Friday, April 07, 2006


me with umbrella & tourists on bridge, DC. photo by oldben.

posted by jenn see at 12:50 PM

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous stared and said...

"I don't think it'll work," he said.

"Of course it will," she replied. "It HAS to."

"No," he said, "it doesn't." He squinted at the slate sky above, and then crouched, tugging free a few blades of grass and then letting them go. The fluttered off on the breeze, away from the water. "The wind is wrong," he said. "It'd never carry us across. It'd only take us back to Them."

"You don't know that," she replied.

"I do, and so do you."

She twirled the umbrella in her hand, the spokes spiraling hypnotically before him. "So what, then? We wait here to be taken?"

"Of course not."

"Then what?"

He paused. "You have to leave."

"Leave how?"

"Inside it," he replied. "Like this." He took the umbrella from her hand, holding it upside-down. "It'll hold, I think."

"Come with me," she replied.

"I can't. It's too fragile. The both of us would sink it for sure."

"But if the wind is wrong..."

"The current is strong enough. It'll carry you as far as you'll need to go."

"You're sure?"

He smiled, thin and humorless. "It's the only way."

She strolled toward the water, the umbrella draped over her shoulder, open like a rose. The scent of cherry blossoms hung in the air. She knew what she had to do.

And with a glance back, she was gone.

He watched as she drifted off, oddly regal as she stood with one hand against the handle, the umbrella bobbing downstream. I had to let her go, he thought. It was the only way.

She drifted out of sight, and he turned away from the river. It was only a matter of time before They arrived.

2:15 PM  
Blogger Carl V. stared and said...

So...do you have an umbrella collection?

6:20 PM  
Blogger jenn see stared and said...

oooh i am intrigued by the "they"...

i would love to say yes, carl, but i have only the two umbrellas. & one rather bedraggled white parasol.

2:11 PM  

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