I wrote this for Karma's Writing Contest.

I tried to follow prompt one

Water

by Fred Leebron

She touches his hair by the river. I am in our apartment, working. Her hand moves down his back. I empty the trash and unclog the kitchen sink. His former girlfriends have turned into lesbians. I take the key to his apartment, which he gave me so I could water his plants during the summer. He bends his kissing face to hers. I walk over to his apartment, just two blocks away. Their legs dangle in the river. I unlock the door and bolt it behind me. The room smells of feet and stale ashtrays. In the kitchen is a gas stove. I turn it on without lighting it. Down by the river is a flock of geese, which they admire while holding hands. Soon he will take her back to his apartment. Soon they will lie there, readying cigarettes. I relock the apartment and slip into the street. The air smells of autumn, burnt. In the sky, birds are leading each other south. I know there is nothing left between us, that she looks at me each morning as if I were interrupting her life.

 

""   What I'd like to see in your story is a reflection of what you felt while reading "Water." You may write a sequel, a prequel, a re-telling, or even a completely different story - that's all up to you. The main point is that your story should somehow reflect the events of this story. Of course, if you write a story, it's going to be difficult to include the woman or all the past girlfriends of that guy, but that's not what I want, anyway. Let this story inspire you to write your own. Don't feel obliged to follow everything literally. Also, I'd love to hear what your interpretation of this story is. Please include it in your author's note, or in the comments section below    ""