The Cracked Pot: A Short Story

While I was reading the Cracked Pot, an online newspaper for The Potter’s School, I found this picture, which was really meant for a contest. I decided it would be fun to write a story for it even though the contest was over.

Travis is a teenager that might be dealing with depression. He does not notice it until he meets Sarah. Sarah is a girl his own age and possesses the very opposite disposition. Her smile could light up a black room and might be the only thing that could wake Travis up. The two meet at an old and almost abandoned railroad track.

I am Nobody, Who Are You?

“I am nobody. Who are you?” I repeated the first line of my favorite poem again to myself. I looked up from my book. Fog thickened the air and clouded my vision, deadening most of the evening noises. I

She’s my favorite poet.” I realized that I had seen her teaching a Sunday school class. Her cheery smile had lit up the room that day, which was why I remembered it. Sarah continued to prattle in her perky sunshine voice until I found myself smiling.

Finally, she looked at her watch. “Oops! Its 5:30, I have to be back in time for dinner. It was nice meeting you, Travis!” Sarah skipped down the tracks waving good-bye. I waved back and caught myself grinning.

I gazed up at the sky. The fog was lifting and a perky sun was shining out. I grinned and laughed at the sun. I repeated my favorite poem again, just then realizing that I had been interpreting the entire poem incorrectly. “I am nobody, who are you...” I could hear my voice and it no longer sounded like fog, thick, clouded, and dead. It rang like a sunbeam, bright and strong.

I ran home thankful for Sarah’s visit. She had placed a little sunshine in my life and it grew. The next day, I settled for an old orange ball cap because I had lost my black one. I think it was left at the train tracks, but I won’t go look for it and I know I won’t miss it.

Note: The repetition of the word ‘perky’ is