“Hello. Is Stacey here?”
“No.”
“Oh. We were supposed to study tonight. I guess she forgot.”
“She’s out. She’s forgetful.”
“Okay, could you tell her Kaycee was here when she gets back?”
“Sure. My name’s Kevin, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you, Kevin.”
“You know what? I’m the one who’s forgetful. Stacey told me she’d be back at seven, and what time is it? Almost seven?”
“It’s seven by my watch.”
“She’ll probably show up any minute. Come on in and wait.”
“Thanks.”
“Can I get you a beer?”
“Sure. Sounds great. It’s a hot night.”
“One Blue Moon beer, my dear. My favorite brand.”
“Thanks.”
“Mind if I play some music? I’ve got some classic stuff from the seventies. Starbuck.”
“Starbucks?”
“No, girlie, ‘Star-BUCK.’ It’s a band on this Love Rock album.”
“Wow, an old-time record player? And real vinyl records?”
“Yes, my love.”
“Kaycee. My name is ‘Kaycee,’ in case you forgot.”
“I didn’t forget, KAY-cee. How could I forget a pretty name like that? ‘Stacey’ is another pretty name. Funny how they rhyme. They make a great pair. Come see lady wrestlers Kaycee and Stacey Jell-O wrestling, tonight only.”
“I really should go.”
“Hey, I was just teasing about the name thing. I’m sorry. I apologize. Stacey should be here any minute. Relax and we’ll listen to the greatest love song ever written. ‘Moonlight Feels Right.’ There’s a full Moon tonight. The celestial orb of romance. Sometimes I fantasize about being with a nice, pretty girl on the Moon. Just me and her, playing my records. Wouldn’t that be romantic, Kaycee?”
“Not really.”
“Why?”
“Um . . I dunno. I’ve seen pictures of the surface. Seems kinda dusty.”
“Check it out. A record vacuum. We could take my records to the Moon and not worry about the Moon dust. Just suck it all up. No more dust.”
“Interesting. You know, this beer is strong. Is this regular Blue Moon beer? The Moon on the label looks different.”
“It’s a special version of ‘Blue Moon Beer.’”
“Sounds like the record is skipping.”
“No. It’s not skipping. That’s just the natural tap of vinyl. Listen- it gets quieter when I turn down the volume.”
“What difference does the volume make? You can hear the tap either way.”
“Ah, Kaycee. I thought you were a nice girl. Why are you deliberately trying to embarrass me? Just like Stacey did.”
“I’m not trying to embarrass you. I’m sorry. I think I’ll just leave.”
“Wait- here’s the best part. Marimba solo.”
“Tell Stacey I was here, okay? Thanks.”
“But my music! Look- it’s love rock. Love. Chicks really go for love rock. This album has all the great artists- Rawls, Gaye, White, Withers-”
“Gotta go.”
“It’s love rock, see? Love!”
“Good-bye!”
“Wait, Kaycee. Stacey’s in the bedroom. She’s really sick. I didn’t tell you because she was asleep. But you’d better take a look. Tell me if you think she needs a doctor. She’s in here.”
*
Thanks to Sonia G Medeiros for this flash fiction challenge!
Also thanks to Starbuck, and KcBargainDeals for further inspiration!
*
Lauralynn Elliott
/ August 3, 2011Cool story! I remember Starbuck and ‘Moonlight Feels Right’. I’m showing my age. LOL
CMStewart
/ August 3, 2011Thanks!
You’re so lucky you remember “Moonlight Feels Right.” It’s such a beautiful song.
Sonia G Medeiros
/ August 3, 2011Oh my! I love the twist (if I could stop shuddering
). Love the snappy dialogue and how it turned so creepy. Fantastic. You scare me. 
CMStewart
/ August 3, 2011HA! My goal is realized . . MUHAHAHA
And thanks for reading!
Diane Henders
/ August 3, 2011Your stories never fail to make me shudder… but in a good, creepy way. You do that so well!
CMStewart
/ August 3, 2011Thanks!
That’s my new favorite word- “shudder.”
Christopher Gronlund
/ August 3, 2011It’s the little things that just seem to come naturally that really make a story. Like this line: “Funny how they rhyme.”
Dunno why, but that line just gave me the chills…
The whole story is nice and creepy with the kind of ending I’m a sucker for, but that line up there earlier really set the tone!
CMStewart
/ August 3, 2011Thanks!
This story is an example of when you should break the “no similar names” rule.
Marian Allen
/ August 5, 2011Geez Lou-frickin-weez, CM! What a story!
CMStewart
/ August 8, 2011lol Glad you reacted strongly to it, that’s always my goal.
M. Howalt
/ August 6, 2011Eerie! Just had a feeling something like that was going to happen when Kevin “misremembered” in the beginning. Great dialogue and great effect!
CMStewart
/ August 8, 2011Thanks!
I knew I wanted to incorporate “Moonlight Feels Right” into the story. So I watched a few Starbuck videos. When I saw the video at the top of this post, the entire story immediately unfolded.