Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Emptiness

He stared into the dark emptiness of the eyes across from his own. They filled him with a sense of familiarity, but with that he felt no comfort. When he looked deeper into them, hoping for answers, all he saw was a cold blankness that instilled uneasiness and fear in the depths of his existence. It was a feeling that the more he focused on the more it overwhelmed him and a shudder coursed through his body.

As he widened his view of the face he was examining he saw lines that came with age and thinning gray hair tousled on his head. With the narrow cheeks that led to a firm, chiseled jaw he still projected a bold masculine presence despite his obvious age of seniority. He knew the face, but he couldn’t recall anything else about it. Looking at the man in front of him he couldn’t remember the simplest detail. No name, no birthday, whether he had children or what he did for a living.

As the frustration took over his mind and body the shaking came back. A tear ran down his cheek as the sense of loss and loneliness embraced him. He grabbed the closest object he could get his hands on and threw it at the taunting face in front of him.

The sound of shattering glass resonated through the room and the shards fell into the sink. He broke down and sobbed over the now hundreds of tiny reflections that looked up at him. A frantic knocking came upon the door. When he opened it there was a frightened looking older woman who instantly started inspecting him for injuries and asking him what happened.

“I’m sorry ma’am,” he responded through his tears. “The man in the mirror is just such an enigma now. He got the better of me.”

“It’s okay,” she said as he sobbed in her arms. “It’s me, your wife, Judy. It’s all going to be okay.” She cried, knowing she was lying.

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The trifecta word this week was enigma

19 comments:

  1. What a terrible place to encounter an enigma. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. It certainly is...I can't imagine the terror of not knowing yourself.

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  2. This is really, really good. I love/hate the part where he says to his wife, "I'm sorry ma'am." And your ending line is perfect. I need to go have a cup of coffee now.

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    1. Thank you Kelly, I'm glad you enjoyed it. " Love/hate", I like that... perfectly shows that you enjoyed the story while you felt for the character.

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  3. "I'm sorry ma'am,".Very sad. Then the last line...even sadder.

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  4. to think one could one day forget their life, their family and friends, the very essence of themselves... it reminded me of my grandfather in his last years of life. it is so sad, yet it happens to so many.

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    1. Sadly it happens to far too many. It must be unbearable for everyone, but especially those who can't remember. As much as they feel it's right there, they just can't.

      I'm sorry to hear your grandfather had to face that, it must have been tough. I'm sure now it's easier to focus on the better days.

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  5. Your story has such a sad ending. I had hoped the inability to recognize himself was figurative.

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    1. It is sad. Unfortunately it is a hard reality for a lot of people and families.

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  6. Chris, this is so, so sad. It's written beautifully. I wondered if 'tussled' (2nd para, 1st sentence) should be 'tousled' as it seems to fit better. Do you know someone who is going through this, or has gone through this?

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    1. Tamyka, thank you for the compliment, and thank you for the sharp eye. You were absolutely right about 'tousled' and the edit has been made. I can't believe I missed that on my proofread. Just goes to show how important a fresh pair of eyes can be.

      To answer your other question, no, this is not the story of anyone I know. Thankfully it was pure fiction.

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  7. Oh it makes me think of my neighbor who turned up on the doorstep. No, it's not going to be OK. It's impossible that he will be better.

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    1. That is very sad. Good thing your neighbor didn't make it too far and there were people around to help.

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  8. I'm relieved it was pure fiction, but WOW! You wrote it so believably well. Powerful moment!

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    1. Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

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  9. Very moving piece. It's such a sad thing.

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    1. It really is. It is so unfortunate that anyone would have to go through something like that.

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  10. The fear and helplessness he feels is palpable. What a heartbreaking thing to not know yourself anymore.
    Thanks for participating. We hope you come back for the weekend prompt.

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