Flash Fiction Contest: Time (2nd Place)

The prompt:

“It governs every moment of our lives, and yet it is purely a human construct. Can you have too much of it? Can you have too little? Do you know where it all goes? What are your time tales?”

My heart is racing as exasperation rises. A small face looks up at me with lips trembling. A memory resurfaces like an ice cube fighting for the top of the glass. I cannot remember what my mother's smile looks like. I remember how I felt when she slapped me across the face. I am that seven-year-old girl, with the sting of condemnation on my cheek. As I look into the eyes of my own daughter, time is mine to wield. I reject rejection and pull her into a hug.