This month’s Bellarine Writing Competition winner is John Farrington. John won $200 for his story, the Siren.
The 2022 Short Story competition is open to anyone aged 16 and above. With a maximum of 750 words, you can write a story on any topic but must include a splash, a person with a limp and the words ‘button’, ‘mask’ and ‘twisted.’ Entries close Friday July 15, so include your phone number and entry in an email to barrysproull@gmail.com.
Tristan had always been a bit different and had struggled to fit in. Whilst he’d always been academically brilliant, he was bullied at school, shunned at university and found the job market hard to penetrate. He was physically large and always managed to look like he’d slept in whatever he was wearing. ‘Oafish’ was a common label attached to him. Descriptions of his behaviour ranged from “strange” to “quite creepy.” Males had tended to be less harsh than females in their assessment of him probably because females were much more perceptive of the vibe he radiated.
He’d eventually secured a job in an investment company that thought he had potential in a backroom analytical role. His desk was literally in the back corner of the office where no-one could see him and he didn’t have to interact with anyone in person as all his work arrived via emails and data feeds. He took to the role with skill and enthusiasm and rapidly established himself as an asset. His quirky nature was tolerated by his managers because he was so good at his job.
He kept to himself and felt he’d secured his place in the world until an office restructure changed everything. His role was transferred to a different team with a manager he didn’t know.
The new layout had him sitting on the 25th floor surrounded by the marketing and strategy teams which included several young women. This caused him massive anxiety as it brought back memories of the ridicule that was inflicted upon him by the schoolgirls in the classroom and school bus.
He felt like a character from an ancient Greek play being taunted by the Sirens who were casting a spell and drawing him in with their good looks, red lipstick and bewitching mannerisms; threatening to destroy his balanced life.
His anguish was such that his manager had to ask if there was something wrong with him. He was too embarrassed to explain the real cause of his mood so just made up a story about his sick pet fish that probably reinforced to the manager that he was indeed quite odd.
However, after a few weeks in the new department without any disconcerting incidents he began to feel more at ease. In fact, he started to feel a new, mysterious emotion that he’d never felt before. It was being stirred within him by polite and friendly daily interactions that he’d had with the ladies in his team.
In particular, Irena seemed to be very comfortable with him and often smiled warmly at him. Their relationship continued to develop and one day, while having a sandwich together Irena explained that she could relate to Tristan because she had a brother a lot like him.
Tristan was over the moon, and in the following days his mind raced ahead and he started to think what had previously been unthinkable. He would ask Irena to marry him, even though they’d never even been on a date.
Before he could, Irena’s brother came to visit her at work. She introduced him to Tristan who was appalled. Irena’s brother was nothing like him at all. He had cerebral palsy and was restricted to a wheelchair. Tristan had to restrain his fury, and excused himself to return to his desk.
That evening, when everyone else had left the office, and only Tristan and Irena remained, he confronted her. His rage boiled over and a torrent of words flooded from his mouth. He wanted to know how she could be so cruel as to suggest that he was like some disabled person. Irena was shocked at his vitriol and explained that both men had challenges that they’d overcome, but this did nothing to defuse Tristan’s wrath.
The tipping point came when he said that he could no longer consider asking her to marry him and she was so surprised at this first mention of marriage that she laughed which only made him madder.
The next day, Irena didn’t come to work. She’d sent an email saying that she had to resign immediately for personal reasons.
That was three months ago and now the siren of the building’s fire alarm was sounding, and Tristan felt sick. A siren had brought about his downfall after all. A queue of people outside the fire exit door was forming and they would shortly be led down the emergency fire stairs where they would come across Irena’s mangled and decaying body.
