Friday, January 6, 2012

Moving On

Write On Edge: Red-Writing-Hood
For this week, we asked you to write a fiction or creative non-fiction piece in which an epitaph features prominently–in 500 words or less.




Jean had cut her hair and changed the color. A deep shade of red, the color she'd been born with. No makeup, she didn't need it.  Her black jeans had been washed until soft before she slid into them. The hunter green polo shirt was a gift to herself, to complement her hair.

She had one more stop to make before she left town. The contents of the apartment had been donated or trashed. The bank account closed and the small balance used to pay for cleaning the apartment.

 She was surprised to see the two old women at the grave site. The interment was last week. She hung back as they stood chatting. They didn't see her, though it wouldn't matter.

They wouldn't know who she was.  When they left, she approached the grave.  Jean had paid for the plain headstone years ago.  She just needed to check the dates and name for accuracy.
                                                   
                                                  Carla Jean Sullivan     
                                       April 3, 1928 - December 11, 2011

 Just as she had ordered. But beneath the dates was an addition.         

                                            A True and Dear Friend               
                                                 We Will Miss You 

 That was why Maryanne and Lainie had been here. Jean's eyes filled with tears.  "I will miss you, too." she whispered as she walked away from another empty grave.

16 comments:

  1. Simply beautiful. It's clear there's more to the story...

    ~visiting from write on edge

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  2. Oooh, immortal? Letting her hair return to red, not wearing makeup? Had she been aging herself with hair dye and theater makeup to mask her inability to age?

    I am interested in seeing if this keeps going!

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  3. @girlseeksplace
    There must be. But this is all I have right now. The prompt just made it happen.

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  4. @angela @ tiaras-and-trucks
    She seems to be of a long lived type. The epitaph prompt just begged for this from me and my weirdo muse. ;-)

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  5. Intriguing... love the surprising end. Wish I could read more

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  6. I love where you take these prompts.

    And her poor friends... left behind and not knowing.

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  7. This. Is. Awesome.

    I love where you took this, and I love the possibilities it opens.

    And isn't it nice to see that our friends remember us?

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  8. nice and simple. not to complex.

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  9. Is it okay if I say I love your muse? She must be kin to mine. I love the possibilities this piece has. Why did she have to leave? Where is she going now? I do hope you write more.

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  10. Oooh, wonderful twist. I love this; the beginning of a fabulous novel...

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  11. @Wahzat gayle
    Thank you. This may find a place within a story I'm working on.

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  12. @Cameron
    Sometimes I'm surprised where these prompts take me. And sometimes I just tickle myself with my weirdness.

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  13. @Nancy C
    Thank you. I don't know where this stuff comes from sometimes. It's like an adventure.

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  14. @SAM
    Oh, if our muses are kin, then you understand how crazy she can make me. She's so unpredictable!

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  15. @kateshrewsday.com
    Thanks, I'm hoping to incorporate it into an existing work.

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