MYSTober 2024

31 vignettes based on single-word prompts. One story.

1. Island

As the sun completed its slow journey towards night, creating an enchanting display of oranges and reds above the darkly lit ocean, Simon and his wife Caroline walked hand-in-hand along the beach, waves lightly lapping at their bare feet. Now that their daughter Ella was old enough to watch her brother in the evening, they had made a tradition out of strolling around the island's shoreline at sunset every night.

Caroline brushed the back of her hand against his. "Do you ever think about how lucky we are to have this view every night? It's breathtaking."

Simon leaned over and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. She smiled. "Sometimes," he agreed. "It's what sometimes comes afterwards that I've grown unfond of."

"Oh, don't think of that now. There's so much beauty here in front of us, why worry it with the uncomfortable stuff?"

"I can't help it. When we were growing up, this place was absolutely idyllic. Now?" He bent over and grasped some sand from the beach, letting it run through his fingers. When it had finished he frowned at it. "The woods aren't safe. After that sun goes down, the town isn't safe."

Caroline stepped in front of him and gazed into his eyes. "This is an old worry, isn't it?"

He nodded. "Every day it feels like our life grows even more disconnected from safety. It's only a matter of time until something goes terribly wrong."

She took his hand and gently tugged on it so they could continue walking. "Well, you're a man of action. What are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to build a boat."

She laughed. "A boat?"

"A boat! Big enough for four, with provisions for days."

"And what will we do on this boat?"

"We'll leave. Find somewhere new. Somewhere that's still safe."

"Where do you suppose that will be?" She gestured broadly towards the now dimly lit ocean. "There's nothing to see but water."

"Provisions for many days." They both chuckled. "I haven't worked that part out yet. But there's somewhere else out there – there has to be. And that place isn't cursed like this one is."

"I thought you didn't believe in the curse?"

"I didn't." He stopped to watch the last curve of the sun dip below the distant horizon. Then he leaned forward and kissed his wife ever so gently on her soft lips. "But things change."

MYSTober 2024

Table of Contents

1. Island