Meeting Love

(The Challenge: Write a story in which every sentence is only five words.)

When Love arrived, I sank.

I was a college sophomore.

It was a wet January.

I watched him walk over.

My window pulsed with rain.

Heartbeat, rain in my chest.

Love wasn’t what I expected.

Skinny, like I never knew.

Love was still and quiet.

Love drank gin and smoked.

Love smelled of green pines.

Love had sad, green eyes.

I was nervous at first.

I drank before going over.

Tried to calm quaking knees.

I gave Love my favorites-

Slaughterhouse-Five and Chuck Palahniuk.

He dog-eared the pages.

In the dark, we spoke.

The clock ticked for hours.

We only heard each other.

Love was honest and mine.

Love wrote poetry with fingers.

My lonely skin, the paper.

Love crept in that year.

White pedals wilted on magnolias.

They bruised on the street.

They got crushed under boots.

Indoors, I was never warm.

I tested the old thermostat.

I pulled my hood strings.

Love walked across the campus.

I watched him walk over.

His hands thrust into pockets.

Love wore a canvas coat.

Love’s glasses dotted with rain.

I kissed the frozen window.

But I didn’t feel cold.

Love came inside and stayed.

But Love did leave eventually.

Flickered like a frightened flame.

Then Love went out entirely.

When Love left, I choked.

I coughed, sputtered, sank down.

I thought I’d never float.

Love still calls me sometimes.

His voice low and sad.

I imagine his eyes, green.

Love begs and I listen.

We were a good team.

I cannot disagree with him.

We were a good team.

Then why did I lose?

Why were we always losing?

Maybe I’ll meet Love again.

I’ll watch Love walk over.