I was walking home from the store yesterday when I spotted this:

Do you see it? The tie hanging over a weed protruding through the fence? I almost walked right by it, but the touch of purple on the bottom caught my eye and I stopped to consider it.

How did that poor tie end up there? Did someone fling it aside in a fit of disgust? I picture him proclaiming, “I’m never wearing this fucking tie again!!”

Did they lose it somehow? How does that happen? Maybe it was on a hangar with a suit jacket and fell off before he got to his destination. Did he come back to look for it? Or maybe it was after some event and he’d changed clothes already, so when it fell off the hangar, he didn’t even notice. By the time he realizes it, when he starts to wear it again, it will be long gone.

Or maybe – because this is the way my mind works – maybe it’s a portal. Picture this:

I’m walking back from the store, notice the tie, and decide I’m going to take it home and post a picture on the Neighborhood Group page to see if anyone claims it. But as soon as I touch it, everything starts to spin and when it stops, I’m in a different realm. My hands are pulled high over my head, and when I look up, I see the tie is wrapped around my wrists and attached to a hook in the ceiling. Shocked, I realize that my clothes are gone. I’m completely bare and with my arms held firmly over my head, there’s no way to cover myself, much less escape.

“There she is.” I hear the voice and look up to see two men walking down the hall toward me. The second one says, “Oh, yes. I see now. She definitely touched The Tie that Binds.”

Wouldn’t that be a fun fantasy? Anyhow. That where my head is this lovely Sunday morning. Do you have a story to go with my tie.