As she stepped outside, the tension in her limbs dispersed, and the potent perfume of new earth penetrated her nostrils. The loam wept dewy trails of moisture, softening the ground underfoot. Each day lengthened imperceptibly until the transition was complete, the edges smoothed and viable. The road no longer disappeared into denseness and instead opened and widened out in front of her.

—“In Velvet” by #JennyDunbar, published in #CapsuleStories Winter 2022 Edition: Hibernation #flash #flashfic

She would brave the outside armed in her jacket of velvet as winter blitzed, scavenging her cheeks, slowly pressing cold into her bones. The secret mantra she carried in her head—to be, to be, to be—protecting her as she disarmed winter with each booted step.

—from “In Velvet” by #JennyDunbar, published in #CapsuleStories Winter 2022 Edition: Hibernation. These stories and poems ruminate on hunkering down for the winter and resting. Buy here: capsulestories.com/winter-2022-edition #flash

Each time she had glanced at her jacket in the back of her closet between a yellow shirt and a tweed gilet, she had a nagging feeling of regret, an uncomfortable idea of herself, a too hot season, lack of intention. Now she gently released the garment from its dark niche, felt its unexpected warmth as she slipped into its arms. This season’s rhythm haunted her with a new urgency; she sought solace, away from the acid chime of winter.

#flash #flashfic #capsulestories #jennydunbar