The May Contest is still underway. You still have until May 15 to write an ending to my story “Mayday” and enter.
In the meantime, all this week I’m sharing the finalist stories from the April Contest. Today’s featured finalist is Ron L. Neal.
In Ron’s ending, a meticulous heist plan falls apart.
If you have not read the original story beginning, read it here first!
If you have already read the story beginning or the winning version of the story with a beginning and ending, then you’re ready to read this different ending by Sarah. Remember, in our story, the bold cat burglar has broken into the Lasones’ penthouse suite, nabbed the lavalier from the safe, and hidden it inside her catsuit, hanging from a hook on her necklace.
In my pack, I have a party dress that slides easily over my catsuit. I also have a cat mask. A little inside joke. But the costume serves a practical purpose. It hides my real features from cameras, whether they be security cameras or cameras carried by partiers. After all, I’m still on parole and I can’t be seen at this party.
I also have five mailer pouches in my pack. When I reach the party outside, all I have to do is find five of my plants wearing orange vests. There should be ten people wearing orange vests, so five should be easy to find. Then all I have to do is hand off my envelopes and make my exit.
The slider tube is in M. Lasone’s smaller closet behind a parquet door. I type in the code, step in, and glide down the brightly lit tube for 16 floors.
by Ron L. Neal
As I changed, I wondered if there would be any interesting party goers.
Maybe some celebrity hangers-on?
I might dance. I could do with a little celebration. Looking at my reflection in the walls. Nothing like flirting with flawless lawlessness. Ooh, exciting!
As I look around the slider tube, I notice the construction was mainly in shiny opaque plexiglass to allow the colored lighting in the shaft. It was like a hall of mirrors. I could see myself in the slider tube front, back, and sides. I love shiny things.
Even the floor is see-through. The plexiglass is held in place with shiny, polysteel frames.
The plan was meticulous and carried out with complete precision. But there is always that element of risk. The one you cannot account for.
The other windows that fell carried the nanobots with them. And they in turn searched and found more polysteel food. The nanobots love polysteel.
The slider tube’s polysteel frame has been consumed all the way to the twelfth floor.
As the slider begins to dissolve, I slip on the Cat Mask, somehow thinking it will help. But really, I don’t want them to see me.
As I fall amongst the shards of plexiglass, I think out loud: “I could have been the life of the party!”
Unfortunately, I don’t know a lot about Ron L. Neal, but I enjoyed his story. With luck, he’ll reach out to me and share some information about his other writing exploits. In the meantime, please send him some congratulations and let him know what you liked about his story.