The meeting’s attendees shuffled down the twelve steps to the entrance of the church basement; their morning greetings woke Skip who was bundled at the base of the stairs. Warm air rose through the open doors, drawing him inside.
He knew he smelled.
Wiping his dirty, grimy hands on his dirty, grimy coat he plucked a donut from the table, poured a cup of Joe. He hesitated, cursed before taking a dollar from the donation basket.
Heโd been here before—so many times. He glanced at the door, then an empty seat.
Was he ready? Maybe for an hour, maybe longer.
I can feel the story unfold. Awesome read!
Thanks Peg ?
The question mark was supposed to be a smiley face, lol
Thank you for writing and describing a universal moment I. The life of every man!
Thanks for reading!
Ooh. I can relate.
Thanks for reading Mabel. If you know you know, right?
Oooh. It makes me wonder what will happen next. ^_^ Skip seems nice; he’s just facing hard times.
Thanks Joyce, I’m hopeful for Skips next steps.
Nice read… I can see this expanding into a short story… kudos to you…
Thanks Valli. The possibilities of the before and of the after are rich with experience.
I love this so much! All the senses are captured within this brief moment. Thank you for sharing ??
Thanks Tues! I’m glad you liked it. I know the question marks we’re emojis, I tried to use them on a previous comment
๐
Clever how you worked “twelve steps” into the story as a double-meaning. ๐
Thanks for reading. That phrase was added in the final edit, you’d think it would have been there from the beginning. More will be revealed.
Skip could have been a dog in your first paragraph, and he evolves, ever so slightly, into becoming more human by the end. Maybe heโll stay this time.
Nice interpretation, I like it! I’m going to keep that in my back pocket and hope it re-appears in future stories.
Deep. Powerful. Well-written. The 12 steps neatly weaved in.
Thanks for reading. Those moments our lives balance on a razors edge are hard to comprehend.
I could easily feel his emotions and conflict inside. I’m rooting for him. Well done.
Thanks, me too!
I was moved very much by this story. Thank you.
Thank you for saying so. I’m glad you felt it.
Moving…oh, I hope he stays.
Me too! Thanks for reading and commenting.