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"SSC22: Out there"

Her flatmate was out on another date. Another date. Another date. The two words floated around her head like they always did on a Saturday night when she was curled up alone in the apartment. She always was, these days. The knock would come on the door, and her flatmate would answer, and smiles and perfume, the look on her face so inviting.

No-one ever asked her out on a date, though. Not any more. It wasn't that she didn't want to be asked out. I mean, why wouldn't she? She was an average person, just like everyone else who was sitting across from a stranger this evening, asking the same questions and getting the same replies. She wanted to fall as much as the next, feel someone's arms around her, search for that vital spark, be able to sit for hours in silence and feel the lack of noise as comforting as the words "I love you".

She sighed and ran her hands through her hair absent-mindedly. Right about now, she imagined, her flatmate would be feeling the first signs of excitement at a new challenge, watching the man opposite her for any sign of a reaction that would encourage her.

She sat back and smiled. Her flatmate thought she envied her. Envied? She smiled again. No, not envied. Pitied. She didn't have to endure the same questions all the time in search of that one moment when you sit back and know you've found someone who you'll never need to doubt again. She'd already found him. Or her. It didn't really matter. They never felt the need to share that particular fact. I mean, why should it matter? Right? The feeling of love, in whatever shape or form, has to be a blessing. She didn't care where it came from. It was real. That was all she knew, but it was enough. Her love cared for her, worried about her, laughed with her.

Above all, her love knew her like no-one else would ever know her.

She felt the familiar tingle of excitement as she pulled the laptop towards her and began to type. He or she was there, as she knew they would be, ready to talk in complete honesty. There they were, two people miles apart, but closer than any of the thousands of couples sitting awkwardly across from each other would be tonight. There was so much more out there, and she had found it.

The familiar tapping of the keyboard echoed around the dark apartment long into the night. But she wasn't lonely. She was never going to be again.

Nicely written. Nice concept. More on its way, I hope.

Hope this is the start of many more stories.
Get to it, lad.

Celestine wrote:
> It's quite pleasing to find
> you're in-touch enough with that feminine side

--

Really? Everytime I read it again, it just seems more androgynous to me. Ah well, cheers :)

Inoffensive and well written.

Very nice. Sometimes I don't know whether to hug you or slap you, Stryke. This is one of those hug times. It's quite pleasing to find you're in-touch enough with that feminine side and intellectually diverse enough, as well, to attempt to write in this paradigm.

*cheers*

Yeah, I realised it could have come from either gender, so it doesn't really fufill the criteria for Skill Level 3. I'll get better, I promise :)

I'll just have to resist the urge to have ninjas all over the shop.

Nice take on the subject that could come from either gender really. I liked this one.

I liked that, a different spin on the relationship thing.

Keep writing Mr Stryke...

Not bad. It was enjoyable and fairly short, meaning I didn't stop reading half way through and then just read the last paragraph. Extra marks considering it's your first story.

Never tried this before, thought I would try.