Black Sequin

By R.J. Byrd

*15 Minute Writing Challenge*

I found a little black sequin on my bed. I’m not altogether sure where it came from, and I’m not sure why I’m taking such good care of it. I guess because it appeared as if by magic. So out of place on my bed. A single black sequin. It’s not shiny, it’s dull. Not the prettiest thing. I’ve kept it on my bed for weeks. I can’t seem to part with it.

Why did it come to me so mysteriously? Is it a sign? I better keep it to be sure. If it somehow moves out of place, I put it back. It doesn’t have a designated spot per se; I just keep it off to the side next to a notebook.

Safe.

What for, I have no idea.

I might know where it came from. For years I had a black dress in my closet and the top of the dress had black sequins. I wore it occasionally, and it makes sense to assume one of the sequins fell off and landed somewhere. I was going through an old bin under my bed, and it could have been hiding somewhere in there and made its way to my bed.

Even if I know the where and how of its existence, I still choose to believe that its sudden appearance on my bed means something. I enjoy stuff like that. I like believing that it means something because, like magic, it will.

That little black sequin means something. Possibly a good luck charm? Keeping it around makes it special. I like that. A random happening has a unique purpose. Making these moments matter is something I enjoy.

I don’t know how long I will keep it around. Maybe another day, a week, a year. Maybe it will get lost. Maybe I’ll keep it in a matchbox on my desk for the next fifty years. Maybe it’s a sign, maybe not.

But whatever happens, I’ll have this time with my mysterious black sequin.

Copyright R.J. Byrd 2024 All Rights Reserved.