My Short Short for the Day

Sy looked into the glass orb. She squinted, then opened her eyes wide, trying to make sense of the blurriness.

“What do you see?” Ev was so patient but also expectant. You couldn't ever wait him out with silence.

“Um, well, a...a plant pot maybe. And some leaves of some sort.” Sy strained to see more then abruptly straightened with a huff. “I don't know, it's just too blurry.”

“Try again. Focus. Don't force your eyes to see. Just focus and let the images form.” Ev folded his hands onto his lap and shifted ever so slightly. His face was serene and pleasantly wrinkled.

Sy stared at him for several minutes but he didn't flinch or budge or say any more. With a loud and heavy sigh she turned to face the orb again. She stared for several minutes then took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She opened them again on the exhale and relaxed. She looked at the orb without trying to make something appear. She just stared and soon the images were shifting and changing, forming new things from the blur. Her heart thumped in her chest but she kept her eyes glued to the orb trying not to blink.

“Uh, I think I see something. It's...it's...” Sy held her breath as the image became clearer. “It's...my mother.” The woman was clear for a moment smiling at Sy, then a sudden wave crashed down on her sweeping her away into the darkness.

“This gift is not an easy one. Only the strongest souls can survive it. Your purity of heart will help you bear this weight.” Ev stood, rested his gnarled hand on Sy's shoulder. “And strength of love will help you use it well.”