Her bedroom light flickered on, then off, three times. The signal.
Meet me in the back garden.

First, our Promise:

“Friends forever,
Parting never,
Nothing can sever
The bond between us.”

Then the Gifting. My turn to receive.

Over the years, the gifts had gotten more complex. Like our dreams. Like our friendship.

A sleek silver tube – my first lipstick! I smiled, imagining Samuel’s timid kiss. Another first.

“Here, let me.” She reddened my lips, then leaned forward, a hummingbird to nectar.

An ocean of moonlight washed over bird and flower. She whispered, “Unpath’d waters, undream’d shores?” Trembling, I accepted.

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    Voice-Team
    Voice-Team(@voice-team)
    Admin
    2 years ago

    Another story full of Shakespeare quotes – bravo! A different kind of coming of age story, exquisite in its unexplored undertones.

    Christer Norrlof
    Christer Norrlof(@christer-norrlof)
    2 years ago

    Your story is beautifully written, Fuji. It is a very sensitive and poetic description of the close and secret relationship between the two young friends. But it is also very cryptic, with a lot of details being left in the dark. Who is the “I” in the story? Who is “she”? Who is Samuel? What is the invitation about that is accepted?

    Christer Norrlof
    Christer Norrlof(@christer-norrlof)
    Reply to  Fuji
    2 years ago

    Thank you, Fuji, for your high expectations of my knowledge in Shakespeare. Sorry to say, I have to disappoint you. All I remember from Julius Caesar is the expression “The ides of March”, which didn’t help me here. I should, of course, have understood what you say about the people involved in your story, but I think I was confused by the memory of a Swedish TV-series where a couple had a… Read more »

    Jessica Lee
    Jessica Lee(@jessica-lee)
    2 years ago

    “Friends forever / Parting never / Nothing can sever / The bond between us.” Meta-writing—Those four lines alone are lyrical genius!!

    Susan Dawson
    Susan Dawson(@susan-dawson)
    2 years ago

    Fuji, I can’t believe you have fitted so many subtleties into just 100 words.

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