DAY 9 of the Flashnano Challenge. Flashnano is a challenge that involves writing 30 stories in 30 days throughout the month of November. A new writing prompt every day. As a reminder, at this stage I don’t edit these it’s simply raw, off the top of my head writing. Later, I’ll go through any that have potential and edit them. Thanks for reading.
FLASHNANO 2018 – 30 Stories in 30 Days
PROMPT 9: Write a story that includes a song lyric
The smell of gardenias permeated the air as she walked slowly towards the gate. She’d twisted them throughout her long, curly hair. Their sweet smell became part of the air around her.
The gate was ornate, but still seemed to fit into its earthly surroundings. The morning mist dampened her skin adding a slight sheen that chilled her already cold body.
She stood in front of the gate and looked through, she felt like she’d been here before. Although it seemed more like déjà vu than a memory. On the other side was a forest, and a path. She strained to see where it led, but she could not. She could see the sun was shining on the other side and when she stuck her hand through the fence it was noticeably warmer and dried the mist on her arm. She tried to push the gate open, but it wouldn’t budge. So she just stood there looking through. Waiting, but not sure for what.
Then at the end of the path he appeared. She couldn’t see him clearly, but she knew it was him. Her heart began to beat faster. As he walked toward her, their eyes were locked together.
Long after he was gone she still saw those eyes in her dreams.
When he reached the gate they gazed unwaveringly at each other. A slight smile played on his lips and her breath caught. He put his hand on the gate, “Are you ready?” She simply nodded yes and he pushed the gate open. Without hesitation she walked through and directly into his waiting arms. They stayed like that for a long time. Not speaking, just remembering.
Finally breaking their clinch he looked at her and shook his head.
“You’re here sooner than I’d like.”
“It felt like forever to me,” she said.
He leaned in and smelled her hair and sighed. One by one he began to pull gardenias from her hair. He dropped them to the ground and they immediately took root and grew so lush they covered the gate until it was hidden.
Then they walked hand in hand down the path together forevermore.
Everybody wants a lover
Nobody wants to uncover
what may lay deep beneath a sometimes painful past
wanna go without a care
pull Gardenias from her hair…“Footprints on my Ceiling” by Social Distortion
Jody's World 