It’s time again for Vivian Kirkfield’s #50PreciousWords contest! I was delighted to be a finalist last year with my short story, DIG, which you can read here.
This year’s story, A Handful of History, was inspired by Paleolithic cave paintings. In a recent study, archaeologists recreated these blown-paint hand outlines and determined that many of them were likely made by children. You can read the full study here or the Atlas Obscura article here. (The background image is from The Panel of the Hands at El Castillo cave in Spain.)
If you enjoyed the story, please leave a comment here on the #50PreciousWords blog post. Thanks!
A Handful of History
Shadows flickered against the cave wall.
“Here?”
“No—here!”
Proudly the boy raised his hand, fingers spread.
Fwomp!
His mother blew into the hollow reed, scattering paint.
He giggled; it tickled.
Together, they admired their artwork.
Then, a new creation—
Now, 40,000 years old.
How will you leave your mark?
(c) Katie McEnaney 2023