Week Nine

A photo of anything...

(Now, I know I'm supposed to take the photos, but in this case, I'm breaking the rules and using a photo of the internet. It inspired me to write this story and I hope you guys like it.)

...write a short story based on it.

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I stood there, waiting. Waiting for a sign, waiting for my wish to come true. I stood on the edge, peering into the water below. It had a sandy bottom and wasn’t very deep. I could taste the salt in the air, and smell the fresh fish cooking next door. My belly rumbled just thinking about it. To taste fresh seafood again would be heaven. Perhaps Kyle would be lucky today. The sea birds called to one another and flew about, looking for scraps. I didn’t move a muscle and they ignored me, as if I were part of the harbor.

In a way, I was apart of the harbor. I had lived here my whole life. When I was little and hadn’t started school yet, Papa would sometimes take me to work with him. He’d sit me on his broad shoulders and walk all the way to the harbor with me. I loved our outings together. I would pretend I was a princess and he was my horse, and I would wave to the people we passed. Or, I would hold on to his hand and he would swing me up and back and forth. I laughed so hard I cried! Kyle would always hurry to join us after school, but by then the sun would be switching places with the moon and we would head home to Mama and dinner.

Today, it was a breezy, but sunny day. The wind picked up wisps of my auburn hair that had come loose from my ponytail. It was the perfect spring day for a long-awaited ship to come home. Oh, please, let today be the day, I prayed.

I remember everything as if were yesterday. I remember Papa packing up his belongings really slowly, with Mama watching his every move. She could barely move herself, as she was eight months pregnant. In the days before, Papa often talked alone with Kyle. I always stood away from them, envious with their close relationship. I was never able to hear what they actually said because Mama kept calling me inside to help with the meals and laundry. Women’s work. Oh, how I used to long to have as much freedom as Kyle did. But these days, I nearly do. Now, Mama trusts me to walk all the way to the harbor by myself and back. Sometimes, if Kyle is busy, I get to go into town and buy or trade supplies!

I have been standing here for two years. It had been that long since Papa embarked on his whaling expedition. Two years since Mama had smiled. Two years since Emma had been born. Two years since Kyle had taken a day off from his job. Two very long years.

Every day, I returned to the same dock, the same plank, the same perch to watch for him. To see if today would be the day he would come home. And every day I would return home by myself disappointed, but hopeful for tomorrow. Yet, it seemed like tomorrow would never come. What if Papa had forgotten about us? What if he had perished out at sea and nobody would ever know what had happened? What if? The only thing we could do was wait. And so we did.

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I challenge you to pick any picture you want and write a short story about it. This is just for fun, so there's no due date or any rules. I'd love to see what you guys come up with. Post it on your blog when you're done!

I can't believe I am on Week Nine! Only one more to go!

Thanks for reading // Have a great day! :)