{"id":2612,"date":"2024-02-24T13:38:51","date_gmt":"2024-02-24T20:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2612"},"modified":"2024-02-24T13:38:51","modified_gmt":"2024-02-24T20:38:51","slug":"jerrys-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2024\/02\/24\/jerrys-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"Jerry’s Friend"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Write a story where a regular household item becomes sentient.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The alarm beeped, rousing the man on the nearby bed to groan and reach out to turn it off. It took a few seconds for his hand to find the clock, but once it did, flipping the switch to the off position was a matter of muscle memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His hand retreated under the covers, and he curled into a tight ball, hoping against hope that he would finally get some sleep. He wasn\u2019t even sure why he\u2019d set the alarm the night before, but he planned on spending the day in his dark cocoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJerry,\u201d a quiet voice called out, \u201chey, Jerry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou should get up.\u201d The voice seemed very close to his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He pulled the covers down from his head and looked around. Seeing no one else in the room, he said, \u201cNow I\u2019m hearing voices. Fuck me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo thank you, even if it was possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho said that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The alarm beeped again, earning a slap from Jerry before he found the switch and turned it off again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOuch! You don\u2019t have to be so rough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll show you rough,\u201d Jerry said, grabbing the power cord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo! Please, don\u2019t unplug me. I\u2019ll shut up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He let go of the cord. \u201cFine. Just let me sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHmmmm.\u201d The alarm hummed as though it had something to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat? Just say it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou weren\u2019t sleeping, just lying there. You haven\u2019t left your bed in days, except to eat and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not your business.\u201d Jerry retreated to his cocoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m just worried about you, Jerry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not<\/em> fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jerry sighed. \u201cWhat is your job, alarm clock?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, I keep time, and wake you up, and sometimes I play the radio.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExactly. Psychiatrist is not in your job description.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoes that mean I can\u2019t be concerned\u2026as a friend?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jerry groaned. \u201cWhen did we become friends?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA\u2014are you saying you\u2019re not<\/em> my friend?\u201d The display on the alarm dimmed then came back to normal. \u201cI\u2019m hurt, Jerry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re hurt? Well, pardon me. I\u2019m just little ol\u2019 Jerry, who can do no right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t turn it into a pity party and quit making everything about you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jerry sat up, scooted up in the bed and leaned against the wall. \u201cI didn\u2019t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou did<\/em>, Jerry. I was telling you how you hurt my feelings, and you started in on the whole \u2018I can\u2019t do anything right\u2019 shtick. That\u2019s ignoring what I was saying and making it about you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2026,\u201d he stopped himself, and took a deep breath. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I didn\u2019t mean to hurt your feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cApology accepted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t even know your name, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCall me Fing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFing? Where did that come from?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just shortened up what you usually call me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou mean\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, \u2018fucking thing\u2019\u2026I\u2019ve heard it over a thousand times now.\u201d The display brightened and returned to normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jerry slumped with a heavy sigh. \u201cWhy would you want to be friends with someone who curses at you and treats you bad?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m a clock, Jerry. I don\u2019t have a lot of fucking choice, do I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2014oh, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe only reason you treat me \u2014 and everything else in your house \u2014 bad, is because you don\u2019t like yourself. You treat yourself worse than you do me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat? I mean\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hear you at night, cursing at yourself. I hear you making plans to go out and meet some people, and when you fail \u2014 time and again \u2014 to follow through, I hear the names you call yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought I was just thinking those things.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou mutter a lot when you\u2019re stressed, and you\u2019re stressed most of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat tracks.\u201d Jerry took a deep breath. \u201cGod, I stink.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad I don\u2019t have a nose,\u201d Fing said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jerry climbed out of the bed, stripped out of his pajamas, and headed into the master bath to clean up. When he came back, wrapped in a towel, he picked up the pajamas and dropped them in the dirty pile in the closet. He started to smooth out the sheets when he caught a whiff of them as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stripped the sheets from the bed and dropped them in the dirty pile. He stood, wrapped in a towel, looking at the dirty pile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou should at least wash the sheets, Jerry. You don\u2019t want to have to try do all that tonight when it\u2019s bedtime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, and I don\u2019t want to sleep on a bare mattress.\u201d He picked up the pile of dirty laundry and carried it to the laundry room across the hall from his bedroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he returned, the towel was gone, and he dressed in the first things his hands grabbed. He felt a surge of energy for the first time in his recent memory. He was dressed, he was doing laundry, and he could actually leave the house if he wanted to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey, Fing,\u201d he said, \u201cthanks for making me get up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour own stink did that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, yeah.\u201d Jerry\u2019s stomach grumbled. He couldn\u2019t remember the last time he\u2019d eaten. \u201cI think I need to eat something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou said there was nothing left but crackers. That was two days ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat can\u2019t be right.\u201d He went to the kitchen to find that it was right, with the exception of half a carton of curdled milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell?\u201d Fing asked as Jerry returned to the bedroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCrackers and rotten milk.\u201d He put on his shoes and began to look around the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour keys are here, next to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDuh. Right. In the place where I always leave them. So dumb!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExcuse me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat did I say about how you treat yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jerry\u2019s head drooped. \u201cRight. Sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t apologize to me. Figure out how to make it okay with yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His stomach grumbled again. \u201cI\u2019ve got to go get some food. Will you be okay while I\u2019m\u2026.\u201d Jerry stopped himself at the absurdity of the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be here, keeping time. Maybe even play the radio a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou do that. Wait, why do you only play the smooth jazz station?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause that\u2019s what I like, Jerry, and when I do, you scramble out of bed to turn it off. I\u2019m not into that noise you call music.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not noise, it\u2019s punk. Back in a bit, Fing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t hurry on my account. But,<\/em>\u201d Fing said louder, \u201cmy backup battery is almost dead. I need a new one, a nine-volt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Jerry returned with several bags of groceries, he moved the sheets into the dryer and started another load. He heard the clock calling out from the bedroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d he asked, poking his head into the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou started another load. You should be proud of yourself, Jerry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had a big lunch, and I have energy, so I might as well do stuff now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSomething else happened while you were out. What was it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWh\u2014why do you say that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCall it intuition. You can share with your friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jerry cleared his throat. \u201cI was eating lunch, and this guy sat next to me. He started talking to me like I was someone he knew.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKnowing you, that must have been uncomfortable. What did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI asked if he knew me. He said he didn\u2019t but wouldn\u2019t mind getting to know me.\u201d Jerry stiffened. \u201cUh oh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI gave him my number. What if it was a pick-up line?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWould that be bad?\u201d Fing asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not gay. What if he thinks I\u2019m leading him on? I\u2019m\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStop before you talk bad about yourself again. When he calls, tell him you\u2019re straight, but need friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat if I say that, and he says he wasn\u2019t<\/em> hitting on me? I\u2019ll look like an idiot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, you won\u2019t. You\u2019ll both have a laugh over it. Nothing more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jerry lay down on his bare mattress. \u201cMaybe it\u2019s just too much work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat work? He calls, you answer, the two of you have a conversation. Maybe<\/em>, you find a shared interest and go do something together.\u201d Fing’s display went completely blank before lighting up again. \u201cYou might even have fun, Jerry. Are you afraid of fun?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo. I\u2019m not afraid of fun. No one is. That\u2019s the most ridiculous thing I\u2019ve ever heard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you trying to convince me, or yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou. I\u2019m trying to convince you\u2026aren\u2019t I?\u201d Jerry asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jerry\u2019s phone rang and he looked at it. \u201cIt\u2019s him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnswer it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe I should just ignore it.\u201d It continued to ring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnswer it, Jerry. Or maybe you\u2019re afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not afraid. I\u2019ll show you.\u201d He swiped to answer the call. \u201cHe\u2014hello, Marcus. I\u2019m not\u2026I mean I wasn\u2019t trying to lead \u2026 oh. Yeah, that sounds good. No, I don\u2019t have a plus one to bring, but I can still come, right? \u2026 Okay, see you then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow, was that so hard, Jerry?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, Fing, but it was<\/em> terrifying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The display on the clock pulsed a few times. \u201cYou\u2019ll get better at it with practice, Jerry, you\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave I ever lied to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo\u2026no, not even when the power went out for a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUgh, don\u2019t remind me. But you should probably replace my backup battery. Did you bring me a new nine-volt, Jerry?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, yeah, I did. Let me take care of that. And Marcus invited me to watch his punk band at the bar, so I\u2019ll be leaving at seven, and won\u2019t be back until very late.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll remind you if it\u2019s getting close to time to go listen to noise and you haven\u2019t gotten ready yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not\u2014never mind. Thanks, Fing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are friends for, Jerry?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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