She met him outside a taqueria wafting tortilla cooked fresh and earthy into the December air. It was the shortest day of the year, which she might’ve read as a sign, just like the crystals she wore for protection or the the stars she’d later query — a sign that he, too, would be only a short light. She wasn’t superstitious, but she knew some paths were best crossed with an X, a prayer, and forgetfulness. Never fall in love, especially with a stranger on the shortest day of the year. He held a styrofoam cup to her lips, and she drank even though the cup was dry. A cursed simulacrum of the act, for shortest days have the longest nights.
It’s another Six Sentence Story! Thanks to Zoe for hosting. Check out others’ stories here.
The Wordsy 
You had me at taqueria! Good six
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One of my favorite quotes is “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” But you can’t drink from one either.
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Wow. Just because something is short does not mean it cannot be painful.
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I have known people who lived their lives totally focused on signs and symbols, and in the process lost the beautiful spontaneity and surprises that occur when we let life unfold without trying to control it. I suspect she is going to have a lot of difficult relationships if she is predisposed to their failure. Maybe, instead, the empty cup is a sign that it is about to be filled to overflowing! 🙂 This is a really good story, taking us into the mindset of the character!
Josie Two Shoes ~ Six Sentence Stories
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Maybe his offering her a drink from an empty cup was to get some sort of reaction from her, or perhaps he was implying that he really had nothing to offer her. Either way, it was to be her choice.
Great SSS.
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