Wednesday 9 May 2018

Mid-Week Flash Challenge - Week 54

This week's picture prompt was created by Barbara Bezina, a photographer from Argentina. She calls this 'Aguas de Colores' (Water of Colours). You can find more of her art on here website

With limited computer time due to children on school holidays, it was a struggle to get started with this one and then half way through I couldn't work out an ending. But I kept writing and it appeared, but it was WAY over the word limit, so cut it, but I am still over by 70 words! 😳 But I can't find any more to cut without killing the story. So I'm going with it.

This picture offers so much and I went a long way off what I thought I would write. But I like it. Hope you do too.

The General Guidelines can be found here.

How to create a clickable link in Blogger comments can be found on lasts week's post here.



Exposed

You can save her.
I can’t.
Yes you can.
But she’s already underwater.
But you’re not.
I might be soon.
Felicity grabs Fiona’s arm.
“Stay up!” she breathes.
She can only hear a gurgling sound.
Is she gone?
I don’t know.
Felicity pushes her sister up. Fiona’s face breaks the surface. Felicity hears a gasp.
“Stay with me.”
“I’m trying.”
“Not hard enough.”
“How much longer?”
“I don’t know. If he comes again and puts more water in, we’re in trouble.”
“I’m in trouble now.”
“You have to be strong.”
“Why were we stupid enough to agree to this?”
“Why is Jake doing this, what did he say?”
“He said he wants to hear the other voice.”
“What does that even mean?”
“I’m not sure.”
Fiona takes a breath and slips under again.
Great! Fiona’s such a sucker.
Not always.
Yes, always, remember how I had to go and rescue her from that commune.
You thought about staying.
Only to find out what sucked her in.
You still thought about it.
I know. Shhhh, he’s coming.
Felicity hears a scrabbling at the top of the pit. She sees eyes looking down at them.
He’s back.
This could be it.
What the end?
Does he have buckets with him this time?
“No he doesn’t have buckets, Felicity,” Jake calls down, “he has what he is looking for.”
Felicity freezes. What’s he talking about?
“You know what I’m talking about Felicity. I knew it was there.”
She peers into Jake’s face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He’s gone mad.
Clearly.
“I can hear you.”
“How can you? It’s in my mind. Everyone talks to themselves.”
“This isn’t self talk Felicity, the person you are talking to is separate from you. And I have a special gift that allows me to hear them.”
Felicity waits for the other voice. She senses them waiting too.
“So what are you going to do now? Kill me?”
 “Kill you? Don’t be silly. Although I don’t need Fiona now.”
Felicity grabs her sister and forces her out of the water again.
“Fiona! He’s back and he wants to get rid of you!”
Fiona sputters, “What do you mean, rid of me?”
“No, no. Not rid of her. I need her help.” A rope ladder’s let down into the pit. “Fiona, climb out and dry off. I’ve got a towel here for you.”
Fiona glances at Felicity and starts climbing.
She’s just going to do what he says.
Unbelievable.
She’s got no loyalty to you.
Tell me about it.
What is he going to do now?
I don’t know.
“I’m going to push you, and see what happens,” Jake says.
What does he expect to happen?
I’ve no idea.
“Hopefully another person will manifest.”
Is he crazy?
Obviously.
I can’t manifest I don’t have a body.
And you’re a figment of my imagination.
Well I wouldn’t say that.
What do you mean?
Well he’s not wrong.
About what?
About me. I am separate to you.
Who are you then?
I’m Dorson.
Am I possessed?
Sort of.
But you’ve always been in my head.
That’s right. I was given entrance at your birth.
To do what?
To live a life. To experience it. And know how to control another.
You don’t control me.
You like to think I don’t.
Felicity feels the urge to push this person. She imagines them in her mind and shoves them hard. They stumble.
What are you doing?
I want you out!
Don’t be silly.
I’m not.
She continues shoving the imagined figure, hitting it down, again and again. She hears more shouts and then pleading.
“I don’t want you in my head anymore!” she shouts out loud.
The water around her begins to move, bubbles surface. She keeps shoving the figure & pictures a cliff edge. She shoves them over. Next to her the water starts to take shape.
Jake shouts, “Get out Felicity, now! Before he surfaces. Fiona, help me keep the ladder still so she can climb faster.”
Felicity doesn’t hesitate. She throws herself at the ladder & pulls herself up, keeping her eyes on her sister’s face, ignoring the rushing sound and the roaring voice escalating with it. Only once she’s pulled her out does she look back.
The thing’s huge! It’s made of water, but the shape of the rippled torso and head with horns is unmistakable.
“Quick, the two of you, help me!”
Jake’s lifting some kind of chain and pulling on it. They join him. They hear a loud grinding sound and the water level starts to drop. Dorson’s thrashing increases as he realises he’s about to be sucked into an outlet pipe, but he’s helpless to resist. With one last roar he’s gone.
All three let go and fall back onto the ground.
“How did you know Jake? How did you know he was inside me?”
“I told you it’s my gift, Felicity. And getting them out is what I do.”


No comments :

Post a Comment