The story behind “Bittersweet” is short and sweet. I saw a call for an anthology seeking short stories where coffee was the defining element. Being a prolific coffee drinker, I got all jittery with the idea I could have a coffee-themed story in an anthology. To produce drama, I got the idea to have two people fight over a cup of coffee. But why would they be fighting over a simple cup of coffee? It was the only one, of course. The last one, the last one in a world that no longer had such luxuries. Here is where the Siidi and their invasion of Earth was born.
Sadly, the story wasn’t accepted for that particular anthology, and in order to give the story broader appeal (and to make it look like it wasn’t just a reject from a very specific anthology call), I decided to make the central item a toy. Yup, a toy kangaroo call Polly-Roo. Yea, it didn’t work for me, either.
After a few adjustments, I went back to the beverage idea, this time changing it to hot cocoa to go with the wintery (post-apocalyptic) theme.
Below is the full story in its incarnation as a coffee-based drama, and as a (misguided) toy-centric story.
You be the judge. Is the cocoa worth sipping?
Take care and be safe
D. A. D’Amico
Dark Roast
By D. A. D'Amico
The first shot grazed the cup. It sliced through the paper sleeve, ripping into the store window behind. Shattered glass flew everywhere. I dived to cover the coffee, snatching a plastic lid from the floor as I slid behind the beige linoleum counter.
"Hold up!" I screamed, more from the scalding liquid than the bullets whizzing overhead. "I'm human! Stop shooting already!"
My mouth watered. I swear I could smell a hint of caramel wafting through the cold air from the aromatic steam.
"Is it safe?" The voice, tense, feminine, echoed through the empty coffee shop. "Tell me you didn't spill it."
"I'm okay, thanks." I growled, grabbing a quick peek over the counter.
She stood beside display racks that had been long emptied of donuts, muffins, and a sweet selection of seasonal cookies. Her dark hair had been tied back, hidden behind a thick furred hood.
"Put it on the counter, then step away." She scowled as she sighted down the barrel of a semi-automatic rifle. The gun twitched. "You have ten seconds."
I cradled the cup closer, enjoying its warmth. I couldn't remember a single day since the comet hit and the Siidi invaded that I'd felt this happy. I wasn't going to give this up.
"Sneaky trick, dropping a giant ice ball on the planet. Think they're out there, in town? I haven't seen one of the squid-faced bastards in weeks."
Steam rose into the icy air like smoke from a genie bottle, conjuring fond memories of a life before suffering. I missed the hustle and bustle of humanity. I missed the daily grind, the crowds, and even the lines in the morning where I'd read the paper and wait for some pimple-faced kid to pour me a cup of my favorite blend.
"I didn't think anyone was left in the city." Her tone sounded cautious. "You from around here?"
I laughed, hard and long, the tension exploding out of me. It'd been months since I'd spoken to another human. "That was the worst pickup line I'd heard since doomsday."
She fired a round into the counter above my head. "That better?"
"Sorry!" I said it quickly, the humor gone. I'd almost forgotten where I was. "My social skills are a little rusty."
"The coffee, give it up." She wasn't any smoother.
"I'm from Boston," I said. "I was visiting when it happened. My name's David."
"Maria," she said. "And I want my coffee."
"I didn't expect to see anyone. The ground fighting was pretty rough, but it seems to have moved out of the northeast. The Siidi are smart, but they're not as sneaky as we are."
"I've been here too long to leave, alien invasion or not." The barrel of her gun dipped a few inches. "You got people?"
"No... Not anymore."
"Me neither."
It suddenly felt colder in the little coffee shop than the impact winter falling outside. I didn't want to think about the past, or the things I'd seen or done since the Siidi landed. I'd lost everyone. The world was a different place, frigid, lonely, and dangerous.
A faint sizzling squeal rippled through the air outside. The noise of Siidi weapons charging would echo through my nightmares until I died. They were out there, somewhere.
Maria vanished behind the display rack. My heart stuttered. I held my breath, instinctively shielding the coffee. We weren't as alone in town as I'd thought.
The noise faded into the icy air.
#
"Nice chatting." Maria crept around the corner, jittery again. "But I think I'll take my coffee to go now."
The hot paper made my skin tingle. This coffee represented a world I'd never see again. How long would it be before I held another extra grande dark roast, cream and sugar, with a spritz of caramel?
"I can't let it go, Maria. I need this."
"I've had a coffee headache for close to eight months now, and I'm getting bitchy. I need it more." Her voice boomed through the abandoned shop like the growling of an angry bear.
"Share it with me?" I asked. "Let's sit like two civilized people and have a nice cup of coffee together."
"Now who's spouting bad pickup lines?" She frowned, but she lowered the gun. "Find a cup. Put the coffee on that table over there. I'll do the pouring."
"Bossy, I like that." I wasn't sure I'd have been able to let the coffee go if she'd said no.
"Don't get cute. It's coffee, not a date."
I raised the cup as if it were a sacred relic. A chipped demitasse lay against an overturned display. It looked like a thimble as I picked it up and placed it beside the steaming coffee. It wouldn't be much, but I'd take what I could get.
Maria eased into the chair opposite, rifle held awkwardly across her chest. Her fingers shook, and I was amazed at how thin she appeared. Food had gotten scarce, but I'd managed to scavenge quite a stockpile. It hadn't occurred to me others might not be so fortunate.
"Maybe we should have dinner together after all."
"Drink." She cradled the cup as if holding an infant, her dark eyes distant and moist. It's amazing what we can endure and still keep functioning.
I glanced through the shop. It had the same blasted and abandoned look as most everything these days. The racks had been looted, machinery destroyed. Everything that had made this place special had either been shattered or rusted away. Now that I had the time to observe, something felt out of place. I stared at the coffee, and at Maria. A chill ran down my spine.
"No power. Everything's broken," I said slowly, my heart racing, my breath puffing in quick billowing clouds.
"Yea..." Her lips had barely kissed the rim of the cup.
"How'd you make the coffee?"
Her eyes widened. "I thought you did."
I drank quickly as a faint sizzling squeal rippled through the air.
THE END
The Toy
By D. A. D'Amico
The first shot grazed one floppy ear, slicing neatly through the paper price tag, and ripping into the store window behind. Shattered glass flew everywhere. I dived to cover the kangaroo, snatching it from danger as I slid behind the pink linoleum counter.
"Hold up!" I screamed, more from the cold pouring in than the bullets whizzing overhead. "I'm human! Stop shooting already!"
"Is it safe?" The tense feminine voice echoed through the empty toy shop. "Tell me you didn't rip it."
"I'm okay, thanks." I growled, peeking over the counter.
She stood beside display racks long emptied of dolls and games. Her dark hair had been tied back, hidden behind a thick furred hood, and she scowled as she sighted down the barrel of a semi-automatic rifle. "Put it down. Step away."
I cradled Polly-Roo closer, enjoying its warmth. In a shattered world, this small joy would make all the difference to my little Angie. I couldn't remember a single day since the comet hit and the Siidi invaded that I'd felt this happy. I wouldn't give this up easily.
"Sneaky trick, dropping that comet before landing. Think they're out there, in town, because I haven't seen one of the squid-faced bastards in weeks?"
Steam rose like smoke from a genie bottle into the icy air, conjuring fond memories of a life before suffering. I missed the hustle and bustle of humanity, the daily grind. I missed sunny days in the park with my daughter, and simple things like watching Saturday morning cartoons. The Siidi had taken it all away in a flash, leaving nothing but ghosts.
"Didn't think anyone was left in the city." Her tone sounded cautious. "You from around here?"
I laughed, hard and long, tension exploding out of me. It'd been months since I'd spoken to an adult. "That was the worst pickup line I'd heard since doomsday."
She fired a round into the counter above my head. "This better?"
"Sorry!" I yelled, the humor gone. "My social skills are a little rusty."
"The stuffed animal, give it up." She wasn't any smoother. I guess the invasion had made as all a little rough around the edges.
"I was visiting when it happened. My name's David."
"Maria. I live here," she said. "And I want that toy."
"I thought everyone had moved on. Ground fighting got pretty rough, but it seems to have moved out of the northeast. The Siidi are smart, but they're not as sneaky as we are."
"I've been here too long to leave, invasion or not." The barrel of her gun dipped a few inches. "You got people?"
"Just one, a girl."
"Boy. Seven..." Her rough voice cracked as she spoke. "Nobody else."
It suddenly felt colder in the little toy shop than in the impact winter falling outside. I didn't want to think about the past, or the things I'd seen since the Siidi landed.
A faint sizzling squeal rippled through the air outside. I froze. The noise of Siidi weapons charging would echo through my nightmares until I died. They were still out there, somewhere.
Maria vanished behind the display rack. My heart stuttered. I held my breath, instinctively shielding the plush toy. We weren't as alone in town as I'd thought.
I didn't even blink until the noise faded into the icy air.
#
Maria crept around the corner a short while later, jittery again. "Nice chatting. I'll take that doll now."
The warm fur made my skin tingle. This stupid little kangaroo and its included Baby-roo represented a lost world. How long would it be before I held another fluffy toy like this again?
"I can't let it go, Maria. I need this."
"I won't disappoint my boy. I need it more." Her voice boomed through the abandoned shop like the growling of an angry bear.
I stared at the oversized plastic eyes, but Polly-roo remained inscrutable. It was the little things that kept the world from being a complete hell, and my daughter deserved this.
Baby-roo poked from her mother's pouch, a diminutive version of the larger toy. It gave me an idea.
"Share it with me. I'll take the baby, and you can have momma roo."
She frowned, thinking it over. "I don't know..."
"We're still human. They haven't taken that from us. We can still care, and we can still teach our children compassion."
I raised the animal as if it were a sacred relic, tugging the baby from its pouch. I showed her it didn't change the big toy. We could both walk away happy.
Maria reached for Polly-roo, rifle held awkwardly across her chest. Her fingers shook, and I was amazed at how thin she appeared. Food had gotten scarce, but I'd managed to scavenge quite a stockpile for me and Angie. It hadn't occurred to me others might not be so fortunate.
"If you're interested, maybe we could scrounge up some dinner as well."
"Another lesson in compassion?" She cradled the toy as if holding an infant, her dark eyes distant and moist.
I glanced through the shop. It had the same blasted and abandoned look as most everything these days. The racks had been looted, plastic toys and displays destroyed and scattered about. Everything that had made this place special had either been shattered or rusted away.
Now that I had the time to observe, something felt out of place. The shop looked filthy, but the toy was spotless. I stared at the kangaroo, and then at Maria, a chill running down my spine.
"No power. Everything's broken," I said slowly, my heart racing, my breath puffing in quick billowing clouds.
"Yea..." Her fingers caressed the toy's fur, her attention elsewhere.
"Where'd you find this?"
Her eyes widened. "I thought you did."
I gazed into flat plastic eyes as a faint sizzling squeal rippled through the air.
THE END