A Single Passing Moment
04/17/2024
***Disclaimer: This story was inspired by a prompt provided by Reedsy.com. Prompt is provided below. Visit their site https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/ to learn more.***
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Prompt: Write about a character unknowingly experiencing a “sliding doors” moment. Write your story in two halves; what could have been, and what actually happened.
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It was just a normal day, on my way home from my dead end corporate job, a job that she told me I should quit. But after losing her I didn't know how I was going to possibly start over now, and to be honest I just didn't care anymore. Ever since then I’ve had a tendency to block out the rest of the world, to keep my head down until I can retreat back to the dark solitude that is my life. But for some reason I looked up that day.
As I trudged out of the revolving doors in the lobby, someone was walking in on the other side. And when our eyes met, my heart stopped in my chest. I opened my mouth to say her name, but the words wouldn’t come. The brief moment between us passed slowly, as I imagined a life that wasn’t unfair, a life that wasn’t taken from me without warning. In all the lifetimes I imagined in that moment, she was there in every single one. But as the woman smiled at me and her features became unfamiliar, I realized that I had the misfortune of living in the only world where she no longer existed.
In a matter of moments, I experienced an entire life of bliss with her. But instead of the wave of grief I was used to feeling, in that moment I felt a sort of calm acceptance I still can’t describe. Maybe that was all I needed, between me and this stranger who I swore stole my lover’s face. Either way, I didn’t think I could ever love again like I loved her, and I still don’t. But one thing that stayed with me was that warm smile from a fellow human being, suspended in the same moment as me, who must go through the same things as I do.
In that smile, I realized that I could learn to love my life again, and that I wasn’t alone. As the stranger and I exited the spinning doors, one going one way, one going the other, I finally felt the warmth of the sun on my face again as I stepped out on the other side. It was as if some unseen fog had finally lifted, and the color began to slowly fade back into my dark world. Sometimes I think that maybe I’ll get to thank her one day. But I know that I can’t go back to the life I once knew, or the life I was currently living. And I would never set foot in that building again.
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I was walking into the building on an ordinary day, passing through the revolving doors. As I walked through, I looked up to see a man making his way out on the opposite side, eyes locked with mine. I stared back, eyes wide with curiosity as we circled each other. I smiled at him, and the man gave me a small wistful smile in return. He looked solemn somehow, yet hopeful all at once in that brief moment we passed each other by.
We didn’t speak a word to one another as we hurried through the glass carousel in different directions, and the encounter was over in an instant. At first I thought he recognized me, and my first instinct was to place him as I walked by. But after a closer look, I realized that he was hopefully mistaken. I saw the flash of false recognition, the painful realization that I wasn’t who he thought I was. When we locked eyes, I could see that his lips were parted, for what reason I’ll never know. The brief moment between us passed as quickly as it came, and as I kept walking I didn’t look back.
I do wonder what he was thinking to this day. In the span of a single second, it seemed as if he was lost in memories from a lifetime far away, while I was merely passing through on my way to the next thing, the next moment, never taking time to slow down and reflect or pay attention. In that single passing moment, we seemed like kindred spirits, him and me. And I realized how much we all have in common in the grand scheme of things.
That stranger’s smile made me realize how important it is to show everyone a little love and kindness when you can, no matter who they are. I remember thinking to myself that I would say hello next time. But ever since that day, I haven’t seen him come through those doors, and I find myself hoping he found what he was looking for.
THE END