Writing Resources from Fifteen Minutes of Fiction

The Mayor's Daughter

Jonas scanned the list, contemplating every name in unobligatory scrutiny. Finally though, he came across a name that he seemed fit for Susan's baby. Ripping the page of names he made a beeline towards his laptop. In a rush, Jonas scanned the page and saved it to his flashdrive. Grabbing his keys that dangled in mocking silence, Jonas left.

He was just doing his job.

Mr. Everett had ordered Jonas to be in charge of naming the child. He had said that the child should still have a name, nevertheless the dire circumstances. In his own sweating franticness, Jonas's keys fumbled in his hands as he tried to locate the button, finally he found it. The car opened with a quick click and the headlights blinked, lighting the night with a sudden bright light.

Susan was in her bedroom, the doctor was by her side, coaxing her, telling her it would all be over soon. That enraged Susan's father, Mr. Everett.

"It will all be over soon? Are you mad? Her child is about to die and your bloody telling my daughter that it will all be over soon? How dare you?" his thick British accent was noticable, as it was whenever Mr. Everett was angry. And he was angry, and the doctor knew it too.

"Sir, I did not mean-"

"Did I ask for your apology?!" roared Mr. Everett. "Get out!" The doctor paused, his eyes were pleading for mercy, for he knew his life was at the whim of this powerful man. "I said leave!"

"Mr. Everett, have mercy, I beg of you!"

"Shut your bloody mouth then!"

All the while, Jonas had been cooling Susan's forhead that was burning alarmingly hot. "She's bleeding!" yelled Jonas, panic was in his voice, and the whole room tensed as a trickle of blood trailed down Susan's deathly pale face.

"What's wrong with her!" demaned Mr. Everett. The doctor kept silent. 'Bloody He-"

"She is dying sir!"

Mr. Everett suddenly lost composure. His whole body became limp with sadness and there was a rare mist of desperation swirling in his eyes. He spoke sofly, and gently.

"Susan dear, your father is hear. Honey, the baby is...the baby..." he sobbed, he had no words for telling her the truth

"Eh..."

Jonas got up from the chair, and immdiatley grabbed for the wet cloth once again, dabbing Susan;s forehead and urging her to speak. "My Darling, I-"

Mr. Everett looked at Jonas. "Darling? What is this? Darling? Darling?" the man;s voice reached an incredulos pitch of questioning anger every time he reapeated the word "darling", "Darling? Jonas are you the father of my grandson?"

Suddenly, Susan muttered an inaudible trail of words, distacting the sudden revelation, "Jona...father...is the baby...is the..."

"The baby is fine" coaxed Jonas, with tender care he touched her hand, lovingly grasping it in a sudden embrace. "Susan, the baby is sick."

"Am I going to die Richard Doctor?"

"You were bleeding Susan, the chances are high, but you have recovered conciousness, a good sign I say."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Um..."

Mr. Everett was impatient. "Answer the bloody question!"

"Yes Susan you are going to die."

"And the baby?" her voice was very faint, her frail body kept shivering and the drenched sheets got her even more wet with her sweat.

"The baby is in dire condition, but should be fine."

Jonas suddenly went to the baby, "His name is Ray"

Laughter erupted from Susan. Mr. Everett was bewildered, and finally recoeverd from his silent paraoxyms of rage, an incredualous grin slowly stretched across his face, and soon he too joined his daughters rejoicing laughter.

The doctor looked at Jonas, "Ray!"

At first Jonas wa angry, he had worked all night to find the perfect name, one that would be meaningful, and now his girlfirend her daoctor and father were laughing at it. "What?"

Then, he looked at Ray, bubbles were foaming at his mouth, and were wetting Jonas's night coat in random cirles of saliva. Ray's face was beyond description, it was just too cute and funny for words.

Then, Jonas joined in the hilarity, the room seemed to sigh with relief, as if it had been yearning to hear Jonas laugh. In the midst of the laughter, Susan had sat up, and was now doubling over herself, tears of joy jogged down her cheeks, that were turning their faint rosy color. The baby giggled with delight, not knowing what was happening, rather caught in the sway of funniness.

The baby was laughing.

Laughing.

Ray hadn't uttered a single cry for two weeks, and now it was giggling and laughing with he others. Susan got up from her bed and went to Jonas. Then, everybody else realized that Susan had finally gotten up, she had been bed ridden for three months now. Her lovely form began to form as her skeletal self dissapered. Jonas was no longer laughing, but there were still tears of joy running down his face.

"Ray" whispered Susan. "Ray, I like it"

THe doctor was baffled. The town rejoiced. Mr. Everett was beyond gleeful.

"It was the laughter" the citizens of the town would say. "Laughter cured the Mayors daughter!" the rumors always changed, were always enhances, but the same line was always repeated, and agreed upon unaminously, "Laughter cured her cancer"

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