Walter

Walter

Genre: Magical Realism

Subject: Childhood Haunts

Word: Resonant

499 words

Behind the cabin lies a pathway that winds through the forest. Decorated with hanging lanterns that end at a small wooden bridge spanning across the creek that runs through the property.

To 6-year-old Lily, this path is the most magical place on earth.

Late one spring evening, Lily snuck out of her bed and followed the lanterns down the magical path to the bridge to be on her own. While sitting on the edge with her legs dangling down, she is startled by a crunching noise coming from a darker part of the pathway and sees a tiny figure emerge from just beyond the darkness. A man, dressed in simple linen clothing and carrying a backpack. Lily is sure that her dolls might be just a hair taller than this man stands.

“Nice to see such a beautiful young lady on my travels. I’m Walter” He says, extending his small hand out to her as if expecting her to shake it. “May I ask… are you ok?” noticing her frowning face.

At this moment, Lily considers fleeing. But her curiosity wins, and instead, she introduces herself and explains why she sits here. Walter takes a seat next to her on the rail of the bridge and offers to keep her company. They talk through the night and Lily learns Walter and his family of woodland trolls live beyond the moss-covered log down the path beneath a heap of boulders. Walter reveals that he enjoys taking nightly walks up this way in search of food and added that the water from this stream was the best in the area.

It didn’t take long for Lily and Walter to become good friends. Walter helped keep Lily distracted while her parents argued. He did his best to mask the resonant sound of yelling with his singing when the fighting became really bad, and Lily snuck food to the bridge so Walter didn’t have to waste his time hunting, giving them more time to dance and play.

Walters’ family loved to give Lily small gifts that looked to be tiny knitted scarves. Lily was too big to use them as such, so she wore them as friendship bracelets instead. Lily loved her new friend.

As the summer days grew shorter, and the cool breeze of autumn began to blow, Lily prepared Walter for her departure back to the city. Promising that she would be back next spring with tales to share.

That was the last time she saw Walter. As the year went on, Lily eventually forgot completely that he existed.

Lily watched as her daughter ran ahead, prancing down the lantern lit pathway she herself once adored.

As they approached the small bridge, now worn from age, she heard her daughter giggle and begin twirling like a ballerina. When she herself reached the bridge, she saw…

Laying neatly on the bridge railing, a small hand-knit scarf. She smiled as she picked it up, and whispered one word…

“Walter.”

He IS real.