Whilst Ben is on a silent retreat and since I’ve been struggling to write more of my novel, I thought a good way to release some of my pent up energy and compulsion to create was to write a one-shot. Happy reading!
Alex rolled out from under her floral quilt, and coughed as she tried to breath air through her runny nose. She squinted through her watery eyes at her phone which doubled as a clock (as is the case for most people nowadays). She silently cursed her allergies as she pulled on yesterday’s shorts and a clean t-shirt.
She slipped out of her apartment door and walked down the hallway, determined to vanquish the sore throat and sneezing with allergy medication. All she needed to do was make it to the store and back before the tropical storm arrived in the small town.
The elevator eagerly dinged opened as soon as she pressed the button as if it had been waiting for her all morning. Normally she would have taken the stairs, but given her state, she thought she could let it slide.
Who knew I was allergic to grizzly bears? She thought to herself as she descended three floors.
She had had stranger adventures than last night but if she was being honest, she was quite partial to the bear who laughed in his sleep.
With every Florida rain storm that rolled in, Alex had found herself on another ridiculous and completely inexplicable escapade, which is why Alex now glanced up nervously at the dark clouds in the distance.
The Publix was only a 7 minute walk from her apartment–the benefits of living in a small town. Like, really small. Like 500 people small. Like “most people outside of the isolated community have never heard of it” small. Oh yeah, and most people rode golf carts around.
Well, most people. From behind her, Alex heard the familiar sound of a skateboard on brick.
“Alex! Wait up!” Alex turned around to see her dark haired, dark-eyed friend approaching quickly.
“Hey, John,” she said and her friend winced hearing his baptismal name rather than “Gonzo” his shortened surname, which most people call him. Having been his best friend since they were five, Alex felt she had earned the privilege of calling him by his real name every once in a while.
“Where have you been? I haven’t seen you in days,” John complained, as the two were hit with a cold blast of air from the A/C as they entered the store. John followed her down the aisle as Alex tried to decide how she could avoid explaining the weirdness that had been following her. Even though their friendship was probably pretty solid after thirteen years, she wasn’t sure how he would respond to “Well, I had cake with a little prince on Tuesday and I found that an Octopus’ garden is, in fact, quite lovely this time of year.”
“Oh, you know how summer breaks are,” she said vaguely, handing the money to the cashier and hoping her friend didn’t notice she was dodging the question.
As they stepped back out into the humidity, Alex saw that the black storm clouds were above them.
“I’ll see you, John,” she said, nervously ready to break into a run so she wasn’t caught in the storm.
“Wait, Alex!” he said, grabbing her hand. “What the hell?!”
“John, I have to go,” she tried saying but it was too late. The wind picked up around them and she knew it was coming. Her hand still in his, she squeezed it tightly.
“Don’t ask,” she replied, as she waited to see how the world around them would be transformed.
A Myth Retold 