Flash Fiction: Happy Chinese New Year
Firework © Feng Li
By Emma Elizabeth Mathes
On the walk home, I saw her. She was precious, delightful; she wore little red boots with a flair, and I couldn't help but smile. She laughed a giggle that tickled eardrums, and her brightness fed life into tired veins. Suddenly, my heart hurt. I recalled memories of family, and a feeling of togetherness long lost.
My stomach gurgled in anger and I took the welcomed distraction. Picking up an order of dumplings, I mumbled “Happy New Year,” to the man behind the register. We exchanged a knowing look over matching masks before I walked home to an empty apartment, bag in hand, mind playing the young girl's glittering laugh on loop.
Now, filled with desperation, I gulp down dumplings and try to remember how to believe. I light a candle, and dance, scaring away evil by myself. After a week full of tribulation, I decide to meditate on manifestation. Fridays offer a new beginning, and this night could contain gleaming possibility. I open my laptop, and place an order for a pair of red boots.
