Imaginations are Needed More Today than Ever Before

Ariana looked out the window at such a gloomy day, one filled with lacy clouds that seemed to go on without limit. A hard-working practitioner, this day she stopped and thought of a fairy tale that her mother had told her just last week, even though she is a adult now. It was about was a land that didn’t have a sunset, wherein no day was ever finished.

Women stood at the stone gates of the city stringing beans together, so tired from the endless day that they were helpless to pick the beans up as they spilled out of their baskets. Though the clocks made their usual tick and tock, it was custom that work continued until sunset. On the trails around the city, some people walked unsteadily, terrified of their pounding heartbeats. Because the days never ended, everyone was unhappy and tempers flared, neighbor against neighbor and family members against each other. These were people who loved each other, too.

Ariana smiled at the memory, as her mother had used this spiel about endless hours working to chide her for her tendency to work long hours, never taking time for family or to rest. Mother would never come right out and scold her, but she knew her mother was right. So, she took her eyes away from the window, put away her work, and went home to spend time with her family.

Written for the Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #156. Fandango prompt is Practitioner. Also for the Sunday Whirl from B Warren: sunset, finish, limit, spill, string, heartbeat, trails, fairy, lacy, tick, stone, gates.