"I like this place, and willingly would waste my time in it." - William Shakespeare
There's nothing fascinating about a sleepy, little town. Mine is the sleepiest. It's got a white clapboard church, mom-and-pop shops, and stuffy offices where businessmen work. I dream of escaping sometimes. I'll turn eighteen and wave good-bye to my father; settle near one of those rare places that the whole world longs to see. I'm thinking of this as I shuffle through the mail. There's something there for me today: a letter from Arthur Wright.
“Greetings, Lillie,” my uncle writes, as if carrying on a conversation over tea. “I bet your summer's going well.” He prattles on about the weather and the orchards, and how Aunt Ally and Grayson miss me there. I trace a finger over the second, neatly penned name. “I'd invite you to come stay with us this June,” he says at last. “But you'll have to ask your father first.”
No one has to ask me twice. Uncle Arthur's house is beautiful. It's white and primitive, and surrounded by apples. I go there in the summer, sometimes. I leave the letter on the coffin table and start a mental to-do list. I'll need clothes and toiletries, and my father's approval. The latter comes almost as easily as I hope.
I press my nose into the fresh-cut grass. It has the fond, familiar smell of afternoon. I'm lying under the awning of leaves, where it's cool. You can watch the orchards here like watching a picture. The scene stands so still that, when it does finally move, you're almost certain you've only imagined it did.
"So you came," calls a familiar voice. I crawl into the sunshine, into his line of vision. Pressed against the gate stands Grayson Wright. He's a native to this place. The son of my uncle's field hand, Grayson spends the better part of his life here. He's what I missed the most. He blinks at me coolly now, flashing cornflower-blue eyes. They make me think of the sea.
We walk side-by-side through the trees. Grayson names each breed of apple as we pass: Redcorts and McIntosh, Yellow Delicious. I'm only half-listening. In secret, I'm planning out of the course of the summer. What will I do here? What adventures can I find? I'm spying the apples, little ornaments of red or the unlikely yellow of the sun. And then there's Grayson. He's fifteen, six months my senior, with skin like almond shells. "Where are we going?" I ask when I realize that the guided tour is done.
"I don't know. Let's just walk." And we do. We walk until the trees disappear and pretty wildflowers claim their place. Beyond the apple lands, I think. I'm not the only one who longs for escape.
The sun treks slowly toward the ground. It's falling, I think, pulling a curtain over the day. I blink up into the kaleidoscope of colors. "It's almost dark. Won't your dad be worried?"
Grayson smiles. He has a charm unexpected for a field hand's son. He doesn't whistle or talk with a lisp. "You're thinking like you're still in the city."
We stop at the crown of a hill. It's got the grassy look of open fields, laced with so many dandelions that I can't step around them.
"We can camp out here," says Grayson. "What do you think?" I wonder for a second if I've missed part of the question. He kneels in the grass and I kneel beside him.
I shake my head. I'm about to protest, to point out reasonably that we didn't bring so much as a watch, when he swoops out a hand. He closes it again, then draws it in front of my eyes. I see a little bulb flicker in the spaces between fingers: a firefly. "How did you do that?" I laugh. I reach to grab one, but it flits away.
Grayson's little prisoner wrests free. "I've lived in the country too long."
"I know what you mean," I reply. He throws me a sideways glance. I can see the words written there in my old friend's expression. Where I come from, life is easy. Children are born with silver spoons in their mouths. "I'm sorry," I amend. "That was selfish of me." I could tell Grayson why I've always hated Newport, why the old buildings and the harbors all remind me of Mom. But I don't. I lay back and untie the band from my hair. My straw-blonde hair falls over one shoulder and lands between us. "I think I'll camp out here with you after all."
Stars unfold over the stretch of sky. We lie here, finding patterns in their paths. Grayson tells me the stories behind the constellations. He points out Orion, a handsome hunter, who decided he'd rid the earth of all wild animals. Apollo sent a scorpion to kill him, but it was his sister, Artemis, who finally did the deed. She realized her mistake and begged for the gods to bring Orion back. It was too late. I close my eyes and imagine my mother. The soft lines of her face fill my mind like a picture. She always smiled. She wore long, ruffled dresses wherever she went. I came home from the park one day with a scraped knee, expecting to bury my face in her cotton dress and heal from its comfort. My mother wasn't there. Ten years later, I still pray to God to bring her back.
When Grayson stops, the world falls silent. The birds have retired to their respective corners. It's just him and I, and our little hideaway. I prop myself up on my elbows. My lungs fill with the cool air of the night. Grayson pulls me back down beside him, his hand covering mine and anchoring me here. He's close enough for me to notice his long, black lashes, and catch the smell of apples on his skin. "I like this place," he whispers. A cricket hums in the distance. I draw another breath of air to capture a memory for when I return to Newport, and I sigh. It smells like love. "So do I."
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Author notes
I like the idea of summer love and apple orchards, and everything I else I tried to incorporate here. When I read the list of quotes to choose from, I was actually planning on choosing a song instead: "Stolen", by Dashboard Confessional, so I went and watched the music video for it and it brought me to an idea like this. I guess it fits with both prompts, the song and Shakespeare's quote. Thank you for reading.
A contest entry
- Write Me a Story by Stegofreak.
445 points, ended September 2, 2007, 65 entries
• next story in this contest, remove from contest - The in betweens by DemApples.
300 points, ended August 29, 2007, 24 entries
Honorable mention
• next story in this contest, remove from contest - Options Inside by Taylor Renee.
500 points, ended September 16, 2007, 59 entries
Honorable mention
• next story in this contest, remove from contest - You Think You Have What It Takes? by On.Cue.
675 points, ended March 19, 2008, 53 entries
• next story in this contest, remove from contest
What do you like? What don't you?
Comments
1 - 14 of 14
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Very nice descriptions. But unfortunately, it didn't quite capture my attention. Try opening your stories in the middle of an action or make it more alluring to the readers in one way or another =)
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I like this story, there's a lot of good description in it. The ending was quite sweet.
Thanks for entering, good luck. -
"with skin like almond shells." - Oh, this is a lovely bit of description. Very unique way to describe someone's skin. Nice.
Also, I like Grayson's name. It's unique. I never really hear about anyone named Grayson, although now I think I should.
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This was a very nice story, but it reads like something more for 15-20 year olds, rather than a 'children's' piece.
Your writing style was very nice, as was the 'romance' angle between the two main characters.
Your characterization was realistic, almost too realistic. I'm used to reading stories on SW where the two protagonists are declaring their eternal love for one another by the second date. Your story goes at such a natural pace that it's almost jarring. ;-)
This is a nice piece of writing. Good job. -
This is truly beautiful, and I love it. The way everything was described, I could see everything clearly, and I loved the way this was written, all in all, a sweet, and beautiful write!
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Beautiful!
I could understand the flow of it very well, and I think that this is, by far, the best story I've read ever!
beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.
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Thank you very much.
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Excellent!
I really really really liked this story! i was so nice a just..just great! i really loved your writing. You are a talented writer. I loved the whole apple orchard setting as well. Great job! keep up the great work and good luck in the contest! thank you so much for entering!
--Greeneyes
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Good Story!
I had a little trouble in the beginning following as you were introducing your characters. The description of the place makes me want to be there. It is also a love story. I assume the main character is female? Thanks for entering our contest.
Andy
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Thank you! I'm sorry that it was hard to follow. And yes, she's a girl. I don't like making things too obvious in my writing, but maybe I should've been more clear. If you notice, her uncle calls her Lillie, and she has long hair that she keeps tied up. But I can always clarify that.
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Oops!
I missed Lillie, but I did catch the long hair. I think it is a fine story.
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