this is a $500 knife. I had seen the knife before, and wanted it, but I could not see forking out that much for it. Besides, the wife almost killed me when I forked out $20 for that Smith & Wesson knife.

 

I snap the knife open. It was broken in nicely. The blade is a little dull but I have a great sharpener at home and a few minutes will take care of that. I slide my fingers into the grips, it fits my hand like it was made for it. My thumb rubs the titanium frame. Yes. I got my $10 worth. The crackhead that sold it to the pawn shop couldn't have gotten more than five bucks for it. What an idiot.

 

I flip the blade closed and drop the knife on the seat between my legs. I start the car and back out of the spot. Yeah, the wife will probably kill me when I get home for even stopping at the pawn shop. I still don’t understand why she hates pawn shops so much. You get good deals there and you won’t see junk like you do at a yard sale. I think that she will get over it when I show her the knife online.

 

I pull out on the main road and turn the radio up a little. Good song. I come up to the first red light. This trip home will include every red light I am sure. I grab the knife and flip the blade open again. damnation, I love this knife. The light turns green so I flip the knife closed, but I hold it in my hand. I take my right turn and head on up the road. Of course the next light is red too.

 

Out comes the blade again. I now see why this blade costs so much. Alright, green light. I flip the blade back closed. I start off. Now I am playing with the knife a little while I drive. Flip it open flip it closed. Open half way, close it. Hey, what do you know? I get to go through a green light.

 

The knife stays in my hand the blade continues to go into the handle and out again. Blade flips out about half way once more and the song on the radio flips to one that is complete crap. I reach over and flip the channel I find a good song on the third one. I look back through the windshield. “Oh, rust!” I slam on the breaks, but I already know its too late to stop. My car slams into the back of the small pickup in front of me.

The burnt smell from the airbag is strong in the air. My head is leaning back on the headrest. I let it stay there as I assess the sensations in my body. There is a warm feeling in my lap, I assume that I pissed my pants, I heard that happens sometimes during trauma. The paramedics have seen it before, I am sure they will see it again. My chest is numb, I assume that it is from the impact of the airbag. My head has a dull ache, but that is to be expected. My neck feels fine as it is. I try to relax and breath normally.

 

There is a light whistling/gurgling sound coming from somewhere. Probably under the hood. I think that I will just sit and relax and wait for the paramedics. Someone will call 911.

 

Darkness creeps in around the corners of my eyes. I close them and shake it off. Where did that come from? I begin to notice that the gurgling sound is matching my breathing. I try breathing deeply. The gurgling gets louder. The darkness again. I shake it off. I look down and the front of my shirt is covered in blood. the handle of my knife is half folded against my chest. I inhale and air bubbles form around the handle. I can see the white of the pricetag setting out against the black handle. It still says $10.

 

The darkness creeps back in. This time I can’t shake it off. It sits like an aura around my vision. I blink my eyes, when they open there is more darkness. Now the darkness is moving to the center of my sight. My head is now looking down, I can’t seem to raise my head back up. I am looking directly at the handle of knife. Amazingly the pricetag doesn't have a single drop of blood on it. I blink my eyes again and the darkness has almost completely taken over.

 

From somewhere far away I hear, “Hang on, help is coming.” I open my mouth to speak, I can’t seem to say anything. I see white tag again on the handle, and blink. This time the darkness has taken completely over.

 

[Delightful]

Nice!

Once he was in the car and playing with the knife I was pretty sure he was gonna injure himself. The sentences in the first couple paragraphs are a little awkward, but all round I like it.