Fingerprints on my Heart

I came home one day, battered and worn from a long day. Questions had arisen in my mind, stemming from a conversation I had with a co-worker. She asked me how I became the way I am. I asked her if she ment how I got these scars on my arms, which is a simple story, really. But she said no, that she wasn't refering to anything physical. She wanted to know how I became the person I am inside. I just stared at her. Inside? That's the same person, isn't it? She said no, that I was much more on the inside. So I thought. But I had to tell her that I wasn't sure. That to be honest, I wasn't even sure who I was on the inside, let alone how I became that way. But that night, I started thinking about it again. I wondered about what was inside me. So that night, I opened myself up and looked inside. The thing that drew my attention right away was my heart. It was marked and bruised and even bore scars where it looked liked it'd been stitched up.
"That can't be my heart!" I exclaimed in shock.
"Oh, but I am your heart," it replied.
"But how can this be? My heart is not marked and bumpy like you are."
"Are you sure? Take a closer look. What do you really see?"
"Well, I can see from here just fine that nasty scar that's still healing. What's that from?"
"Don't you remember? Dan broke me. You said so yourself. Well, that's the scar where you and your mind have healed me up, pieced me back together."
"Of course I remember that! I just didn't expect the scar to be so ugly. And I thought it would be healed!"
"No, no, these things take time. And my shape was changed a little bit, but I'm still mostly the same."
"What are those other smaller scars?"
"Oh, there's one from that guy you dated in middle school, and some from various former friends."
"All of these scars seem to twist and pull at you. Don't you ever heal properly?"
"Every time I'm cut, I can't heal back the way I was before. Think of outer-bodily scars. Take your arms- do they look the same as they did before the accident?"
"Well, no. Did the accident scar you too?"
"It sure did. And look even closer. Do you see those other marks?"
"Where? Oh, those? What are they?"
"Those are fingerprints. See how they're all different."
"I see! And oh, there's so many of them! Are they really all different?"
"Yep! Do you know how many people have touched me?"
"I guess I don't. I didn't even think I knew that many people!"
"You do. Everone you meet leaves a mark on me. See how there's at least a little indent around each one?"
"Yes, and some have bigger indents- why is that?"
"Everyone leaves a mark, but some leave bigger ones. Some affect you in deeper ways. See that big scar that's been molded a little extra?"
"Yeah, was the cut always that crooked? How did it scar so oddly?"
"The cut was straight and deep when Dan left you. But you're friends made it smaller, helped it heal faster. Not all the marks on me are bad. In fact, most of them are very good!"
"Wow. That's so amazing."
The next day, I told my co-worker that I am who I am because of all the people in my life. She just stared at me. I told her she should open herself up someday, see what's inside, count the thousands of marks on her heart and imagine how many fingerprints she's left on other people's hearts.

Reviews

[::Yv0nne::]

Awww this was a cute story:) I loved the way you went about it...having a conversation with your own heart....it actually made me cry a little and made me think about what my heart looks like and why....i guess sometimes we take for granted the people we have in our life and worry too much about things that dont really matter...so very good!!

[Edgar A Stonehill]

Very good. I literally enjoyed it from the beginning. I had to read the first sentence twice because I had immediately assumed that the character was returning from work, but that wasn't mentioned until the next sentence. Very effective use of the words "battered and worn down", I didn't realize that I automatically associate them with one's occupation.

The rest of the story is really very good. I enjoyed, how it shifted suddenly from what I had thought was realism, to pure fantasy, and then ended with realism.

I struggled a little (little being the operative word) with keeping track of the dialogue. I think it probably has more to do with the layout of the website, than the actual language used.

Thanks for writing the newest story to my library.

[The Tea Party Mouse.]

Aww, my eyes teared up a bit. I love this. (So true, too!)

[Dante Yurei]

Very beautiful story and very well written. Also this was a very original idea! I couldn't avoid thinking of some peoples heart that I have scared and how mine has been scared too. Very good writing, keep it up!

[Coyote Poetry]

I like the story. You are correct. We are built by our family and later by friends. Description and your story were very good. Ending was perfect.
Coyote

[MikeReynolds]

Very neat indeed, good flowing conversation too.

[ChristianM]

Very imaginative and original.
Fingerprints. Nice touch.
Keep writing like this.
Writing is one thing, writing with an imagination is wholly different.
Bravo