As you may have read, the Fall in All Its Glory writing contest was open through September 15th. Thank you so much to everyone who submitted a piece—I loved reading your stories!
We’re kicking things off with a wistful one: Kerry E.B. Black’s Autumn Arrangements. Kerry turned the “fresh start” part of the prompt on its head, and I really enjoyed the way she handled it. It’s beautifully written, too. Kerry, well done!
Enjoy, everyone.
Autumn Arrangements
Morning sunshine caught the tree just right, setting it aflame, gold that glistened with promise. Edna raised her mug and sipped, the pumpkin spice warming. Crickets competed with southern-bound birds for auditory supremacy, an honor Edna would award her beloved crows if she were judge. She left unsalted peanuts for them along the porch railing.
Cool breezes promised crisp evenings. Eager neighbors stretched faux cobwebs over their rhododendrons and placed pots spilling asters and mums. Early pumpkins dotted landscapes.
Though arthritis limited mobility, Edna never failed to fry cider donuts or distribute candy to trick-or-treaters.
Time to make ready. Edna turned her wheelchair inside.
He arrived with a sharp knock.
She smiled. “There you are. Would you like a cuppa before we set out?”
He bristled. “No, Mom.” He wheeled her to his car.
He studied the road that would be closed the following Saturday for the annual town parade. Edna enjoyed cheering for it from the edge of her driveway.
“Jeff says his mother loves the place.”
Edna nodded, blinking back tears.
They arrived. A Victorian exterior, gingerbread trimmed with a sign. “Shady Oaks.” Squirrels scampered along branches of the namesake trees on the property.
A smiling woman conducted a tour, motioning to activities rooms, the wellness area, the library, and the dining hall, concluding at what would be Edna’s room - small, with space for a bed, a desk, a single chair, and a closet for clothes. Certainly not room for a house of personal possessions collected over a lifetime.
She wheeled to the window and noticed a balcony with a railing for unsalted peanuts. While her son and the administrator discussed her future, Edna noticed the tips of the oak leaves tinged toward russet, and in the broadest, nearby tree, a crow blinked black eyes in welcome.
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