Thank you for reading and sharing my daily #Storygram short stories! Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter and check out my film Portfolio!
The Story:
Dust rolled off the roof of the cabin as a gust of wind blew across the plains. The sun was beating down just as mercilessly as it had been for the past two months. Moisture had been sucked out of every square inch of the land. The sky was greedy and showing no signs of giving back what it had taken.
He stepped onto the porch and pushed the cabin’s creaky door open. His wife was on the other side, looking at him with hopefulness. He wished he could know her optimism. He hung his head down, and stepped over the threshold. Her smile faded as she watched him hang his gun by the door. She gave him a hug and sat down at the table.
“Nothing still,” he said.
She nodded her understanding, just wanting to leave this conversation with the troubles on the other side of the door.
“I can’t even find a squirrel. There’s just nothing out there.”
Again, she nodded, motioning for him to sit down. As he did so, his eyes were captured by the most delicious looking pie he’d ever seen.
“Apple pie?”
Her face glowed with excitement.
“Where did you get the apples?”
She shrugged and motioned toward the door.
“They just appeared on our doorstep?”
Tears were forming in her eyes. She had been waiting to tell him all day. When had it happened? He had left before dawn, and there were no apples there. And they were miles from town. Who could have done this?
“Did you see anything?”
She shook her head as she cut him a slice. He put a bite of it in his mouth and savored the first real food he’d had in days.
After dinner they sipped apple cider on the front porch, enjoying full bellies and each other’s company.
They awoke with the sun the next morning. Both of them shot up from their bed and ran to the door. Taking a deep breath and clasping hands, they opened the door to their little cabin. And on the doorstep, a bag of perfect green apples was waiting for them. This time, there was a note.
“Even the needy can be not greedy. Remember this, and you’ll do well.”
He knew he would have to figure out the meaning of this, or risk losing these free apples.
Think this story should become a book or a short film? Let me know in the comments below.