Random Writings

Unopened letters from the times that went

You feel the soft, faded textures of the ancient envelop touch your body. Your matured hands stretched with wrinkles as the years went by, wisdom carved within each fold of skin. The envelope though light felt like heavy burdens to carry as your shaking form pulls them closer to your tinted spectacles.

A young face looks at you, hope filled eyes bored into your confused ones while they bite their lip nervously. They were a nice visitor, your only visitor. Yet you couldn't remember their name.

"Open it" a quiet demand, not threatening at all, it was more of a plea for you to do so. Giving a warm smile; your vieny pale hands shaked as you pulled the wax seal off the back of the envelope. The worn out red wax stamp pulled like glue between your fingers. Thin sting like bonds stretched as you finally exposed the letter. Yet you didnt bother to read who the envelope was meant for, you just wanted to be nice to your visitor and open the thing.

The shaking of your hands was growing; you dont know why. Looking down at the patch work blanket wrapped around your lap, a pair of young stronger hands reached out and enclosed your old ones in a protective embrace. Sneakily sliding the envelope away from you and delicately took the soft stained letter out. Similar smell of worn paper filled your sense as a blurred memory forgotten seemed to grow within your mind.

The image was abstract like a painting from the futurists, you couldn't quite grasp it but the outline of what you remember still lingers within your brain.

"Do you remember this" the visitor asked, handing the letter back to you.

"I remember the smell" was your innocent reply not knowing that the visitors hope died as you said that.

Such soft paper that was pinched between your boney fingers. Time clearly had taken a toll on the letter, feeling more like a used tissue, yet the faded ink of words was still tattooed on the body.

'Dear Me from the future'

Time seemed to stop and the world around you seemed to move forward in a direction your mind had burned away long ago. A time when you weren't bed ridden and your hands were once as youthful and stong as your visitors. Your lashes flickered rapidly as tears dropped down your wrinkled cheeks, you remember writing this so long ago. Memories once blurred became clear in your mind; you were now home and youthful sat at your wooden desk happily writing a letter on a snow white paper. The windows curtains were pulled apart and your bedroom was filled with natural light while stacks of undone homework and revison sat heavily on one side of the desk. You remember the feeling of the black biro pen against your hands, you remember the feeling of paper cuts from the fresh letter, you remember the smell of your bedroom, the sounds of your siblings and neigbours outside.

You kept reading, rolling your eyes at your once younger selfs ego. The ridiculous humour you posed. Stories from school and hijinks your friends pulled. The people you hated and forget about, the foods you tasted, the shows and books that were once new. Nostalgia hurt more than you thought it would, you had pulled the letter close to your heart, names of friends and family now gone imprinted into your heart but would eventually fade from you brain. But this quiet moment was what mattered now.

You missed them so much, you missed so many things and yet you couldnt remember the person sat into front of you. They gave you a hug as they gently laid more envelopes on your lap. A choking sob escaped as you looked at all the colours, they weren't just letters you wrote to yourself but letters others wrote to you and an old phone laid there. Old in today's standards but was seen as the latest technology back then. So many memories, so many things and people you loved now gone and you couldnt help but hug your visitor back.

Reaching out to the unopened letters from the time that went you opened them; mind growing more clear as blurred faces seemed to form and laughs filled your ears. Time when all you had to worry about was school, friends and annoying siblings that drove you up the wall.

While reading you missed the sad smile the visitor held, they seemed joyful that you remember those long ago but not them.
Looking at their young eyes that seemed to be a spitting image of yours, your mind made a small connection as your lips spoke before you could stop them...