Words

There once was a girl. Goodbye was the only word she could say. Her parents eventually got used to it. And her friends, she'd never have any. But she. She'd always thought it was a wonderful affliction. Millions of words in her head. An endless cascade of dominoes falling down and standing themselves back up again. No secrets betrayed. No lies to be discovered nor truths that were better left untold. No anything except the end.

It's a fairy tale of words. Or lack thereof. Of kittens' claws on shag carpet. Children who want to play, but can barely run.

There once was a boy. Hello was the only word his lips could manage. His parents had given up on him. His friends, he'd always had too many. People whose names he couldn't say. And didn't remember. Meeting. Always meeting. Never seeing each other again. But he always felt the beginning was underrated. That people change us most in the first few moments. He had to believe that.

It's a story of frail coincidence. The kind that turns linens into love affairs. And the lack of words to advantage. Of course they came to be together. Of course they were happy. Because words never got in the way.