It's been some time since I wrote anything, but often there's always ideas floating around in this ol' noggin' of mine. For some time, there'd been an idea that I really wanted to write. It's a short story revolving around one of the main characters of a novel length story that I'd written years ago. I'd always found it fun to imagine what their lives would've been like after that story ended. A bit of slice of life, or perhaps 'a day in the life of' type of thing. So here we go!
* * * * * *
Along an empty corridor of a high school on the outskirts of town, a young woman checked her watch as she strolled towards an open door. Just on time.
A mere glance at the door and into the room beyond it evoked strong memories for her. The sign on the door may have changed; the decor may have changed; the students, naturally, have changed; but the aura of the classroom was still the same. It was in this very classroom that she'd spent her years in high school. And today, it would be her first day as a teacher. A part time substitute teacher, but a teacher nonetheless.
As she stepped into the classroom, the idle chatter that had been filling the air dissipated into a still silence. The teacher smiled as she glanced around the room, acknowledging the attention of the 30 or so students. As quickly as the chatter turned into silence, did that silence then break out into hushed 'whoas' and whispers. She faintly made out some murmurings between students. One mentioned how attractive she looked, especially her smile. Another one brought attention to her deep red hair. Among the students, some of the girls swooned in admiration, a few others looked like they were eager to learn all her beauty secrets, while some of the boys seemed either too shy, or perhaps intimidated, to make eye contact with her.
"Good morning everyone," the teacher addressed the room, "I'm Miss Echo, and I'll be your substitute teacher this week."
"Good morning Miss Echo!!!" The class replied with ringing enthusiasm.
* * *
With the brief introduction, and thereafter the class period's lecture out of the way, Echo sat at her desk while the students did their own revisions and group discussions. Seeing this reminded Echo of the days when she'd be tutoring her classmates regularly.
Just then, a little ping came from her phone. It was a text message.
"Just wanted to say, good luck on your first day as a teacher!" The message read.
Immediately, Echo's lips curled into a smile. But it wasn't just any smile. If her usual one was warm, this one was warmer. If her usual one was natural, this one was more natural, if that were possible. This did not look like the type of smile shared between friends.
No, this had the hallmarks of a woman in love. The radiance in her eyes as they lit up upon reading the message sparkled like light off morning dew. It wasn't so much the message itself that made her shine so, but who it was from. And the students, being an intelligent bunch, didn't need long to start deducing. Or probing.
"Miss Echo, are you married?" One female student asked.
"Eh?" Echo replied, taken aback by the sudden and direct nature of the question.
A quick look around the students indicated that the question had gripped everyone's attention and anticipation.
Echo wasn't one to brag about what she had, but given how the entire class seemed to be prying for an answer that didn't really need hiding anyway, she might as well tell them.
"Very happily," Echo replied with a sheepish smile and a nod.
"Too bad boys, she's taken!" Came the immediate reply from the girl who had asked the question initially, directing a joking sneer towards some of the boys.
Within seconds, various conversations broke out among the groups. Some wondered if they'd look this pretty when they have a special someone, some teased each other about the emotional ramifications of discovering Echo's marital status, while others playfully offered their availability as potential rebounds.
Echo sat back in her seat as she typed out a reply to the message. It was nice to see the camaraderie among the students, to see them all get along well. It was energetic, but not rowdy. Noisy, but not cacophonous. Seeing it all took her back to her own time as a student, remembering what her classmates were like.
* * *
After the bell rang to signal the end of class, and after the students very reluctantly said good bye with audible agony, Echo left the classroom and took a leisurely stroll along the corridor. She had plenty of free time now, and there was another place she wanted to visit.
At another section of the school building was where most of the club rooms were. Many of them were in active use, while some hadn't been in use for some time and had become makeshift storage spaces. Echo's stroll down the corridor led her to one such unused room.
As she walked in, vivid images resurfaced in her memory. It was in this room where she spent many afternoons with her gardening club mates. It was in this room where she said goodbye to them when they graduated, leaving her as the club's last member. Above all, it was in this room where she met him for the first time.
She could envision herself in her mind's eye. There she was, at the door, spotting a young man she'd never met before, standing across the room, looking out the window. She still remembered the look in his eyes. They looked troubled. They looked lost. A chance meeting that also became the start of a very special journey.
Echo's delicate fingers brushed the top of the table in the middle of the room as she walked around it. She could feel the moments in time inscribed within the table and chairs. All the days when she'd sit at this table, drinking tea with that young man. Studying together. Hanging out together. The first hug they shared.
As Echo returned from her reverie, a sudden thought came over her. She quickly pulled out her phone and took a picture of the windows at the far side of the room. She sent the picture as a message along with the question, "Remember this place?"
Within seconds, the reply came, "Of course! Where we first met!" along with a flower emoji.
That radiant glow filled Echo's eyes once again as she typed out a simple reply. An emoji of a heart, and one more of a kiss.
The troubled young man she met that day introduced himself as Wylfred. These days, and for the past few years in fact, she was more accustomed to calling him 'darling'.
* * *
As the final bell rang out to signify the end of the day, Echo was standing by herself in the front courtyard, eyes closed, taking slow, deep breaths.
From out here, the school looked exactly as it did when she was a student. The main school building, the student dormitories, the front courtyard. Everything. Like an anchor in the strands of time, a monument-sized time capsule that people past and present could point to and say, "I remember that."
The school's sport and culture festival was an annual tradition. All the students from every class would participate. Classrooms would be turned into shops, and dozens of stalls would also be set up in the courtyard. Snacks, toys, games, souvenirs. Even now, she could still visualize the long queue of visitors waiting outside the gate before opening hours. The anticipation, the excitement. How many festivals have come and gone. And how this courtyard has seen them all.
Echo continued admiring the shimmering green scenery as the breeze blew and trees rustled. A few students from her class in the morning waved good bye as they walked past, which she reciprocated in kind.
"Echo!" A very familiar voice called out from behind.
Echo turned around, and standing at the gate was her husband, Wylfred. She strode towards him, almost breaking into a jog, as much as her pencil skirt would allow her to. Wylfred stepped forward with open arms, where they met with a mutual embrace.
All this had gotten some of Echo's watching students into a bit of a murmur and a bit of a commotion. As they watched on, the radiant glow in her eyes shone even brighter than it had that morning, which made some of the girls swoon with envy. This was the man who had captured their teacher's heart so. They wondered to themselves if they'd one day meet someone who could make them shine like that.
The cuddling couple finally noticed the watching students and waved to them before exiting the gate, strolling arm in arm.
"How was your first day of school?" Wylfred asked.
"Absolutely wonderful," Echo replied with that familiar, comforting warm smile. She regaled Wylfred all the things she reminisced and thought about during the day as they walked along the path, in the radiance and warmth of the afternoon sun.
A radiance and warmth much like that of a woman in love.
* * * * * *
And there we have it! I really wanted to write this. And there's also other ideas that could be their own short stories another time.
If you liked the story, feel free to leave a like, or a comment, or both!
If you have any feedback, feel free to let me know too!
Summer, a period associated with beaches, parties, vacations, fun in the sun. Yet on this comfortably sunny day, the first weekend of summer no less, an uncomfortably anguished sigh filled the air in an apartment in the city.
“Ughhh...” Kenny plopped his half-emptied beer can on the table. “What did I ever do to her?” His words audibly slurred and trailed off.
Sitting beside him, Cecilia cleared away a previously finished can and looked over at Kenny. He was still rambling and venting, holding his beer in the air and toasting no one in particular. Half his words were incoherent, the other half sounded like some language unknown to any civilization.
Cecilia and Kenny had been close friends for almost ten years, going back to their high school days. And in those ten years, she'd seen him stung three times by relationships gone bad. The first two dumped him very suddenly and disappeared, this third one was caught cheating on him. Poor Kenny couldn't seem to catch a break in his love life. She'd rushed over when she received his call, by which time he was already on his fourth can.
“Kenny, you've had a lot to drink,” Cecilia said as Kenny finished another can, and she cleared that away too.
“Yeah... I have...” Kenny nodded.
Cecilia spotted a pair of movie tickets that had dropped to the floor. She recognized the title, it was a movie Kenny had mentioned wanting to watch with his girlfriend. He had been looking forward to it. They would've gone the previous day, had things not turned out the way it did.
“Bathroom, need a bathroom!” Kenny quickly got up and walked away, surprisingly sprightly for someone who had just downed several cans of beer. Cecilia looked on in surprise, and before she could react, she heard the vomiting sounds echoing from the bathroom. Each time Kenny made that retching sound, Cecilia flinched. She slowly walked to the bathroom, her steps cautious. She wondered what kind of visual horror might await her if she peeked inside.
As the retching stopped, Cecilia pushed the door ajar and looked in. As more of the bathroom gradually filled her view, she heaved a sigh of relief. Kenny managed to keep everything in the sink, so there wasn't some kind of disaster zone that needed decontaminating. The bathroom did stink to high heavens though, so it was gonna need some airing out.
“Hoooo, I think I'm feeling better now,” Kenny said, his words far more coherent.
“Come on, some tea will do you good.” Cecilia smiled as she helped to wash Kenny's face.
Several minutes later, Cecilia brought over a cup of hot tea to the table while Kenny lay on the sofa with a warm, wet cloth on his forehead.
“Hmmm,” Kenny took a big whiff, “smells so good. You're the best, the absolute best friend anyone can have,” he said while flashing a big grin.
“Well, you're obviously feeling better now if you're in such a flattering mood,” Cecilia replied as she felt her cheeks flush slightly. “Maybe you won't need the tea after all,” she teased.
“Noooo! Mine!” Kenny protested, much to Cecilia's amusement.
“Listen,” Cecilia sat on the floor beside the sofa, “she didn't know how to appreciate you. That's her loss. You'll find someone who does. After you get a good night's sleep tonight, tomorrow will be a new day. A better day. Alright?”
“Yeah, you're right,” Kenny replied with a nod and a smile, “thanks for being here.”
Cecilia responded with a warm smile of her own.
* * *
Cecilia rang the doorbell to Kenny's apartment and waited for a response. She hoped he was feeling better since the previous weekend. Within seconds, the door creaked open, and she popped a smile.
“Hi Ken- Whoa!” Cecilia's smile turned into a look of shock, confusion, then amusement. “What's with that getup?” She tried to stifle a laugh as she asked.
Kenny was decked out in painting overalls, with some paint stains on it, his arms, and even his face. He flashed a big grin as their eyes met.
“Hey! Come in, I've been painting the walls, and I was hoping you might like to help me!”
“Ooh, okay, I guess?” Cecilia stepped in, intrigued to see how things looked, while also puzzled about how she'd be needed to help.
The living room was still half done, with light blue being Kenny's color of choice. The old white peeked out at some corners that he hadn't done over yet. Meanwhile, the other rooms hadn't gotten any new paint, so that meant there was plenty for them to do.
“There's a set of overalls you can use. All this painting can get quite messy.”
Cecilia got changed and quickly set about to work. Kenny directed her on where and how to paint. Before long, they were making steady progress.
“Hey Kenny, so why'd you decide to paint the whole apartment?” Cecilia asked while working her paint roller.
“I dunno, kinda felt like it I guess?” Kenny laughed and shrugged, “New start, new me, new paint? I though it'd be fun. Didn't think it would be so time consuming though!”
“Well aren't you glad that I agreed to help then?” Cecilia smirked, “I think I deserve a reward after we finish this, don't you?” She asked while lightly nudging Kenny with her elbow.
“You mean the satisfaction of helping your best friend doesn't count as a reward?” Kenny replied with a playfully feigned tone of surprise.
“Nope!” Cecilia stuck her tongue out teasingly.
As the day progressed, so too did the paint job of the apartment. Eventually, what initially felt like a time consuming activity looking forward became a fun afternoon that ended too soon looking back.
“Oh, we're done already?” Cecilia asked as she looked around in surprise.
“Yup, that was the last wall. Well done!”
Cecilia and Kenny stood side by side, arms across each other's shoulders as they admired their handiwork. There was a shared sense of pride and happiness at a job well done, especially as this was Kenny's way of taking that first step towards moving on from the events of last week.
All the walls that were previously plain white were now a nice sky blue. Looking at the new colour just felt refreshing, like an optimistic, extra sunny day after the gloomy clouds have parted ways. It was as if it was a sign of good things to come.
“Hmm, I think I may have missed a spot,” Kenny quipped.
“Where?” Cecilia looked up and down.
“Here.” Kenny playfully tapped Cecilia's nose with a finger while flashing a grin of mischief, to which she reacted by squinting down at where he was pointing. A light blue blotch of paint showed up on her nose.
“Hey!” She exclaimed, “Get back here!”
Cecilia chased while Kenny ducked and dodged, both of them sharing in the laughter of a memorably fun afternoon spent together.
* * *
“Let's see, so you've got all the tools you need?” Cecilia asked, her glance regularly rotating between the manual in her hands, the furniture parts on the floor, and Kenny who was checking through all the parts in the item list.
“Yup, I've got a full set of screwdrivers, and the shelf set came with its own pack of screws. So we're all good here.” Kenny nodded to himself, satisfied that everything was present and accounted for.
After painting the walls last week, Kenny thought that he might as well get a new set of shelves too. The old set had been showing its age for some time, and now was as good a time as any to make the change. Cecilia's enthusiasm at being asked to help meant that this assembly job was going to be a lot more fun than it would otherwise be if he'd tackled it alone.
The two of them began working on the first shelf, with one reading the manual, making sure not to miss any details, and the other carefully putting pieces together, making sure not to damage anything. Every now and then, they took little breaks for a drink of water and to assess their progress.
As the day went on, they grew in confidence in what they were doing, and the assembly steadily picked up pace, till the set of shelves was completed.
“Looks great!” Kenny grinned as he and Cecilia stepped back to admire the shelves. There was a simple elegance to it, with sturdiness to match.
“So we need to put aside the stuff on your old shelves, then we can change the shelves, right?” Cecilia asked.
“Yup, that's right.”
Cecilia started picking items off the old shelves, like trinkets and books, when she caught sight of a picture and paused.
It was a picture of Kenny with his ex. Cecilia was surprised that he still had it, she thought that he would've thrown it already. Seeing the picture reminded her of how broken up Kenny was a couple weeks ago. She felt upset at how someone could treat a person as nice as he was in that manner.
The more she looked at the picture, the more another thought crept into her mind. She kind of wished that she could be the one in a picture like that, placed on a shelf in a position of prominence.
“Oh hey! I didn't throw that picture away?” Kenny spoke up from behind Cecilia, which startled her.
“Ah! Yeah, do you wanna keep it?” Cecilia asked.
“Nah, I'm over her, could you throw it for me?” Kenny replied with an impish grin, the kind he'd show whenever he needed Cecilia's help. She'd always find it hard to say no to him, even more so on this occasion.
“Gladly!” Cecilia swiftly proceeded to dump that eyesore of a picture in the trash. She was happy to know that Kenny had picked himself up and moved on. As she thought about it, she realized, this meant that he was single again. And available again. Somehow, she couldn't help but smile to herself at that thought.
Standing just behind Cecilia was one puzzled Kenny, who'd been wondering why she was standing next to the rubbish bin, unmoving. He silently peered this way and that, leaning in close, trying to make eye contact, before finally giving up and tapping her shoulder.
“Ahh!” Cecilia yelped, having been surprised by that sudden tapping.
“Ahh!” Kenny yelped in unison, surprised by her reaction.
Now that she was forcefully yanked out of that happy daydream she had, Cecilia's face flushed slightly as she looked at Kenny. The way she had let her train of thought run just now, she couldn't be sure if she was merely thinking. What if she had been thinking out loud? Did Kenny hear her? What would he say if he did?
“You were really deep in thought just now, like you were frozen or something,” Kenny said with a slightly puzzled, quizzical smile.
“Oh uhh, yeah! How about let's take a pic together? To commemorate your new shelves, or something, hahaha!” Cecilia tried to hide the fluster in her voice, though she felt like she wasn't doing a good job of it. She quickly whipped out her phone and put an arm around Kenny's shoulders, taking a few pictures.
“Make sure to send me the pics!” said Kenny with a big smile.
* * *
Cecilia fidgeted slightly and combed her fringes while waiting for the door to open. She'd been waiting outside for a while after ringing the doorbell, but surprisingly, there was no response. She tried again and waited, wondering what Kenny was up to. It wasn't like him to leave a guest waiting this long. As the wait got longer, a nervous twinge slowly set in. She wasn't sure what it was exactly, just that she felt an urge for him to show up soon.
“Hey!” A voice called out, and Cecilia turned to look. It was Kenny coming down the corridor holding a small bag. Seeing him eased the anxiety that had been building up in her.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, I was out at the store for a while. Come on in!”
After getting into the apartment, Kenny put the bag on the table, and Cecilia saw its contents. It was a movie casing, and it was that same movie that he ended up not watching a few weeks ago.
Kenny looked over and spotted Cecilia eyeing the bag, “Oh that? I thought maybe we could watch it together if you'd like.”
Cecilia nodded with a smile, then looked around the living room, and spotted the shelves that they assembled last week. Displayed nicely on one of the spaces was the picture they took together. She couldn't help but smile brightly as she picked it up and showed it to Kenny as he came over.
“Can't get enough of looking at me, eh?” Cecilia teased.
“Yep, I have to have my fill every day.”
“Well, I'm here in the flesh, you can look all you like!” Cecilia struck a pose, as if presenting herself with a bit of a ta-da flourish.
“Hmm, you're right! Guess this means I won't need this pic!” Kenny took the picture with a knowingly cheeky grin.
“Hey!” Cecilia yanked the picture out of Kenny's hand with a playful pout, almost cradling it like a treasure that she could not bear to lose. She admired it a while more, then returned it to its spot on the shelf.
After having a nice dinner together, Cecilia got comfortable on the sofa while Kenny prepared to play the movie. It would be a nice way to spend the evening, and she quietly felt happy that she could get to watch the movie with him, just the two of them together.
The movie they watched was a lighthearted rom-com. She'd only heard a bit about it before, mainly from Kenny, but as it progressed, she could see why he was looking forward to it so much. She was enjoying it too, but more important to her was seeing him happy and having a good time. Every time she stole a glance at him, he'd be smiling, or having a good laugh.
At the climax of the movie, the main characters finally got to have that big kiss that the story had been building to. Watching it got Cecilia's imagination going, she wondered what it felt like, since she'd never experienced it before. It looked intense, passionate, maybe flavorful? What if she and Kenny kissed? How would that feel?
The music from the credits rolling brought her out of her imagination, after which she realized that her arm was wrapped around Kenny's. She had no idea when or how it happened, but seeing it now made her cheeks flush. The next thing she realized was that Kenny had also noticed their arms, and was now looking at her, which made her feel more flushed.
“Umm, it's getting late, I should go.” Cecilia hurriedly stood up and turned to the door.
“Wait!” Kenny got up after her and grabbed her hand. “I'd really like it if you could stay the night.”
There was a tense, nervous pause between them. Their eyes met, and neither one wanted to look away. Kenny had just expressed how he felt, which Cecilia was happy about. There was a part of her that had pined for such a day, a part of her that watched, quietly supportive of Kenny, as he went through the joys and pains of his previous relationships. There was a hope that maybe one day, his gaze might come upon her. And now, it was. Funny then it was now of all times that words failed her. A pleasant smile and a nod was the best she could muster as a response, but it was enough. No further words needed.
Kenny sat on the sofa and gently eased Cecilia towards him. She sat back on his lap and snuggled in nicely. His arms wrapped around her waist and held her close. Their lips met for a kiss, filled with warmth and passion. It was their first kiss together, their first night together, yet it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
Being together, to them, just felt right, and that's all they needed.
Legend has it that once a year, a special storm appears somewhere in the world. Written records place it as having appeared in various countries across the continents, and never the same place twice. Eyewitness accounts collected through the decades frequently make use of words such as 'unusual', 'abnormal', and 'strange'.
The people who have seen the storm say that it appears without warning, as if it just instantly formed at full force. Purple lightning, torrents of rain, violent tempests. A dance of nature, yet so unnatural. Mesmerizing and frightening in equal measure.
Their most vivid memory though, is the sighting of some kind of entity in the middle of the storm. Many of them remember feeling frozen, either in awe or in fear, trying to understand just what they were seeing. Some of the witnesses speak of a sense of foreboding mixed with a curious allure, that they kept telling themselves to run, to look away, yet their eyes and legs were somehow unable, or unwilling to.
Some say it looked like a woman walking in the storm, others say it looked like a woman hovering over the ground.
Some recall that the entity looked like it wore Greek style robes, while others claimed that it was shrouded in whipping winds and only its head and shoulders were visible.
Bright purple lights shone at where witnesses assumed its eyes should be, as purple as the lightning that it commanded.
A few witnesses say that they managed eye contact with this entity, that they are certain it was looking right back at them. Those witnesses also say that this eye contact only lasted a mere few seconds before being interrupted by the brightest lightning they could imagine.
And just like that, the entity was gone, and the storm with it.
No one knows how, but all the witnesses say the same thing; that the storm disappeared as suddenly as it came, and that it never left any damage whatsoever. There was never any trace of the destruction that such a powerful storm should have left behind. It was as if there was never any storm in the first place.
The mysterious nature of the storm and the entity sighted in it led many to believe that it is some kind of divine being. Why it was here and how it came to be swiftly became the most commonly asked questions.
Over time, many adventurous people dedicated themselves to following the storm, trying to predict where it would appear next. A following that grew year on year, with its members sharing their sightings and discoveries.
Even today, not much is known about the storm or the entity. It is still shrouded in as much mystery as it was long ago, but it is that mystique that compels thrillseekers to join the chase.
“Hey, Agatha, thanks again for inviting me out for your birthday dinner,” Marco said after finishing the last of his steak.
“Aww, it’s no problem,” Agatha replied with a smile, “we’re best neighbors, aren’t we?”
“Eight years and counting!” Marco grinned, “By the way, where are your colleagues? You didn’t invite them?”
“Eh? Yeah, I kinda figured I’d keep it low profile this year, you know? So I thought, just two of us!” Agatha laughed nervously, trying to hide her fluster inside. “Oh hey, how’s that lip balm I got you? Did it work?”
“Oh yes, it’s great!” Marco fished the apple-scented lip balm out of his bag, “This one is really lasting each time I use it. It smells good too, and I think my female colleagues have been taking notice lately too after I started using this.”
Agatha’s ears pricked up, “Female colleagues?”
“Yeah, they really liked the apple scent on this, and asked me where I got this, coz they wanted one themselves.”
“Huh, I see,” Agatha replied, feeling a slight twinge of jealousy. She looked at Marco as he wiped his mouth with a napkin, then applied the lip balm. The shape of his lips, and the gloss of the balm looked so enticing, so inviting. Mental images related to Marco’s lips floated through Agatha’s mind.
“Random question,” Agatha said, “what does a kiss taste like?”
“Huh?” Marco replied, caught off guard and flustered.
“What does a kiss taste like?”
“You’ve never kissed anyone before?”
“That’s not the sort of question you ask a lady, is it?” Agatha gave Marco a dirty look.
Marco chuckled, “Heh. ‘Lady’.”
Agatha blushed slightly from embarrassment, “Well, how about you? Ever kissed anyone?”
“Well, you got me there. I’ve never kissed anyone either.” Marco shrugged.
“I see…” Agatha felt a sense of relief hearing Marco’s reply. Her raised heartbeat from the earlier embarrassment started slowing down back to normal. She mumbled to herself, “I wonder what it feels like…”
Marco eyed Agatha curiously, “Were you wanting me to kiss you?”
“Wh-What?!” Agatha’s heartbeat shot up again, with her embarrassment increased probably tenfold.
“Hahaha, just kidding!”
After dinner was over, Agatha and Marco walked back to their apartments together. When they arrived, Marco opened his door while Agatha rummaged through her purse.
“Not good… can’t find it…” Agatha muttered to herself as she kept searching.
“What’s wrong?” Marco asked.
“My keys, they’re not in my bag. I searched every pocket.”
“Maybe they’re hiding under whatever else is in your bag?”
“Doesn’t feel like it…” Agatha rummaged again, “Oh right! I just remembered, I left them in the office. I’ll have to pick them up from there tomorrow.”
“Well, at least you know where the keys are, so that’s a relief.”
“Yeah.” Agatha took a quick glance at Marco’s open door, then back at Marco, and flashed her best attempt at an innocent grin, “Mind if I stayed over tonight?”
Marco chuckled in mock defeat, “Alright, come on in. You can have the bed, and I’ll take the couch.”
“Awesome! You’re the best, thanks!” Agatha gave Marco a big, hearty pat on the back as they walked in.
Marco gave a quick tour of the apartment, with the final stop being his bedroom, “I doubt you’ll wanna sleep in your office clothes. You can borrow my t-shirt and shorts if you want, they’re in the closet.”
“Eh? I can? Then again, you’re right, I wouldn’t want to sleep in this getup, it’d be way uncomfortable.” Agatha looked down at herself; her office blouse and skirt did indeed make for uncomfortable sleeping attire.
“No worries, help yourself to what you need. I’ll see you later,” Marco said as he left the room.
After taking a long, much needed shower, Marco returned to his room to check in on Agatha. As he approached the door, he heard snoring, which somewhat surprised him. He peeked in and saw Agatha sprawled on the bed, decked out in one of his t-shirts and shorts, deep in blissful sleep. Her office clothes were on a nearby chair, and Marco figured he could wash and dry it, get it ready for her before morning.
Marco walked in to pick up the clothes, and as he did so, he looked at Agatha again, and quietly chuckled in amusement. Even if she had her office attire on, and looked like a lady, none of that was ever gonna take the tomboy that he’d seen and known for eight years out of her. And her snoring and sleeping posture was proof of that.
As Marco turned to leave, a piece of paper slipped out of Agatha’s blouse, catching Marco’s attention. He picked it up, and written on it were some bright, bold words, unmistakably in Agatha’s handwriting.
‘Reminder’
‘Birthday Wish’
‘Say I like you’
‘Kiss with Marco!!!’
Marco blushed brightly seeing those words, and just then, Agatha rolled slightly to the side, and then back, startling him.
“Marco… I like you… zzz… I want to kiss you… zzz…” Agatha mumbled in her sleep.
Marco’s blush got even deeper hearing those words. She liked him the same way he did her. That explained why she invited only him to dinner, and why she suddenly came up with the topic of kissing. Another glance at Agatha made him smile again. He placed the paper on the desk and left the room to place Agatha’s clothes in the laundry.
Agatha’s eyes slowly opened to take in the sunlight as she woke up. She stretched a little and climbed out of bed. As she walked past the desk, the piece of paper on it caught her eye and her brain started fully waking up as she looked at it.
It was the birthday reminder Agatha had written to herself. Unfortunately, she never did ask Marco for a kiss, or even confess her feelings for him, and her birthday was already past. It’d be another year before she could use her birthday as an excuse to ask for a kiss. She hung her head and sighed ruefully. Just what did a kiss taste like? She wanted so much to know, and for her, she wanted the answer to come from Marco.
As Agatha imagined kissing Marco, her fingers went up and touched her lips lightly, and the slightly waxy, slightly glossy feel caught her attention. Feeling puzzled at first, she touched a little more firmly, and smiled a little as she realized what that texture was. Feeling optimistic, she took a little whiff of her fingertips. The scent that met her made her blush and giggle quietly. It seemed that she did indeed get her birthday wish after all.
As for the question she had asked, Marco had already given her an answer.
It was apple.
Tagging @melindawrites @embarasseddragon234 for this post!
When the kingdom of Faerzin found itself under threat of invasion, its best scientists were tasked with creating genetically altered soldiers that could defend it. Exactly how altered they were though, was of no concern to the king.
To prevent prying eyes and ears, the scientists were sent to work in a laboratory deep underground. The only time its doors opened was when a newly completed soldier was released. Other than that, no one in that laboratory ever saw the light of day.
Weeks turned to months, months to years, years to decades. The scientists continued their work with loyalty, unaware that their kingdom had long been dead. The scientists continued their experiments with devotion, unaware that they themselves had long been dead.
Even now, their souls still linger, going through the motions that they had grown so accustomed to in life, as though time had stood still for them. The spirits of those who were experimented on still prowl its hallways, warped beyond anything the scientists could have imagined, and still waiting for their turn to carry out their duty.
(First time trying out this type of ‘prompt’ style post. If anyone wants to craft a story using this location, go ahead!)
I know it’s not my normal content but I’ve shared things about my Etsy shop on here before so I wanted to post about the Etsy strike going on from April 11-18.
We are striking because Etsy has continued to increase fees for shop owners and are increasing their transaction fee from 5% to 6.5%. Myself and many of my fellow shop owners are using Etsy as a primary source of income and this increase would mean we would make even less than we already do.
On top of transaction fees etsy takes .20 per listing posted, .20 to auto-renew a listing (which happens every three months or so), and a payment fee of 3% + .25 per sale.
We are making more demands of Etsy like ending the star seller program, cracking down on resellers, and removing roadblocks between shop owners and their earnings (including their infamously shitty shop support system). Please do more research on your own and educate yourself about the demands and issues in this matter.
I will be participating and putting my shop in vacation mode and we ask that you don’t purchase from Etsy during that time.
Obviously not everyone will be able to participate in the strike but we ask that you support those striking and not purchase on Etsy during those days. If you would like to buy from an Etsy seller during that time contact them directly.
psa: continue creating even if you think its corny or unworthy. i promise you its not. we all start from somewhere, and you can only grow if you keep trying
Already an insomniac, anxious mess due to lack of anxiety and sleep medicine. Need $65. Willing to do light editing in exchange but don't want to have nightmares, panic attacks, etc.
