An excerpt from a story idea that I had a few months ago, set in the Harry Potter universe, but can be read standalone.
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Every autumn, when the leaves began to drop off the trees in preparation for their long sleep and a new chill started to hang in the air, Zach and Allison Parker had a tradition of going apple picking. Zach would lead the way, carrying the baskets, and calling back to his mother excitedly, who would laugh and walk a little faster to catch up. The remaining leaves on the trees would be yellow or orange, and the apples were harder to see, which made the hunt more exciting. Allison and her son would compete to see who could find the most apples (she would sometimes let him win, but it was more when he was smaller), and when they had filled their baskets, they would stop by the shop and buy some caramel apples as a reward.
They would walk among the leaves fluttering to the ground, the sourness of the apples combating with the sweet and sticky caramel, and talk about everything and nothing. Even as the years passed, the tradition stayed true. Some of Zach's best childhood memories were made in the apple orchard, talking with his mom while eating caramel apples.
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The last time they went was ten years ago, before the death of Allison. Now, those memories hold a bittersweet taste for Zach. He still looks back at them with fondness, but now there's an underlying current of sadness that comes with the knowledge that he won't ever experience that again. At least, not in the same way. So when summer ends and the falling leaves mark the birth of autumn, Zach goes to the apple orchard and walks alone for the first time in ten years. He buys a caramel apple and walks, talking quietly to no one. No one physical or visible, at least. Perhaps it's all in his head, but Zach feels happy. It's almost like she's right there next to him, seconds away from telling a joke or chiming in. The familiar cool breeze and the nostalgic scent of russet apples bring a smile to Zach's face.
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Thoughts?
Kind of wrote this in a rush cuz its almost a week in and I'm already horribly behind.
I still like it though.
See ya soon
- Vee
Word Count: 406 words
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Flumptober 2023
FanfictionJust like last year, we're doing @LuckyBugBooks Halloween story prompts, one for every day in October! (More or less, might skip a few, we'll have to see).
