Monday, August 28, 2006

Entry #75

Moonstruck
by the Wandering Author


Selene stared at the sky, transfixed.

A glowing crystal ball hung there, a faceless grey being with masses of hair bending over it, huge paws clutching. Such an eerie sight must have meaning. Perhaps it was a sign or portent. She struggled to understand, until clouds broke apart in her mind, and light shone through.

It was only the moon, piercing the overcast from today’s storm. She must have wandered onto the balcony outside her room, still feverish, and been captivated by its intense, pure light. She’d stood there a long time; the cool air had washed away the unnatural heat within.

She laughed softly to herself. The experience had been strange, but wonderful.

Selene couldn’t resist trying over and over again to view the world in that way, seeing it as if for the first time. She tried to explain her vision to her friends, who laughed and christened her “Moonstruck”.

She struggled to learn, to express what she saw and felt, but they only avoided her. Lonely, she couldn’t put her new gift aside, even to keep her friends. Solitude drove her on, spurring her to reach out to others with words. After a long, long time she succeeded.

Moonlight through her study window illuminated the row of books she’d written, the awards she’d received. Selene, her hair in the shadows pale silver, sat quietly. She recalled that distant night and smiled. Perhaps it was a portent after all, marking the night a poet and writer was born.

12 comments:

Scott said...

Nice! It's lonely to be encumbered with such genius.

anne frasier said...

very nice, wandering author!

i really liked the way you took us on a life journey in so few words.

Anonymous said...

Moonstruck, indeed! The moon, it seems, is a powerful influence.

Joni said...

Has a magic about it. Telling. Great, great, great.

Suzan Abrams, email: suzanabrams@live.co.uk said...

Whimsical and almost sing-song. A lilting musical quality that resurfaces amongst the intensity of emotion.

Anonymous said...

marking the night a poet and writer was born. I like that ending.

Anonymous said...

Good writing here. "until clouds broke aprt in her mind" I like thqt description of understanding.

Brandon said...

A fresh mind sees the simple things worth exploring. Great idea.

Saaleha said...

Okay Wandering, now I have seen your work. And I must say, I like it!

Bhaswati said...

Truly enchanting, Wandering Author. This flows like a soft song, without any roadblocks. She makes such a wonderful use of her "gift". Excellent portrayal of the genesis of a writer.

Anonymous said...

Very wistful - actually made me sad. Not sure why. Bit of a 'A la recherche du temps perdu' feel to it.

It's a lovely story and beautifully in keeping with the competition.

Anonymous said...

Intriguing--describing the moment of becoming a writer. Good marks overall.