No Man's Land
The wind blew gently over the earth and the poppies danced in time. The sun shone brightly and the earth was beautiful. I sat down on the marble bench and let…
The Rest is Silence...
Death is a hard thing to deal with, even though it happens every day. Recently I lost a friend. The challenge is to write about death, be it the lead-up, the moment or the aftershock.
Challengers
27 entriesGood Bye Dane
“Dane!” I saw my brother drop to the ground. I ran over to him and held him in my arms. He had been shot. A thin trail of blood streamed out of the corner of…
Enjoy the Silence
We found out on a Friday. Cancer. Four days later, you were gone. It was a shock to all of us. I held your hand and spoke to you, as you opened your eyes for…
Clandestine
Most of the time it’s just so easy to watch through the scope as the target’s body hits the floor. Most of the time you can calmly pack up the gun, check the…
Yellow
Kate wore black clothes to work so she could go straight to the funeral instead of stopping at home to change. It was cold for March, so she looped her…
Composed
It started as a release; it was an escape. My mind would wander over the notes and rudimentary chords. The first few weeks were cacophony — then — as if teased…
The Deer
It was dark at night, and slippery as well. I was the lucky one. The deer, frozen by instinct, was standing shock still in my headlights. I couldn’t stop for…
Sansabelt Slacks
“Who’s that guy?” My five year old son points at a photograph on the wall. It’s a photograph of my grandfather is in his army uniform, leaning against a tank…
Regret
I thought about you a lot the months before your death. Even dreaming about you a couple of times. It was almost as if my subconscious knew before it happened…
The Death of Stalinism in Bohemia (After Svankmajer)
My heart harbors nothing but hatred for him. I wish my fists weren’t so feeble and weak, I want to crack open that head of his, see his eyes, those half closed…
Taking Care
Up until the end, she was happy. She played with the kids and enjoyed her long, aimless walks in the fields. She had a real love for the outdoors and I tried…
Two and a Half pounds
Two and a half pounds, that’s the trigger pull on my revolver after I cock the hammer. Just two and a half pounds between me and nothing. One round in the…
A Light Bulb for his Birthday
We weren’t exactly friends. We had that tenuous friendship that only existed in empty hallways and secret notes; whispers and secrets that we told only to each…
5 and a half years on...
Five and a half years on, and it still hurts. Someone told me at the time, I wouldn’t hurt forever. This memory always brings a smile to my face. How on earth…
When You Open Your Eyes, The World is Still There
She stared at the clock; at the seconds ticking away,transfixed. She stared at anything, at anyone but the person in front of her. “Margaret? Do you…
Last Day
A normal day of waiting for the girl next to me to shut up. My twin was secretly laughing at my pain. I stared out of the frosted window. We’d been driving…
The Last Point
I bore my corner of the casket with dignity, despite the sweltering Nevada heat. The ground around the open grave was broken and uneven. Our plan involved…
Euthanasia
It was just something that you erase from the cache of your brain. Something that you didn’t think about because it was just so-- Painful. I stood by the side…
Forget-Me-Nots and Flames
I was sitting on our porch sipping my coffee when... it happened. My wife, as beautiful as when I first saw her, was toiling away in her garden doing what she…
Is it music or noise?
You always loved how I was so passionate about music. You said it made me normal, because everyone should have something they love. Your passion; writing. You…