As part of the A to Z Challenge, through the month of April I’ll be posting a story a day based on photographs by Joseph T. Richardson and prompts given to me by blog-friends.
Writing prompt: Having nothing to lose…
Provided by: Cheryl KP, friend, fellow writer, artist.
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#atozchallenge : H for Having nothing to lose
Having nothing to lose, she let her dress fall.
It made no sound. The silk stroked her neck as she untied the knot. It pooled at her breasts, which, sagging, could not hold up the sheath of green.
It peeled off in the flickering light, alive like an emerald snake, this dress he’d given her, it slid against her stomach, unraveling, and came to rest on her hips.
Her stomach had caved in, her navel a dark hole in a crater of sunken bones. She wanted to sit down, let her body fall, too. She wanted to curl up, touch her nose to her navel. She wanted to sniff out that enemy in her stomach hard as a tennis ball, with none of its bounce, or color, or playfulness.
It sucked out her life, into itself. It will not stop till it’s done, till it has sucked her in, skin, bones, what little flesh she’d left.
She would leave them behind, leave him behind, leave behind the dress. She didn’t need them. Because where she had to go, she would find no life, no green, no shame, no friendship, nor love, no hate, no pain, nor hope. Only a soft twilight, a dusky sameness, a shivering, soft-whispery jungle hugging her path. She would glide down the shiny road, the lines of which will lead her on, from darkness.
She could not see the end, not yet. She heard no sound, but what heartbreak makes a noise, what last breath explodes? The death of hope is silent too. No matter. She will stand, and watch, watch herself curl back to what she once was, and return to where she came from.
That path alone is real.
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Are you taking part in the A to Z challenge? Do you read or write fiction? Ever write based on a prompt? Have you lost a loved one to cancer?
but what heartbreak makes a noise, what last breath explodes? The death of hope is silent too.// I am in love with these lines… I love how you tell a story without actually telling it, leaving it for the readers to understand and grasp the meaning.
Intense… sad… 🙂
Amazing. You are such a talented writer. Stupid me didn’t know you had two blogs in the Challenge. I just followed your link from Andrew Leon’s StrangePegs thinking I was going to amloki…HI!
Tina @ Life is Good
A to Z Team @ Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2014
A beautiful piece! The last lines are sheer poetry. One of your best!
A gripping story… till the very end…
Worth reading again..!!
The travails of old age, explained painstakingly in great detail. A post worth a read, I must say.
Very nice lines. Love reading.
So much emotion, so intense. Sad and beautifully written.
It’s such a beautifully written sad story. I felt the emotions coming from the words and woman, moreso because I lost my mother from cancer. It made me think that she felt the same way too. I can’t remember that you have 2 blogs and tend to overlook this one. Missed out so much of your posts.
The emotion is captured so well in your words.
I’m actually blogging today about a loved one I lost to cancer. Imagine that. We must be riding the same wave. =)
This is really good, especially for something so short.
I’ve lost a good friend to cancer as well, so it has that extra bit of poignancy to it.
My dad died of brain cancer and colon cancer runs in the family. Very powerful piece. It makes me want to hug this lady and hold on to her
This write up was so intense. I got lost in it for the time I was reading it…
“She heard no sound, but what heartbreak makes a noise, what last breath explodes? The death of hope is silent too.”
Yes, lost someone to cancer.. This was heartbreaking, sad but a very powerful and emotional story. Beautifully written:-)
Beautiful writing. I used to work for a cancer charity, and so many of the stories were heartbreaking. Thankfully, there were always many more people who survived and triumphed over cancer. Their strength inspired me and gave me hope.
Haunting! Sent chills down my spine. Always enjoying your stories, D.
Beautifully described.
Amazing
I thought it was about the loss of a child. Finally I got the cancer bit.
But why green? What is the specific connection to green?
http://sweetyshinde.wordpress.com
Green is the colour of renewal, of life. It is also the color of envy– the envy a person dying a gradual but certain death feels for the living.
WOw! Amazing post! You actually feel like you’re just standing there face to face! Lost quite a few people to cancer…including my own dad…so this is real!
This is a very moving post. I can relate to this as I have suffered the pangs of this terrible disease.Only God’s mercy saved me.
“The death of hope is silent too” – that’s so good! The whole last paragraph is actually very powerful in its expression. Very well done!
Beauty Interprets, Expresses, Manifests the Eternal
Very expressive.The expression of pain,yeah it hurts
Really great writing. Well done.
Aching, beautiful and ugly, resigned but not defeated.
Love the theme of your blog 🙂
This was so so intense! Heartbreaking….striking imagery too as always!
Love that last paragraph. “What heartbreak makes a noise, what last breath explodes?” This may be my favorite piece from the a-to-z so far.
Thanks, Christopher. I recently lost another loved one to cancer. This was a tribute to her.
This leaves lots of questions for me what, how, where, why, great piece.
Powerful!
Enjoying these efforts … But as a man far from his Australia and ten years in Germany, wonder how such a longtime writer in continents, enters what appears to be a female niche where no man enters without carrying his shoes, ready to be dismissed. That’s a question without a Mark ….
Neil
Sent from my iPad. ? neilmcpherson@live.com +49 178 2088987 mobile +49 6136 9569626 home
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I love how much emotion is portrayed in this, and how the dress is kind of a symbolic thing. So beautiful!
Absolutely beautiful….each word a diamond in a perfectly circular necklace….a beginning at an end.
Excellent! I love that you are willing to go inside your characters and speak from their heart. Drusilla (http://lovedasif.com/)
Sad.
Beautiful. We lost my oldest sister five years ago to cancer. She fought with grace.
A very thought provoking post, a powerful piece.
Deb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com
How sad.
And while we live together, we all die alone.
“what last breath explodes”
That is truly stunning.
Amazing how well you can describe one event. It’s beautiful.
oops, my previous comment should have read: that ‘not’ all stories have a happy ending…
My mom has been there! I can relate the pain and suffering. It is still a miracle she survived. Great post!
That is fabulous. Beautifully written. I do believe we go back into one when we die.
Liz A-Z http://www.lizbrownleepoet.com H = The Secret Miracle of Birds
A beautifully written yet heart rending piece; poignant and thought provoking as are many of the author’s posts, and a timely reminder that all stories have a happy ending…
lost too many to cancer. sad piece
This is heart-wrenchingly beautiful!
Wow. That’s all I have to say.
~Patricia Lynne~
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, YA Author
Nerve chilling! Such powerful emotions conveyed in such less words.