Trina liked empty cities the best and this is her best memory of New York.
She looked up, the Sun rose, partially eclipsed by a big black Moon.
Trina sat primly on the only bench on Queens Boulevard when she saw the shadow of a little boy skipping rope.
She quickly opened her journal and wrote, ‘In theland of tall thin shadows’
Then she pulled a piece of chalk from her skirts, dropped to her hands and knees, and drew a hopscotch court. The shadow boy stopped skipping rope and came closer.
Trina stood. “Hello,” she curtsied. “I’m Trina, and you?”
“I am a child of the Universe,” replied the shadow boy.
“I see.” Trina searched the ground for a small stone to use as a marker. “You have a right to be here?”
The shadow boy shook his head, “Maybe yes, maybe no.”
Trina laughed: “Did you lose your boy?”
“I think so. Have you seen him?”
“This is my world. No one comes here, not even shadows.”
“I don’t have a right to be here?”
“Strictly speaking, no.”
Trina found a stone and tossed it onto the court. “What happens when you vanish?” she asked.
“I don’t exist.” The shadow boy replied.
Trina was appalled. “You stop thinking?”
“I think so.”
“How awful!”
“But I always come back when the little boy goes out to play!”
“Always?”
“Yes.”
Trina reached up and hid the Sun behind her big black moon.
Queens Boulevard went black and the shadow boy was gone.
Trina was sad.
She reached into her skirts and found a torch, then she opened her journal and wrote, ‘They sleep without dreams’
The Shadow Boy
‘In the Land of Tall Thin Shadows’ (c) Rob Goldstein, March 2019
Welcome back to Hidebound Hump Day, my chuckaboos! Right now, I’m sitting in the floor, surrounded by boxes, trying to lasso all the phone calls I need to make, and accounts that need address changes, and… I can see that it is more than I can do in the next three days, when I combine it with the other details of moving house.
Of course Murphy’s Law is in full force and the insurance agent screwed up something, getting my insurance cancelled and so getting me in trouble with the mortgage company for my long awaited home.
I thought I would hit the 2,000 mile highway this weekend, but there is snow in my weather forecast again. My agoraphobic self is teetering on the edge of the very tall cliff of a big freak-out. That said, as much as my spirit needs your comments, I…
Thank you to everyone who participated! Great stories and to those who stretched their imaginations, Congratulations. ❤ Below is the round-up of all the February poems, flashes, short stories, and some artwork too! If I missed yours for some reason, please add a link in the comments and I’ll happily reblog. I invite everyone to enjoy some unique stories and meet some wonderful writers. I’ll post March’s prompt on the 1st!
pixabay image from Natan Vance 
