Sleep was supposed to be an escape for the soul, but not for Anita. Not after March 25th, the night she found herself victim to an eccentric looking man with green eyes who although immune to emotions, was a master of facade; a man who’d cut short the lives of seven innocent girls before her… She should have been number eight.
Anita had tried everything, therapy, meditation, you name it but still, each time she shut her eyes, the memories come gushing in blurry flashbacks with only one clear cut frame amidst the chaos- A red chandelier. Shutting her eyes, took her back to that moment, when she’d stare at the chandelier, the only thing with color in her hunter’s den, trying to gate the pain and fear off.
But she’d survived then and would survive facing him in court the next day, with or without sleep on her side. She was ready.
Word count: 160. The above story is in response to a Flash Fiction For Aspiring Writers photo prompt challenge hosted by priceless Joy. Thank you @TJ Paris for this week’s picture.
Great story! I could feel her emotion of anxiety and fear. What a horrible thing to experience but thank goodness she survived and will face her monster in court! Hopefully, after this, she will sleep peacefully!
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I believe she will. After knowing she gave it her all, justice will be served. Thank you Joy.
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Unsettling story – you got her emotions across well. Nicely done!
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Thank you very much Sonya.
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Interesting take Ameena, So horrible what happened to her and the girls before her especially. Hopefully now, the killer gets justice and perhaps, she can sleep a little better at night. Great job.
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I hope that justice gets served in her case, and either way, I believe she’d feel better knowing she gave it her all.
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I hope she gets Justice as well.
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Written well…showing her emotion and strength in dealing with such a horrific act against her. Hopefully, she will be alright .
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She will be alright, I believe. She is a strong girl. 💪🏽
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oh my! this is jaw-dropping!! dark, dreary but so brave!! Great, great piece!
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Thank you very much Rosema. A little dark once it a while helps us to see the light even more brighter 😉
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I would have to agree! 😀
You are welcome! 🙂
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Anything mildly beautiful in one’s dark and dreary phase can bring hope! Great story. I like your work as it always has deep psychological meaning to it.
I once started to write a long story about a woman captured by a man and enslaved for years…well there was plenty more to it.. but I hadn’t yet finished writing when I read in the newspaper about an actual case like that. Such things happen…
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Great piece Ameena, the emotions run deep and I could feel it!!!
I might need some help from you if you care to see my site’s latest post, thanks.
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Thank you very much sis Saadia. I posted a reply to your post, but now that I checked it, it’s not showing. Pls let me know if you can see my reply or not (maybe technical issues).
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I hope she does find the strength.
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I believe she will. Thank you 😊
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Palpable unease. Love the first sentence too “Sleep was supposed to be an escape for the soul”
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Thank you very much. 😊
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Go girl!!! SHE CAN DO IT!! Great story, and you stirred powerful emotions in a brief time. You are such an Amazing writer my friend! ❤
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Thank you very much Joy. I really appreciate your comments. And yes!!! Yes she can and will too!!
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A gripping tale. You draw us so well into her efforts to eradicate the awful memories, but also allow us to see her determination to overcome the trauma and get on with her life: a true survivor. Nicely done, Ameena.
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Thank you very much Millie. That’s just what I wanted to show. Her devastation and her will to fight on.
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You did that very well!
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