Chapter 5 Segment 3 of the Sentient She Shed
The bell didn’t hang high. It wasn’t polished. It didn’t
sparkle.
It simply waited.
In the center of the room, suspended by a thread of woven silence, the bell listened. Not for noise. Not for answers. Just for presence.
One by one, the mice spoke. Not loudly. Not urgently. Just honestly.
And when someone truly listened—not with their ears, but with their whole self—the bell rang. Not with sound, but with light.
Lila listened.
She didn’t interrupt. She didn’t fix. She didn’t rush.
The bell glowed.
It pulsed once, then twice, then settled into a soft shimmer that filled the room like candlelight in a quiet storm.
No one said, “Good job.” No one clapped. But every mouse leaned in, warmed by the glow.
Prompt for readers:
When was the last time you truly felt heard?
Was it a moment of stillness, a shared silence, or a conversation that changed you?
Feel free to put your answers below.