I’m joining in with Jodi from JF Gibson for her 10 minute writing prompt challenge. I’ve been looking for something to kick my writing back into gear and this one was perfect because it would only take 10 minutes! Head on over Jodi’s site and check out the other entries or join in yourself!
*The following post contains descriptions of self harm. Please ensure you are in a safe place before reading*BANG! BANG! BANG!
“Hands where I can see them inmate.”
She woke with a start, disorientated in the bright fluorescent lights that lined the inside of her cell. She looked towards the small window in her door and saw the sneering face of the guard who had woken her.
She lay in her bed feeling all of her bumps and lumps. She checked each side, counting off the differences. Maybe one day she could count the similarities. Would she sleep more soundly then? Would her dreams be calm, instead of filled with things that made her scream in her sleep?Her mother assured her that her differences were what made her special. Everyone went through a stage of not liking what they were. Even her mother, with her porcelain skin and jet black hair. Sally didn’t believe her. No one as beautiful as her mother could have ever looked like this.
She picked up the newspaper from a table nearby. Her face was staring back at her again, the third time this month. She folded it in half, trying to hide from the grin that seemed to take over the page.
This cafe was her sanctuary, she felt safe here. The staff knew who she was but they didn’t care. They didn’t make a fuss, she was another customer to them. To them she was skinny latte in a mug. It was perfect.
She was rushing again. Lately it felt like someone had pressed the fast forward button. There was barely time to do everything she needed, and the days were melting into one another. She longed for the quiet days.
She barely remembered what her husband looked like. It felt like weeks since they had sat down and had a proper conversation. They were like ships in the night, passing each other silently, only their shadows giving away their positions. She longed for his touch, but they felt worlds apart.