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Autumn is upon us in all its savage glory, but it is so much more than a paint pallet. I’d like you to theme your story around Autumn, including every sense except sight. I’d like this to be within a 450 word limit, please.
To clarify – this just relates to autumnal references. You can use sight in other parts of the story.
Sorry, J. I have the visuals – i.e. can picture in my mind what I want to say, but it appears I have lost the ability to string words together on a page.
He had seen the changing colors of the leaves which autumn requested. Felt the temperature fall. Of course, he had to haul himself on a plane years ago to experience this. Where he was from, it was hot all year round. No changing colors of leaves where he was from.
This year, he would experience autumn again. See the leaves change. Feel the air be crisper. Taste the pumpkin pie. His daughter had asked him, no begged him, to go somewhere with the change of season. A place where autumn would be welcomed.
He had to tell her though that their life was going to change. It changed when he felt pain where there should be none. When the doctor said there was no cure, and a wheelchair would be part of his life.
His daughter munched on the sugary cereal. She was small for a nine-year-old, by that age, her feet should be touching the floor from the dining room chairs. Another thing she inherited from him.
“I can’t wait to see autumn in Maine,” she said.
Tell her. Stop being a coward. She needed to know his health wasn’t looking good. He had laid people off, stood up to politicians, all he had to do was tell his child that daddy was sick.
“Will it snow?” she asked.
“Of course, it will. Just for you.”
What was he waiting for? This was only going to make it harder. Having this news not be delivered to her would mean it would hang over their trip to Maine.
“I can’t wait.” She smiled.
Rip it off like a cheap sticker.
“Aren’t you excited, daddy?”
“Of course, honey.”
Tomorrow would be better. He would tell her tomorrow. Promise.
The phone rang. Odd. No one called the house phone.
“This is Samuel,” the too familiar voice said.
The doctor. His heart plummeted.
“Possibly good news,” the doctor said. “There’s an experimental drug. It looks like it might cure that disease but there are risks. You might –”
“Yes. Sign me up.”
“There’s a ton of paperwork you’ll have to –”
“Doesn’t matter. How soon can I sign?”
“You can come by now if you –”
“I’m on my way.”
He ruffled his daughter’s hair. “Let’s leave early this morning. Daddy has a stop to make after he drops you to school.”
She nodded and smiled.
Maybe he would have no bad news to share with her after all.
Word Count: 410 words
It’s hardly fair to say ‘by default’, because @Alex, your story merits more than that. I loved the uplifting ending, and the thread you chose in the challenge, which was a pleasure to read. It is with the same pleasure I pass the baton over to you.
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