A Sign
by Dee Laine
When was the last time she slept? Was it 20 or 21 days? But before it happened? That would make it 14 days. Just a mere 14 days without any real sleep. No excuse. What the hell was wrong with her? How could she have been so stupid? STUPID!
The trees wizzed by as she drove down Highway 2. Flipping Highway 2. Flipping trees. If she crashed into one, that would end it wouldn’t it? Just keep the foot on the pedal and turn the wheel to the left. Or right. Didn’t matter.
Cora rolled down her window. The hot humid air whipped through her hair. She pressed harder on the gas pedal. Flipping heat. Flipping car. She hated that car. Hated it. And the flipping line at the grocery store. Old ladies with coupons. Stupid coin purses. Stupid price checks.
Cora pulled the car to the side of the road. She looked back at the empty infant seat in the back. Stupid! How could she forget? How? Flipping goddamn heat. Flipping goddamn lines.
It was in the glove box. She pulled it out and walked into the woods. No more. Not one more goddamn day. It felt foreign and heavy in her hands. The brush scraped against her legs and arms. Good. This should hurt. Mosquitoes swarmed and sucked without mercy. Good. This should be uncomfortable. She deserved it.
Cora fell to her knees and shook uncontrollably. A sign. Anything. God almighty, is there forgiveness?
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Listening for the words in a quiet corner of the night. The fiction, poetry, and photography of Jason Evans.
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- Aine
- Collaborator and night owl.
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- "Elemental" Short Fiction Contest
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- "Silhouette" Short Fiction Contest
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- "Restless Dawn" Short Fiction Contest
- "Halo" Short Fiction Contest
- "Endless Hour" Short Fiction Contest
- "Silent Grey" Short Fiction Contest
- "Lonely Moon" Short Fiction Contest (with Anne Frasier)
- "Midnight Road" Short Fiction Contest
- "Two Lights" Short Fiction Contest
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17 comments:
Quite a schock - I thought she would do something brutal to someone else.
Fast-paced with a dramatic ending! Loved it!
Well, another one that didn't make it to print - I must be offending the internet gods.
I found this darkly compelling. I can't help wishing for another line or two (yes, I know, that word length...) to tell me the resolution
Victor J. Banis
That's a gutwrencher for any parent.
You played into the guilt and anger well.
Thank you all for your kind words! I'm new to this blog spot and have to say I'm really enjoying the creativity and talent out here!
Thank you fellow blogger/writer Takoda for turning me on to this spot!
Oh and Takoda has a great blog for writers as well! Check her out at:
http://abenchpress.blogspot.com/
Keep on writing!
Dee
flipping fantastic. :-)
Another nice piece where we go to the woods to resolve ourselves. What would we do without the woods?
Emotionally powerful. Good job.
A powerful story, made more so by the thought of a dead baby in the glove box for 14 days in the humidity and heat. No wonder she rolled the window down. You were true to her characters' irresponsibility that she tried to put some of the blame on others. Great job.
This is still one of my favorites.
oh my word… whew… very cool
Katherine, interesting that you said a dead baby in the glove box. I thought she was taking a gun out of the glove box. I dont think a baby could fit in there..
Anyway..fantastic story!
Excellent!
Wow - you packed all the emotion in there, thick as summer heat. Nice job.
Hi all,
Thanks for the comments! This is great fun isn't it?
Oh - I suppose I should address the "glove box" issue.
Was it the dead baby or was it the gun?
It was in fact a gun she was going to use on herself because she forgot the baby in her car while shopping.
Inspiration for this submit came from the picture - the light - and then someone who had done something so terrible that he/she couldn't forgive themselves. I had read a newspaper article some years ago about a young sleep deprived mom who had done something similar and her baby had perished.
Being the mom of a young child who suffered from recurring ear infections - I could relate to sleep deprivation in the truest sense. I remember reading the article and it really shook me. I thought - but for the grace of God go I.
So - does she find forgiveness or does she end it all? I like to think she found a way - but honestly, I don't know. That's some pretty tough stuff to handle.
Dee
Interesting that she looks outside for forgiveness - just as she looks for excuses in the check-out lines and old ladies - when it's doubtful she can ever forgive herself, not really.
This lady's life is definitely unraveling. I suppose the only forgiveness is time.
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