Short Story Photo Contest (3 stories so far)

Deaths Vacation

This is for coffeelover14 Short Story Photo Contest- Round 2.

Picture is the cover I made.

This happens in Febuary 22-24, 2013

Hope you like it!

It’s not often I get to leave, so when a chance comes, I take it. My job allows me to walk the Earth, but never on my own time. I was given the weekend off, three days to go anywhere I wanted and do whatever I felt like doing. The last time I did this was almost thirty –seven years ago. Or was it forty-seven?

Regardless, with a blink of the eye I walked into a map shop in the bustling streets of New York City and looked at a world map.

“Hi, can I help you?”

“Ah, yes please. I want to go somewhere this weekend, it doesn’t matter where or the cost, it just needs to be memorable.”

“Okay,” she beckoned me to follow her to a computer on a desk. She quickly opened a Google search page before turning towards me, “I can make a list for you, if you would like.”

“How about you mark it on a map and I’ll just buy the map?”

“That works. In Hawaii there is the annual surfboarding competition through Saturday, in Taiwan there is a lantern festival.” She circled the two places on the map and quickly moved on to other places as well, in the end the map had about twenty red circles on it, with the times, dates and events memorized.

“Thank you.” I said, handing her the money and walking away before she could realize I overpaid her. As soon as my feet hit the sidewalk I was back into a store, picking up things I would need for the three days. I picked up a disposable camera, the last pair of swim trunks in a sea of speedos, and some sunblock.

I looked at my map while I stood in line, sandwiched between a mother of three and an old lady dowsed in perfume. I sighed deeply, contemplating if I truly need these items.  My eyes yank open and I look down to see a four year old tugging on my dress slacks.

“Yes?”

“Why do you have wings and I don’t?” I looked  up at her mom and saw that she was busy with the other two children. I kneeled down in front of the little girl.

“Well, I am an angel.”

“Why aren’t you in heaven?”

“I am on a vacation.”

“Oh, that’s cool. Is it hard to be an angel?”

“It can be, but not usually.” The mother looked around and smiled at me before tugging on her child’s hand.

“Remember Amy, angels are real and we are always watching over you.” The little girl’s eyes twinkled as I said her name without her ever telling me. I glimpsed into her future and saw it shift considerably in the right direction. A chance encounter can do a lot for someone.

Children can see angels because they are still innocent to a certain point and they are cherished where I come from. It is not uncommon to hear kids talk about angels holding them or watching over them in hard times, like car wrecks.  I step up to the register and quickly checked out before leaving the store. I entered the crowd and disappear, no one missing just another face in the sea of masses.

I end up on a beach in Cancun, checking off the circle. They were supposed to be enjoying a day of sun and a great day for snorkeling. I change into the trunks that ironically have a skull and flames design, supposedly imitating yours truly.