A New Year
My writing group chose the prompt: The Start Of The New Year. Here's what I came up with:
The aroma of pine needles stubbornly clung to the air, a ghost of Christmas past. January had arrived, cloaked in fog and silence, a stark contrast to the snowy merriment of December.
Amelia was taking down the last of the holiday decorations inside a cozy little bookstore. A pang of melancholy struck her as she carefully wrapped delicate glass ornaments and dormant twinkling lights. Each one held a memory, a whisper of the past, and a shout to the future.
The bell above the door tinkled, announcing a customer. Amelia turned, a welcoming smile already forming on her lips. A young woman stood hesitantly just inside the doorway, her gaze focusing on the bookshelves.
"Good morning," Amelia greeted her. "Can I help you find something?"
"I'm not sure," the woman replied, her voice soft. "I just... I feel a bit lost. It's a new year, and I want to make some changes, but I don't know where to start."
Amelia nodded, understanding completely. "A new year can feel like a blank page, can't it? It's exciting, but also a bit daunting."
She led the woman to a section filled with books on self-improvement and personal growth. "Perhaps one of these might speak to you?" she suggested.
As the woman browsed the titles, Amelia reflected on her own New Year's resolutions. She had a stack of books waiting to be read, a list of writing projects to tackle, and a lingering desire to reconnect with writers on Prose dot com.
The woman selected a book and brought it to the counter. "I'll take this one," she said, a glimmer of determination in her eyes.
"Excellent choice," Amelia said, ringing up the purchase. "Remember, change doesn't happen overnight. Be patient with yourself, and take it one step at a time. It’s a new year. Be good to yourself."
After the woman left, Amelia returned to the task of tidying up. The melancholy had lifted, replaced by a sense of anticipation. The new year stretched before her, full of possibilities. It was a blank page, but she could fill it with anything she desired.
The bell above the door tinkled again, and Amelia looked up, ready to welcome the next customer and the next chapter in the new year.
Happy New Year to everyone!