Sunday, Feb. 23rd, 2020
During my monthly Philadelphia writer’s Meetup group, I wrote a short story about a young man born with a birth defect who meets his higher self and discovers that he has a special power the world needs…
Writing Prompt: Explore a story about getting a second chance in life at something you desire or a second meeting with a person that catches your interest. Or, your character could be having a deja vu moment.
Parameters: Given approximately 30-40 mins to write a story based off the prompt.
Result: I wrote a short story about a young man born with a birth defect who meets his Higher Self and discovers that he has a special power the world needs…
A Man Meets His Second Chance
Born with a condition that left part of his face deformed, the parents decided to name their son “Chance” because the doctor who delivered him pronounced him a stillborn at first glance because Chance didn’t breathe or give any sign of life for ten seconds. Then, on the eleventh second, Chance drew a deep breath and screamed and cried like all babies do when they’re born into this world.
Society had never been kind to Chance. Kids teased him in school and often twisted their faces to mock Chance’s drooled, right lip. Chance grew to make imaginary friends, and in particular, he imagined one girl named Daisy who he thought to be his girlfriend, but he told no one about this, especially the school counselor or psychologist that his parents wanted him to see to help him with his anxiety.
Whenever Chance was thirteen, his parents went out one night to a Christmas party. It was beginning to snow that night, so his parents left the party early. They carefully drove home, but a truck driver lost slide on ice and lost control of his vehicle, which plowed through the median on a bridge and rolled over and ran over Chance’s parents’ car, crushing and killing them instantly.
Whatever hope Chance believed existed in the world disappeared that night. He didn’t see the point in living and thought the world would be better off without him and his hideous face. Yet somehow, there was a voice inside of his head that told him to keep going, that he was special and there was a reason why he was hear. He called this voice his Guardian Angel, or his Higher Self.
Chance went to live with his grandmother, and through all struggles and hardships in high school, was able to graduate with honors and got accepted to Harvard University where he was currently an undergraduate student studying Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence.
Having finished finals for the semester, Chance decided to avoid playing video games tonight and try to be “social,” something he wasn’t good at. So he headed to a local pub a few blocks from his apartment.
Arriving at a bar called Callahan’s, Chance found a seat at the end of the bar and leaned his hand on his face to help hide his cleft lip. There were many fraternity boys and soriority girls taking shots, laughing and flirting and being obnoxious, so Chance took a seat all the way at the end of the bar.
He ordered a Dos Equis and was scrolling through social media, when he heard the front wooden door swing wide open—WHAM!—causing the room to go completely silent for a moment. Chance looked over and saw a tall, lean, muscular man walk in wearing a skin-tight black suit which looked like it was out of this world.
“Sorry!” the man yelled aloud. “Too strong, I guess.” Then everybody went back to talking and drinking up. Chance peered his eyes and studied the man’s face for a moment…He looked like him! Except he was much older and didn’t have a cleft lip.
Then the man caught Chance’s eyes and his face lit up. “Ah-ha! Chance! There ya are.”
Chance’s eyes grew wide, unsure how the man knew him. The man arrived and slapped his heavy hand on Chance’s shoulder, which caused him to cough and almost loose his balance.
“Sorry about that. Really don’t know my own strength on this planet.” Then he saw Chance’s Dos Equis and grabbed it. “May I?” Without Chance responding, the man chugged the Dos Equis. “Sorry, it’s been a long journey. So thirsty.” Then he belched loudly. “Ugh! What was that?! Thought it was hydrogen-oxide, think you all call it water.”
“Um…Do I know you?” Chance asked, confused and quite honestly, scared, though not trying to show it.
“Ehhhh,” the man said, squinting and thinking of how best to answer. “Well, I’m you—from the future.”
“What?!”
“I mean, not the future, but an alternative reality, and in that alternative reality you, which is me, is not born with this—“ then the man circled his hand around his face, indicating Chance’s condition.
“But in that reality there’s a horrible event that happens that affects a lot of people. Wish I could tell you the details but I can’t. But you end up saving a lot of people from an evil force based on the power you have–we have. I eradicated that force but it found a way to come here, and I can’t eradicate it because I don’t belong here, my powers won’t work, but yours will!”
“Wait, wait, wait…” Chance’s head was swirling, but Alternative Chance grabbed him by the collar and shook him. “Shut up and listen. You have a natural, amazing ability—that’s why you didn’t die when you were born. You were born with a purpose.” The man said intentionally as if his life depended on it, then the doors swung open a strong wind swept through the bar, causing everyone to scream and take cover.
“Ah, shit. That’s my cue to go.” The man released Chance as he put on his sunglasses. “Listen, it’s my honor to have met you. I don’t know if we’ll ever meet again.” Then the man turned around and opened his arms out to the wind and the lights went off across the bar for a moment and when they returned the man was gone and the wind came to a cease as everyone tried to collect themselves. But no one was more bewildered than Chance on what just happened.
To possibly be continued…
Cover photo and story photo are free stock photography available on Unsplash.com.
Kendall Beaver 