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- 06/04/2017
- 499 Words
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Flash In The Pan - 5. An Uncommon Daisy
A response to a challenge set by Cia. My nouns were daisy and pencil.
Javid opened the front door cautiously and peered out at the expanse of blueish-white. Looking down, he found a daisy. He stared, shocked, but then he remembered he still had a pencil somewhere. Was there any paper left? A picture, he wanted a picture of this little miracle.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen any live flower, never mind a daisy. Since the start of last ice age, however many decades ago, anything green was rare, treasured, almost the stuff of fairytales.
“Jay? Why you letting the bloody cold in? Shut the door, for fuck's sake.”
Javid turned a little at the sound of his father's complaint. “Sorry, Dad. It's just there's a … a daisy outside, as large as life.”
“What?!” Sean rushed to the door and joined him on the threshold. They both gazed in wonderment, as if the daisy was the most beautiful thing on Earth.
Javid sighed. “I wish we could spare the power to take a photo.”
Sean gave him a quick cuddle. “I know, sweetie, but we've barely got enough power credits to get us through to the end of the month. You know how bad it is. Come on, I'm gonna close the door now – we've already lost five percent of our warmth.”
They both knew where that could lead. Javid stood there, right up to the last moment. Then he turned away, his eyes brimming with tears. Sean forced the door shut and checked the seal. Once he was convinced they weren't going to freeze, he turned and looked at Javid.
“Oh, sweetie. Come here.” Sean held his arms out and enveloped Jay in a tight, loving hug. He could feel Javid shaking and sniffling, his tears leaving a damp patch on his thermal coverall.
“It can't be the only daisy left, can it? OK? Think of the equator. Maybe they still have carpets of daisies there. How one got here? Who knows. Maybe it's a sign the temperature's lifting?”
Javid looked at him, hopefully. Sean had an idea. “Hey, I'm sure I saved some flower pictures last summer when we had some power to spare. Shall we have a look?”
He could feel Jay shaking his head against his chest at the suggestion. Then, he started to speak. Sean moved them apart a little so he could hear better.
“Do we have any paper left? Plain paper. I only need a small piece – this size …” Javid used his hands to demonstrate. He was almost pleading.
Sean frowned. Anything that wasn't directly connected to them staying alive, was a luxury. They had precious few of those.
“I don't know, Jay. What d'you want it for anyway?” He thought he already knew the answer.
“I want to draw the daisy. Please … I've got a pencil somewhere. It wouldn't cost us any extra credits … Could I have one last look?”
Reluctantly, Sean opened up again. They both looked down in disbelief. There was no daisy.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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