in For Fun, Reading, Writerly Wednesday 179 Words

Writerly Wednesday – Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover

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My eyes fluttered open to a pounding head and a gnawing in my gut. Rain tapped lightly on my hood; its sound was both soothing and irritating as each drop echoed in my ears. Last night’s haze was lifting, but not enough to get me to my feet.

The quiet streets were coming alive, despite the miserable day. Footsteps neared, slowed, and then drifted away again. If it weren’t for the clink of metal on metal, I wouldn’t have lifted my head. I looked up and down the street, but the passerby had disappeared into the crowd. Then my eyes drifted over to my cup, a souvenir from last night’s escapades. The bottom was lined with several coins.

I dumped the cup into my shaky hand as I rose quickly to my feet. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I had been mistaken for a panhandler; my looks had been deceiving.

Have you ever been mistaken for someone else? Let me know what you think.

Flash fiction prompt provided by http://www.writerlycorner.com/writerly-prompts/writerly-wednesday-3232016.

9 thoughts on “Writerly Wednesday – Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover”

  1. Very nice twist! What you describe once happened to my son when he was 15. He was downtown at a school event that was taking place at a convention center. His ride left without him. He called me, but I was 30 minutes away. While he waited for me, he sat down in front of the center with his back to the building. It was nearly 10:00 at night and he was frightened to be alone in an unfamiliar area. He pulled his hood up and he lowered his head, trying not to be noticed. A few people walking by tossed money into his lap. He said he was afraid to look up, so he just sat still hoping I would arrive sooner rather than later. When I arrived, he had amassed a fortune of over $14.00. He asked me to drive around until we found a homeless person. When we did, he got out of the car, handed the money to him, and said, “I hope this helps”.
    Thank you for bringing that memory back. I am now off to call my now 26 year old son.

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    1. That’s a great story! I was actually going to write how the character walked to a nearby coffee shop, found a homeless person, and gave him the money. However, I would have been way over the 150 words. 😊

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  3. I haven’t but my husband has mistaken someone else for me in a grocery store. He came up behind her, poked her in the ribs on both sides put his face over her shoulders and yelled, ‘Boo’. Needless to say, his face was pretty red when he finally did find me. Like the twist and message.

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    1. That’s hilarious! I’ve called people by the wrong name, not because I thought they were someone else but because I couldn’t quite remember what their name was. Now I only address people by their name when I am 100% sure.

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