Fiction: The Veil

The Veiled Cloud by Charles Courtney Curran

She came from the Veil, what everyone called the realm between the clouds. But only a few people could remember they came from there. Why some remembered and others didn't was a mysteries. Though the journey had been seconds, it was what she left behind that she wished she could forget.
    But she could never go back to the Veil. Time might waited but no one could wait for time. The Veil only opened every three thousand years. Even if she could live that long, things would have changed way beyond her memory as everything that happened in the Veil happened in milliseconds compared to the decades here.
    Her mother had insisted life would be better here. But had it been better? She had friends, she had a home, she had a life full of many splendid things but were they enough?
    Today, she stood watching the clouds for some time. She and her family had made a pact that each must continued to enjoy life no matter which side they are on. It made her sad she wasn't there with them and yet, she was enjoying a life without them. Which one of them should be the sad one?
    Today, she turned away from those clouds and faced her friend who wanted to take a photo of her with the clouds. Her friend didn't know about her other life and she chose not to tell him. There was no going back and the only thing she could do was go forward.

Unspoken

I'm too polite and meek to say anything rude when people say rude or insulting things to me but sometimes it's nice to imagine I could. Here are some those instances I wish I had said something. The wording are not exact as I don't remember them.

01 - Lady: "You'll never work in this town again!"
What I wished I had said: "Listen, lady, tell that minion of yours (who was a man) to schedule you a spa day or somewhere to relax before you have a heart attack."
Situation: I just cancelled an appointment for a job interview over the phone and she just started threatening me and cursing me out. She was a bit hysterical for reasons I'll never know. I erased her info and I never met her.

02 - Teacher: "You know, you're the most boring student I have ever had."
What I wished I had said: "You're boring too. Maybe you should quit teaching before you put the entire school to sleep."
Situation: We were just having one of those mindless conversations and that's what he said. I was a quiet student. I don't remember the subject but I might have fallen asleep in his class a few times. He had a right to his opinion but if he was a better teacher, his student wouldn't be as bored as I was.

03 - Professor: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
What I wished I had said: "I'm not sure but I'm certain I don't want to be you."
Situation: That was a joke referring to me being short which I don't appreciate and it's not funny. He was a sort of stand-in guidance counselor so I didn't take his advice. I don't recall why I even met the man because he wasn't helpful at all.

Did you wish you have some comeback for some rude or insulting remarks?

This is not a test

This is not a test. We are conducting the Emergency Normal Doom (END) alert system. If you can read this message, then you are doomed to a life of countless days of no consequences but do not worry, we have the perfect solution for you.
    Please go outside and check the sky. If you see gray clouds hovering above and all around you appears dark and gloomy, then run back inside and down to the lowest level of your house. From there, just prepare to have a long nap or if you don't like naps, read a book, daydream or do nothing. After 2 hours, if you don't wake up refreshed or if you don't hear any noise from the outside, then you are doomed for a lifetime of naps and slow days, otherwise known as a normal day.
    If you're reading this already inside the lowest level of your house but you've got magic beans, then you're safe from the system. Eat those beans and wait 10 minutes before going outside. If once outside and you see a clear sky, then stay out.
    If you still see dark clouds appearing, then you are doomed. But do not despair, your doom will only last 2 minutes, 17 seconds and some moments of disbelief. Then a wormhole will appear nearby. Walk through it and you will be transported to another universe where the sky is always a clear blue and the weather is a pleasant 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
    If you're reading this somewhere in another universe through a magic mirror, then ignore this message, this is not for you.
    If you have done the magic bean and wormhole thing, then congratulation! You're saved! If you're still reading this, prepare to be doomed...