He Sketched Her ~ III (flash fiction)

On By Michele LeeIn flash fiction, love, new beginnings, Poetic Prose

The swishing in her head and the pounding in her chest increased with each step. A decade of sales presentations had taught her how to relax her mind and control her breath, but those skills were no match for the magnetic strength of fate, pulling her toward a man who was creating his future with erasable led. As the distance between her and him shortened, an electric charge shot through the air, causing every nearby creature of the night to vibrate loudly before going eerily quiet. They were waiting for what came next.

The crashing waves inside her drowned the sounds of the city surrounding her.  

She became aware of the round canister swinging in her right hand, as she sprinted across the street, toward Pier 33. She thought about shaking hands with this mystery man and him cringing at her sweaty hand. She needed to calm down, she told herself. She shifted the protected sketch to her left hand, wiped her right hand against her thigh, then kept walking.

The sight of him leaning against the tree, with a sketchpad on his lap and his face holding a straight line toward the moon, seized her breath. Relax, she told herself.

A silhouette near the lamppost turned his focus. Without taking his eyes off the approaching figure, he shifted the sketchpad from his lap to the grass then dropped his pencil. He was mesmerized by the flow of her steps. His manners propelled him from a seated to a standing position.

Staring into his dark eyes, she extended her right hand toward his.

“Hi, I am Mani. That’s short for Manissa. I believe this belongs to you,” she introduced herself, while handing him his sketch.

“Hi, nice to meet you. I am Garreth,” he replied with an extended hand. “I didn’t realize that sketch was missing until I saw a picture of it posted in a neighborhood app, along with your number and something about a reward. Thank you for going to the trouble, but shouldn’t you get the reward?”

“I hope I do,” she said while still holding his hand.

He smiled.

Their lingering handshake released a lifetime of longings in her. Her nervous energy left her body then melted into the earth.

They sat under the tree talking until the cobalt sky shifted to a creamy tangerine.

What’s in name?

Mani – “moon personified” (Norse mythology)

Garreth – gentle, modest, and brave (Arthurian Legend)

I am starting to have a little bit of fun with this swoony storytelling stuff. 😁 That’s sarcasm for those who might be new here. I’ve been enjoying writing sweet romance for a few years now. I thought this series would be a wrap at three, but the moon has one more story to sketch (April 5th – Pink Moon). If you missed the first two flash fiction episodes of, “He Sketched Her,” here you go:

He Sketched Her I

He Sketched Her II

Thank you for visiting and reading! Be well. 💗 Michele

Follow-up to my Stewards of the Earth (extended tour) post: I planted some of the seeds, sent to me by homestead blogger, Danielle. The Hollyhocks and chives have started popping. Yay! 🌱

Featured photo: by Paitoon Pornsuksomboon Other photos: my recent Worm Moon photo (3/7) and seedlings

© 2023 MyInspiredLife

85 thoughts on “He Sketched Her ~ III (flash fiction)”

    1. I am glad you are enjoying it. 😊 I am too. Maybe a bit predictable and cliche but sweet romance is a fun and uplifting writing endeavor. The emotions of love and passion allow us to creatively explore language. Thank you for joining me! 🌻

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    1. I appreciate you mentioning the names. I spent a lot of time last night researching names from many cultures. Time consuming but interesting learning about origins and meanings. Garreth is indeed uncommon – I love the sound of it and the Tales of King Arthur are among my favorites, so that is a bonus! ⚔️ Thank you for reading and connecting.

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    1. Me too. Three months of full moon contemplations, photos, and readings. That alone has been enjoyable. Sprinkle in some sweet romance and it makes for a special writing experience. 💖 Thanks so much for loving my work.

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  17. Oh my goodness Michele my Belle, you are a forever romantic my dear. Love the flow of this edition of your series. Now talk about a poetic line, I simply love this: “They sat under the tree talking until the cobalt sky shifted to a creamy tangerine.” What imagery! 👏🏼🥂👍🏼

    Oh, those lingering handshakes, nervous energy, and God only knows what will happen next! 😲 You go Ms. Storyteller! 🥰💖😍✍🏼😘 Enjoy the rest of your evening! 🌟🌙⭐

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    1. Ooh I love that visual too. I had fun imagining the just right colors and the transition from the mysterious night to the soft early morning. The ultimate romantic moment! With a beginning like that it’s bound to be good! But every story needs a little conflict. 🤔 Thank you Kymbelina – just took a nice long bike ride. It’s gorgeous outside! 🥰 Good night to you!

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      1. Oh WOW, a bike ride! How delightful! 🚴🚵‍♀️🚴‍♀️ So glad you made time to relax and release. Keep writing ✍️ and continue to let the magic flow Michele my Belle. Sleep tight 😴💤😴. Hugs and smooches 💋

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    1. Thanks a million, Nancy, for sharing your favorite line and describing it the way you did. 🥰 Much gratitude! I could feel her tension leave when I wrote that. Writing gives us so many gifts, right writer? 😊 Thanks for being here – have a wonderful week!

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  24. He Sketched Her ~|| The man’s wish want to take her photos so she went with the Sketched man 👨
    This story ||| so fascinating love story between them and romantic moments so excellent 👍🏻🌹The
    Great Author’s freckle mind this became a lavish story 🙏🌹👌😍grace wishes dear friend 🌹💕✍️

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    1. It seems their paths were meant to cross. We shall see what their fated futured brings. One more story – that will unfold with next month’s full moon. 🌚 A thousand thank yous, to you, lovely lady who graces my pages. 😊💖

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