If you head over to Novelicious you will see they have a new monthly writing feature where unpublished authors can give flash fiction writing a bit of a go. Each month they are going to choose a picture from Pintrest and we have to use it as inspiration to write a piece of fiction. (See picture above!)
At the time I saw this picture I was listening to Kenny G’s album and his instrumental version of My Heart Will Go On had just started playing and looking at this picture and listening to that piece of music gave me a sudden idea for the piece.
I, stupidly, cannot read instructions and thought the word limit was between 400-600, not 200-400! So I wrote a piece of 600 words:
At the time I saw this picture I was listening to Kenny G’s album and his instrumental version of My Heart Will Go On had just started playing and looking at this picture and listening to that piece of music gave me a sudden idea for the piece.
I, stupidly, cannot read instructions and thought the word limit was between 400-600, not 200-400! So I wrote a piece of 600 words:
The heavy rain is landing violently on my soaking, unkempt hair and is forging streams down my cheeks, disguising the tears I am crying. Crowds of busy people are hurrying past, umbrellas fighting for space, puddles being kicked into the air, they are making their way to the tube stations to go home to their glossy apartments.
I turn the music up louder and stand against the hard, black, railing, blocking out the chaos around me, focusing on the memories of you. The opening bars of My Heart Will Go On start to caress my senses and I am instantly pulled back to the previous winter when we had stood here and danced in the rain. The streetlights had cast a golden glow onto the wet pavement and our feet had glided along effortlessly as we laughed our way through a terrible Waltz. The sound of your new shoes had been loud and clumsy as you pulled me around our makeshift dance floor and I still remember the look on that woman’s face as we passed her, spinning in faster and faster circles. I can feel your warm hands around my waist as I stare out to Big Ben, the warmth of your breath on my neck, the strength of your arms holding me so tight. The rain mixed with tears is blurring my vision now, making me blink harder and faster to hold onto the memory.
All the memories, of you. I turn the music up even louder, hurting my eardrums but holding onto you as long as I can and I push myself even harder against the railings where we once stood. I feel closest to you here, in this very spot. A tourist boat drifts past, you remember those don’t you? It is full of smiling faces lit up by the dim candles on-board. It creates a ripple of waves as it passes, foamy and white, but each one slowly fades into insignificance almost as quickly as it was formed. I can picture you floating now, drifting slowly off into the distance. I need to hold onto you somehow. Stop. Stay. Please, don’t go.
I am crying loudly now. Even I can hear it over the sound of the song; our song. Do you remember when we first listened to it? We were lying in your bed, your hand draped around my waist, my head resting on your shoulder. You said it was the one song you’d always wanted to dance to. So we danced, oh, didn’t we dance, my love. Every time the opening bars started we would be there, in each other’s arms, ready to dance. Do you remember how we couldn’t stop dancing on the pavement that night? Do you remember how you hummed, badly, our song, how you tried to sing along but muddled up the words? Do you remember?
I do.
I remember you spinning me around, picking me up and spinning me in the air. I remember you looking deeply into my eyes and kissing me. I remember it all, I can feel you kiss me now. I can.
I can still hear the crack. I can see you spinning, dancing, laughing, slipping, falling, falling ever so fast, falling and crashing. I can see you lying in the road. I can see the taxi stop. I can see you stop breathing. I can see it all so clearly.
I love you. I do.
I can feel a sturdy hand touch my shoulder.
I turn around and it’s not you.
It will never be you again.
Oh, how I miss you, darling.
And then went back and read the instructions about it being 400 word max so I had to do some cutting!
I managed to get it down to 400 and I am quite proud of how it ended up.
I managed to get it down to 400 and I am quite proud of how it ended up.
The heavy rain is landing violently on my unkempt hair and is forging streams down my cheeks, disguising the tears. Crowds of busy people are hurrying past, umbrellas are fighting for space and puddles are being kicked into the air.
I turn the music up louder and stand against the hard railings, focusing on the memories of you. The opening bars of our song start to caress my senses and I am instantly pulled back to the previous winter when we had stood here and danced in the rain. The streetlights had cast a golden glow onto the wet pavement and our feet had glided along effortlessly as we laughed our way through a terrible Waltz. The sound of your shoes had been loud and clumsy as you pulled me around our makeshift dance floor.
The rain is blurring my vision now, making me blink harder and faster to hold onto the memory.
All the memories, of you. I push myself even harder against the railings where we once stood. I feel closest to you here, in this very spot. A tourist boat drifts past, you remember those don’t you? It creates a ripple of waves as it passes, but each one slowly fades into insignificance almost as quickly as they were formed. I can picture you floating, drifting slowly off into the distance. I need to hold onto you. Stop. Stay. Don’t go.
I am crying loudly now. Even I can hear it over the sound of our song. Do you remember when we first listened to it? You said you wanted to dance to it. So we danced, oh, didn’t we dance, my love. Do you remember how we couldn’t stop dancing on the pavement that night?
I do.
I remember you spinning me around, picking me up and spinning me in the air. I remember you looking deeply into my eyes and kissing me. I remember it all; I can feel you kiss me now. I can.
I can see you spinning, dancing, laughing, slipping, falling, falling ever so fast, falling and crashing. I can see you lying in the road. I can see the taxi stop. I can see you stop breathing. I can see it all so clearly.
I can feel a sturdy hand touching my shoulder.
I am turning around but it’s not you I am looking at.
It will never be you again.
AND I’ve just realised I spelt ‘focusing’ wrong on the entry I submitted. DAMN IT. That ALWAYS happens!
Anyway, everyone should head over to Novelicious and give this challenge and attempt. It would be fabulous to see how you all interpret the picture!
Anyway, everyone should head over to Novelicious and give this challenge and attempt. It would be fabulous to see how you all interpret the picture!