Act I: The Man Who Knows Grief Chapter 1: The Weight of a Coat The violinist missed the F sharp.She knew it before anyone else did. Her left eyebrow lifted imperceptibly, the quiet way people apologise to themselves before saying it aloud. A little girl stopped on the wet sideway to listen until her mother … Continue reading The Last Song
Tag: new-people
Paper Crown
The black fedora sat at the edge of the shoe rack in a thrift shop that not a lot of people walked into.The hat was not anything extraordinary but it still caught his eye. It was an impulsive purchase for thirteen dollars and fifty cents. The kind of thing you buy because it makes you … Continue reading Paper Crown
Piku and his bag of Peanuts
Ever since he was a boy, Piku had always carried a small bag of peanuts.No one really knew why, not even Piku. It was something his grandmama had started.She used to put a handful into his pockets before he ran out to play.For what exactly, she never explained.Years passed, grandmama was gone, the reason did … Continue reading Piku and his bag of Peanuts
How to replace people with similar looking people in your life
To be entirely honest, I never meant to replace anyone at first. It started as an accident. When my best friend Rivan moved to another city, I found myself nodding along to conversations with a man at my local coffee shop who had the same beard, the same slouch and had the same habit of … Continue reading How to replace people with similar looking people in your life
Long Way Home
When he was 16, his mom kicked him out of the house"Go find who you are" is all she said.His mother had been everything: parent, mentor, friend. That day, she became the first person to let him go.He took a small bag and an even smaller sense of self and left.The next 25 years he … Continue reading Long Way Home
Leaving Twice
The car idled at the yellow line, the low hum of the hybrid engine noise filling the silence between them. Inside, she adjusted her scarf, fussed with her passport, doing everything to avoid looking at him. His hands were still gripping the steering wheels, knuckles red in the wash of the overhead light, also because … Continue reading Leaving Twice
Art of the Stare
Nijitha was not sure of how well Liam’s strategy of picking up girls at the pub would work, for her, anyway. Liam, self proclaimed ladies man and newly appointed mentor, his words, had taken it upon himself to guide her through recently-out-of-the-closet life like a campaign driven Instagram influencer coach. His methods were questionable to … Continue reading Art of the Stare
Persimmon for the fall
The wind was cold that morning, blowing the autumn leaves in its wake. On his usual walk through the old part of town Neil saw her, an elderly woman, sprawled across the sidewalk, a bruise the size of an apple on her knee. Without a second thought, he rushed over, kneeling beside her "Are you … Continue reading Persimmon for the fall
Ways Unknown
Four torchlight searched the grass green mountain for footholds, guiding eight souls.Their destination was as unknown as the winding ways before them. The climb was easy, for they were light in heart and strong in humor. Each quietly thinking they had found seven other reflections of themselves. The trail ended at a flat rock overlooking … Continue reading Ways Unknown