ALIVE (199 words) by Nicole Loos Miller
He gasped, taking his first breath in over a year.
Halloween. She must be close.
He flexed his fingers, smiling. Soon he’d be able to move his whole body, if only for one night.
Ten years ago, she’d been playing with her homemade wand in the cornfield. The green spark surprised them both – landing on the scarecrow’s chest, igniting a beat within his heart.
Now, she was eighteen. The farm had been sold. It would be their last night together before he was torn down, his fields paved.
Dried cornhusks crunched underfoot as she approached. He climbed down, limbs awkward with disuse.
His heart ached as her green eyes pierced through him. She was different this year – taller, face thinner. But that same mischievous smile sent a tingle across his burlap skin.
She reached out and nestled her fingers between his.
“I missed you,” she whispered.
His reply caught in his throat.
She laughed – a bright, silver sound.
His heart beat like a caged bird.
“I made a wish,” she said, leaning close. She smelled of cloves and fallen leaves.
Her lips on his.
A spark.
But this time, it spread.
He was alive.
For good.
(This story was written for the Fall Writing Frenzy which challenges writers to write a story in 200 words or less, based on a provided picture.)
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