Hello everyone,

At school, I am currently rereading To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and I had a project to write a short story concerning one of the more well-known quotes.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb in his skin and walk around in it.”

Here is my short story:

P.S. It is more like a free-verse poem 😉

P.P.S. Enjoy!

Shoeless, Not Hopeless

She lives on a street with a Do Not Enter sign on the corner.

The street is a quiet one because of the sign;

sometimes it is so quiet – especially at night –

she’s not sure that there’s anyone else alive except her.

 

Anastasia Sinclaire has been living on the street for two weeks now;

her cash seems to have evaporated like the morning dew;

all she can do now is wait,

wait and hope that someone will show her some mercy. 

 

She lives on a street with a Do Not Enter sign on the corner,

thinking about what had happened to her,

thinking about what used to be,

thinking about what is now. 

 

The old Anastasia had a loving sister, mother, and father.

But that was before, before it all happened.

That was before she was kicked out,

from a house with a loving sister, mother, and father.

 

It was all an unfortunate incident, except they refused to believe.

They refused to believe it was rape;

they refused to believe that her baby was not created by choice.

So once they heard, all they thought about was the shame she would bring them.

 

“How could you do this to your family?” her sister had cried.

“You are a disgrace to your family!” her mother had shrieked.

“You don’t belong in this family,” her father had yelled.

Anastasia loved her family, but it didn’t love her back.

 

They wouldn’t believe her because their trust in God blinded them.

If God was meant to be a protector and savior,

why hadn’t he protected her from the men with evil intent?

Anastasia has no faith anymore as she waits on the cold, dirty street.

 

She lives on a street with a Do Not Enter sign on the corner

shoeless, with an empty stomach, and with no faith.

Like the little match girl, it will come for her;

all she has to do is wait.

 

Suddenly a silhouette creeps in on the edge of the street;

Anastasia cannot believe it is coming closer, not moving away.

The figure is of a woman, twenty-something in age.

She is holding something behind her back; a knife?

 

“Here you can have these,” says the woman with a smile on her face. “Someone special gave them to me.”

 

Speechlessness leaves its mark on Anastasia’s face.

 

She lives on a street with a Do Not Enter sign on the corner,

still hungry, no longer shoeless, and with faith.

The pair of high heels will save her life;

Anastasia will be forever grateful to the stranger.

 

***

She no longer lives on a street with a Do Not Enter sign on the corner,

working as a teacher in the local school;

still without a loving sister, mother, or father, and no faith in God,

but with a loving daughter in her hands.

***

 

Epilogue – ten years later

         

She lives on a street with a Do Not Enter sign on the corner.

The street is a quiet one because of the sign;

sometimes it is so quiet – especially at night –

she’s not sure that there’s anyone else alive except her.

 

Abby Johnson has been living on the street for two weeks now;

her cash seems to have evaporated like the morning dew;

all she can do now is wait,

wait and hope that someone will show her some mercy…

 

“Here you can have these,” says the woman with a smile on her face. “Someone special gave them to me.”

 

Speechlessness leaves its mark on Abby’s face.

 

P.P.P.S. Kriso out