Yesterday Afternoon

On an afternoon like any other, with trees swaying quietly and children's laughter in the distance, she sat on a park bench, looking down at her book. Normally, she'd be immersed in its world, but today was different; the words wouldn't transform into a story in her mind.

Looking up, she noticed a bird in the park corner, pecking at something. After watching it for a while, it seemed as if the bird looked at her and chirped as though trying to convey something.

At that moment, a sensation or memory, rather than a visual image, flashed in her mind.

She closed her book, took a deep breath, and started walking around the park, replaying that fleeting sensation in her head, walking almost on autopilot.

After her walk, she felt a subtle change. It was less a change and more like a budding, or perhaps a crumbling.

Walking home, she found herself oddly fixated on the shadow stretching out from her feet.