Rain Taking Jay's Writing Challenge

May I ask that nobody post here except for myself. These are my story replies to Jay's writing challenge topic.


FIRST WORD: AIRPLANE



“Mommy, when can I go outside?”

The little boy sat at the breakfast table, cereal all over the place around his bowl. His tired-looking mother glanced up and gave him a sad smile.

“Not today, sweet heart,” she told him. His face immediately fell.

“But Mommy, I want to go play outside! It’s all sunny!” he said, pointing out the window. She looked where he was pointing, and knew he was being valid, but she simply couldn’t let him out. It wasn’t healthy for him.

“Maybe tomorrow, baby,” she told him. “Now finish your breakfast.”

She watched as her son scooped his spoon into the bowl and shoved Cheerios into his mouth. Without realizing it, her eyes flicked up to his small, bald head. It had been that way for a while. She always tried to make it seem like an adventure to him, but she knew he was becoming restless from being inside day after day when it was so nice outside.

When he was done eating, he jumped down from his booster chair and ran out of the room, nearly slipping on the hardwood floor. He giggled, and his mother smiled weakly at his innocence. Within moments, she heard him playing in his room with his toys. His favorite was a small plastic airplane that could open up for little people. He would fly them to faraway places such as France and Africa.

Sighing, his mother stood up, taking his and her bowls to the sink to wash. She wondered if it would ever end, all of the endless treatments, visiting the doctor’s, praying for his life. Maybe not. But she couldn’t think about that, she had to have hope.

“Zoom!” cried the boy, racing in with the airplane held up. He slowed to a stop by the counter, making a buzzing noise the whole time. Finally, the plane rolled to a stop right next to the sink.

“All passengers can now get off,” he stated, and opened the door. One by one, he made the people step out onto the counter, and each faced his mom. She froze in her rinsing to watch what he was doing. Once all the people were out, she turned and smiled at her.

“Where are they visiting now?” she asked him.

“They’re visiting you,” he said simply. “They all missed their mommies and wanted to visit.”

This touched her, and she grinned at him.
“That’s very nice of them,” she said, waving at the small toys. “Where are they going next?”

“They’re going to visit Daddy at work!” he exclaimed, quickly putting all the people back and snapping the plane shut. “Bye!” He was off again, leaving his mother to chuckle at his adventure.

~*~*~*

FOUR MONTHS LATER

Rain poured down on the small gathering, matching the mood perfectly. Slow music filled the air around the funeral-goers, played by an elderly woman on a violin. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but still she played on. Two people near the front in their chairs hugged each other, the smaller figure shaking uncontrollably.

After many minutes, the music drew to a close, and as one, the congregation stood up and walked to the front. One by one, they filed past the coffin at the front. It was too small, much too small to even have needed to be made. The woman who had been crying violently still fought to control the sobs, but she held them in as she stopped in front of the open coffin. Inside laid the little boy who had been a part of her life for only six years. He looked peaceful, his tiny hands folded over his frail chest.

His mother reached out, touching his pale, cold face one more time before reluctantly stepping away. Family members and friends passed silently by, some muttering a few words. Finally, it was time.

The coffin was lifted gently and moved over the hole, and then lowered into it. A few dirt crumbs fell on top of it, but otherwise, light glinted off the smooth surface of the lid. It covered the boy, the little boy who had been put to rest with a few of his favorite things, most of which was a small plastic airplane that opened and could fit little plastic people inside. He liked taking them to faraway places, places like Peru and India. Now he was taking it to the best place of all: heaven.

This story goes through the four seasons. Mostly.


Today, my life begins. I am so excited. All of my friends whisper gossip under the cover of the wind, and I listen quietly. It’s a little chilly out here, but I can feel it getting warmer every day. Everybody says I’m a pretty, green leaf, but I can’t see what’s so special about me. I’m just glad to be here on this tree.

The days have become much warmer, and children play outside, underneath my home. They get bored and rip some of my friends down, killing them by shredding. Thankfully, I am too high for them to reach.

Now the children play outside all day, from mid-morning to sun-down. There are more of them, and they play with a long tube that seems to spray artificial rain. Birds have taken to ripping more of my friends and family away, but a couple of them are glad to go. The sunlight is intense, making some days unbearable. Even the slightest breeze is welcome.

My friends have all turned vibrant colors. Everybody is either red, yellow, orange, or brown. The ends of our lives are near, but most of us are still too lively to let this tree go. We’re too weak, though, to fight the wind, and we flap uselessly. I have grown tired. No longer do the children come outside, so we are safe from unprecedented death. Even the birds have given up. The days are colder, and the sun is disappearing. Soon, life will be over. Soon…

I can feel it. Today is the day. At last, I will drop off, and be taken away from this misery. Snow falls silently. I am lonely; my friends are already far below me, buried under a thin sheet of ice. With the next wind, I’ll be joining them. Finally, finally! Sweet release. . .