The unsteady draft — a room for one change

Original flash fiction · Invented characters · Listening between the notes

On the last page of a borrowed notebook, Sana found a fictional scene described in one sentence: “An original lyric reads smoothly but feels crowded when spoken.” It sounded oddly familiar.

The previous owner had left a reply in a different colour: “Read it aloud and remove one word that competes with the rhythm.” Sana wondered whether advice could wait patiently for the right reader.

The borrowed notebook was returned with an extra line. Advice had become correspondence, though the two writers never met.