Little Glow

Excellence Award in the 'Inspired 2019' competition

The wind threw ripples across the water, it tugged on the hair loose around my shoulders, it nibbled at my bare arms and feet on the wharf. I kept my eye on the horizon. Waiting. I watched. The inky water swirling around my feet. I listened. I heard a distant melody. A song. Far away, yet I could hear its beauty and its peace. It was carried away from other places and came to me on a fresh breeze.
I looked out across the bay. Tiny, coloured lights from the city moved across the little waves. They were the stars the sky was missing. I watched them quiver against the body of almost complete blackness. The moon was there though, like almost always. It shone vaguely, its light gentle. It made me feel just a little bit warmer even though the night was cold and my heart was even colder. But soon wispy clouds entangled themselves around it, obscuring it, pulling it away from my sleepy eyes.
I became aware of the heaviness in my chest, making its way up my throat, pressing something that felt like tears. I felt them burning me, lighting me. I didn’t let them win. I couldn’t. Tears weren’t brave to me. I had to be brave. I had to brave even though I hurt inside. I brought my knees up to my chest, hugging my legs, the skirt of my dress draped over me like a blanket. The damp hem touched the wooden boards lightly; teasingly. The wood, I noticed, was damp too. I lifted my chin to the horizon again. Still waiting. Longing.
I closed my eyes and listened. I couldn’t hear the music anymore, just the water lapping at the wharf. Such peace was beautiful. I treasured it. I sat there listening for a long time. I tried to capture everything in that moment and lock it away in my heart and in my mind. I commanded my eyes to open, reluctantly they obeyed. I saw a silhouette in the moonlight that hadn’t been there before. Black against black with a strange little glow. It moved slowly towards the wharf. And I waited. I watched. Hardly patient but trying hard to be. Trying to contain emotion inside.
The silhouette approached slowly, moving steadily. A little lantern hung from a rod on the small boat, emitting a soft, dull glow. I stood, eyes wide and longing, lips parted slightly in disbelief. And like the glow of the lantern, I felt a little glow in my chest, wrapping like a lick of flame around my heart. Relief like a flood washed away dark images and fear. I watched as the oars pushed the water gently and the boat came up beside the wharf. He turned to me and I saw his face. Our eyes were identical and our smiles were the same. And I knew, he had come to me by moonlight and would take me away at last.

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