Picture 2
Miranda Kate’s Picture Choice: 1
Title: The Bend
She saw it coming before they reached it; could see how it was going to unfold in her mind’s eye. She couldn’t stop it - she was powerless to, only being 8 years old.
Her mother had been drinking all afternoon, champagne mostly, but claimed it wasn’t strong enough to worry about; that she still had all her wits about her - even though she’d almost fallen down the steps of the lavish hotel as they’d left the charity function.
Her mother had laughed when she’d screamed ‘slow down’ at the first bend they had taken, but it wasn’t as sharp as this one. And before she could open her mouth to scream a second time, her mother had started cursing; the ‘sh’ sound of it merging with the screech of the tires as she tried to take the bend at high speed. The back end of the car slid and the tiny wall swung towards them, the boulder behind it rising up to meet them.
It had taken her full weight as she’d slammed against it, the paper-thin metal of the car door not much protection at that speed. If her mother and the rest of the car hadn’t been sliding towards her she might have had a chance, but instead every ounce of life was squeezed out of her moments before it began rolling down the mountainside.
Stephanie stood at the corner of the bend watching as the car tumbled to its final resting place, along with her body. She waited to see if her mother was going to join her, but she remained alone. Turning to the light behind her she was overwhelmed with sadness; 8 years was hard enough, but now she had to face eternity alone too.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like what you just read? Have a question or concern? Leave a note for the author! We appreciate your feedback!
You can read more of my writing on my blog - Finding Clarity - at http://purplequeennl.blogspot.nl/ or join me on Twitter @PurpleQueenNL
#DailyPicspiration
Great job painting such a lonely picture.
ReplyDeleteSo sad D:
ReplyDeleteIt's a short and powerful piece of fiction, and it certainly provokes a response, but somehow I wanted it to end differently? I found myself reading it an thinking that this would be some sort of nightmare imagination, that the girl would blink and find herself still sitting in the car with her mother? Meh... every writer sees something different, eh? Thanks for sharing!