The Things You See

Two old friends decide to get silly. 300 words Winner

The Things You See

“Have you noticed, Jake, that Life has gone to hell in three handbaskets?” Lloyd said to his old friend.

Jake turned his head toward him as they both rested on a park bench.

“I think I know just what you mean,” he said agreeably.

“Take yesterday, I was picking up a few things at Walmart. I saw what you might call a triple whammy in aisle six. There right in front of my cart was a bear wearing a feather in his cap!”

“Don’t look at me like that, I wasn’t nipping my breakfast! It was someone in a bear costume. The hat was the kind my Daddy used to wear, a grey straw fedora. But the feather in this one was a long plume colored in rainbow colors.

Jake started to laugh, almost rolling off the bench with mirth.

“What’s so funny?” Lloyd asked.

“That was me.”

Lloyd looked at him fearfully.

“Have you lost your mind? Why would you do that! In public!”

“I wanted to see what it was like. Nobody knew it was me, because I didn’t talk. I was amazed at how few stares I got.”

Lloyd hesitated then asked:

“What was it like?”

“Liberating, old friend, freeing,” was the reply.

He sat back. Jake knew he was thinking.

“Would you do it again?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“Let’s do it together this Friday,” Jake suggested.

“You have to supply your own costume.”

“I know just the one.”

Bright and early, the two friends arrived. They each looked at the other and burst out laughing.

“You look wonderful, friend,” Jake whispered to the bear.

“And you look amazing,” the bear whispered to Goldilocks.

They spent a wonderful couple of hours not being themselves. What was most curious, nobody seemed to notice them!

300 WORDS DAILY FLASH 9/4/2025