It was 2.45 am. Her heart was racing, overwhelmed by a fervour that only inspiration could evoke. A faint smile played on her lips, hinting nothing of the chaos within, as her fingers danced on the computer. On the screen, a masterpiece was emerging in Helvetica.
***
She knocked on the door that said ‘Editor-in-Chief’ and heard a faint invitation to enter. As usual, her boss was nursing his sleep deprivation with the strongest black coffee.
“Did you read the story I sent you this morning?”
Without looking up from the mess on his desk, the bald, bearded, bespectacled boss of hers answered.
” 3.43 am is not morning. It’s inhuman.”
She could feel he was deflecting and she grew impatient.
“You told me to write a story that was bold and fearless, the story that I really wanted to tell. Well, it’s currently lying in your inbox. Will you publish it?”
He sighed, wondering who was the boss here. There was no escaping this. He took his time though, cleaning his glasses, then putting them on, and fixing her with a piercing stare.
“I read it. And it’s crazy good. Hell, I loved it. But are you sure you want to do this? Hasn’t there been enough damage done already?”
She nodded. Hitting send on that email had done it for her. No going back now.
“Do it.” And she left.
***
She was lying in her bed, wide awake, when her phone rang. She saw the number flashing on the screen and held her breath. Moment of truth.
“Hey.”
The voice on the other end was calm and composed, as if holding back the urge to say a lot of things all at once.
“I read your story. I didn’t know you were one for grand gestures?”
“I know I wasn’t. But I am changing now. Less afraid of the unknown, more open to commitment. To us…”
He remained silent. She spoke again.
“So… what do you think? Can we start again? I promise, no holding back. This time, I’m all in.”
Another long pause from him. But this time, she wasn’t afraid. Love, she had come to realise, was supposed to be fearless. And then the silence was broken.
As she put the phone down, her heart was racing again. She felt like a schoolgirl getting excited for her first date. She had a dress a to pick, get her hair and nails done, and most importantly lock away all her fears forever.
On her way to the kitchen to get her morning coffee, she glanced at the magazine that lay open on her dining table. The story title read ‘How I Loved & Lost The Man of My Dreams’.
She caressed the glossy host of her words and smiled to herself. He was right. It was one hell of an apology!
In response to The Daily Post’s prompt: Fearless
Rêveries of an Imagination Junkie 
More of us should share totally from our hearts!
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Couldn’t agree more! I always struggle between writing what others would want to read and what I really want to write. And it feels good when I can go ahead and do the latter, fearlessly!
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‘writing what others would want to read and one really wants to write’. I agree, this is the dilemma of a writer! Nicely worded article. Best wishes
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Maybe this dilemma is what will eventually help one strike a perfect balance between the two and emerge as a good writer!
Thank you for reading and commenting!
Best wishes and happy blogging!
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I am an amateur blogger, just eight days old… could you visit my blog as convenient and provide some tips?? Regards
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Sure thing! 🙂
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I am stunned at your brilliance. I don’t know about fearless, but speechless? Hell, yes! You’ve just succeeded in dragging the writer in me to my heart. Do advice me on my blog.
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Your writing amazes me. I am stunned. Fearless, nah! Speechless? Hell, yes. Do advice me on my own blog. It really would mean a lot….
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Oh, boy. Mesmerized by your writing. Inspired. Fearless? Nah! Speechless? Hell, yes! Do advice me on my own blog…
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Nice motto – people tend to hide their emotions just like the narrator, and it put her in a very believable position. Good work!
I wonder, though, why the boss was so inclined to avoid the story? Is he a mutual friend of the couple? Is he friends with the male? It makes me wonder more about his role in the story.
Good work!
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Hello Natalie!
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! It’s always great to know that a reader is curious to know more about the characters.. feels sort of like a validation, you know?
As for the boss, I can tell you this, I think in my head, he was also a friend who cared for his employee.
He had seen her go through some tough times in her relationship with the male and wanted her to move on. Maybe he thought a challenge would motivate her.
But when he read her story, he realised, it wasn’t going away that easy. There was still some unfinished business. So while he tried to warn her to leave it alone, he did go ahead and publish the story, hoping that whatever the outcome, it would give her some closure in the end.
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I think the boss sounds like a very round character – I wonder if there’s some way you can show this a little more in the story? Maybe a line of dialogue where the boss says, “I like both of you, and I don’t want to see either of you hurt” (or however you want to say it). I think that will make that section stronger than it already is 🙂
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