Odd Prompts: The strange little creature trotted down the sidewalk
This Odd Prompt comes from Becky Jones, who puts forward the following: The strange little creature trotted down the sidewalk.
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He had not asked to become a living, breathing creature. In fact, he found the entire concept quite distasteful, especially in his current surroundings. Far removed from the tranquillity of suburbia, and the blissful trappings of neat, clean picket fences, neatly trimmed green grass, and the warn, enveloping scent of bright, colourful flowers, he felt completely out-of-sorts.
The small garden-variety gnome understood why. It had been the fervent wish of the small child, in the back of her parents’ car, for him to come to life, and play with her. She could have plucked any gnome, or indeed any other form of garden decoration, but somehow, she had fixed on his bright red, pointy hat, thick, white bushy beard, and his little blue raincoat. Somehow, he had been chosen for the gift of life, and now he instinctively sought out the little girl, compelled to make her wish come true.
The people in suits and ties and skirts and jackets all gave him most peculiar looks. Some recoiled, as though horrified, and others could not disguise their flabbergasted stares. The gnome pulled his tiny coat tight, and kept to the very side of the lengthy, and grubby sidewalk, making himself as diminutive as possible. He did his best to ignore the confused and wary glances of the humans, and let the wish guide him where he needed to go. Twice, stray cats swiped at him, forcing him to flee as fast as his tiny legs would allow, and once, a small, yappy dog tried to bite him, and earnt itself a bop on the nose for its troubles.
Onward he went. The gnome reached the apartments, and faced his greatest nemesis: stairs. Thick, red brick stairs, each as tall as he, barred his path. He sighed, and leaned against the first step, looking to the heavens, which had taken the form of dark grey storm clouds. Drops of rain fell from the sky, and splattered across both the sidewalk, and the gnome. He sighed again, turned around, and reached up with his ceramic hands to try and haul himself up the stairs. Failing to reach the top, he grumbled, and kicked the air out of frustration.
In that moment, it was as though the power of the wish would not be denied. A man opened the door to the apartment block, and shook a large, old grey rug. Dust scattered, and passers-by snarled at the sudden expulsion of filth, but the gnome saw a chance. He grabbed onto the tassels, and as the man pulled the rug back inside, the gnome was carried with it, into the building, by-passing the inconvenient stairs. He scurried to the elevators, and squeezed inside one, right before the silver door clamped shut.
A new conundrum presented itself. The gnome could not reach the buttons! He jumped, as best he could, several times, but lacked the means to press them. Irritated, the gnome slunk into a corner, once again feeling defeated. In the warm air of the elevator, the gnome looked for anything to offer hope, anything that would permit him to fulfil the little girl’s wish, but there was nothing to obtain a purchase on, no way to lift himself higher.
It seemed life wanted him to succeed. An elderly man, with a kind, weather-worn face, and a long, thin grey beard, hobbled into the elevator. He made eye contact with the gnome, who froze, but fear turned to intrigue at the old man’s warm smile.
“Where you tryin’ to go, my friend?” the man said.
“Um, the fourth floor, sir,” the gnome answered, surprised he even had a voice. The old man winked, and tapped the button.
“Up we go.”
The elevator lurched with a weird metallic groan, and began to rise. The gnome watched the indicator change, rising through the levels, and felt the thud through his tiny shoes when it stopped. The door slid open, revealing a well-trodden blue carpet, and the mixed smells of fresh baking, and old grease. The old man waved a hand at the door.
“This is you, good luck.”
“Thank you, sir,” the gnome enthused, and trotted from the elevator. His instinct led him to round a corner, and another, carrying him past several big, brown wooden doors, until he reached apartment 9. He tapped the door, three times, and heard footsteps, young and eager.
“Mommy, there’s someone at the door!” he heard a girl’s voice excitedly exclaim. The gnome felt his heart swell, for he knew he had found his purpose, he knew he had found his home.
