Moments in Memory #1

Every once in a while, I experience a moment that sticks – all my senses linger in that place, conspiring to create a memory that I can revisit at will in all its beauty, pain, or peacefulness. As I continue to hone my creative writing skills, I thought these little moments would be fun prompts to practice inviting readers into a scene with me.

This is the first of a series of moments from my memory that I plan to put into writing. Each piece stands alone, a simple vignette without any particular agenda. I hope you enjoy them! Feel free to comment with thoughts or suggestions.

#1

A sweltering day faded into evening, warm and humid and perfect. White-hot clouds beckoned like doorways in the sky against a backdrop of orange and pink streaks that mellowed into a soft purple horizon. The lake shone too brightly for contemplation as the sun submerged itself in far-off waters.

Sand still warm from the summer day caressed a pair of feet resting a little ways back from the edge of the lapping waves. The feet wriggled deep into the bank, past the warmth and into the cool dampness of seeping lake water, and then wriggled back out again.

The feet belonged to a woman in her early thirties who abruptly stood up and walked toward the blinding water. When she reached the edge she turned left and looked off down the beach, shielding her eyes from the glare with her free hand. Then she turned around and sauntered the opposite direction along the water line, a small sketchbook clutched in the other hand.

Even with the sunset greeting her sideways the sun felt overly bright, but it soon faded, taking with it the last of the day. The buzzing of cicadas faded as the katydids and crickets began their nocturnal vigil. Twilight encircled her as she paused to look out over the deepening blue of the lake.

She walked on with a single thought. This was nothing short of a perfect night.

© 2019 Jacqueline Tisthammer. All Rights Reserved.

Click here for Moment #2!