One of my current assignments is to write a parable, which my teacher pointed out contains all the elements of a fiction story. It has description, narration, dialogue. It should be something the reader can identify with. She's big on names and we're going to have to justify why we named certain characters a certain way (Nadia means "hope"; Dora means "gift"; Luke was St. Paul's doctor and traveling companion)
It is only permitted to be one page long. I have to use 12 point type, 1.5 inch margins all around, and I have to include my name, address, and phone number on the top of the page. Do you have any idea how that constrains what you can say? My usual rambling style had to be strictly reined in for this one. I'm not happy with the result. The title will almost assuredly change, and I may end up doing yet more editing, but here it is in its current incarnation:
On the first anniversary of the diagnosis, Nadia took a short walk in the park by the hospice. It was a chance to be alone and think on yesterday's visit to the doctor. She was one of the unlucky ones; the leukemia hadn't stayed in remission. Lost in her thoughts, trying to find some meaning in it all, she nearly missed the bedraggled kitten by the path. Nadia picked the weakly protesting kitten up, tucking it into the warm inner pocket of her coat. She returned to the hospice, her musings temporarily forgotten.
One of the nurses, Dora, offered to take the kitten to a nearby animal shelter. Each day for a month, as her health declined, Nadia asked Dora, "Did they find a home for the kitten?" Each day for a month Dora called the shelter, only to be told, "She's still here waiting." The kitten had tested positive for feline leukemia, and no one wanted to adopt it. On the day Nadia died, Dora stopped at the shelter and took the now fluffy and playful kitten home to her twelve-year-old son, Luke.
Luke named the kitten "Hermione". He learned about feline leukemia, finding that with good care and a little luck many affected cats live a long, normal life. Hermione's disease sparked Luke's interest in medicine. Hermione died ten years later, when Luke had just started medical school. He did well, progressed to a four-year oncology residency, and went on to teach and do research. A study Luke directed led to the discovery of a cure for a type of adult onset leukemia. She'd never know, but Nadia's walk to find meaning in it all set events in motion that led to the cure for her disease.