I know it says April 10th, but in the Blogging 101 world, this is Day 5, as the challenge only run on weekdays. Today’s challenge is going to be a tough one for me, as the operative word is “brief”. Fortunately, the organizers qualified it to mean what is brief for a particular writer. This means that if my story is 750 words, that’s ok as that would be brief for me!

Day Five: Be Brief
Today’s Prompt: You stumble upon a random letter on the path. You read it. It affects you deeply, and you wish it could be returned to the person to which it’s addressed. Write a story about this encounter.
Today’s twist: Approach this post in as few words as possible.

If you take a quick jog to the left at the end of my street, you’ll find a small neighborhood park: grass, a few large, old trees and a playground with a slide, swings and climbing apparatus. I often cut through the park on my way to the main drag where Smart and Final, a few fast food restaurants, at least five taco stands and my mechanic can be found. Most days, I’m running my To Do list through my head or doing mental calculations and am oblivious to anything that doesn’t smack me in the face.

Yesterday was different. There was nothing pressing and I was free to enjoy the sunshine and the park. Kids were in school and moms who didn’t have to go to work were taking advantage of the opportunity to do those things which were better managed without those inevitable little interruptions, so I had the park to myself.

I felt something weird and looked down to find that one of those paper triangles we used to make in school to pass notes to our friends was stuck between my toes and my sandal. Dislodging it from my shoe, I saw a single word; “Anna”. The respectable cursive told me this was not the work of a young child, but likely one of the High Schoolers who used my short cut daily.

I admit that my curiosity got the best of me. I carefully unfolded the little triangle until I held a much creased sheet of notebook paper in my hands. My eyes skipped to the bottom where the final words were written in capital letters and underlined so heavily that it nearly scored the paper.

 

If you still refuse to talk to me, I’ll have no choice but to give you what you want. I’ll get out of your life for good. You won’t have to see my face any more because I will be gone.

Who had dropped this note? Was it the writer who, in his hurry to get to school, didn’t notice when it fell out of his pocket? Or perhaps Anna who stuck it in a book to read later? Was it too late to stop a young man from doing something he’d surely regret, or to tell him that a single heartbreak wouldn’t really end his world?

Would a teenage girl understand how much her attitude could change the life of another?

In my mind, I found Anna and showed her a mirror through which she could see the future and the results of her actions…or inactions. I held the mirror for the writer as well, so he could see that he would find someone who’d see past the horn-rimmed glasses, the acne which never seemed to clear and the stutter which only came out when he was nervous.

In my mirror they would both see that they were each worth loving, even if it was by someone else.

But I had no way of finding these two lost souls so I carefully refolded the note and set it on one of the benches which lined the path. Maybe fate would step in and do what I could not.

Again, I won’t end a post without my gratitudes, even if it’s written to suit a writing prompt.
1. I am grateful for another wonderful night of dancing with my friends.
2. I am grateful that Toby and Munchkin are both on the mend.
3. I am grateful for the love and support of my friends and daughter.
4. I am grateful for the inspiration I receive from so many wonderful people.
5. I am grateful for the massage therapist who looked so much like he should be on the cover of a steamy romance novel that he might just inspire me to write one.
6. I am grateful for abundance: love, friendship, inspiration, motivation, joy, laughter, health, harmony, peace, prosperity and philanthropy.

Blessed Be

And now for some shameless self-promotion:
I’d love it if you’d visit my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SheriLevensteinConawayAuthor?ref=aymt_homepage_panel and my website, www.shericonaway.com. I’ve created these pages as a means of positive affirmation and would be very grateful if you’d “like” them or leave a comment! Thank you!