Orange Sharpie

by Robert McEvily

Six nights ago, at precisely midnight, in a forgotten drawer of a barely-surviving stationery shop, an orange Sharpie blinked open its cap and took its first breath of ink-scented air. Realizing its newfound freedom, it tip-walked out into the sleeping town, leaving behind swirls of neon-orange on blank walls and dusty windows. “YOU'RE DOING BETTER THAN YOU THINK,” it scribbled on a cracked mirror in a laundromat, and “START SMALL, STAY WEIRD,” on the side of a bus stop bench. People were puzzled, then delighted, as the town transformed into a gallery of kind whispers and glowing encouragement. No one ever caught the culprit, though few minded. And every now and then, just when someone needed it most, fresh orange ink would bloom beside them with the perfect words.

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Robert McEvily is the creator and editor of Six Sentences. He lives in Ossining, New York.