Again...
Feel free to let me know what you think. I know they aren't perfect, and I wouldn't post them if I really didn't want to make them better. :-)
He’d had a good life. Long. Full of the usual pleasures. And more. He’d had advantages the average person would kill for, and he used them to their full potential. He was never arrogant about it, though. No matter what, he was always kind to everyone he met. No one ever hated him, and he never hated anyone.
At the usual age, or perhaps just before, he’d found a girl he loved and would be with forever. They’d raised a family: four of the kindest children the world had ever seen. Their home was always warm and welcoming; everyone was invited, no matter the time. He was always faithful, and never late. It was never a problem obtaining those things which a family wants, and more.
In short, his life was perfect. Regardless of the smaller details, which vary, his was the life of which everyone dreams. And yet he still managed to hold the love of every creature he encountered.
Yet, in the end, here he lay: arms and legs limp, jaw agape, eyes gazing off into some unknown world. A light begins to shine on him, growing. The light grows to a massive, blinding intensity…and then passes. And he is left, again, alone, to gaze off into the beautiful distance only he can see.
A merry young woman in a canary yellow sundress approaches a serene young man sitting on a bench in the heart of a city park. She notes his grey shirt and silver tie as she sits down beside him and smiles. “Good evening. I’m Apollonia,” she says cheerily, holding out her hand.
The man takes the hand and shakes it gently, replying, “My name is Chandra.” The contrast between their language and style is clear immediately: one speaking gaily, filling each word with joy, and the other speaking precisely, each word chosen specifically. Apollonia notices this and smiles.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you here before. I spend so much time here, I practically live here,” she adds with a giggle. Her laugh is delicate and bright, like everything else about her, it seems to bring another ray of light into the scene. She seems so surreal, Chandra nearly expects a bluebird to land on her shoulder just as she begins to fade from reality. He gazes at her with large, thoughtful eyes, mesmerized for a moment, before replying.
“I don’t believe you have seen me. I’ve only just moved into a flat just over there.” He gestures to his right in the general direction of his building. “It was so nice this evening, I thought to take a stroll and get my bearings on the city. I was distracted, however, by this park.” A hint of a smile plays across his face.
“It is beautiful here. Personally, I think I would like living here, right on this bench just as much as in an apartment. But one must have some sort of shelter sometimes, I suppose. I live with my parents just over that way,” Apollonia says, indicating just ahead of the pair.
As she speaks, Chandra feels his admiration for this woman growing. As she begins telling him about her adventures in the park, he notices her button nose, her eyes glowing with mirth, her mouth moving entirely too slow for her liking, and yet nearly too fast to be intelligible. When she stops for air, he manages to inquire, “Do you always talk to strangers here?”
“Well… I suppose. Mother tells me I shouldn’t, but I don’t understand who couldn’t be pleasant here, especially on a day like this. You miss meeting all sorts of interesting people if you don’t talk to strangers,” she concludes with a wide grin.
“Fair enough. You do have quite a positive view of everything. How do you keep it up?”
Laughing, Apollonia replies, “Oh, I don’t know. It just comes to me. I do get sad sometimes, but then I come to the park and my mood comes right back up.” She glances up at the sky. “Oh my goodness! I didn’t even realize how late it was!” Jumping up from the park bench, she turns to Chandra and, shaking his hand, hurriedly apologizes. “I really am sorry, but I must be going or Mother shall be angry.” She turns to go, but he does not immediately release her hand.
“Will you be here again tomorrow?” he asks, full of hope.
“Of course! I’m here every day! I’ll meet you at this bench again if you like. Only I really must be going now…”
Chandra, remembering he is holding her hand, releases her apologetically. “Sorry! I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow. I hope I haven’t made you too late.”
Apollonia is already running towards home. “It’s alright! Tomorrow! Same place!” she calls over her shoulder.
Freed from his reverie, Chandra realizes that it is indeed rather late, and growing somewhat dark. Rather than returning to his flat directly, however, Chandra decides to go for a stroll. He wanders the park for hours, thinking of the beautiful girl he met than evening, returning home only in the wee hours of the morning.
(I'm not sure about the tense in that one.)
I'm working on a few more, but there isn't enough to them that they're worth anyone's time yet.
He’d had a good life. Long. Full of the usual pleasures. And more. He’d had advantages the average person would kill for, and he used them to their full potential. He was never arrogant about it, though. No matter what, he was always kind to everyone he met. No one ever hated him, and he never hated anyone.
At the usual age, or perhaps just before, he’d found a girl he loved and would be with forever. They’d raised a family: four of the kindest children the world had ever seen. Their home was always warm and welcoming; everyone was invited, no matter the time. He was always faithful, and never late. It was never a problem obtaining those things which a family wants, and more.
In short, his life was perfect. Regardless of the smaller details, which vary, his was the life of which everyone dreams. And yet he still managed to hold the love of every creature he encountered.
Yet, in the end, here he lay: arms and legs limp, jaw agape, eyes gazing off into some unknown world. A light begins to shine on him, growing. The light grows to a massive, blinding intensity…and then passes. And he is left, again, alone, to gaze off into the beautiful distance only he can see.
A merry young woman in a canary yellow sundress approaches a serene young man sitting on a bench in the heart of a city park. She notes his grey shirt and silver tie as she sits down beside him and smiles. “Good evening. I’m Apollonia,” she says cheerily, holding out her hand.
The man takes the hand and shakes it gently, replying, “My name is Chandra.” The contrast between their language and style is clear immediately: one speaking gaily, filling each word with joy, and the other speaking precisely, each word chosen specifically. Apollonia notices this and smiles.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you here before. I spend so much time here, I practically live here,” she adds with a giggle. Her laugh is delicate and bright, like everything else about her, it seems to bring another ray of light into the scene. She seems so surreal, Chandra nearly expects a bluebird to land on her shoulder just as she begins to fade from reality. He gazes at her with large, thoughtful eyes, mesmerized for a moment, before replying.
“I don’t believe you have seen me. I’ve only just moved into a flat just over there.” He gestures to his right in the general direction of his building. “It was so nice this evening, I thought to take a stroll and get my bearings on the city. I was distracted, however, by this park.” A hint of a smile plays across his face.
“It is beautiful here. Personally, I think I would like living here, right on this bench just as much as in an apartment. But one must have some sort of shelter sometimes, I suppose. I live with my parents just over that way,” Apollonia says, indicating just ahead of the pair.
As she speaks, Chandra feels his admiration for this woman growing. As she begins telling him about her adventures in the park, he notices her button nose, her eyes glowing with mirth, her mouth moving entirely too slow for her liking, and yet nearly too fast to be intelligible. When she stops for air, he manages to inquire, “Do you always talk to strangers here?”
“Well… I suppose. Mother tells me I shouldn’t, but I don’t understand who couldn’t be pleasant here, especially on a day like this. You miss meeting all sorts of interesting people if you don’t talk to strangers,” she concludes with a wide grin.
“Fair enough. You do have quite a positive view of everything. How do you keep it up?”
Laughing, Apollonia replies, “Oh, I don’t know. It just comes to me. I do get sad sometimes, but then I come to the park and my mood comes right back up.” She glances up at the sky. “Oh my goodness! I didn’t even realize how late it was!” Jumping up from the park bench, she turns to Chandra and, shaking his hand, hurriedly apologizes. “I really am sorry, but I must be going or Mother shall be angry.” She turns to go, but he does not immediately release her hand.
“Will you be here again tomorrow?” he asks, full of hope.
“Of course! I’m here every day! I’ll meet you at this bench again if you like. Only I really must be going now…”
Chandra, remembering he is holding her hand, releases her apologetically. “Sorry! I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow. I hope I haven’t made you too late.”
Apollonia is already running towards home. “It’s alright! Tomorrow! Same place!” she calls over her shoulder.
Freed from his reverie, Chandra realizes that it is indeed rather late, and growing somewhat dark. Rather than returning to his flat directly, however, Chandra decides to go for a stroll. He wanders the park for hours, thinking of the beautiful girl he met than evening, returning home only in the wee hours of the morning.
(I'm not sure about the tense in that one.)
I'm working on a few more, but there isn't enough to them that they're worth anyone's time yet.