Flash Fiction: Childhood Dream
Source
Happy Monday my friends!
Yup... Monday. That means it's time for some flash fiction... and this week, we're going all smooshy! Hope you enjoy it.
Childhood Dream
I can’t say that I’ve ever been a fan of blindfolds. Not that I’ve worn one that often. Of course I haven’t! I’m not, you know, kinky or anything. But, well, I’m wearing one now. It wouldn’t be so bad if my guide wasn’t the clumsiest man in the UK. Nor would it be so bad if we were indoors but unfortunately, we’re not. We’re outside, in the dark, wandering around on our farm.
Our farm. Even thinking those two words has caused my shoulders to shoot up around my earlobes.
“Almost there love,” Andy gives a gentle tug on my arm, steering me to the left. I promptly trip over a clump of something. Something hard.
“Ouch, shit!”
“Sorry Liz…”
My eyebrows knit in agitation. Sorry. Andy’s always saying that he’s sorry about something. Sorry for not remembering to buy milk, sorry for not getting around to mending the fence, sorry for existing...
This place was our childhood dream. We fantasised about it in our teens. We saved all the way through our twenties. And now, two decades later, the place has nearly torn us apart. Our dream turned out to be hard work wrapped up in muck and topped off with absolutely no time to spend together. I mean, we’re always together, but not together, you know?
When he told me about this evening, I thought he’d lost the plot. I mean, seriously? A blindfolded walk? But something stopped me from shooting him down. Maybe it was desperation.
Now I’m frightened. All I can hear are night noises and Andy’s steady footfall. I shiver. Why would I be scared of my own husband? Or maybe I’m scared I’m slowly losing my husband…
“We’re here.” Andy draws me to a standstill.
“Where?”
“Hang on one sec.” He’s fiddling with the knot at the back of the blindfold.
And then it drops. I am stood at the edge of the woodland on the very boundary of our land. The soft twinkling candlelight seems bright after the darkness of the blindfold.
“Happy anniversary Liz.”
I am stood next to a giant bathtub, under the boughs of the trees. Fragrant steam washes over me.
I turn to my husband and he’s seventeen again. We are lying on his bed at his parents’ house, imagining our farm life. Imagining this exact picture. A woodland bathtub. With strawberries, chocolate and champagne.
Hope you enjoyed it!
See you soon,
Eveningart x
Sources: Image from Pixbay and edited on Canva by yours truly.
howdy there @eveningart! this is an amazing piece of writing, are you telling me that you just sat down and knocked this off? It was so involving from the first moment, great job!
Thank you so much for your support- I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I'm trying to put out a short piece every Monday at the moment. X
now THAT would be something to look forward to on a dreary Monday!
great idea, see that would be a blessing to the world. you're not bad for
a Brit!
oh my gosh - i was so scared that he was going to push her off a cliff or something hahahahahaha
and i have the MOST amazing picture to show you!!!!!!!!! i'll find it - and send it as another comment.
AND LADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU WERE CURIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh i'm so proud of you :) I cannot wait to read your novel... cuz the way you write is simply intoxicating!!!!
Thank you so much my lovely friend! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story, poor old Andy - such a gentle soul really - just a bit bumbling!
I can't believe it - so thankful and honoured to receive a Curie - that's a bit of a 'bucket list' achievement right there for me - and I wouldn't have got it without my lovely Welcome Wagon posse teaching me so much!
E x
ok here it is hehehehe (my second comment - sorry - i didnt want to add it to the other comment LOL)
and
ohhhhhhhhhhhhh the decadence!!!!!!!!! :)
Life goals 😍
I'm going to have to find out where in the world this is and take a trip there. Gorgeous!
I love this story, and the way it captures the hopes and dreams of younger years, not the least because it is Flash-written! And how true! We all have this hopes and plans, but well, life has a way of taking us its own direction, like tridax!
I am going to feature it in the next Xposed Curator's Rebound #29. You may find details about it Xposed Curator's Rebound
My hope is to bring your quality work here the exposure it deserves, and with it, hopefully some additional rewards.
Congratulations, and best wishes.
Thank you very much - I've just popped over and seen the post- thank you so much for including me, I'm thrilled!
E x
Such a sweet story. I enjoyed it.
Thank you so much - I really appreciate it 😀
So sweet! <3
Thanks!
(Oops, I didn't mean to hit reply yet!)
ANYWAY, I loved this quote. I still vividly remember lying in bed with my boyfriend at his parents house talking and dreaming of the future, when we'd be married and have our own house and all that. It is one of the most VIVID memories I have. I still remember what I was wearing, the feel of the sheets, the sweet new romance feel... and that was (holy crap!) 28 years ago. Wow. I'm old.
I'm so glad you liked it. It's amazing how memories like that stick with us, and they stay full of colour- like every single sense has its own memory of it - and it doesn't matter how long ago it was- it stays fresh and crips and bright.
Thank you for your lovely comment (and you're only as old as you feel - which makes me about 6 years old most of the time!) E x
Hi eveningart,
Visit curiesteem.com or join the Curie Discord community to learn more.
Oh my goodness - thank you so much, I am so thrilled and grateful to you for this honour. I'll have a great day now- thanks to you guys!
E x
@eveningart I just loved that story - you SOOOOOO need to write that book soon! 💖