Words All The Way Down

Inspired by the following prompt: [WP] You have the power to read your own mind. It sounds silly, but you’ve found it a lot more useful than you expected.

The sunlight blinded Alfred as he turned around after locking his front door. The broken pieces of sidewalk crunched underfoot as he strolled to the town supermarket. The reflection of the newly polished windows were visible up the street.

Fishing out aviator sunglasses from his pocket, Alfred muttered his mother’s grocery list to himself, “Eggs, bread, cheese, tomato, spinach, …” He started to sweat in the heat of the sun; he did not want to make another trip if he forgot something.

The automatic doors of the supermarket opened, and Alfred’s concentration was shattered when a voice called out, “Do you want to buy some Girl Scout cookies? We’re raising money for our den.”

Still stunned from having his concentration broken, Alfred ducked his head and shuffled past the picnic table laden with cookies, “Uh, no thanks.” He tried to focus again. Was it eggs, cheese, tomato? Maybe eggs, bread, and spinach? He wracked his brain determined not to have to make a second trip.

“Come on. Think.” Then, he tapped his head three times, each tap echoing in his skull like an empty fish bowl. Once the echoing subsided, a voice called out in his thoughts, “EGGS, BREAD, CHEESE, TOMATO, SPINACH, …”

Alfred’s eyes lit up. That’s what it was! He quickly ran through the aisles of the supermarket, collecting his food, slipping ever so slightly on the linoleum floors. Arms full, he impatiently waited on line to get checked out.

“That’ll be $40.12,” the cashier droned.

Alfred quickly swiped his credit card and grabbed the cardboard handle of the now filled grocery bag. He bustled toward the door, and preemptively called ahead of him, “No cookies please!”

Alfred donned his aviator sunglasses, this time remembering to put them on before stepping outside. The broken pieces of sidewalk crunched ever so slightly louder from the added weight of the groceries as he briskly made his way home.