literature

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Literature Text


i) she let her fingers run along the edges of the paper, creasing and pleating and folding until the printed square came to life. she created all of the delicate cranes with the utmost of care and precision, each paper bird represented so much,  each subtle wrinkle containing and with holding so much passion and strength.  to most of the others, they were just making them because the teacher had told them to, to help those who have lost so much, but not her.  her cupid bow lips were pursed tightly, and her eyes were salt water swollen.
they weren't just cranes, they were a sign of hope.

ii) he woke up, covered in sweat and breathing heavy.
another night terror. they'd become a regular occurrence since what they refer to as "the day the earth fell of its axis". they called it this because the violent tremors were so strong It felt like the earth had snapped  of its orbit and spun viciously around till it all just stopped. the images were burnt into his head, and they refused to loosen their hold, leaving him tossing and turning and screaming like a sick game each night. the faces haunted him, and of all those who he simply couldn't reach in time.
it was the hard part of being a hero, not all can be saved.

iii) they were to be married, but the church is now in ruins, and their dreams in tatters.
the parents were away and safe and only heard about it on the news, thinking thankfully that their daughter wasn't there.
it was going to be a surprise, but now the tickets over are somewhere in amongst all the debris. she clings onto him,
they didn't need the big ceremony to confirm anything, but she wanted it to be special. he feels the small lumps in his pocket,  and he reaches in and tenderly snatches her hand, sliding the dirtied ring onto a shaking finger. she smiles,
and he kisses her.
despite all the loss and devastation, they still have eachother.

iv) she was destroyed in the blink of an eye, and no-one ever found her.  
it was quick, the ground below where she was standing shuddered and rumbled before splitting violently, and swallowing her whole. she fell, but was gone before she hit the bottom, they sudden vibrations shook her heart so rough it stopped abruptly.  she was never even reported missing to even begin being searched for.
she was just a number in the rising toll.

v) he was on the other side of the world, but it still made his bones tremble, and heart quake.  
it only affected him in mediocre ways, his bus ride to work is now a few cents more expensive, and some of the more obscure and genuine asian foods are impossible to find. but something just ached. it was a dull lingering pain, that flashed on and off like a check engine light. he once knew a girl, she'd fled there years ago and maybe she was still over there. But he wasn't sure.
he just hoped she was safe.

vi)  it was the one thing she needed to finally flee this place for good.
her overly cultural parents wanted her to stay and carry on their traditions and away from everything her heart longed for. she wanted to run through the red stained deserts of Australia, lay under the stars somewhere away from where she grew up. it was sad that it took it all being torn apart to finally let her run free, but there was nothing holding her back now.
but she stops occasionally to think about her parents.

vii) he was set, all the lines were peaking in all the right places.
he wasn't a multi millionaire, but he was comfortable. he could provide well for his future wife, and at such a young age his future looked bright. but when his town shook, all the green turned red, and he watched everyone around him break down, and drop to their knees.
this tremor shook and affected more than just the landscape.

viii)
it was their good deed for the day.
they were frozen in their seats when the news  broke and as soon as they were able to lift their arms they both reached over to the phone and called the number that haunted almost every channel. they weren't rich, weren't anything particularly notable and they gave the most they could afford to give, between them that totalled about $123.80. This was enough to give a family a chance to survive, and not just survive but live again. clothes, food and other basics that they didn't just 'want' but really needed. they didn't know them personally, didn't even know faces or names just that they had been helped by someone who felt they needed to.
and it was enough to make them need to sacrifice some luxuries for a while.  

ix) "thank you for your call, we are trying our hardest to reconnect you to your love ones, please hold"
her parents were all the way back in her home town, and without that call being connected, she had no way to know if they were safe. they'd sent her over here for a chance of something better, and education and the opportunity for a bright future. but from the first time she heard that the whole country was being rocked by nature she was constantly sick to her stomach. the other kids hurt, but not the way she did. they watched the news, and prayed for good news.
she simply hoped for no more bad.

x) no-one thought twice about the blinking red button. it was like a check engine light, surely nothing can happen.
it took about 48 hours for everything to escalate to such a scale that everyone was evacuated. it took 2 hours to go from busy metropolitan
city, to completely deserted.  but he was still racing around, pressing buttons, screaming slurred ramblings, trying not to disturb the many
nameless faceless bodies. but then he saw her. hunched in the corner of a control room. she'd moved here from somewhere distant, with
nothing to her name, maybe running from her past. probably a boy. he rolled her onto her side, and felt her gentle breathing on his cheek. no burns, just a few abrasions, and some smoke inhalation.
but she was going to be okay.
for the one situation, one perspective prompt.
was hard to write, thank you for all my epic friends who helped contribute.
© 2011 - 2024 ohsparrowsong
Comments2
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drinkingteainagarden's avatar
This is so beautifully heartbreaking. :heart:
I absolutely adore the concept and the execution and the perspectives you chose.
'it was the hard part of being a hero, not all can be saved' is tragic but genius.