Flash Fiction By Stephen Taylor
Salmon Arm, BC
Young Artemis played and danced across the crumbling wall. His mother would always tell him to stay clear of this place, saying it was too high for him. But the city was a full adventure, and Artemis could never resist the smooth white stone that towered high above the marketplace. It was so freeing to see the people mingling far below on cobblestone streets. He would sit with his smiling chubby face in his hands, wide eyes gazing at the excitement of the city unfolding beneath his feet.
He remembered being six and falling at this very spot. Laughing to himself he knew that would never happen again. That was a long time ago; the crowds had long since moved on, and the buildings fallen into ruin. But in all that time he’d gotten so much better at balancing. That was a long time ago…how long had he been six, exactly? He wasn’t sure, but he knew it was a long time.
The Boy on the Wall,
Copyright © Stephen Taylor, 2020