Short Story Collection by Anna Pink Mystic

Lily

Sage hopped passed rows of stalls in the busy market with his backpack hitting against his back with each hop. The stalls were decorated beautifully with many kinds of flowers. Finally, he stopped at a stall with a banner which says, Spring Festival Chocolates. He reached for his wallet in his bag and tip toed to place the coins onto the table. The woman smiled and gave him a pouch with flower patterns on it. He retrieved the pouch and continued exploring the other stalls. He reached into the pouch, unwrapped the flower-shaped chocolate and tossed it into his mouth.

Suddenly, he bumped into a girl about his height and both of them fell to the ground. The girl hugged the bouquet tightly, careful not to drop it.

"I'm sorry," the girl said.

"It's fine," he picked up his pouch of chocolates. Then, he looked at this girl who was about his height. She stared back at him. He squinted at her and ate another chocolate.

"What's that?" She eyed at the chocolate in his hand.

He raised the empty wrapper, puzzled, "Chocolate?"

"I've never seen chocolate in the shape of a flower before."

"Are you new here?" He asked

"I've stayed in this village my entire life," she said.

"And you've never bought this famous chocolate," he raised his brow.

She shook her head.

He grabbed a chocolate from his pouch and handed it to her, "Here, try this."

She retrieved the chocolate from his palm, unwrapped it and ate it. Her eyes widened in amazement. She was about to reach his pouch for another but he stepped away and held a hand out, "You will have to buy it yourself," then, he gazed at the bouquet of lilies.

She looked at the bouquet and picked one of the lilies from the bouquet and held it out to him, "Here, this one's for you."

He took the lily gently. She gave him a crinkled smile, "Thank you for your chocolate," then, she walked away.

🍁

The next day at school, Sage sat on the field while munching his chocolate. Suddenly, there was a familiar voice from behind, "Flower-shaped Chocolate Boy!"

All the children around them looked at him in wide eyes.

He turned his head, the chocolate still in his mouth and saw the same girl from the market, "Pink Lily Girl," he mumbled with his mouth full of chocolate.

"This is such a coincidence! We go to the same school," the girl said excitedly.

He swallowed the chocolate and stared at her, "There's only one school in the entire village."

She sat down beside him and he quickly kept his bag of chocolates, "So your father love the pink lilies?" He asked.

"Of course. I buy the same bouquet every year. Lilies are my favourite flower. My father loves them too."

"Guess he didn't want to disappoint you and told you a white lie," he chuckled.

"He sincerely loves it. The pink lilies remind him of my mother."

"Your mother?"

"Before my mother left, my father will always give her a bouquet of pink lilies during the Spring Festival."

"Your mother left?" his voice slowly faded.

"My mother passed away when she gave birth to me. My father would give my mother pink lilies to reminisce their first encounter," she said.