What happens when a bit of fun collides with happenstance?

“Where is Claire?” Julie fidgeted, absently speaking aloud to her friends.

“Well, she’s only a little late,“ Megan pointed out.

“Yeah, she’ll be here,” Jenny reassured.

High Resolution
A Short Story for the New Year’s Resolution Story Contest
By Maryanne Peters

(Updated 1.6.24)

Rene Auclair stared at the card.

The last two years were difficult. The pandemic triggered a new business model for the company. Working from home, there is little work related human interaction. Some enjoy these changes. For me, having replaced Darren Rogers as Networking Director in the middle of the pandemic has been hard. I’ve never met in person with some of my subordinates.

Charlie

Late last year I was asked to interview a resident of a care home. I was told that he was over ninety but still very lucid. It was in the build-up to Christmas and I couldn’t see the point for a fashion magazine, but his daughters were insistent that he had a story to tell our readers. I had my misgivings, but went along anyway with only my phone to record the interview.

Charlie walked with a frame and guided me back to his room with the help of his daughter Claire. Once seated, he began his tale.

July 4, 2023

Sherry crept up to her house, she was off work early and wanted to surprise her son. Her boss didn’t close early very often, so he wouldn’t be expecting her, and she was bringing home some take out. When she opened the door, she saw a girl in a blue chiffon dress go streaking up the stairs. “My son has a girl over? He’s not allowed to have anyone over while he’s home alone, much less a girl!” she thought.

It's the last day of the year and Tom Anderson decides to head out into the hills near Area 51 for some fossil hunting. Little did he know, his life was about to encounter something that would change his entire life.

Authors note: This story contains sexual situations, subject matter, and topics – mild at best – but none the less present. If the idea of sex, between consenting adults is a trigger for you, please refrain from reading this work of fiction. You’ll note above the stories warnings also. Any sexual content is NOT gratuitous and germane to this love story. Thank you.

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December 15th, 10:33 a.m.
“So that’s your New Year’s resolution, to be done with that chapter of your life?” Angela asked.

Constance listens to the music as she dances across the room. She loved old disco music and music from the seventies. Sure, she had her favorites of today’s modern-day music, but she also liked the old-style music. She dances in time to the music as it plays.

When the current selection of music stops playing, she stops and wipes her face. She takes a sip from her water bottle and replays the recording of her dancing. She watches herself as she dances to the music. A smile appears as she edits it and posts it to her YouTube channel.

"I can't believe we struck out again" Ezra said while keeping his eyes on the road.

"Speak for yourself dude, I wasn't searching" I replied before turning to look out the window.

It was dark out now so I couldn't see very far but there was nothing to see anyway. It would just be more empty fields on either side of the road. It had been empty fields for the past 20 minutes and so it would remain for the next half hour.

The new year comes with new resolutions. For Kenny, he wants to confess to his longtime crush, Jason. Of course, that's easier said than done. Kenny decides to clear his head with a night on the town crossdressing, but when he does, he meets an interesting girl who is more than meets the eyes.

Right, this story carries all kinds of warning flags. I’m not joking. If you have even the faintest trace of triggers don’t read this story. Otherwise it's rather sweet.
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The town where I grew up was not exactly a multicultural metropolis like New York. On the other hand, it was not a redneck backwater either. While most of us were white we had our share of other ethnicities as well. Mostly native Americans and blacks. Still, none of those blacks were as black as the new student in my high school class. She was really ebony black, not the various hues of brownish black of the “native” blacks. Native in the sense that they, and their forefathers had been in this country for at least fourscore and seven years. Rasa on the other hand was pure African. Pitch black, tall, muscular and moved like a large feline. No wonder she soon was tagged with the name “The Black Panther”.

GOOSEBERRY
“What are you up to on Sunday, Beth?”

I pondered that one for all of two seconds, staring at my phone. She had no need for the details of why I had such an aversion to New Year’s Eve.

“Getting outside some Pinot Grigio, and probably most of a box of Quality Street, but you already know that, Taylor”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, and watching Jools Holland on the Beeb. Not fancy some excitement?”

I drew in a slow breath, wondering if cracking her egg had ever been a sensible course of action. Adult head on, woman.

View from a Bridge

The old tune was on constant repeat in my head as I walked, slowly, across the bridge, carrying a heavy knapsack. The view was particularly stunning this bright early summer day. Following the lines of the song, though, I couldn’t take any more.

Samuel was struggling with life when things got even worse. The new AI system at work that tracked his efforts exposed his deepest secret and gave him a New Year's resolution to remedy his work output. This put Samuel on a collision course with destiny.

You’ve read this story at least a dozen times on BigCloset or some other site. Maybe those stories were all farfetched, had some mystical or magical component, or maybe even an alien encounter of some type drove the story. This story won’t involve any of those things, though theoretically my story might actually benefit from the introduction of one or more of those ideas, but I’m hoping this is an interesting enough read without those distractions.

So, let’s get the basics covered, and you’ll see what I was dealing with as I tell my story.

Resolution Evaluation

2024-01 January - New Year’s Resolution Story Contest entry