A Shattered Spirit

Submitted into Contest #99 in response to: Begin your story with somebody watching the sunrise, or sunset.... view prompt

5 comments

Sad Speculative Coming of Age

Do you ever simply stand there and stare at the sun?

How about actually looking at it? You are aware of a searing feeling in your eyes, as well as blindsight that is out of reach. The sun shines brighter than we believe. A ray of sunshine brought on by joy. Beautiful flowers adorn the ground and shine brighter than a shooting star. Is this a possibility? I'm not sure, but I do know that fairy tales always have evil buried somewhere. The shooting star, for example, produces a black mirror with fragments of light floating through its lens. The pieces are the number of times your heart will break for that individual. That darkness, though, remains veiled.

Sunlight is a type of just looking on the bright side.

Being able to maintain a good attitude in order to live. But why, and how long do we require-"

A young guy approached me, and my thoughts fled, bringing me back to reality, the reality that pursues me in so many ways, yet causes my heart to fracture slowly.

He was built and broody, giving me the impression of a dangerous guy smirking at me; everything began strangely, but finished gracefully.

"Can I help you?"

I gazed up at him with confidence and reached for my dark-rimmed spectacles to secure it.

In a moment, a black wind blew right through me, leaving me shambled and grasping my arms. A strange and unexpected sensation caused my throat to dry up.

He raises his hands in the air towards himself, indicating that he does not wish to be harmed.

"Okay, I'm not guilty. I just wanted to say hello?" He said again, his blue brilliant eyes peering straight through my green ones, nearly making me gasp.

I could feel my heart bursting out of my chest the instant I felt his eyes rest on me. The sensation was so overwhelming that it became difficult to breathe around him.

At Becky's, I was seated near a window booth. A tiny café on East Road, around two hours from my house. It was a lengthy journey, yet each second felt rejuvenating.

It was my favorite location to go when I was feeling depressed about anything. I didn't want to go, but the following words make me cringe just thinking about them. “You will be sorry forever insulting me!”

As my father's remarks left me in a blank and scared stupor, I felt flung away into a whole.

“Are you okay there?” the young broody man asks, his expression concerned.

“Yes, thank you.” I nod and reach for my hands to detangle the blond thicket of curls that has adhered to my face like noodles. I wanted to laugh at my lunacy, but I was bewildered out of my mind.

"So, what do you want to say to me?" I asked and sat up straight after dazing through the large window that showed the bustling highway making minor noises in the otherwise calm neighborhood.

I gazed at him, expecting for him to react, but we both ended up staring fiercely, a burning need in my gut wanting to be seized by this young gentleman. His physical look complemented his heavy yet calm speech, which put me in a trance. I fell into a trance the moment his words left his mouth.

Before he could respond, a redhead walks into my booth, dragging two cups of coffee on an attractive yet antique tray that was adorned with history of arts, depicting a small group of journeys. It piqued my interest and detailed a lot about what the location truly represented and stood for. “a prehistoric invention of history itself.”

“Two cups of coffee, for two wonderful people,” she smiled as she served them to us, and the young gentleman took a seat at the booth I was sitting in.

I could feel the air thicken as I swallowed my pride the moment the words left her mouth. I was pleading to her in my thoughts, a mist of her smiling brightly at me. I cast a peek at him, feeling my eyes sting from his attractiveness, and my pulse race a little faster.

What I was experiencing went well beyond what I had hoped to feel. A sensation I had never set my heart on, a feeling that, despite my lack of understanding, could make me feel so many things. What he was doing went above and beyond what I had declared. He was simply another guy attempting to get past me and then drop me as if I didn't exist. My heart had crushed the second his eyes rested on me, the minute he walked out and into my view. Not a saw-burning sensation that made it difficult to breathe, but a stifling sense of sorrow. a sorrow I found myself lost in, in the midst of the ocean that washed each of my floating recollections.

The redhead who pretended to serve us was, in fact, the person who helped me survive the mist of this world, which only delivered fear wherever it led me. A sinister shadow lurking in the swirl of night, looking for me. What he sought was beyond what I could have imagined, and that alone made me dread every second spent. He was exactly like the rest of them.

“Thank you, Sandy,” the young gentleman said as he glanced at Sandra Collins. My one and only niece, as well as my dearest friend

The moment I sat at the booth, it felt like the sunset was fading into the life I was about to embark on. a face I believed would signify everything but faded into the sunset the moment I saw it for a split second. exactly like the sunshine streaming through the huge window on my right, just like the bustling road driving automobiles towards life's paths. I believed life had sent an angel as I sat there reminiscing about the good old days.

However, it became black when a large owl swooped down.

He was the one who broke my heart and left it in shambles.

Nonetheless, I hoped for a little light to separate us.

June 18, 2021 21:32

You must sign up or log in to submit a comment.

5 comments

Winston Smith
23:00 Jun 18, 2021

I love what you've done with the sunset imagery here. The initial speculation on the significance behind the sun, and the light vs dark motif, is a great introduction to this inner conflict. The inner monologue of the character really expresses how morose this relationship has become. Keep writing great stories!

Reply

NJ Stell
20:13 Jun 19, 2021

Thank you so much , really appreciate this!!!

Reply

Show 0 replies
NJ Stell
20:13 Jun 19, 2021

Thank you so much , really appreciate this!!!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 2 replies
Umaya E
06:28 Jun 28, 2021

This felt so magical and cinematic! I truly enjoyed this.

Reply

NJ Stell
18:32 Jun 28, 2021

Thank you so much

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

Bring your short stories to life

Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in Reedsy Studio. 100% free.