Stormy Nights
Jun. 9th, 2014 04:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kajelShe sat in one of the wingback chairs in the large bay window. The chair was turned around to face the chaos outside. A storm of epic proportions raged outside the window. The black thunderclouds had rolled in about two hours ago. A fierce wind was blowing through, bending trees nearly parallel to the ground. It whipped up branches and debris, throwing it all over the tidy yard. The rain was coming down so hard it was difficult to see. The boom of thunder rattled the windows. The flash of lightning was the only light she could see by.
The electricity had gone out about an hour ago. Right about the time she had run out of Coke for her drinks. Not that that had stopped her. Lightning split the sky outside, highlighting her sharp features for a brief moment. Her eyes shifted down from the spectacle outside as the light also glinted off the ring on her finger; the finger on her left hand; the hand that desperately gripped the shot glass as she filled it again. She tossed back the fiery liquid. She couldn't even taste it anymore.
'What idiot shoots Crown, in the dark, during a raging storm.' She thought.
It wasn't doing its job. The liquor was supposed to make her forget. She looked sightlessly back out the window. She didn't see the storm howling around her home. She saw the fury of another storm instead.
*************
She could still feel the rocking of the boat under her. The waves had crashed relentlessly into the small vessel she and her husband had rented for their anniversary outing. Mark had always wanted to go deep-sea fishing. She had planned the whole thing and surprised him with the trip for their third anniversary.
It was supposed to be a wonderful celebration of their life together. Mother nature had other plans. The trip had started out well, but Mark decided that he wanted to stay out longer than planned. The captain readily agreed to the extra day. No one took into account the weather. The storm rolled in quickly and suddenly they were dealing with rough seas. Mark had to prove how macho he was by trying to help the crew. He wouldn't listen when she pleaded with him to come down to their cabin and let the experts handle the storm.
A huge waved crashed across the deck and Mark hadn't tied himself off properly. He was swept overboard into the storm. Search and rescue crews looked in vain for over a week for any sign of him. In the end, she had to face the reality of life without her husband, her soul mate. The sea was a harsh mistress and had claimed him for her own. The decision to stay out longer to make her husband happy had, in the end, destroyed her life.
For four years she had been coming to terms with her loss. Four years of anger, grief, and depression. The past six months had been the turning point for her. She had finally taken her eyes off the past and begun to focus on her future. It had been a long, bitter and lonely struggle, but she had made it through to the other side. She was a stronger person for it.
She had her life back. Her future was looking happy again. At least, that was what she had thought until tonight. She had come home to find a manila envelope in her mailbox. There was no return address. No way for her to identify who had sent the envelope, just her name and address and a post mark from Miami, Florida. Curious, she had tossed her purse and keys onto the kitchen table and grabbed a knife to open it. What was inside had changed her life, again.
A cryptic note was paper clipped to a picture that looked like it might be some kind of beach scene.
'This picture was taken last week in Aruba.'
That was it. Nothing else. Frowning, she had removed the paper clip and discovered a single photograph. It was a picture of a happy family on the beach in Aruba. A little boy about two years old was in the man's left arm, while his right was wrapped around a woman who was smiling adoringly at the two of them. The little boy was the spitting image of his daddy. Right down to Mark's piercing blue eyes and beautiful dimples. There was no doubt that this man was Mark. He was in a swimsuit and her shocked mind registered the appendicitis scar on his abdomen and the small birthmark on his shoulder.
***************
Another bolt of lightning briefly illuminated the dark room. Next to the nearly empty bottle of Crown rested the photograph. She stared at it. Pouring herself another shot, she never took her eyes from the photo. She couldn't even begin to discern the turmoil of emotions she was feeling.
As the lightning outside showed her Mark's face again, she muttered. "The alcohol isn't working."
Through the numbness and shock she was overwhelmed with despair. She had never seen Mark looking so happy.
————————
This is my entry for LJ Idol: S9 Week 11. This week’s topic was “Recency Bias”.
The electricity had gone out about an hour ago. Right about the time she had run out of Coke for her drinks. Not that that had stopped her. Lightning split the sky outside, highlighting her sharp features for a brief moment. Her eyes shifted down from the spectacle outside as the light also glinted off the ring on her finger; the finger on her left hand; the hand that desperately gripped the shot glass as she filled it again. She tossed back the fiery liquid. She couldn't even taste it anymore.
'What idiot shoots Crown, in the dark, during a raging storm.' She thought.
It wasn't doing its job. The liquor was supposed to make her forget. She looked sightlessly back out the window. She didn't see the storm howling around her home. She saw the fury of another storm instead.
*************
She could still feel the rocking of the boat under her. The waves had crashed relentlessly into the small vessel she and her husband had rented for their anniversary outing. Mark had always wanted to go deep-sea fishing. She had planned the whole thing and surprised him with the trip for their third anniversary.
It was supposed to be a wonderful celebration of their life together. Mother nature had other plans. The trip had started out well, but Mark decided that he wanted to stay out longer than planned. The captain readily agreed to the extra day. No one took into account the weather. The storm rolled in quickly and suddenly they were dealing with rough seas. Mark had to prove how macho he was by trying to help the crew. He wouldn't listen when she pleaded with him to come down to their cabin and let the experts handle the storm.
A huge waved crashed across the deck and Mark hadn't tied himself off properly. He was swept overboard into the storm. Search and rescue crews looked in vain for over a week for any sign of him. In the end, she had to face the reality of life without her husband, her soul mate. The sea was a harsh mistress and had claimed him for her own. The decision to stay out longer to make her husband happy had, in the end, destroyed her life.
For four years she had been coming to terms with her loss. Four years of anger, grief, and depression. The past six months had been the turning point for her. She had finally taken her eyes off the past and begun to focus on her future. It had been a long, bitter and lonely struggle, but she had made it through to the other side. She was a stronger person for it.
She had her life back. Her future was looking happy again. At least, that was what she had thought until tonight. She had come home to find a manila envelope in her mailbox. There was no return address. No way for her to identify who had sent the envelope, just her name and address and a post mark from Miami, Florida. Curious, she had tossed her purse and keys onto the kitchen table and grabbed a knife to open it. What was inside had changed her life, again.
A cryptic note was paper clipped to a picture that looked like it might be some kind of beach scene.
'This picture was taken last week in Aruba.'
That was it. Nothing else. Frowning, she had removed the paper clip and discovered a single photograph. It was a picture of a happy family on the beach in Aruba. A little boy about two years old was in the man's left arm, while his right was wrapped around a woman who was smiling adoringly at the two of them. The little boy was the spitting image of his daddy. Right down to Mark's piercing blue eyes and beautiful dimples. There was no doubt that this man was Mark. He was in a swimsuit and her shocked mind registered the appendicitis scar on his abdomen and the small birthmark on his shoulder.
***************
Another bolt of lightning briefly illuminated the dark room. Next to the nearly empty bottle of Crown rested the photograph. She stared at it. Pouring herself another shot, she never took her eyes from the photo. She couldn't even begin to discern the turmoil of emotions she was feeling.
As the lightning outside showed her Mark's face again, she muttered. "The alcohol isn't working."
Through the numbness and shock she was overwhelmed with despair. She had never seen Mark looking so happy.
————————
This is my entry for LJ Idol: S9 Week 11. This week’s topic was “Recency Bias”.
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Date: 2014-06-12 05:46 am (UTC)Hope there's more sometime in future...A amazing read. Good Job. Kudos!
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