Smile

Title: Smile
Author: Lewis
Writing: short story / (bad) humor
Word Count: 207

"Smiles are your armor," Big brother always said. "They're your friend, and they're your disguise. Use them well, and soon you'll have your enemies eating out of your hands."

"I understand, Brother," he said.

In the following years the little boy was never seen without a bright smile plastered across his face. And Big brother was right! A smile was all he needed. A smile no matter what situation he went through. A few years passed- trials came and passed, and that smile became a little strained. It wrinkled and sagged at the edges, and it eventually lost its power.

"Where did my smile go?" he asked.

Big brother- poor big brother, his hair was so white - shook his head. "You're doing it all wrong. You're not smiling."

"Yes, I am!" he argued. "Look!" The edges of his mouth twitched upwards, then sagged down heavily. His face was fixed in an undeniably unhappy frown. "Why...?"

"It's because you're not smiling from your heart." Big brother was smiling so gently. "If you don't smile from your heart, there is no trustworthiness in your smile, and therefore no power in your grasp. It's the ability to truly smile that ensnares others." he paused.

"I think I've gone off on a tangent."