Skywalker Storyteller Works

Free Write Friday – Temporary Blindness

Posted on March 28, 2014     14 Comments

It’s been a long time since I’ve responded to Kellie Elmore’s Free Write Friday, but the following prompt brought up vivid images.

You find yourself in the lower level of an old ship. A calendar on the wall says  1682. There is a small window, and the view is nothing but open sea and a setting sun. There is a staircase and you can see daylight at the top…

Temporary Blindness

I felt a sharp sting in my back and opened my eyes. But I could not see. I felt the presence of people around me and the heavy smell of sweat, body waste, and thrown up food suffocated my nose. I could not see but my eyes were open. My breath was thick as mud. Then I felt a cold weight on top of me. It was a body. Slowly I slid from under it. I still could not see.

I lifted my hands from the sticky floor and pulled myself up to sit. Then I saw a needle of light and turned toward it. I could see. Through a small round window, the blazing red sun set over the wide empty sea. I could see. But what I saw I did not want to see. Men, women, children chained against walls. Some were bleeding, some were crying, some were sleeping or dead. A blanket of sadness and fear wrapped everyone. And then, I turned and looked up and saw the last light of the day hovering above a staircase.

Then I remembered every thing. I closed my eyes but could not stop the tears.