Eleven years ago, it had been a time of firsts: first kiss under the mistletoe, the first shy “I love you”, his first competitive Monopoly match. Their first car purchase and the first bewildering fight about politics.
Finally, a romantic first anniversary, and a proposal out of which came the marriage of two hearts committed to a long, shared walk towards the sunset and near the bioluminescence. The ocean used to glow in neon green, blue, and red. It would dazzle like the stars in the sky.
That was all before the sunrise took leave unexpectedly with a heartless, hiemal bite.
Thereafter it would be a different year of firsts: the first unchaperoned dolour, the first night in unshared sheets, the first anniversary marked in cold and darkness.
Noise pollution, nobody wanted to listen. Shouting was the only discernible chirp. The government did it. Couples did it. Working together and listening—that was a first that never got its moment in the sun. Because a deluge of voluntary deafness had finally silenced the earth’s voice. All balance had been disrupted.
Lying in bed, bewildered anew, she shouted, “You always did like to win, didn’t you?” One last time. She had belatedly grown colder. She had asked her last question.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleWhat a terrible world you painted when you briskly moved from happy firsts to firsts in weather collisions. I loved the dramatic line, “ the sunrise took leave unexpectedly with a heartless, hiemal bite.
Thank you for your comment, Margarida. I think sometimes changes happen quickly. Often they happen when we’re not ready, when we make choices to be purposefully blind to the things happening around us. Climate change is a thing people ignore. I hope more take the time to listen to the earth’s voice!
I love your creative use of words, Melissa. It’s always full of surprises and unexpected twists that I always enjoy. Can I ask you about the two sentence in italics? I was wondering if they are a quotation.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleHello, Christer. These sentences would be the thoughts of my protagonist. I opt to go about it this way to distinguish between thoughts and surrounding text. I know there are other ways to go about it, quotation would be one of them. I’ve just always preferred to italicize! Thank you for the question!
Wow! Melissa, as always, you always surprise me with nice and unexpected twists. Lovely piece. I love it from the beginning until the end. Nicely done.
Thank you, Lotchie! I appreciate your continuing support!
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleA lovely story, Melissa. Thank you for sharing. If I may ask, what way does the last line bring us?
Hello, Thompson. I’m not sure if I completely understand the question that you asked… I guess the last line is telling us that nobody wins. The world isn’t surviving here; she isn’t surviving. She isn’t the winner. He passed away first; she is passing away only after he did. She had to suffer without him and her ending prize was of the same fate. This will sound morose, but he wins once… Read more »
Melissa, your description of mankind’s reaction to noise pollution (“a deluge of voluntary deafness had finally silenced the earth’s voice.”) is quite chilling. May it never come to that.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleSusan, I also hope it never comes to that. Thank you for your comment!