My Writeblr and Novel Page

Hi! This is my writeblr, where I post my short stories and talk about my novel manuscript. My Short Stories are here and my manuscript intro page is here. All posts related to Echoes of Love, Echoes of Life are here. Thanks for reading!

[practising-writer]

Inscription of a Memory

* * * * * *

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!

Tagging @abalonetea @marlettwrites @cjjameswriting

[practising-writer]

Inscription of a Memory

* * * * * *

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!

Tagging @abalonetea @marlettwrites @cjjameswriting

[practising-writer]

Inscription of a Memory

* * * * * *

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!

Tagging @abalonetea @marlettwrites @cjjameswriting

[practising-writer]

Inscription of a Memory

* * * * * *

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!

Tagging @abalonetea @marlettwrites @cjjameswriting

[practising-writer]

Inscription of a Memory

* * * * * *

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!

Tagging @abalonetea @marlettwrites @cjjameswriting

[practising-writer]

Inscription of a Memory

* * * * * *

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!

Tagging @abalonetea @marlettwrites @cjjameswriting

[practising-writer]

Two Artists

A step out of the campus gates. A deep breath. A city bathed in warm sunlight. A perfect day for colourful possibilities.

*bump*

Onyx turned around to glare at the girl who bumped into her, and the girl looked back at Onyx.

“What’re you looking at?” Onyx maintained unwavering eye contact with every word.

“S-sorry…” The other girl flinched and backed away.

The one-sided battle of wills ended faster than it had started.

Onyx dropped her bag of spray paint cans, took out two cans, closed her eyes and began shaking the cans. The metronomic clacking of the cans played cheerleader as she mentally mapped out her masterpiece. When a city is dull with stale grey and faded brick red, what better way to spruce it up than with soothing greenery? If there’s no real park in sight, why not make do with a graffiti of one on the wall? Trees, grass, lake, vibrant colours to provide an air of optimism to a place that looked in dire need of some.

With the final touches done, Onyx stepped back and whistled in self-content. Another hard day’s work nicely finished.

A quiet spot on a roof. A sketch pad at the ready. A hotly contested soccer match at the nearby field. A swirl of intensity gripping the match’s spectators.

*skrit*

Robin kept his eye on one particular player. This player had been bounding up and down the field all match long. Boundless energy and relentless work rate. Robin closed his eyes and searched his memories for a pose that best exemplified the player’s intensity. With a good one in mind, Robin went to work, sketching and drawing, exactly the way he had envisioned in his mind.

Robin put down his pencil and exhaled. The drawing was done. And pretty good work too if he did say so himself.

*FWEEEE*

The referee’s whistle signalled the end of the match and the players walked off the field, many of them greeted by their girlfriends. Robin looked on from his vantage point on the roof, a tinge of envy striking him. How nice it must be to have friends to kick a ball with, or a special someone to be there to support you.

“Wishful thinking…” Robin mumbled to himself.

Onyx dropped her bags and cracked her knuckles. A new grey wall meant another blank canvas for her, a place for a new masterpiece, something to spruce up the area with, and she knew just the thing for it.

Robin daydreamed about his next drawing as he strolled leisurely, only to be snapped out of his reverie by a metronomic clacking, followed be the unmistakable ‘fsssshhhh’ of a spray can. Robin looked around and spotted a rather tall, jet-black-haired girl spray painting a wall. Her movement, her intensity, something about it immediately inspired him, and he quickly sought a hiding spot to observe the girl.

After finding a good place to sit down, Robin got to work, observing the girl, watching her movement. There was something about the fluidity in her movement that captivated him. Once he finished observing, he closed his eyes and pictured the perfect image to draw.

“Phew… Done…” Robin put down his pencil and looked up, only to see a decorated wall, but no decorator.

“Eh?” Robin blinked. The girl probably must’ve left at some point while he was drawing.

“Were you drawing me?” A stern voice came up from behind Robin.

“Ah!” Robin nearly dropped his sketch pad when he realized he wasn’t alone.

Robin slowly craned his head up till he came eye to eye with that jet-black-haired girl from before. Onyx. With Onyx’s hair covering part of her face, her one-eyed glare was incredibly intimidating, and within a split second, Robin flinched and looked right back down at his sketch pad.

Onyx spotted the sketch pad and reached down to pick it up. Robin’s resistance amounted to nothing more than the friction between his fingers and the paper. Onyx looked over the sketch and was immediately drawn in.

The way this boy drew her, it looked full of soul, full of life. The portrait had a look of focus in her eye, the portrait captured a feel of fluidity, it made her look as though she was dancing. Dancing with spray cans, somehow. But still, this was quite something to behold.

Onyx looked down at Robin, who still had his head bowed. He looked like he could be scared into catatonia with but a word. Onyx looked at the sketch pad again and spotted one last detail in the portrait. That girl had a really nice smile. Was this how she looked when she smiled?

Onyx exhaled. If she could fault the boy for drawing her without her permission, she could certainly forgive him on account of being so good at what he drew. Not to mention, she appreciated good art, and this was good art. She gently placed the sketch pad on Robin’s lap, prompting a surprised reaction from him.

“You know, if you wanna draw me next time, ask first.” Onyx turned and walked away.

“Um…” Robin spoke up, prompting Onyx to look back.

Robin pulled Onyx’s portrait out of the sketch pad and held it out.

“For me?”

“Please…” Robin waited for the paper to leave his fingers.

“Thanks,” Onyx accepted the portrait, “you know, you’re really good at this. Like, really really good. I like it. Bye now.” Onyx turned and left.

Robin slowly lifted his head up when he felt the intimidating aura dissipate. The girl was nowhere to be seen, and he heaved a sigh of relief. With the way she glared at him, she might’ve beaten him to a bloody pulp if he looked at her the wrong way. And yet, she had such a nice smile on her when she was working with the spray paint. Two contrasting halves of the same person. She did praise his work though, and that meant something to him. It felt nice being praised.

Onyx turned down a corner into an alley, admiring some of her past handiwork on the walls along the way. A few steps in, she spotted some scattered papers on the floor. On each sheet was a portrait. The drawing style of the portraits seemed familiar. Then it hit her. That boy from yesterday?

Onyx went further into the alley, picking up portrait after portrait as she went, and she heard a sound coming from behind the corner. The sound of fists meeting body, of helpless whimpers and groans. Onyx dashed over, and indeed, three punks were towering over a boy who was curled up in a fetal position.

“Ganging up on a defenseless person?” Onyx glared hard at the perpetrators while they looked back with leering grins.

For the next few minutes, the sounds of punches and kicks, slams and groans filled the alley until it all subsided into silence.

Onyx wiped the blood off her fists as she walked to the boy who was still crumpled in a heap, leaving behind three unconscious, swell-riddled punks.

“Are you alright?” Onyx said as she helped the boy to a seated position. A quick look at him confirmed that he really was the boy who drew her yesterday. With her hands on his shoulders, she could feel him shivering. No doubt those punks really did a number on him.

“Look, it’s me,” Onyx tried to speak in as gentle a tone as she possibly could, something that she was patently unused to doing, “they’re gone now. Your drawings are here, see?” Onyx placed the portraits she retrieved on Robin’s lap.

Robin saw the portraits and immediately looked up at his rescuer, the same girl whose portrait he drew yesterday. She didn’t have that harsh glare in her eye anymore. This time, it was a much gentler, much more approachable look. Seeing it helped him calm down, the shivers in his body somewhat ebbing away.

“Come, I’ll help you up,” Onyx offered a hand, letting Robin take all the time he needed to get back to his feet.

“Thank you…” Robin got up and slowly started limping, the pain and bruises still bothering him greatly.

“Alleys like these can get dangerous. You really don’t wanna be here unless you can handle yourself.” Onyx kept her pace deliberate to escort Robin.

“Your wall art… is really nice…”

Onyx looked at Robin in surprise, then she put two and two together, and realized that maybe it wasn’t so surprising after all. Much like how she recognized his work, he recognized hers too at the entrance of the alley. He must’ve walked in hoping to see more, which led to the encounter with the punks.

“Your sketches look great too. There’s that intensity, that focus. The people you drew looked like they were really passionate about what they were doing.”

“Sorry for yesterday…”

Onyx looked at Robin and stifled a chuckle, he was still apologizing for something that she’d already forgiven him for, “Don’t sweat it. Already said it’s alright.” Onyx patted Robin’s back as lightly as she could to avoid injuring him again.

“I’m Robin…”

“Name’s Onyx, good to meetcha. Well, would be better if you weren’t banged up.” Onyx and Robin looked at each other with little smiles, both seeing the funny side of that comment, “C’mon, let’s get you outta here.”

Together, Onyx and Robin made their way out through the alley, with an optimistic afternoon sun ready to greet them.

Big thank you to @ephemeralseraph for providing the character ideas for this story!

Tagging shoutouts to @gwritesnovels @ashesconstellation @melindawrites @cjjameswriting @sweetie-writes !

[practising-writer]

Inscription of a Memory

* * * * * *

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!

Tagging @abalonetea @marlettwrites @cjjameswriting

[practising-writer]

Inscription of a Memory

* * * * * *

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!

Tagging @abalonetea @marlettwrites @cjjameswriting

[practising-writer]

Inscription of a Memory

* * * * * *

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!

Tagging @abalonetea @marlettwrites @cjjameswriting

[practising-writer]

Inscription of a Memory

* * * * * *

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!

Tagging @abalonetea @marlettwrites @cjjameswriting

[practising-writer]

Inscription of a Memory

* * * * * *

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!

Tagging @abalonetea @marlettwrites @cjjameswriting

[practising-writer]

Inscription of a Memory

* * * * * *

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!

Tagging @abalonetea @marlettwrites @cjjameswriting

[carnocus]

WRITERS!!!

my dash is feeling empty, so please reblog/comment if you post about your writing! i want to follow more people and get more taglists to add myself to.

bonus points if you write scifi, horror, and/or are deep into worldbuilding!

[practising-writer]

Goddess of the Storm

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.

The chase to find the Goddess of the Storm.

[practising-writer]

Gee, I Wonder Who That Could Be - Fate/Samurai Remnant (Episode 11)

[practising-writer]

Saber Knows What You Did - Fate/Samurai Remnant (Episode 10)