Bloom – by PAUL ALEX GRAY

BLOOM

Paul Alex Gray

Emily folded his shirts carefully, tucking sleeves within and beneath leaving no crinkles in the cotton. White and blue and grey, the shirts were double cuffed and only a little frayed on the seams.

Rain fell gently outside the large window. A storm had passed by just after dawn. Thunder rumbled in farewell as the sky put on a show. Sunlight found its way through the clouds for brief moments making the raindrops sparkle and shine. They fell through the Jacaranda trees, casting fleeting purple petals to the street below.

He had said this kind of weather had reminded him of London. He had always laughed at forecast icons of a sun peeking from behind a raining cloud. Sun and Cloud, every day.

Emily packed the last shirt away in a draw that would remain shut. She sipped on lukewarm tea as she walked through the dull hall, trailing thoughts behind her.

The morning was vivid and bright, the clouds sullenly breaking away. Small rivers of storm water raced along the gutters, seeking a return to the place from which they had come.

Emily stepped outside and told herself today would be beautiful and bright. She heard it in the singing warbles of the currawongs and saw it in the blaze of flowers above and below.

***

Paul Alex Gray enjoys writing speculative fiction that cuts a jagged line to a magical real world. His work has been published in Ad Hoc Fiction, 365 Tomorrows and 101 Words. His novella The Aliveagainers is a featured story on Wattpad. Growing up in Australia, Paul traveled the world and now lives in Canada with his wife and two children. Paul spends his days working in the software industry and his nights dreaming up stories. Follow him on Twitter @paulalexgray or visit www.paulalexgray.com.