You have no items in your cart. Want to get some nice things?
Go shopping
It was still dark when Rita and Bukowski reached the bridge.
Lights floated on water.
There was someone there. A man or woman, difficult to tell. But even from the distance, it was clear they were not where they were supposed to be.
Rita slowed her pace.
She wanted to turn back.
But then she looked at Bukowski.
“We’re already in it, aren’t we.”
It was a woman.
“Don’t try to stop me, I’ve made up my mind”, she said, when they came closer.
Rita nodded.
“I’m sure you have your reasons.”
The water flowed beneath them.
“You’re shivering”, Rita said.
The woman turned. She looked young, like a girl.
Rita rubbed her hands.
“Chilly, isn’t it?”
The woman, or girl, smirked.
“Don’t worry, I won’t be around long enough to catch a cold.”
“Right”, said Rita.
A moment of silence followed.
“Is it okay if we stay for a bit?”
The girl shrugged.
“Not my bridge”, she said finally.
The water beneath them kept flowing.
The girl swayed back and forth.
“I could really do with a cup of chocolate”, Rita said.
The girl stopped and turned to look at her.
“Chocolate?”
Rita tried to smile.
“One of the few things worth living for, isn’t it? There’s a café ‘round the corner.”
The girl shook her head.
She laughed.
“You’re so bad at this.”
She was laughing hard now, and Rita smiled too.
“I’m allergic”, she finally said, wiping her eyes with her hand.
“Hi-la-rious.”
“I’m sorry.”
The girl started swaying again.
“Lily isn’t. She adores it.”
“Who’s Lily?”
“My daughter.”
“Lovely name.”
“Her dad picked it. I would have gone with Martha.”
The girl looked down.
“After my grandmother.”
“That’s pretty too.”
The girl raised her eyebrows, shook her head again and laughed.
“Listen”, she turned, suddenly serious.
“You and that dog of yours. When are you leaving?”
Rita took a breath.
She felt tension buzzing in her ears.
“We’re not”, she said, her voice barely louder than the splashes of water below.
About Anna Rosloniec
Anna is a writer and poet. Her short stories and poems, which often touch on the topics of loneliness and connections, losing and reclaiming closed off parts of the self, featured in literary magazines in Poland such as Twórczość, Odra, Helikopter and Fraza. Most recently, her writing centers on the quiet workings of relationships between people and with their surroundings and how the insignificant can cause larger shifts. Her first book, a mystery novel, was published in 2020. She is currently working on her second book. She lives in Warsaw, Poland with her husband and son. Connect with her on her Instagram: @anna.rosloniec or on her website: annarosloniec.com
- Web |
- More Posts(1)
