Day 182 Writing Short Stories

Halo

He adjusted his halo after it had tilted lopsidedly to the right, casting nasty bright spots into his eyes. The halo dropped back. He bent and picked up a twig from the ground, then placed it between the halo and his head. He sighed and waited on the park bench. The majestic trees, colored to autumn colors, rose behind him, casting shadows on the spot. Like many others in the park, he was there to wait for someone. And like the others, he was there to meet her.

And she came, like she always did. She was wearing a pantsuit ever so effortlessly. Her lips were painted the color of the peach, and the horns that had once been long and sturdy were now small studs on her head. She adjusted her glasses when she saw him and gave him a sweet little smile.

He sighed again as the twig shot out under the halo, making the halo lopsided again.

She sat next to him, correcting the halo to its rightful place, and as a miracle, it stayed up.

“How are you?” she asked.

“Fine, and you?” he retorted.

“No, I mean it. How are you?” she said, her voice full of honey.

He could linger in those syllables for an eternity, and never let the moment go, but she waited for an answer. “Terrible,” he said. “As you can see,” he said, pointing at the halo.

She nodded back at him, knowing exactly what he meant. She massaged her horns.

“It’s bad. Really bad. I can feel their influence seeping into me. Who knows when they are fully gone?” she said.

“Would that be so bad?” he asked.

She gave a weak smile. “As bad as you losing your halo.”

“Oh,” he said.

“Yes. I am what I am, and I like what I am.”

He had to look away so that she would not see his hopes and dreams. It would be so much easier if she were a mortal woman and not a demon. There could be forgiveness. But falling in love with a demon was not what he had planned. Not when already being among the humans was making his halo what it was.

She took his hand. “I know,” she said.

“You do?”

“I feel the same, but I will never be like you. I enjoy the chaos I make. And you, the order you create. We would never be completely satisfied.”

The halo came down. It crashed into his head and clattered on the bench between them.

He looked at her with sad eyes as she lifted it in her hands and swirled it there before lifting it back onto his head. It stayed there, hovering as it had done for centuries.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Can we still…?”

“Have our meetings?”

“Yes?”

“Of course, my darling. We can have them until the four horsemen ride.”

Drunk Chicken

Decided to skip this one, even when I had an idea that a drunk chicken was a meal enjoyed amongst friends.

Decision-Making

The prompt was for a college essay about the leadership or decision-making role the writer took. No! I say, no!

The prompts are from the book A Year of Creative Writing Prompts.

I know the first one is a cliché, but I had to write it. I liked how the halo stayed up only because she lifted it there to stay.

My morning was fruitful. I got the afterword right for my sci-fi book. I still have to polish it. The skeleton of the synopsis is done, but it doesn’t yet sit right with me. It needs a lot of work. I also played with the cover art, and I may have found an idea for it. I need to find an artist to do it. Also, I might have found a solution to the issues in the Glorious Mishap book five story. I experimented with a new character and her role, and she will replace Madam Sabine’s spot. The role of the leader of the Church of Kraken didn’t work well in the story, and now I know she will stay in the shadows and have her influence there.

Now I will have my rest with the cats before I go climbing. On the weekend, I set routes at the local climbing gym. It was fun after such a long while. My wrist could handle the load from the setting. I was so, so happy about that.

Thank you for reading ❤ Have a splendid day!