Actually, it took that amount of time to write 500 words appropriate to drive the story forward. Countless more words are yet to be devoted towards it.

The story linked below was born as an idea whilst on break at my job with Opera Software (makers of the best web browser, by the way), and the story reached puberty while I was on a Good Friday fast in the midst of a near-total lockdown in Msida, Malta during the coronavirus pandemic. When, and where, the story will reach maturity is to be determined.

I cannot recall what inspired the premise of the story below, but I remember playing with certain scenarios in my head where I would ask myself: “What if I was the right person, at the right place, but the wrong time?” Conversely, what if I was the “right person, in the right time, but in the wrong place?” I then wondered the final possible scenario: “What if this is the right place and the right time, but I am the wrong man for this time and place?”

The story below is an abridged version of a yet-to-be-completed, yet-to-be-fleshed-out full version of a story that explores these questions embodied in three separate people.

This abridged version was submitted to a local short story contest in Malta. I was encouraged by my amazing wife, Ashleigh, to put my best step forward and submit something to this contest. The grand prize is a 20 euro gift card to Amazon, the only socially safe place at which to shop at this moment in history. This challenge was set before me five days before submission date. Although the word limit was only 500 words, it was taxing to craft a something within that time frame.

Yet the pressure of a deadline, and the encouraged creative mindset begotten whilst undergoing a solemn fast in remembrance of the holy sacrifice of Jesus Christ, can work wonders on one’s output of content.

The challenge was whittling the story down to 500 words. Reaching that mark is easy for me; redacting some many words is painful. I mourn for the words and phrases put to the sword during this process. However, sometime in the future, I intend to repurpose those fallen words in a grander version of the story (linked below, if you have not been informed yet.)

Follow the link below for my latest short story:

For your amusement

In the map below, navigate yourself to Poland > Wroclaw > Opera Software, and you see with pinpoint accuracy of where this story was conceived. Or, have fun exploring Ashleigh and I’s travels. You may find links to other blog posts or stories in the pinned locations.