In anticipation of Spring

He was returning to meet his parents after 15 years. The view from the rail window scared him, as much as it did in childhood. The tales of fairies and monsters came alive, once again. He had been scared of touching the branches in autumn, fearing that they would turn into monsters, and gobble the little fairy trapped on the slopes below.

He stretched his hand out, to feel the vanishing dampness in the air. It was not yet spring, and a few droplets moistened his palm. The memory of Janet, the girl he had loved and dumped years ago, tore through his being, like a sharp knife. Was she still residing in that remote township, like that fairy? And will the monster of his conscience allow him to face her, without guilt or shame?

He hoped and prayed that she was now happily married, and was out of that quaint place of his past. Spring and summer would then follow, in their seasonal cycle.

(165 words)

 

Inspired by Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers (FFAWC) Challenge -109

FFfAW Challenge-Week of April 4, 2017