"An Endless Winter"

Marissa stared out the window.  The bright sunshine was a mere illusion; she knew how cold it really was.  She pulled the blanket tighter and walked away.

In the family room she sat alone on the sofa.  She was always alone.  Marissa sighed; it was only 9 am and she wouldn’t be able to see any of her friends for an hour.  Her only friends were those in her favorite shows:  Dr. Phil, Oprah, Steve Wilkos…  She used to tape them so she could watch them whenever she felt lonely but now she was out of tapes and had memorized the others so they weren’t as much fun to watch.  Marissa just couldn’t bring herself to tape over them.

Looking around at the surrounding walls, she sighed again.  Maybe I should make some new friends she thought, reaching for the TV controller.  The screen came to life and she clicked through the channels and finally decided on People’s Court.

Marissa sat down and opened her laptop.  Going down her list of favorites she selected the grocery store file and went down the list checking off the items she needed.  Her computer beeped to alert her of a message confirming her order.

Target was next on the list.  She ordered paper supplies and some toiletries.  The shipping was a little expensive, but it was better than leaving the house.

Thinking about her life, she again went to the window.  An endless winter she thought, feeling the coldness in her soul. 

The bell rang at her front door.  “That must be my groceries,” she said to herself.  She peeked through the peephole and slid an envelope under the door.

“Please leave it there and I’ll get it,” she called as usual.

“Yes, ma’am,” the delivery boy replied.  “Keep cool today, it’s a hot one!”

Marissa sighed.  Winter, summer…it doesn’t really matter.  I’ve not been outside of these walls for four years and I’m not going out now.  She waited for the boy to leave before opening the door and pulling the boxes of groceries inside.

343 words