Writing Resources from Fifteen Minutes of Fiction

A Single Light

Only a single light shone in the room, illuminating the paper-covered desk. Peter hunched over his work despite his lack of concentration. For whatever reason his mind was elsewhere. Unconsciously, he read over papers but made no attempt to actually understand what was written. The green pen was held loosely in his hand and had not made a mark in some time. Over the speakers a song played softly, the same song that had been playing for the past half hour. Peter’s only deliberate move was to press repeat on the remote sitting next to the lamp.
The lyrics swirled about the room and gently caught Peter’s ear. He had been captive to that sound for years and Peter had no qualms about it. Nothing could better describe his feelings for her. Every time he heard the song he was instantly swept away.
He remembered moments that had long since passed, yet they hung in his mind as if they had only just happened. There were flashes of her smile, a swirl of a sundress, and all the words Peter hoped to hear. In the music-filled darkness Peter couldn’t help but smile.
Peter looked up from his papers and gazed at her. She was resting comfortably, asleep in her bed. The light from the lamp barely reached her, but Peter could still see her beautiful face. Somehow, even in the darkness her face was aglow. Her chest rose and fell with every gentle breath she took. Her arm reached out to the emptiness beside her. Despite that emptiness she was still smiling in her sleep. He could only hope that she was dreaming of him. Peter wondered if her memories were as sharp as his were. Perhaps just a moment ago their minds had intertwined and focused on the same memory.
But Peter would never know. She was asleep in another bed, in another room away from him. All Peter could do was wonder, if she still remembered. He could only wonder if she still thought of him.

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