Congratulations to Denise Coderre, whose story earned her a free book and bottle of wine!
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Character: The person next to you
Action: Hail Mary
Setting: Somewhere in cyberspace
Prop: Mask
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Nature Trip
by Denise Coderre
“Hey man, where are we?”
“I don’t know about you, but I think I’m somewhere in cyberspace. How big a dose did you say this was?”
“I didn’t, and I’m gonna keep it that way. You doin’ okay?”
“Yeah, thanks. I’m glad we’re here together. It’s a real chance to get to know you on a different level – without the masks we sometimes wear. I’ve known you all your life, mi hijo, but really, how well do we know each other?”
“I know what you mean. All my life, I’m the person next to you, living, playing and eating with you, sometimes crying with you, laughing with you…I think I know you pretty well. But who knows? How about you tell me about yourself? I’ll see if you get it right.”
“Hah! What is this? I don’t see any confessional boxes around, even if I were Catholic.”
“Don’t worry. It’s not as if I’m going to assign you any Hail Marys – even if I were a priest.
“This is supposed to be a beautiful experience. I think the best way we get to know each other, or rather, keep knowing each other, is just to be ourselves. Completely in the moment. There aren’t any roles we need to play. The roles are all in the past. Now, we’re just two people.”
“Yes, two peoples. And lots of bugs! Man, cyber bugs are huge! What if they eat us, and no one finds us for two years, and then we’re just a pile of bones?”
“Hello…take off the mask. You’re using bugs as an excuse to not talk about what’s important.”
“But this is me. I’m not a great philosopher. I’m just a weirdo who enjoys the minutiae, the bugs, the dirt. Look at the dirt! It’s red. Did I ever tell you about the science teacher who told me about the meaning of red dirt? It means were here. We got to where we’re going. We’ve arrived!”
“And there’s no place else I’d rather be than right here next to you. I sure do love you, whoever you are. I may not know you, but I know I love you. Thanks for being here with me.”
“Thanks for asking me. I love you too, more than you’ll ever know.”
© 2015 Denise Coderre
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Denise Coderre, originally from California, is a born-again Oregonian since 1990. She is an attorney specializing in retirement plans, insurance and related tax laws. In her spare time, she enjoys playing fierce Scrabble competitions against her fiancé, quiet evenings watching Dr. John McWhorter lectures on DVD, and studying foreign languages to mingle with locals around the world. She cherishes her good fortune to experience first-hand the enduring, ever-evolving mother-son bond.
Filed under: Mini Sledgehammers | Tagged: Blackbird Wine, cyberspace, Denise Coderre, short story, Sledgehammer, writing contest |
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