Planes, Cranes and Paper Folded Wishes

Microfiction | 1 minute read

I have enjoyed the NYC Midnight contest and what I produce from them so much, I really couldn’t help but start there with these Story Hoarder stories, so here’s one more. For this contest I was tasked with writing 250 word romantic comedy using a paper airplane and the word “watch.” It’s about a 1 minute read.

image created by Nicole Rivera using CanvaPro

The common room hummed with a sea of anxiety from students in finals week desperation. I refused to catch that wave. 

I stood on a step stool in the corner hanging threads of paper cranes I thought my mother might never stop sending me. I hoped to spread the luck the thousand cranes promised since I didn’t think my mother would get her wish from the senbazuru tradition. 

I was fifteen crane-threads in when a paper airplane bopped me in the head. There was writing on the airplane.

“My origami can fly. Can yours?”

I looked up and saw a cute guy making a paper airplane. I watched as he caught my eye, smiled and launched it in my direction. 

I reached out to catch the plane, maintaining eye contact until everything slowed down. The step stool angled left, I corrected right, my limbs danced within threads of paper cranes that pecked my flesh instead of trying to fly. 

The guy heroically crossed the room within this slow motion nightmare, diving like he was stealing home in game seven of the World Series, arms outstretched to catch my falling form. Normal speed returned as he landed next to me, with an, “Oof.” 

We sat upright. His broad hands brushed the side of my face as he gently lifted the crane-threads from my hair. “Aren’t these supposed to be lucky? One thousand cranes for one wish, right?”

“Yeah.” I said. “My mother made the cranes. She wished I’d find love.”

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