2.30

Throbbing, constant throbbing. I can feel every blood vessel in my body when my heart beats. I want to tear out the offending part. Destroy the source of pain.

Collapsing in the chair, I look up and beg "Make the pain stop"

"You have an abscess under that tooth. You will need a root canal"

Committment

"This is getting ridiculous. Will you marry me?"

"What? What on earth did you just say?"

"Now I'm down on one knee, will you marry me?"

"Really? You mean it?"

"I wouldn't ask unless I meant it"

"In that case, yes. Yes, yes, yes"

"I've wanted to ask you all day, but haven't got you alone"

Musing

Shall I write today? I don't know what to write. Should I share the secrets that don't appear here? I don't know if I'm ready to expose myself that much. Writing helps, and I feel only half of myself is here. Am I being a fraud? Or am I merely being selective and self protective?

Exhilaration

My notes are on the lectern. I take a step back. "Don't hang on, it looks desperate" prompts the last piece of my conscious mind.

B-i-i-i-i-i-g breath.

"I've never understood why people study their family history."

"Until now"

I look around the room. They are smiling. I can do this.

"My mum just found out ...."

Terror

I can't breathe. My mind is blank.

My heart is racing. I feel it thudding against my chest, trying to escape.

My stomach is churning. I think I'm going to throw up.

I frantically gulp oxygen. I need air.

"The next speaker tonight is .... "

I feel hands push against my back.

"Go on, that's you"

Angry eyes

My skin crawls. I can feel someone watching me. I look up and around, wanting to find out who and why. Dark, glittering eyes, almost black, are staring at me with an intensity I cannot fathom. I smile tentatively, hoping to break the glare. It doesn't work. The glare intensifies. She pushes past me, muttering.


**This actually happened at work today and really freaked me out. I'm still bemused by it. **

Lest we forget

Shadowy figures walk through the dawn's half light. Shapes without distinctive features. Medals jingle in the silence. The scent of rosemary hangs in the air. Clouds of breath form as murmurs travel through the stillness. A hush falls. Small white paper crosses dot the grass. From above, the lone piper starts playing.

Lest we forget.

Going nowhere

Legs pumping up and down in time with the beat. I can feel the power in my legs. The song changes, and my legs move faster. It's one of my favourites and I sing along silently. No one around me needs to hear singing. My legs keep working. Beep. Time to get off the bike.

Darkness

Standing on top of the hill, watching the city lights twinkle below.

One by one, the lights start to disappear. Giant patches of dark spread out below me.

The lone patches of light are dwarfed by the darkness, and only emphasise the nothingness.

Shadows appear around me. Voices are hushed, awed by the velvet night.


**It's been ages, and it's a day late, but I got there.**

FFF Challenge

Light bouncing through the colours, sending coloured fragments onto the windows and around the shop. The colour moves and changes as the light hits it. Red and green, orange and silver, purple and gold, blue and yellow. Everywhere there is glittering jewellery; on the window shelves, on the hanging racks and in the display cases.

From the inside

I wonder if those 2 women are ever going to come in? They are here every day at lunchtime, drinking their juices, pointing at our jewellery. I wonder if they are ever serious, they are always laughing. Maybe I should go out and ask them if they are interested in looking at something more closely.

From the outside

"Everything is so shiny. Oooh, look at that one".

"It's pretty, but if I wore that my earlobes would reach my shoulders. Check out that one". "Oh pretty. My amber is better though".

"I want that one - it would be perfect with my black dress". "No, diamonds would be better".

"Better go back to work"

Authors note: I've been wanting to do a multipart 55 for a while, and my lunchtime window shopping was the best inspiration I had. I wanted to do a descriptive piece, a monologue and a dialogue. Hopefully it worked.

Anticipation

Handwritten envelope, no return address. Looking for hints. Can't read the postmark. Don't know the writing. A common stamp, I have dozens. I hold the thin envelope to the light. White paper. I can't read it. I rip the envelope and unfold the paper. "You have been selected ..." Pfft. I throw it away in disgust.

** I had no idea what I was going to write this week. This was inspired by a random envelope I just spotted on the coffee table. **

Temptation

It sits innocently on the table before me, attracting my attention, distracting me from conversation. I can smell it. I want it so badly. Finally I succumb. Slice with the knife. I have the tiniest morsel and the flavour explodes in my mouth. I take another bite, crunching through the cracker into the blue cheese.

Sunday Morning

Drowsing, vaguely aware that the world is moving on without me. I feel the weight of the covers on me but they are comfortable, neither too heavy nor too light. I open my eyes, but there is no reason to keep them that way. I slip back into unconsciousness. I'll get out of bed later.

Dusk

Bobbing amidst the incoming tide, trying to cool down after another scorcher, watching the horizon cloud over.

Fingers of light curl over the cloud, trying to snatch at the final fragments of the dying day. The pink horizon gradually fades to a soft purple, and then to the muted blue of night.

Day is done.

Vicious Circle

"Hic" my whole body shakes. That was loud.

"Hic" another one, even louder.

"Hic"

The giggling starts at the desk next to me and "Hic" works its way around the room until everyone is laughing.

"It's not 'Hic' funny" I say trying not to laugh but failing.

"Hic" louder through my giggles.

The cycle continues.

Relaxation

Lying naked, face down, waiting.

Anticipating.

Listening to the sounds outside the room, waiting for the knock on the door.

"Are you ready for me?"

"Yes, come on in"

Gentle hands cover me with a towel.

A bottle opens, and liquid pours. One hand on my back, then two. Kneading, smoothing, working on knots.

Aaaaaah.

Playtime

Shallow pools of water splashing as raindrops hit.

Birds stand on the edge, with their heads cocked, waiting. Splash! The first jump. Water droplets fly upwards, mingling with the rain. Another bird takes the leap. One in, all in. The birds jump from puddle to puddle, splashing each other.

Tomorrow the puddles will be gone.


** I wrote this after rereading an email I sent to a friend. I was describing what was happening in my backyard after the heavy rains we had last week. So I pinched a couple of the sentences and edited them. **

25 December

I am in a dim room. I can see vague forms around me, and hear breathing and nervous giggling. I feel the anticipation build. I see a faint glow coming towards me, getting brighter and flickering. I smell recently lit matches. I can hear my family singing; "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you"

****My challenge this week - write everything in the first person, and include as many senses as possible.****