Short Story Spotlight: Juliet and Juliet
Today's spotlight is the first ever NYC Midnight entry I wrote. I had no idea what I was doing and was absolutely thrilled when I finished 7th in my group for Round 1, as I was not expecting much after wrestling with my entry for hours. It's been a while since I wrote this, but as far as I can remember, this was my assignment:
- Genre: Romance
- Action: Putting something in the attic
- Word: replica
- Word limit: 250
Below is my unedited entry. As always, feedback is welcome!
Juliet and Juliet
“I’m putting this in the attic,” I call to Mother, hefting the heavy box.
“Quickly!” snaps Mother. I dart for the stairs.
The attic is filling up fast. Spring cleaning aside, soon there will be questions. In a rush, I dump the box on an overloaded chair. It starts to fall. I grab it before it hits the ground and wrestle it into a dusty corner.
Old books spill out. Romeo and Juliet catches my eye and I pause.
“A strong warning!” Sister Beatrice's words echo in my ears. “Obey your elders in matters of the heart, or you too shall perish!”
It was the same day she’d said with quiet menace, “Girls don’t marry girls!”
I toss the book aside, not caring where it lands. Their lives are a pale replica of my own.
I hurry over to the bench jammed under the high attic window and clamber up to peer at the copy-paste house next door.
She’ll be there. They don’t really let her out of the attic anymore.
Movement. My heart leaps. Her glorious golden hair glints in the mid-morning sun. I can’t see them clearly from here, but I know her blue eyes are shining.
She smiles. I smile back, my hand on my heart. She holds up a hand, three fingers extended.
“Three more weeks,” I whisper with a nod. Then she is gone.
Not long now. My bags are already packed.
