Today’s brief was another short one – just one paragraph focusing on a moment in time. Since I was about to take my daily Covid test, I thought about waiting for the result and how it’s a similar situation to waiting for the result of a pregnancy test. The pregnancy test is a shorter wait, but both involve looking to see whether there are two lines or only one. I tried to inject an amount of ambiguity into my paragraph so that it’s unclear until the final sentences what kind of test this is. It’s not a great piece of writing, even if I call it micro fiction, but tomorrow’s brief is a proper story.

Waiting

Waiting for what seems an eternity, wondering if I will see the two lines. A positive result will have consequences – but will the consequences be positive? Waiting for bodily fluid to react with the testing device; minutes have never dragged so slowly. Seconds swell into lifetimes; time is out of joint. Waiting. What lies ahead? Will my future be bright or clouded? Will I be trapped or free? A moment’s madness, getting too close to a stranger – will the consequences ripple through my life and his? Waiting. Slowly letting my eyes move to the piece of white plastic, knowing the result I long for, not daring to hope… Negative. Covid free. From now on, I’ll be more careful.