Thursday, November 11, 2004

Flashback

As he stepped into the house, for the last time in his life, he felt like he was coming home.

Only, he was not. He was leaving. And the last memories of the house were going to stay with him. Especially the smell.

The smell he could never forget, having grown up with it. It was the familiar smell of home. It was the mixture of the smells of all the things that were at home. And this mix was the unique mix that could not be replicated anywhere else, no matter how hard he tried. And he had tried. He had tried to get the smell in every home he had lived in over the past years. But somehow he could not get it. And when he went back home, the first thing that he longed for was that smell.

He drew a deep breath as he entered the home for the last time, taking it all in. And then a loud sigh. Followed by the breeze bringing in the wind. And getting mixed with the smell.

* * *

His transformation was complete.

Well, as complete as he might have wanted it to be. Years ago.

It had been many years of living away from her. It had changed him. And when he looked back at all that had happened and how he had moved from one place to another. One life to another. Restarting, again and again. Each new life, a better life. Each new life, further away from her.

And this made them grow even closer.


6 comments:

Diane said...

Very, very nice. Thank you.

DementedPhotographer said...

The next to last paragraph is best, but you had me the whole way. Good imagery.

Toni said...

Wonderful.

And the most powerful of all our senses is the sense of smell.

Pincushion said...

Love the way you use contrasts and contradictions to bring home a point !

Pincushion said...

Love the way you use contrasts and contradictions to bring home a point - ''he felt like he was coming home. Only, he was not.''

. : A : . said...

Diva Drip - Welcome back!

Garrison Steelle - I like the next to last paragraph in both parts actually. I presume you are referring to the second part.

Toni - Yes smell is a powerful sense.

cleolove, Havokinthemind, Queen Mo - Glad you liked it. My pleasure.

Pincushion - I love contradictions. I feel it adds drama to my writing.