Last year was an election year, and this had the neighbors pretty excited. Election years always seemed to get people talking as you might expect, but last year had an extra buzz about it. One of the candidates seemed to think just like the neighbors did. He shared their fears, and he promised to do something about it. The neighbors wouldn't have to worry about the girl with the headscarf with a strong leader like that in charge, they reckoned.
I noticed changes in the neighbors after that. They no longer made efforts to lower their tone or to disguise their stares when they spoke of the girl in the headscarf. With a strong, intelligent candidate in the public eye, thinking and talking just like they did, the neighbors felt their views were vindicated, they said.
She walked some days, that girl. She walked normally enough, even wore Nikes and gym pants. As time passed, she looked increasingly nervous on those walks, with her head low and her shoulders slouching. Her eyes lost some of their sparkle, and those white teeth were rarely revealed. At least wearing gym gear, she couldn't hide a bomb around her waist, the neighbors said.
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I hope you like the story! If you do, please remember to vote.
Thanks so much for reading! G.H.
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The Girl in the Headscarf
Short Story**Previously published in Mobius** A piece of dark fiction that reflects the realities of our modern age, yet remains timeless. A passive narrator from Anytown observes the comings and goings of an apparent refugee throughout a calendar year and de...
