“Crossed Paths”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Prompt: “Life is the art of drawing without an eraser.” — John W. Gardner

I walk through the streets, trying not to get overwhelmed by the lines of colour before me. They all overlap, varying in shades from a dark anger to a light joy.

Years of practice are the only thing that keep me from trying to step over the more recent, prominent lines. I walk right through, keeping my eyes up.

Even though I know it’s no one’s fault that I have this ability, I still hate being able to see everyone’s Paths. Why can’t I just live in ignorant bliss like everyone else?

I pause for a moment and look behind me. Already, my Path is streaked with others. As I stand still, my Path darkens. I shove down the frustration, but my Path doesn’t lighten.

Letting out a groan of frustration, I continue walking. Might as well succumb to the darkness if it’s going to taint my Path forever, right?

But as I walk, I watch the Paths of others intertwine. A blue and yellow Path, right in front of me, gradually turn green. My eyes follow the two green Paths all the way up to a couple holding hands as they stroll down the street.

A smile tugs at the corner of my lips. I glance back to see that my Path is back to its regular shade of pinkish-red. As I look back along my Path, I see that my dark patch is crisscrossed by the Paths of others.

I let out a contented sigh as I continue walking. Maybe seeing other Paths isn’t so bad after all.

Final Comments: While I enjoyed the concept for this one, I’m really not happy with it’s execution…

Overall Rating: 🙁