free write
Mood:
not sure
Now Playing: Josh Rouse - Nashville
Topic: fiction
I got this idea from another blogger, who asks for a person's name and age and writes a short piece in response. It could be fantasy, romance, anything. I thought I'd give it a try. I'm going to start with myself, before I victimize anyone else. My name is Mary and I'm 30 years old.
****
The chickens will wait, she thought. Dawn had already crested the other side of the hill. It would still take a few more minutes for those first orange and pink and yellow rays to reach her bedroom window. For now, she steadied her breathing and tried to fall back asleep.
The air in the room was still and heavy. In the middle of the night, the door had slammed shut, while a thunderstorm rolled through the valley. There wasn't much rain, but the curtains spread themselves like wings across the room. With the door closed, they hung straight down like pressed clothes.
"Mary," his voice began, insistent like a child. "You'd better wake up."
"I will," Mary said flatly. She had not been able to fall back asleep afterall. Just listened to Brick, their rooster, crow over and over, thinking he was the only potent male in the whole world. The man next to her, face down in the pillows, turned toward the wall, he knew better. He knew a man wasn't worth much these days, not as much as farm land, a crop of soybeans, or the power of nature herself.
Still, Mary traced his spine with her hand. The skin on his back paler than the tanned skin of his arms, paler still than her own fingers and wrist. If only this moment would stretch on, the sun not rise beyond its reach to heat the world. If only she could lie like this, could listen to things growing, her love's heart beating, and rest, she might become whole again.
The chickens would not wait forever, though. She sighed and pushed herself out of bed.
****
If you want to be my next victim, leave me a comment! First name and age. That's it.
Posted by mary
at 11:56 AM EDT
Updated: Thu, Jun 19 2008 12:29 PM EDT