Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Ancient history

Another entry for Three Word Wednesday: The words are break, negative and surface.


She brushed the dirt from the bubbled surface of the box and blew the remaining dust away. Opened it. A break in the stone wall between then and now. A flash of items, evidence of a past she only partially believed. A tiny resin figure of a fantastical character, a child’s toy. Coins with dates from forever ago, never spent. Some kind of ticket covered with the writing that she’d never learned to read. A miniature, conical shell from a place far away. And a treasure – a piece of amber cellophane, the kind of thing she knew about because her grandfather had collected them. She held the color negative to the light and reversed the image in her mind. People, a family. Gathered around a table filled with food.
She dropped the negative back in the box.

7 comments:

gautami tripathy said...

She did the right thing..

pitching forward

Thom Gabrukiewicz said...

So many questions, but such good writing that the mind tries to fill in the rest. I like snap pieces like this, and your deft handling of the exercise.

Anonymous said...

Sweet! I love the way you leave the reader wanting for more.
Why was she looking in the box? Why didn't she want to see the photo? Nicely written! And the three words melted into the story flawlessly.

Angel said...

I want her to find that family and be happy.

Dreamer said...

You've managed to say so much with so few words. Liked the way some parts are unsaid and left to the reader's imagination.

Toi said...

Intriguing and well-written. Would
like to read a part 2.

Purple Houses said...

Thanks, everyone. I love seeing how this short piece resonated. Perhaps I'll continue with the story.