A to Z: X - Xenophobia & XU

My A to Z Challenge: Flash fiction written using two words and a photo for inspiration. How did I chose the words? First I brought up a noun list for each letter, then averted my eyes, scrolled the mouse down, stopped and double-clicked. That was the word! The second word was chosen the same way but from a dictionary list of words.
NOTE: Photos are from free to use photo sites such as Pixabay.com and Morguefile.com. No attribution necessary.

"You still messing with that pile of junk?"

I carefully set aside the stack of letters I was perusing and looked up from my seat on the floor. "They're not junk. They're a piece of our history. My history."

My boyfriend of almost a year snorted his disgust. "I don't get your fascination with them or why you want to visit over there." He plopped into our bean bag chair and propped his feet on the ottoman. "Heck, you've got it all here. Just look around you." He waved his arms. "Microwave dinners, satellite tv and radio, smart phones - that kind of stuff. Why would you want to poke around old, dusty buildings in Europe." He shook his head. "Makes no sense to me."

She sighed and wondered if he would ever appreciate her way of thinking. "Jer, these papers are from my great-great-great grandfather and if I am reading it correctly, he was a major intelligence force," she picked up one of the letter and studied it before continuing, "in a group dubbed the XU."

"Humph, sounds like something from X-Men to me. He probably made it all up."

"Your xenophobia limits you so much. It keeps you from understanding other countries as well as other generations."

He scrunched up his face. "You think so?" He dropped his feet and sat forward. "Help me understand. What's in those letters that's so compelling you just have to go to Norway?"

She proceeded to read several of the letters to him, the explained the significance of XU. "It was an clandestine intelligence force in Norway working with the Allied Forces to overthrow the German occupation.  One of the founding members, and according to these letters a friend of my great-great-great grandfather," she glanced down, "Lauritz Sand, coined the name. The X stood for Unknown and the U stood for Undercover Agent. XU." She smiled and continued reading the correspondence written from her relative to his then fiancé.

"Wow! I had no idea. All that intrigue. Spies! In your family history. They really took risks, didn't they."

She nodded. "So now you see why I want to visit the land of my heritage?"

"Want some company?" He leaned over and kissed her.

*NOTE: XU reference source Wikipedia

Stay Calm and Read Flash Fiction!

  

Follow the A to Z Goldendoodles