Friday
Jul232010
And Then There Was Nothing...
July 23, 2010 * * * * * Posted by: Puna 
Continued from...
The oppressive heat bore down on her covered head. The little hand that held hers was sweating but clung on tight. Throngs of people pushed into the duo as they made their way through the tight aisles of vegetables, meats and flies. The pink dolphin shaped keychain hung on the girl's wrist and sang its jingling song as they walked.
Life can end in the most mundane of life’s moments…no one knows when, or why.
“Hey, there’s Daddy!”
She runs to him, her little head bobbing among and between the sea of humanity.
Tom's blue eyes smiled as he picked her up against his chest, her legs wraps around his waist. His shirt was stark white against his skin and hers.
Char smiles.
“Bye Mama!”
She presses her body against Tom, sandwiching the girl between them. “Bye honeys, “ she said, “see you tonight.”
She turns around and makes her way in the opposite direction. She turns to look at them, walking away from her, the big man carrying the little girl, until she sees them no more.
Nothing warned her, no inner voice told her…
As she exits the souk she felt the blast before she heard it. There was instant commotion; she was knocked to the ground, her vegetables thrown from her hands and were strewn before her.
The wails of the sirens drowned out the wails of the people. She looked back at their direction of Tom and their daughter. There was no sight of them, just of blood, bodies and stalls knocked over on their sides.
She tried to stand but couldn’t. She didn’t know why nor did she stop to consider. She dragged herself forward an inch at a time, into the fire.
And then there was nothing…
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She sat motionless in the doctor's office, staring straight ahead, ignoring the activity around her. A woman walked by, looking at Char with a mix of pity and curiosity.
“Don’t look at me!” she screamed in her head to the stares of the passerby.
And a seed of bitterness was planted and began to grow in her heart.
Reader Comments (7)
Oh..this just brought tears to my eyes. I somehow didn't imagine that things would come together like this...that this was the story behind the mishap or accident.
Write on....
Write on....
Oh, Puna, this gave me the chills. What an excellent writer you are!
Two weeks between chapters is two weeks too many. This is so gripping! I can't wait for the next installation. You seriously need to turn this into a book, Puna.
I think what I need to do is start printing out each post, Puna, and make my own book...my copy of YOUR book, I mean. Then I can keep re-reading your chapters while I wait for the next installment. My guess is you know where this story is going (you rascal, you)!!!
Excellent new episode Puna, can't wait for the next one!! The tension is gripping. I so like reading it!
the souks..hmmm, morocco??? very exotic locations in your exotic sounding story....
"Life can end in the most mundane of life’s moments…no one knows when, or why."
I loved that line. Now we are learning the story, and it is sad, but it is like life, and yes, I want to hear more.