Mind Sprocket: The Back Page : Writing Prompt: Return to the Familiar

When I took a walk around my old, nearly abandoned elementary school with a friend, I was full of stories … stories that I didn’t even remember until I was physically walking around the place. I first noticed the smell of the paper mill smog that settled into the small valley where the school is. Then, despite the fact that the playground equipment was removed, I could recall stories of what we games we played on and around it. A low pole sticking out of the ground reminded me of a friend that would make a game of fearlessly jumping over it. The faded lines of paint that marked where we played four-square began a list of the rules and lingo we used during the game. Doorways near the water fountain that led to now dark and empty hallways reminded me of recesses during the cold winter, when my friends and I would huddle in a circle to try and stay warm. These are things I may not have remembered under any circumstances except that of a walk around an old haunt. Revisit a place from your past. If you don’t write about the specific events you recall, let them at least be an inspiration for characters and setting.