Hope Is The Thing With Feathers. A Short Story Pitch.

For my little brother in heaven, Philmar.

Written on September 19, 2020.

Hope is the Thing with Feathers

    The story starts with the main character, KIT who is an up-and-coming writer that loves to draw. He has a little brother named KAI, KAI is seen in the film as the playful brother that loves to be around KIT. One day, KIT meets with his publishing editor, KHALIL. KHALIL arrives at the meeting place and notices KIT’s love for drawing while he was sketching a little boy, he gets surprised that he is both an artist and a writer, he is also surprised that KIT has a brother. He reminds him of the upcoming deadline for his manuscript and KIT quickly shrugs it off and tells him that he can submit it before the deadline. He goes home and sees his little brother who is still awake, they talk and KAI his brother asks him about adulthood and work, and how busy KIT has become ever since he landed a writing job in a famous publishing company. KIT is convinced about what his brother told him and decides to play with KAI, for old time’s sake.

    Weeks later, KIT is seen getting a drink at a local bar, he gets really anxious and stressed, so he decides to draw something, he asks the bartender for a tissue. He starts to sketch, he continues to do so until the bartender accidentally spills alcohol at what he was doing. He gets furious and he decides to confront him. Before he can even lay a finger on the bartender, his editor KHALIL arrives. He stops KIT from doing anything stupid, he talks to him and convinces him to relax. 

    KHALIL tells him a story about an aspiring writer who went through a lot of challenges in his life and eventually gave up on his dream to become a successful novelist. He continues to talk about it and he ends up confessing that he was the writer. He convinces KIT to continue writing and to never give up. He offers him a ride home, while he is helping KIT get inside, he notices photos of KIT and his little brother and stares at them.

    Days after, KIT submits his manuscript to KHALIL, he leaves it at his table and before he can even go out of the office, KHALIL points out about the photos that he saw, KHALIL tells KIT that he envies him for having a sibling and explained that as an only child it stopped him from fully developing his potential because of the pressure that he feels from his parents' constant demands. KIT thanks him for the pep talk and before he can leave again, KHALIL reminds him that he will always be there for him if he needs someone to talk to.

    In the next scene, KIT is scrolling through his emails in the living room beside his little brother KAI, who is playing on his phone. KAI notices that his phone is ringing and he tells KIT that he should answer it because it’s their mother calling. KIT stares at the phone, he then answers it and hears his mother. He drops the phone after the call and he looks at his little brother. He apologizes to him for everything that had happened in the past, he asks him for forgiveness, but KAI is confused about what KIT is trying to say, he tells him that he remembers nothing about what he’s talking about. KIT gets more anxious and he decides to call KHALIL.

    KIT consults with a psychiatrist and he confesses everything to her. A few years back in high school he lost his little brother in an accident. They used to have a lot of fights, but he still loved him. As a teenager, he always had those insecurities in him, he compared himself to KAI, and how KAI was given more attention than him. So while he was starting to become a writer. He drowned himself in his work. He wrote stories of people who live embellished lives, people with hopes and dreams, heroes and villains. He created worlds to escape his own reality. He didn’t want to deal with the guilt. In the story, KAI is still seen talking to him when he’s alone, but it was really KIT’s manifestation of his own guilt. He is constantly in denial and rejects what happened, it was his unprocessed emotions, grief left alone and allowed to bury, like an unfinished draft, no conclusion, no title. Untitled.

    The counselor suggests that he write about his brother and suggested that it can be another one of his fantasy stories, his science fiction novels, or whatsoever, as long as he can process his guilt towards his brother. Years later, following the advice of his counselor. He eventually writes a successful book, KAI appears to tell him that he loves his book, KIT looks outside the window and he admits that he had one hell of a fight and that he no longer has to be in conflict with himself anymore and before he can even turn again to KAI, he disappears. 

    Hope resided in his heart for good. It liberated him from despair and gave him the strength to move on. Because hope only empowers us and in return demands nothing.