Give an Inch

In today's story, Give an Inch, Madame Zara offers words of wisdom at a school's Winter Carnival

Today's prompt was chosen from a list of English idioms. In these challenging times, a short story break may help you step away from everything else and take a little time to nurture yourself. 

If you're looking for ways to speak out about our current situation (in the U.S.), you can check out 50501, Indivisible, and Common Cause. You can also visit 5calls.org to stay up to date on issues and easily contact your representatives. 

More about Susan Quilty

Susan Quilty mainly writes novels, including two standalone novels and her YA series: The Psychic Traveler Society.  Susan's short stories for Freely Written are created during quick writing breaks and shared as a way to let go of perfection and encourage writing for fun.

Website:  SusanQuilty.com
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Transcript

Below is the transcript for Season 1, Episode 157 of Freely Written, a podcast by author Susan Quilty:

Welcome to Freely Written, where a simple prompt leads to a little unplanned fiction.  

[Light piano music]

Hi, friends! I’m Susan Quilty, and today’s prompt is Give an Inch.

I’ve returned to my big list of idioms for another writing prompt. I like the figurative nature of idioms, and I like how some come from a longer adage. In this case, there’s an old proverb that says, “If you give an inch, they’ll take a mile.” 

My quick internet search says that phrase goes back to a proverb collection by John Heywood, published in 1546. Though it originally said, “Give him an inch and he’ll take an ell.” With an “ell” being a measurement of cloth equal to about 45 inches.

Nowadays, when we say “give an inch” we’re talking about a small concession, with the second part of the proverb implied. A small concession often leads to someone taking advantage. Which is a rather cynical thought, but also a good warning to keep in mind. There are places where we can, and should, negotiate with others. However, it’s wise to be cautious when dealing with people who have shown they are unwilling to meet in the middle. 

If that’s sparking any political thoughts, remember that here in the U.S. you can call your representatives to make your voice heard. Check out 5calls.org or the 5 Calls app to stay up to date on issues and easily see who to call for your state. 

Back to the story, which I wrote using my typical Freely Written process, where I sit down with the prompt and write whatever comes to mind, with no planning and very little editing, before recording the story to share it with you. 

Here’s where that led today:

Give an Inch

Madame Zara’s fortune-telling tent was an enduring highlight of Riverside High School’s Winter Carnival. Girls gathered in line with their giggling friends or reluctant boyfriends. Typically, the boys were less outwardly interested but were still quietly curious about what Madame Zara might tell them. Those who weren’t dragged into line by a girlfriend egged each other into joining the queue, often with loud boasts that they were only joining as a joke. 

This year, a new sign was posted outside the colorful tent. It read: Give an inch, take a fortune. There was a picture of a carnival ticket on the sign, presumably meaning that the price of a reading was one ticket.  

No one gave the sign much thought. They knew the drill. Hand over a ticket and hear Madame Zara’s predictions. One ticket was the standard price for most of the carnival’s activities. You could get a glimpse of your future for the same price as a round of ring toss, balloon darts, or duck pond fishing. Well worth the price… and the wait in line.  

Since there was always a line for Madame Zara, her tent was strategically placed near the concessions. Kids could grab pizza, popcorn, ice cream, deep-fried Oreos, soft pretzels, fries, and sodas. They’d eat while they waited, then toss their napkins, cups, and other trash in a large bin near the front of the line. 

Melanie quietly nibbled at her pretzel while her friends laughed over what they should ask about their futures. Lenna wanted to know if she’d get into Yale. Tonya wondered if she would ever be famous. Alexa wouldn’t say, but they all knew she was dying to know if her crush on Declan was mutual. 

No one asked Melanie what she would ask Madame Zara. They didn’t notice how quiet she’d gotten. They were used to Melanie being the quiet one in their group. She’d join in when she wanted to and stay quiet when she didn’t. If they teased her too much—the way they were teasing Alexa about Declan now—they knew she’d get tears in her eyes or simply walk away. 

Melanie wasn’t sure if she wanted her friends to draw her into the conversation. Sometimes, she felt left out when they didn’t. But she also didn’t like to be the center of attention. She studied the tent and the sign beside the tent while chewing her pretzel. After a moment of thought, she asked, “Why do you think it says that?”

Her friends turned to her, unsure of what she meant. 

“The sign,” Melanie clarified with a wave. “Why does it say give an inch?”

“It means a ticket,” Lenna said. “Like at that laser tag arcade place where the prizes cost inches of tickets.” 

“They cost a number of tickets,” Alexa corrected. But Lenna shook her head.

“Not really,” she insisted. “They have a number of tickets on each prize, like 150 for a yoyo or whatever, but when you bring the tickets, they lay them against a yardstick on the counter. They don’t count them all.”

“Don’t they weigh them?” Tonya asked. “They put the tickets in a big bowl on a scale, and it says how many tickets by the weight. If it’s only like one off, they’ll give you the prize.”

“That’s at that old arcade place by the lake,” Lenna told them. “Not the one that has laser tag.”

“But that’s not what they do here,” Melanie said. “There’s nothing else by the inch of tickets. Games are one ticket. Food is like two to five tickets. It’s all number of tickets.”

Her friends shrugged, unbothered by the discrepancy. 

“Maybe the sign’s from a different carnival,” Alexa suggested. 

“Yeah, Madame Zara probably gets around,” Tonya laughed. “Hitting all the high schools and church bazaars.”

“I thought she was, like, one of the teacher’s moms?” Lenna popped the last bite of her ice cream sandwich into her mouth and balled up the wrapper. “Mrs. Gregory, maybe? Like, she only does this here for fun.”

“Sacrilege!” Tonya gasped indignantly. “You dare to suggest that Madame Zara isn’t an authentic, 100-percent real psychic!” 

They all laughed, though Alexa looked uneasy. 

“I mean, yeah, it’s obviously fake,” she said with an eye roll. “But still… last year, she said I’d go to prom with a redhead, which was crazy because I didn’t even know a redhead, then Jamie moved to town and—boom!—I had a redhead prom date.”

“Well, yeah, but you asked him…” Lenna reminded. “And you never went out again.” 

“So what? She said I’d go to prom with a redhead, and I did.”

“Because you asked him!” Lenna insisted. 

They bickered for the next few minutes, as the line edged them closer to the tent. Once they reached the front of the line, they eyed each other questioningly and were surprised when Melanie volunteered to go first. 

Inside the tent, battery-powered candles were scattered across the table and on two sets of metal shelves. The shelves also held flowers, crystals, and small statues. Madame Zara sat on the far side of the table. Her dark hair was piled up in a loose bun, and her glasses glinted in the candlelight. She wore a flowing dress with a colorful shawl and dangling gold earrings.

There was a large basket on the table where previous visitors had given their tickets. Melanie held her ticket over the basket, but hesitated. 

“Why does your sign say, give an inch, take a fortune? Why give an inch, instead of give a ticket?”

Madame Zara looked into Melanie’s eyes intently. A small twitch played at the corners of her mouth before stretching into a smile.

“Ah, you are the first to ask,” she said knowingly. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“For me?” Melanie’s palms and chest felt itchy. She wanted to look away but felt trapped in Madame Zara’s magnetic gaze. 

“For you. For someone like you. Someone who notices these things.”

“So, it costs one ticket?” Melanie still held her ticket over the basket. 

“Perhaps,” Madame Zara answered, finally breaking their eye contact to look down at her hands. “One ticket for a simple prediction. Or maybe you give an inch and take a fortune instead.”

The pause crackled as Melanie’s hand wavered over the basket.

“An inch of what?”

“An inch of yourself. A small bit. Whatever you’re willing to share.” Madame Zara’s gaze lifted, this time with a glint of mischief. “When you give just an inch, you can take so much more.”

“I don’t think that’s how that goes…” Melanie hesitated, then rested her hand on her lap, still clutching her ticket. “So, I just… tell you something about myself?”

“Some small quiet thought,” Madame Zara answered. “Something real. Anything you’d like to share with me.”

“Well…” Melanie thought of her friends waiting outside. The line was long, but it usually moved quickly. She didn’t want anyone wondering what was taking her so long. 

“Okay,” she blurted out her first thought, “I sometimes wonder if people like me. My friends, teachers, my parents, everyone. They’re nice to me, but… I’m not as… big as other people, with my personality. I’m kind of small and quiet, and sometimes I want to talk, and sometimes I don’t, and maybe they’re just putting up with me.”

Melanie’s face flushed, and tears threatened, but Madame Zara smiled gently. She moved toward one of the shelves, then returned to her seat with a small, flat stone in her outstretched hand. In the dim light, Melanie could see that it was highly polished with bands of gold and brown. 

“Tiger’s eye,” Madame Zara said, offering Melanie the stone. “It’s for you. To feel the strength of your courage as you move through the world. And you have courage, more than you know. Your fortune is one of your own making, and you will live a beautiful life if you continue to be exactly who you know yourself to be.”

Melanie grasped the stone in her palm, feeling a soft groove beneath the pad of her thumb. As she gently moved her thumb across the stone, she felt a sense of warmth and wonder fill her chest.

“Thank you,” she whispered, deciding to keep this fortune close to her heart. 

The End 

Thanks for listening. As always, I didn’t know where this story would go. I’m not quite sure the give an inch part makes all that much sense, but let’s not pull at that string. Sometimes it’s just nice to give a character a moment of wonder and hope. 

While I enjoy sharing these unplanned and unpolished stories, I would love for you to also check out my novels and other books. You can learn more at my website: SusanQuilty.com

Until next time, try a little free writing of your own. Let go of any planning and see where your imagination takes you. 

[Light piano music]