Magnolia Blooms & Sakura Petals
By
Rebecca Anna Coleman

Epilogue

The clock chimed till twelve o' clock. Noon, the last day of the school year and the official start of my secret life as “Heather”, The summer holiday had now started in earnest. I knew the coming days would be longer, hotter, and more humid and heavier than the past fortnight. Fourteen days ago, I think that’s how much time has passed since that faithful night I was having a terrible writer's block and decided the only way to break it was to become “Heather”. And in that time I'd taken meaningful strides toward making that thought a reality. I knew in the coming months of Summer I would be living something of a double life and I was fine with that.

Because I knew that those long, blistering, hot as hell days of Summer offered me the promise of the freedom to explore. It also means that there would be a greater need for my services. The neighborhood would need their laws mowed more often than they had before. I mean people often mow their lawns year around here in Mississippi, but the lawn moving business peaks in Summer and slows down in Autumn and creeps through Winter. I also knew that my sister would try to fill the void the Summer holiday would open up in my schedule.

I knew she would keep piling the chores on me to keep me from spending the whole season sitting in front of the television. She would find something for me to do to keep me from spending all of my free time playing Pokemon, Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, and Harvest Moon. And that was fine by me, because she paid handsomely for all the chores she found that needed to be done around the house. And the more lawns I moved, the more chores I did around the house for her would mean I could earn more pocket money and pocket money I could funnel into my newly opened checking account.

Well if I'm honest I had earmarked all of my earnings for chores to go into the high-yield savings account that I'd also opened up the same day I'd opened up my personal checking account. That account I'd given the nickname “Heather's War chest”

It was also the time for haunted houses, legend tripping, tests of courage, and least but not last ghost stories. Summer in Japan was the time for ghost stories, as Obon, the Japanese version of Halloween, took place in the month of August. And with that in mind I could dive headfirst into writing for “Shojo Kaiden”. Summer was also the season for sporting events, for trips to the lake or to the beach. Or snuggling close to your crush as you roasted hotdogs or made smores. The things that readers of “Shojo Beat” loved to read about.

And so as the last bell of the school year echoed down the hallway and the hallway filled with students rushing like a wild herd of horses toward the exit of the school I found myself smiling. I felt like Bilbo Baggins starting out on his first big adventure!

The End.

I would personally like to extend my gratitude to those who felt moved to leave either leave a kudo, or took time out of their busy days to read a posted chapter. Or left a comment. I know I failed to show my appreciation by not responding to each one. But each comment made my day a little brighter.