After reading an excerpt from “Button, Button,” you will write the ending of the story by imagining what happened in the story after Norma pressed the button.
Be sure to write at least a full page and imitate the author’s style.
The ending of
"Button, Button,"
-
“Norma — ”
“Well, I wasn’t. When I talked about Europe, a cottage on the island — ”
“Norma, why are we getting so involved in this?”
“I’m not involved at all.” She drew in a shaking breath. “I’m simply trying to indicate that — ”
“What?”
“That I’d like for us to go to Europe. Like for us to have a cottage on the island. Like for us to have a
nicer apartment, nicer furniture, nicer clothes, a car. Like for us to finally have a baby, for that matter.”
“Norma, we will,” he said.
“When?”
He stared at her in dismay. “Norma — ”
“When?”
“Are you” — he seemed to draw back slightly — “are you really saying — ”
“I’m saying that they’re probably doing it for some research project!” she cut him off. “That they want to
know what average people would do under such a circumstance! That they’re just saying someone
would die, in order to study reactions, see if there’d be guilt, anxiety, whatever! You don’t think they’d
kill somebody, do you?!”
Arthur didn’t answer. She saw his hands trembling. After a while, he got up and left.
When he’d gone to work, Norma remained at the table, staring into her coffee. I’m going to be late, she
thought. She shrugged. What difference did it make? She should be home, anyway, not working in an
office.
***
While she was stacking dishes, she turned abruptly, dried her hands, and took the package from the
bottom cabinet. Opening it, she set the button unit on the table. She stared at it for a long time before
taking the key from its envelope and removing the glass dome. She stared at the button. How
ridiculous, she thought. All this furor over a meaningless button.
Reaching out, she pressed it down. For us, she thought angrily.
She shuddered. Was it happening? A chill of horror swept across her.
In a moment, it had passed. She made a contemptuous10 noise. Ridiculous, she thought. To get so
worked up over nothing.
Norma's finger lingered on the button as she felt the weight of her decision. She stared at it, her mind filled with conflicting emotions. The allure of a luxurious life and the fulfillment of their dreams was tantalizing, but at what cost? The thought of someone dying because of their selfish desires sent shivers down her spine. She couldn't shake the feeling that something sinister lay beneath the surface.
A sense of resentment and frustration fueled her as she firmly pressed the button. She desperately wanted all the things she had yearned for, and if this button held the power to make it happen, then so be it. But as she did so, a sudden dread washed over her, causing a cold chill to run down her spine. It was as if the weight of her decision had settled deep within her soul.
Days turned into weeks, and life continued on its usual course. Norma and Arthur went about their daily routines, but there was an underlying tension that hung in the air. They avoided discussing the button, both fearful of the consequences of their actions. Guilt gnawed at them, and they couldn't escape the haunting thoughts of what they had unleashed.
One evening, as they sat in the dimly lit living room, the sound of footsteps approached their front door. Norma's heart skipped a beat, and she leaned in close to Arthur, her eyes wide with fear. She held her breath as the doorknob turned, revealing a tall man in a dark suit standing on their doorstep.
"Norma?" the man's voice was grave as he spoke her name. "I'm sorry, but your husband has been involved in a severe accident. We did everything we could, but we couldn't save him."
Norma's world shattered in an instant. The weight of her decision crashed down upon her, suffocating her with guilt and remorse. Tears streamed down her face as the reality of her choices overwhelmed her. She sank to the floor, her body trembling.
In the days that followed, Norma was consumed by grief and regret. She couldn't escape the feeling that her actions had led to Arthur's untimely death. Sleep eluded her, and she found solace only in her tears.
One evening, unable to bear the weight any longer, Norma found herself drawn towards the button unit once again. With trembling hands, she reached out and pushed the button, this time hoping to undo the consequences of her previous decision. But as she pressed the button, a strange sensation swept over her, as if time itself froze.
When the world unfroze, Norma was no longer in her living room. Instead, she found herself standing in a dimly lit room, surrounded by shelves filled with files and documents. A single figure sat behind a desk, staring at her intently.
"You pressed the button," the figure stated matter-of-factly. Norma recognized him as the man who had given them the button in the first place.
"Please," Norma pleaded, her voice choked with sorrow. "Bring him back. I didn't fully understand the consequences."
The man's expression remained stoic as he replied, "Norma, the button was never about granting wishes. It was about testing humanity's capacity for sacrifice and moral judgment."
Tears streamed down Norma's face as the weight of her actions crashed upon her once more. The possibilities of what could have been flooded her mind, and regret consumed her.
"I'm sorry," the man's voice softened. "But I'm afraid there is no going back. What has been done cannot be undone."
Norma collapsed to her knees, her sobs echoing in the empty room. She had lost so much because of her greed, and now she had to bear the burden for the rest of her life.
In the years that followed, Norma found herself isolated from society, tormented by the haunting memories of her past. The weight of her actions could never be lifted, and she lived a life plagued by regret and sorrow.
The button had shattered her world, and she had paid the ultimate price for her desire. Norma's life became a cautionary tale, a reminder of the consequences that can unfold from a single, fateful decision.