Profile for Atomic Tank

Hey everyone in Nonoba.com! I'm uploading a story, LOSER, here.

I post this so that I can practice my typing.

LOSER

1. You Grow Up

   You grow up with a kid but you never notice him. He's just there - on the street, the playground, the neighbourhood. He's part of the scenery, like the parked cars and the green plastic cans on trash day.

   You pass through school - first grade, second grade - three here is, going along with you. You're not friends, you're not enemies. You just cross paths now and then. Maybe at the park playground ond day you look up and there he is on the other end of the seesaw. Or it's winter and you sled to the bottom of Halftank Hill, and you're trudging back up and there he goes zipping down, his arms out like a swan diver, screaming his head off. And maybe it annoys you that he seems to be having even more fun than you, but it's a one-second thought and it's over.

   You don't even know his name

   And then one day you do. You hear someone say a name, and somehow you just know that's who that name belongs to, it's that kid.

   Zinkoff.

2. The Bright Wide World

   He is one of the new litter of buys tossed up by this brick-and-hoagie town ten miles by trolley from a city of one million. For this first several years they have been home babies - Zinkoff and the others - fenced in by walls and backyard chain-link and, mostly, by the sound of Mother's voice.

   Then comes the day when they stand alone on their front steps, blinking and warming in the sun like pups of a new creation.

   At first Zinkoffshades his eyes. Then he lowers his hand. He squints into the sun, tries to outstare the sun, turns away thrilled and laughing. He reaches back to touch the door. It is something he will never do again. In his ears echo the thousand warnings of his mother: "Don't cross the street."

   There are no other constrains. Not a fence in sight. No grown-up hand to hold. Nothing but the bright wide world in front of him.

   He lands on the sidewalk with both feet and takes off. Heedless of all but the wind in his ears, he runs. He cannot believe how fast he is running. He cannot believe how free he is. Giddy with freedom and speed, he runs to the end of the block, turns rightr and runs on.

   His legs - his legs are going so fast! He thinks that if they go any faster he might begin to fly. A white car is coming from behind. He races the car. He is surprised that it passed him. Surprised but still happy. He is too free to be unhappy. He waves at the white car. He stops...

Uh, I don't have time to continue. Sorry.