If You Love Something....

By Michael Seese

OK, let me get a few things out of the way up front.

1. I have never been accused (legally) of stalking.
2. I have never been accused (girlfriend to friend, mother, sister, etc.) of stalking, to my knowledge.
3. I have never been served with a restraining order.

I point these out because I want to make it clear that this story has no basis in personal history or reality. I learned of this contest on Readwave. The challenge: to write a 150-word story with the words, "if you love books and reading" embedded.

So, here for your reading enjoyment (I hope) is "If You Love Something." 


"If”

It’s perhaps the cruelest word in the English language.”

“If only I had tried a little harder…”

“If ifs and buts were candy and nuts…”

“If you love something, set it free…”

I met her at the bookstore. We exchanged cautious glances. My mind flashed the word “escape.” But I found courage. I usually have trouble with women. I’m not very adept at reading the signs. But I took her mere presence as a good one. After all, who reads real books these days? Everything is online and Amazon and electronic.

But this was real. I believed she was in love. I know I was.

Still, I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t set her free.

Looking at my walls, now flecked with crimson, I wondered how something which started so beautiful could end with a police officer handcuffing me and reading me my rights. 



By the way... you can go to Readwave here and like it. (HINT, HINT.)

And, what do you think?