Short Stories

The Quiet One

Violet watched as the leaves blew past her, swirling around the ground, the wind carrying every single tiny leaf around with ease. Small children, troubled teenagers, and even adorable couples constantly went to the same park, talking, playing, walking, and more. Violet just watched.

She watched and she listened. She watched the small boy give a small dandelion to a small girl. She watched as the teenagers secretively lit a cigarette, walking to a more quiet area of the park where authorities couldn't bother them. Violet watched in the corners of her eyes as a woman approached her, clutching a small sketchbook in hand. 

'May I join you? There is only this bench, and I thought you might want some company.' The woman happily speaks, and goes silent as Violet gets up and moves to the opposite end of the bench. Not that the move was that drastic, but still the woman was confused by it. Violet continued to watch, but became distracted as the new woman began to draw. Letting her small pencil glide along the smooth, crisp paper of the petite moleskin sketchbook. 

'I am Julia, by the way. I've heard lots of things about you... People think you're crazy, while I do not. I simply think you are just in need of a friend.' This, Julia, says with subtle confidence. The whole town spoke of Violet, she already knew that. Violet heard the quiet whispers of those who would pass her on the sidewalk. 

'She just stands in the park and watches us all day.'

'My children say that she watches them, and they are scared that she is going to hurt them.'

'Violet's family is gone, why doesn't she just leave?!' 

'You don't have anyone left do you?' Julia asked, continuing to focus on the drawing that she was creating. Violet stayed silent, watching a young boy slip and fall off of the slide, only to arise again and laugh. Violet thought about her family. How her mother had left with everything. How her father had wanted to abort her. How her brother had killed himself because of the bullies that pressured him for being different, for loving men. Violet felt a soft thumb brush her cheek, Julia in front of her, wiping away her tear. 

'It wasn't your fault, Violet. I promise you that you are very intelligent, that you are very amazing.' Julia said, clutching her sketchbook in hand. She set a paper down beside Violet, and walked away. Violet waited for almost an hour before picking up the paper and seeing the beautiful image of a violet. The way the sun shone off of the flower, thought it wasn't real and was a simple pencil sketch, it looked beautiful. Violet saw the elegant lettering at the bottom of the page.

'Be strong. For it may be stormy now, but it never truly rains forever. 

~Julia Helt'