Fiction Friday:[A Beacon in the Snow]

December 12, 2014 by Niko Bommer in Fiction Friday

Lila’s knees hit her chest with every step, yet she insisted on walking. Her mittened hand clung tightly to my own as she trudged her way through. Each firmly planted foot earned her a satisfying crunch and the smile that spread across her ruddy face was all I needed to know that to her, the effort was worth it.

A gaggle of squeals and giggles drifted toward us and I could feel the excited anticipation vibrating from Lila’s body the closer we got. When she caught shocks of primary colors flashing between tree trunks, she let go of my hand, and with the intention of running, she fell face first. For a moment she just lay there, unmoving. I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up, saddened at the thought of her initial excitement dwindling away.

Lila’s face was covered in freshly fallen snow and as I wiped it away, her eyes popped open. A squeal escaped through her smile that rivaled those we had been heading toward. She clapped her hands and the snow dislodged and rained down toward the ground.

Frosty and numb, my cheeks rose as her joy bolstered my own smile. By the time we had reached the other children, they had tamped the snow down enough to give Lila the freedom she had desired. She pulled free from my hand and ran into the fray. One of dozens of kids, Lila’s laughter served as a beacon.

I thought about how I’d cursed the snow as I looked out the window this morning. How I had resented it for ruining my day before it had even begun. But now I couldn’t imagine ever looking out to discover it had snowed and not being reminded of the sweetest sound I had ever heard.

Fiction Friday: [A Life Extraordinary]

May 02, 2014 by Niko Bommer in Fiction Friday

A calm breeze shakes the long blades of grass to life. They tickle my cheek as I stare up at the marshmallowy cloud looming overhead. Impossibly out of reach, I wonder what my life must look like from up there.

Boring, I decide. Extremely boring.

Looking over at Will—his arms clasped behind his head and eyes closed—I know he never thinks such things. He’s content to just lie here, basking under the sun, on this unseasonably hot spring day. Right now, he’s happy here. Doing this. Nothing more, nothing less.

Sometimes I envy him.

Closing my eyes I become weightless. Air quickly fills the space between my body and the lush field of green as I ascend. A coolness washes over me as I enter the wispy folds of the cloud. Tiny beads of icy moisture cling to my skin, but as I break through to the other side, heated rays from the sun evaporate each one.

Perched atop the cloud, I feel free. So free that I’m hesitant to peek over the side. To witness a life less fantastical than this very moment. But, curiosity wins out and I do.

Expecting to see a woman muddling her way through a humdrum life, destined to have a humdrum future, I am taken aback by what plays out before me. Every event of my life, leading to this moment, is projected in flashes. Suddenly, I am glowing. Radiating from the choices I’ve made and the work I’ve put in to get me here.

I see my future—the extraordinary things to come—and feel foolish for ever doubting my life was less than amazing. From here I can see how capable I am. How big my heart is. How incredibly lucky I am to be me.

I see my family, my friends—my Will.

Despite the distance, we’re clear as day. Two people in a field of many who all just seem to fade away. I am overwhelmed by how gently and trustingly he places his heart in my hand.

Opening my eyes, I am back on the ground. Back to my life. I reach over to Will, weaving my fingers through his. Right now, I am happy here. Doing this. Nothing more, nothing less.

Fiction Friday: [Toeing the Line]

March 28, 2014 by Niko Bommer in Fiction Friday

Just the thought of standing too close to the platform edge scared her. She’d heard the stories, although rare, of some demented psycho pushing a fellow commuter onto the tracks. There’s no way to survive getting hit by a New York City subway train. No way.

Across the platform a woman stands so close to the edge that both feet are on the bumpy yellow strip. The yellow strip you’re supposed to stand behind. Behind. How does she not know this?

The sound of the metal beast nearing causes a tightness in her chest and a shortness of her breath. As much as she didn’t want to die via subway collision, she didn’t want to witness it either.

Regardless, she couldn’t tear her eyes away. Away from the calm that never left the woman’s face. Her nonchalance as she teetered on the brink of death. She couldn’t comprehend the woman’s bravery. Couldn’t imagine what it was like not to flinch in the face of danger.

But she wanted to. She wanted to understand. She wanted to know what it was like to live, for one moment, not drowning in fear.

Screeching rocks her back to reality--surrounded by commuters plugging their ears against the grating of wheel to track. She watches as the woman, head aloft, disappears into the crowded car. She’s gone. Lost within the sea of black wool coats and free newspapers.

The intercom crackles above and, through the static, she knows her train will be arriving soon. Heart thumping and mind racing, she makes a decision her mind hasn’t quite registered. The platform vibrates under her feet as the train growls into the station blowing her hair back and away from her face. Startled and confused, she looks down. A sense of hope whirls around her--mixing with the gust from the train--as she finds her right foot firmly planted across the yellow line.