Listening to Let it Grow from the Lorax soundtrack. This is a short piece I wrote in a day or two, and it was supposed to have more focus on Colette but the homeless man had a lot to say to me about that and took over. I think it turned out pretty well.
I used the following prompt to write this:
A homeless man on a park bench is awakened by an angel.
Enjoy!
The man shifted a little, trying to find a more comfortable position to sleep in, adjusting the coat he was using as a makeshift pillow. The stone bench was not only impossibly hard, but it was also unbearably cold; the sun had not yet risen high enough to warm it properly. The chilly air didn't help either, one of the disadvantages of living so close to the ocean.
The lack of living space was another. Palmacosta was one of the most difficult places to own a home in. Even the rather wealthy fishermen had to earn extra wages by working part-time in the militia, or even a few of the local shops, just to scrape by. But the man was none of those, or was he one of the wealthy clergy or academy professors. He was simply a man who had nothing to offer.
He avoided the bustling city as much as possible. Most of the townspeople were friendly; he just didn't want to be viewed as a nuisance, no matter how much he longed to belong with them. To live and work with them; to experience the thrill of defying the Desians and worship the Goddess with them…
"Um… excuse me, sir…"
The soft voice startled him awake. The sun was higher than before and it had warmed up quite a bit. He'd dozed off without realizing it. Sitting up a bit and rubbing his eyes, he examined the owner of that gentle voice.
It was a girl (young woman, he corrected himself), with the kindest and most angelic features he'd ever seen. Large, friendly blue eyes peered at him curiously from a fair face framed by a curtain of long blonde hair. Her clean white dress and the jewel at her throat didn't quite match the look of a citizen of the biggest city in the world. Maybe she was from the church; that would explain the paper bag full of food she carried in her arms.
Handouts.
Personally he hated the idea that because he was too poor to have a home he should be given free food. He would have preferred to work for it, to earn his meals. He was about to reject the girl's offering, kind as it was, but her smile had won him over, and he rewarded her with one of his own, while the sun seemed to shine a little brighter.
I hope you all enjoyed that. Please review on your way out! =D
