Guest Post by Honora Reese

Hello, friends and family and authors and all others!

I thought I’d start by mentioning that Honora and I (Erin) are, in fact, writing a poetry collection! Our goal is to publish within a few months.

It is called Faith of Four Seasons! And you are the first to know of it!

Today, Honora is here with a short story I think you will enjoy!

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Daisy reached her hand down, fingers brushing across the tops of the high grasses. Watching the ground as she walked, she noticed a broken flower, wilted and trampled.

Just like me.

She winced, and the tears streamed down her face again. It hurt so badly. How her family hated her, acted like they were better than her. How her classmates practically worshipped her, when every day she felt less worthy of being. How she was always told how beautiful she was, when all she could see was her scars inside.

"Why does the world hurt so badly? Why am I so glad to finally be alone? Why can't I be alone forever?" she wondered aloud. That was her plan, in fact. She was going to try to find a secluded spot where she could hide away, broken by herself, without the world to hurt her while she tried to heal...if it was even possible.

She let the tears continue to fall because no one was around. The sun set as she wandered in the big empty field, grateful to finally be away from the heartbreaking world.

∗ ∗ ∗

Kliat smiled as he stared off into the distance. He greatly enjoyed going on his nightly walks. He loitered through the field of grasses and flowers, praising God for His creation as he walked.

But he found a surprise. In the distance, he could make out a shape in the moonlight. As he got closer, he heard the sound of soft crying.

"Daisy?" he wondered aloud when he saw the person. The girl jerked her head up from where she had been curled up, head on her knees, as she sobbed.

"What happened to you?" he whispered, kneeling down to be eye-level with the girl clothed in moonlight, clutching herself in the swaying grasses under the dark sky.

"It's called hiding," she said, her ocean blue eyes still wet from the fresh tears.

"But...why? You've always been so cheerful. Put together. Carefree."

"A smile can hide even the most broken heart, Kliat." The girl fixed her gaze on the starry sky spread out above them like a blanket. "A smile can hide anything."

Kliat winced a little. He too knew this well. When it hurts most, just smile your way through it. "Oh, Daisy...Talk to me. What's wrong? Maybe I can help."

She stared at him, a haunted, but...empty look in her light eyes. "No one can help."

Kliat's heart broke inside. He thought he could help, if she would just accept it and not be so stubborn.

So he knelt down next to her and started praying. Aloud. "Dear Lord, please help Daisy. Help her to know I'm someone she can talk to. Help bring her healing from whatever is breaking her. Please give her strength and peace, and help her know that even if no one else seems to, I love and care about her, and You do too. Amen."

When he looked up, he saw a surprised look on Daisy's face. "You would...pray for me?" she whispered. When he nodded, she added, "No one has ever done that."

Kliat laughed softly. "You're wrong, Daisy. I pray for you almost every day."

That same shocked look crossed her face again. "But...why?" she asked softly.

The caring boy looked serious again. "Because I sensed that something was...off. Your happiness has to be limited, but...you're constantly happy. With seemingly no limits." He gently put his hand on her shoulder. "Please talk to me...I want to try to help you."

Daisy winced. "I already said. No one can help me." She stood up and slowly walked away, quietly sobbing.

Kliat shook his head sadly and followed her. Resting his hand on her shoulder, he said, "Daisy?"

She jumped a little, still crying into her hands. "You're still here?"

"Of course I'm still here. I just wanted to tell you...I care about you, and..." -he paused awkwardly, not sure if he should say it- "I do love you, even if no one else does."

Daisy shook her head. "No one can love me, in all of my brokenness," she whispered. When Kliat stayed silent, she continued, "I mean...sometimes it scares me. I look in the mirror and see such...emptiness in my eyes."

"Oh..." he murmured. By instinct, he reached out and wrapped her in a loving hug. "Please, Daisy, trust me," he whispered against her hair. At first, Daisy stood stiff as a board, having not been hugged in years, if ever. Finally, though, she accepted it.

When Kliat pulled away, he held her shoulders at arm length and looked into her beautiful eyes. "You know where my house is. Come by and talk to me at any time. I mean it."

Squeezing her shoulders gently, he turned and walked away.

∗ ∗ ∗

Daisy stared after him, still shocked. No one (especially her family) had ever said they loved her...she thought she was unlovable. No one had ever truly cared about her...she thought no one could. No one had ever earned her trust...she thought that no one was trustworthy.

Yet Kliat had broken through all of her walls in just one conversation.

"No," she said aloud firmly. "I won't let him."

With that, she continued walking away from her home. Laying down on grass near some rocks, she fell into a restless sleep.

The next morning when Daisy woke up, she was determined to leave and go far away where no one knew her.

But when she sat up, she saw a flower near her. It was peeking up through the rocks, the only survivor of the hard soil.

Not only that, it was a daisy.

Daisy stood up and turned her back on where she had planned to go. She would be a survivor too. Maybe she would stop by Kliat's.

And she started walking; this time, she was going home.

Honora Reese is a young Christian writer who loves running barefoot through the grass, drinking hot cocoa while writing her newest poem, and whose goal is to praise the Lord and lead others to Him through her writing. You can find her on her email list, honora-reese-writer.mailerpage.io.

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Wasn’t that lovely? Honora is a very talented young author. She has also been published Poems, Prose and Verse Volume 2: The Life of a Writer, which was compiled by Eowyn Bolivette and I. It can be found on lulu.com and amazon.com!

What was your favorite part of this short story? Comment below!