PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

It was windy the morning when Ellie realized she might not belong there anymore. Her mind wandered, like footprints across an empty beach. She stared inward, losing track of what—if anything—her actual eyes saw. 

“Don’t hem and haw,” Carl had warned. “Fans won’t wait!” But it only made her burrow deeper. What’s the use of a life if you can’t take time to ponder it? Everyone wants more, the next flashy thing, but what’s wrong with being content? Not content. Not anymore. Content. 

Content with waves, wind, long empty stretches of sand—and thoughts. The joy of less.

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As always, many thanks to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for hosting Friday Fictioneers! Stop over and read a wonderful array of 100-word-fiction pieces based on this photo prompt!