Adelaide Literary Award Anthology 2017

He rifled through his notes looking for some A bunch of rotten bananas, the whole goddam
kind of a clue and found to his horror that bunch of them, soft and yellow.
none of it was making sense. The words
seemed to have lost their meaning. Close by, an elevator (perhaps the very
one that Frank had ridden up in this morning)
Frank felt as though his head were about packed full of screaming people crashed to the
to explode. He must have been asleep, the ground. There was a warning sign to USE
clock on his desk had advanced by leaps and STAIRS IN THE EVENT OF FIRE, but the
bounds and the laptop was sitting on the floor stairwell was blocked and in any case people
beside his chair. There were some numbers on rarely paid attention to warning signs these
the screen. What were they? days. Especially the people in this particular
elevator who, as it now turned out, were all
A thought was floating around in his either anonymous or despicable. One jerk had
head that he couldn’t seem to grasp hold of, actually pulled a woman out of the cab just be-
about some kind of meeting that was due to fore the doors closed and jammed himself in
take place that afternoon. It felt both important there in her place! This jerk also had the face of
and unpleasant and seemed to involve some- Buster Higgs.
thing green and spiky and a round sour thing,
possibly yellow… Well, he got his! Frank thought gleefully...
Frank was fourteen years old and sitting in
There was ringing in his ears and a nasty the Warner’s Cineplex on Third Street, staring
smell in the air, like a mixture of burning rub- transfixed at the screen and munching on pop-
ber and manure. And it was unseasonably hot corn. Buster and his gang of dorks called him
in here, you could have fried an egg on his Fruity Francis. There had been a thing with a
forehead. boy in the tenth grade but they wouldn’t dare
call him that now. Not if they could see him
It occurred to Frank that perhaps there with Rose and Mark and Anne. His position
was a fire in the building. Scenes from the mov- with the firm. The way Jessie made… Anyway,
ie Towering Inferno came spilling into his head. how could he be a fruit when he was watching
His father had taken him to see it once when a real scary grown-up movie with his dad and
he was a kid. The two of them, they did so he was not in the least bit scared? Best of all,
many things together back then, all the normal his dad was being unusually nice to him today.
things that boys did with their fathers, camping He took him to this movie and bought him
trips, outings to the park, catching practice in popcorn and a hot dog. It was going to be all
the backyard… Who was he kidding, they nev- right, after all!
er did anything like that, but he used to pretend
to himself sometimes that they did. Only, this Frank took a first bite of the hot dog. It
was real. It was a Sunday afternoon. He re- was delicious, hot and juicy, oozing with mus-
membered that day like it was yesterday. It was tard and ketchup. He sighed contentedly. He
the day before his dad had up and left them. was safe here. Home at last after a long strange
The man had played football in college, had journey, or perhaps a bad dream?
wanted Frank to play. If he hadn’t been such a
little wimp then perhaps… Only, it was all wrong. They closed the
Warner down years ago and converted it into
There’s no smoke without fire and an apartment building. Rose… Mark… Anne…
smoke is exactly what Frank smelled now. He Jessie? Who were these people? And what was
could hear shouting in the distance, faint but “the firm”? Somewhere off in the distance a
becoming louder by the second… bell was ringing and his head hurt.
Chaos and mayhem were erupting everywhere
on the upper floors of the building. People act- Suddenly, the pain escalated to the level
ing like animals—yelling and shoving, tram- of scalding agony and Frank’s vision exploded.
pling each other in a vain effort to get to safety. He tried to scream and found that he couldn’t.

159

His eyes rolled back in his head and he jerked
back in the chair as the blackness washed over
him.
Jessie glanced at the clock on her desk. 11:59
and Frank had still not emerged from his of-
fice. He was going to be late for his conference
call on the eighth floor.

She knocked sharply on the door and
entered anyway when there was no response.

The poor man must have been exhaust-
ed, he was sound asleep in his chair. He looked
so helpless, just like a little boy, with his head
thrown back like that and his mouth wide open.
She hated to wake him but he was late for his
call.

160

BEST SHORT STORY

THE FINALIST

Jason D. Grunn

Jason D. Grunn is a fledgling writer who loves to write
stories, both short and novel length, mostly
science fiction. Whenever he is not working at his life-
guard job or gaming online with friends, he
is writing every day to continually improve his craft.

161

VANISH

By Jason D. Grunn

“Small office, you CSIS guys consider this ap- a camera up there!” Tyler pointed at the corner
propriate?” of the room.
The two agents didn’t answer him. Typical of “Why does it matter?” Agent 9 shrugged and
the movies, they just stood in respective cor- flashed a pair of hazel eyes.
ners across the room without saying a word, “Look, I’m here because I want to be, got it? If
both arms crossed at the front. He started you do something like that again I’ll make
drumming on the plain, white desk in front of something else of yours disappear, like your
him as he swiveled side to side in his chair. shirt or skirt,” Tyler grinned. The CSIS agent
“How long do I have to wait?” stared daggers into his soul. Tyler’s grin faded
“Give it a few minutes,” An agent by the door away.
said flatly. And give it a few minutes he did. “Sorry, just trying to be funny, but seriously,
Was this some kind of trick to kill him off? No, the camera in the room is enough, please.”
they knew–hell–everyone knew what he was “Fine,” she sighed, “First I want to know how
capable of. At least the ones who were still this all started.” 9 said.
around. “Not sure how much time you’re willing to
Finally, the door opened. A woman without spare,” Tyler said.
sunglasses and wearing a black suit stepped in. “Enough. Shoot.”
“Mr. Andrews, I’m agent 9.” “Okay. I honestly have no clue how or why I
Andrews blinked a few times. got this ability. One day I was stuck in traffic,
“You call yourselves by numbers?” and just simply wanted the slow-as-molasses
“A precaution,” 9 said and sat down in front of car in front of me to disappear. And it did.”
him. “What happened right after?”
“Well, you can call me Tyler if you want.” “I took an exit off the highway and drove
“No thanks.” home. I was dazed, and there were a lot of peo-
This was going to be a long conversation. ple stepping out of their cars and commercial
Agent 9 drew out a computer tablet and placed trucks and what not. I felt like I was responsi-
it down on the table, and tapped a red “record” ble for it and just got out of there. Felt really
icon. It immediately disappeared. awkward at first.”
“What the hell–” “Do you know where the driver went?”
“None of that please. I hate others recording “No. I have no idea where he or she, or anyone
me without my consent. Besides, there’s already for that matter went. Even to this day I still
don’t know. But is that really a bad thing?”

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9 leaned back and pursed her lips, waiting for, most rational, but still, we get pissed. However,
something. Okay so that’s how it was. there are some bad ones out there who deserve
“Do you hate me? Did someone you care about that anger. Actually, there are a lot, or at least
disappear? Come on, spill it.” there were.
“Can you bring anyone back?” she asked. Jeez “This one guy decides to slap me on the back
this agent… of the head in the middle of the street down-
“I tried it, and yes I can, but it takes a lot out of town Calgary, mid-day. Do you know why? It’s
me.” because I supported the All Lives matter move-
She looked around, no doubt considering her ment, as made apparent on the back of one of
options. my shirts in the form of a twitter hashtag.
“Then, before we continue–” The cops didn’t do anything when I told them
“Before I consider bringing this person of what happened. This piece of crap who hit me
yours back, first, let me explain as to why I was some white, racist butt-munch with the
took it as far as I did,” Tyler interrupted. “Too confederate flag slapped onto the fattest part of
be honest, I don’t want to hear your story yet. his shirt, judging from all the racial slurs that
It’s not like this person or whatever is in danger were coming out of his greasy lips, his friends
or anything. Anyone I brought back seemed to were nodding and eating it all up! So, I walked
be completely unharmed and oblivious as to up to him, told him to ‘get bent you deluded
where they went or that they disappeared at all. waste of life’, then made him vanish. His bud-
Maybe anyone I vanish away goes into some dies sprinted away. I made them dissapear too.
kind of extra-dimensional stasis. I don’t know. Afterwards, in the moments of mass amounts
But for now, I don’t care about you or this of people in a panic, I made the cops who
loved one of yours. And yes, I can tell you care wouldn’t do anything vanish as well.
about this person, or maybe people, because of “And that’s where it got really interesting. After
your line of personal questioning which you put making quite a few more bad people disappear,
ahead of what your bosses want. and I mean a lot, the U.S. freaking military de-
“You CSIS people, hell, anyone on this stupid cides to intervene. Guess they thought I was
planet can threaten me all they want. But that some kind of Canadian-brand terrorist. That’s
won’t matter at all. Look, I’ve listened to every- the only thing they’re concerned about these
one’s crap for too long. Now it’s time for me to days. If you train someone to be a terrorist-
speak and everyone else to open their ears. Are pounding hammer, I guess everyone starts
we clear on that?” looking like a terrorist-nail in need of pounding.
Agent 9 gave him a cold, hard stare and nodded Power hungry idiots I tell you.
slowly. “For a while I thought that I would be sniped
“And if any of your boys behind you so much in the head or blown up from orbit eventually.
as waves their guns at me, poof! They’re gone. But, later on I figured that I can feel anyone’s
Got it?” Tyler asked the agents at the back. presence, even if kilometers away. So anyone
They didn’t respond in any noticeable way. who tried to kill me or planned to kill me, I’d
“Good. I’ve always wanted to do something feel it, their desire to kill me. I can’t explain it
like this.” any better. So I made them disappear too.
Tyler twisted his neck around and did some “Can’t say that I’m God though. I don’t know
arm stretches. Next he popped a few knuckles everything. All I can do is sense threats to my-
before leaning his chin on two closed fists. self, sense emotions, make people go away, and
“So just like everyone else, we get angry at peo- bring them back if I wanted. So, before we get
ple. Not always for the right reasons or for the to all the scrupulous details I just have to say as
to why: because I felt that most people who I
made disappear deserved it. And why not? I
think human kind is better off without corrupt
politicians, repeating murderers who happened

163

to have rich connections and receive lesser sen- getting to my head. Know what? I’ll do my best
tences, corrupt cops, corrupt judges, popular to not let that happen, as I know what happens
jerk-off high school kids, ignorant racists, pop all too well when people gain too much.”
stars with bratty attitudes, the list goes on! The “A little late for that I’m afraid…” 9 said.
only difference between me and anyone else “Maybe, but, can you blame me? Every little
who has a brain in their thick skulls is that I human being on this planet, still here or gone,
have a means to make things right, finally. I got has or had some idea as to how the world
sick and tired of waiting for humanity to try should be, how humanity should be. The only
and correct itself, it just wasn’t happening. difference between those who can and those
“So here I am, with you, because I’m getting who can’t is that those who can have the means
really stressed out at how much public attention to get what they want done. It sucks okay? I
I’m getting. Thank you by the way for letting don’t want to admit this, but it really does come
me into this secret compound or whatever this down to who has the biggest stick. God! I hate
place is,” Tyler said and leaned back. Agent 9 that so much! You can understand that right?”
breathed a couple of times and leaned forward. “All too well Tyler,” 9 sighed.
“Is that what you think then? It’s the ‘right’ “See what I mea–hey. Did you just call me
thing to do? How many people do you think ‘Tyler’?”
are grieving over the loss of their loved ones? “It’s your name, so what?”
That isn’t ‘right’ in my opinion, if you care “You’re kind of cute, you know?”
about that at all.” “Be still my beating heart,” 9 answered in mon-
“Boo hoo. It’s not like I killed or harmed them, otone.
just took them out of the picture. I don’t just “I bet you get hit on a lot. I know, I’m a prick
make anyone I dislike disappear, I have stand- now that I have this vanish ability. Good for
ards okay? I have university education, humani- the confidence though! Didn’t have a whole lot
ties, and I self-educate myself on many issues of that beforehand. So, what’s the next ques-
and people all the time. I had very good rea- tion?”
sons for making certain degenerates vanish. “What will it take to bring some people back?”
Considering how organizations like yours like Tyler grimaced. He knew that one was coming.
to make bad people go away, I think I’m the So why did he feel so irritated about it?
more humane choice.” “Maybe. I just want to get a few more things
“Maybe, but you might also be aware that abso- out of the way first.”
lute power can corrupt absolutely?” she asked “Such as?” 9 lifted her eyebrows.
with venom in her smooth voice. “Such as how this power has affected me. I’ve
“You really do hate my guts don’t you? Okay, been giving this a lot of thought and it’s terrify-
I’ll bite now, who did I vanish on you? Hus- ing to talk about, but there might be the chance
band? Boyfriend? Sister…” Tyler asked and that others like me will show up one of these
waved his hands around in the air. days, if not soon.”
“Father. Lieutenant Benjamin Stiggs. But you For the first time Agent 9 took her interroga-
probably never met him.” tion stare off of him, prompting him to relax
“Ah, so that’s your last name. Stiggs. Huh. just a little. He gave his arms and legs a few
Can’t say I like it very much.” shakes.
“So sorry that it’s not to your liking,” 9 said “Others like you…ones with the power to
coldly. make things disappear?”
“I know, I know, I’m a condescending, hypo-
critical prick. Now that I’m more powerful than
anyone else in human history, these powers are

164