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RLG4 - Waiting in Shadows

by Watson 

Posted: 07 April 2004
Word Count: 433


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Waiting in Shadows



Outside, the bone of the moon glows, but within, we lie, destroyed in the dark.
It was a line from one of Andre’s poems called Madness. Written so long ago, I’d almost forgotten it and yet now I realised he’d written it for us. He could always see ahead of himself, knew the havoc our love might bring.
I threw the poems into the fire. Watched for a long while as the flames devoured the words of his soul until only charred remnants remained in the grate. I didn’t need them anymore. Knew them all by heart. Knew his voice still lived on inside of me.
I heard the dull ticking of the mantle clock. But time meant nothing. It came and went. Day merged into day and night merged into night. It all meant nothing.
I threw more papers onto the fire, then shuddering, I sank back into the armchair, waiting for the warmth to still my shaking limbs, to ease the trepidation. Waiting for the candle-lit room to draw me inside and hold me safe like warm cupped hands.
Slowly my eyes moved. I took in the familiar oak beamed ceiling, the whitewashed walls, the faded watercolour paintings in their simple frames, the photographs upon the mantle, the dusty sideboard. I smelled anew the decay and neglect and once more my heart ran a little faster.
Never let me go.
He had promised.
Close by a door opened. My ears picked up the quiet but definite sound of footfall in the hallway. My heart juddered as I felt the sudden drop in temperature. And although I knew I should be ready when the cool breeze brushed my skin, I was not, a part of me still afraid. And I began to shiver, my whole body rippling with a mixture of fear and expectation.
I heard the sigh leave my lips. ‘Andre?’
Finally he had come for me. I sensed, rather than saw his eyes upon me. Knew they would be filled with warm tears.
I felt him enter the room, come forward and kiss me on the forehead; his lips soft and warm. I held his face in my hands. His fingers touched mine. For a long while we didn’t move. Then the pain began to grow, slowly in my chest.
‘I’m ready,’ I told him. I had had my fill of loneliness, waiting in shadows.
He pulled me gently to my feet, my legs no longer feeling old and unsteady. I felt the heaviness of life ebbing away, a moment of calm. Then we were whole again.







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Comments by other Members



Sue H at 21:32 on 07 April 2004  Report this post
This is lovely and very moving.
the flames devoured the words of his soul until only charred remnants remained in the grate
this is beautiful. Lovely imagery.
Sue


<Added>

Read it again. What I really love is the attention to detail. A good piece that made be go back and re-read.


<Added>

Made ME go back again and correct my spelling errors!

swandale at 21:35 on 07 April 2004  Report this post
RLGs popping up all over the place, fantastic! A lovely picture, kind of sad and happy at the same time (if I've understood it correctly, that is!)
Sam

Jumbo at 22:24 on 07 April 2004  Report this post
Susan

A wonderful piece of writing, catching the emotion of your character and the setting of the room - and in so few words.

And a clever use of the 'given' first line.

I loved ...I heard the dull ticking of the mantle clock..., one little piece of detail that adds so much in terms of atmosphere.

Lovely.

John

Watson at 23:00 on 07 April 2004  Report this post
Sue, Sam and John,
Thank you for your comments they are so encouraging. I was on pins doing this as it is not the sort of writing I do anymore and was really nervous incase it didn't work and wasn't any good.
Many thanks.
Susan.

Jumbo at 23:21 on 07 April 2004  Report this post
Susan,

Not the sort of writing you do anymore? Best start again!

(Apologies if that sounds a bit pushy!)

Colin-M at 09:23 on 08 April 2004  Report this post
A very dilicate, emotional ghost story. The thing that struck me most about this is the movement of the story. At the start she is looking down. Nothing exists except the poem and the memory. And then we see the fire. Slowly we are given details of the room around her as she looks up. Then we get this:
I held his face in my hands. His fingers touched mine

which is such a sensative way of giving the image of her reaching out her own hands, before the final image, where she stands. Whe whole image of the unwrapping of the body, shedding her physical life/ birth of the spiritual, reminds me of the exercise we used to do as children where you had to curl up tight on the floor, pretending to be a seed, and slowly, very slowly, unwrap your body until you were finally standing tall with your arms outstretched.

Whether this was intentional or not, I think this is a fine piece.

Colin M.

Dee at 11:41 on 08 April 2004  Report this post
Oh, Susan, this is so poignant. Sad, but in a satisfying way.

Never let me go.
He had promised.


This sent a shiver down my spine… as if someone had walked over my grave… lovely.

You really ought to do more of this style.

Dee.


Watson at 15:53 on 08 April 2004  Report this post
Many thanks Colin and Dee for you comments.
Colin, yes I was trying to create a spiritual feel with the imagery. I'm glad you picked it up. I remember being a seed and slowly uncurling when we did music, movement and mime at school - long time ago now.
Dee, thanks for your encouragement. I'll work on this style and see what happens.
Susan.

Elspeth at 16:53 on 08 April 2004  Report this post
Very atmospheric Susan. Moving without being sentimental. I agree that it's the attention to detail that slowly envelopes the reader and affects them before they've even realised it. A brief tale but with a lot in it to mull over.

Katie

Account Closed at 18:18 on 08 April 2004  Report this post
Susan, I echo all the above comments - very moving

I had had my fill of loneliness, waiting in shadows.
I felt the heaviness of life ebbing away

This sounds so true. I'm glad she's found her Andre again after all this time.
May they rest in peace

Elspeth



Watson at 22:11 on 08 April 2004  Report this post
Elspeth, thanks for your comment, much appreciated. I enjoyed writing it but serious stuff is a lot harder to do than humourous.
Have you thought anymore about whether to send The Suitcase? It sounds like an intriguing title.
Susan.

SamMorris at 12:32 on 10 April 2004  Report this post
Hi Susan,

Very well written with some beautiful lines :


I had had my fill of loneliness, waiting in shadows.


If you wanted to write in this style again then I for one would like to read.

All the best

Sam

Watson at 14:16 on 10 April 2004  Report this post
Many thanks Sam, I am certainly going to do more of this writing now.
Susan.

Epona Love at 16:59 on 14 April 2004  Report this post
Susan, I loved this, short and very sweet... long enough to say it all and feel it all. Beautiful and delicately sensual. Definately a story to haunt the soul.

Emma.

Watson at 19:34 on 14 April 2004  Report this post
Emma, thank you for your lovely comment. I can tell you are a poet, you even write beautiful critique!
All the best,
Susan.

Davy Skyflyer at 12:22 on 16 April 2004  Report this post
Great stuff Susan. I didn’t realise she was dying until the end when Andre came in. A great idea that transcends the spooky unknown with the sensual reunion of two lovers separated by death. I think it is uplifting rather than haunting, but maybe I’ve misread the whole thing!

Regards


Dav



Watson at 12:32 on 16 April 2004  Report this post
Thanks for your feedback Dav, I think the interpretation should always be left to the individual and I don't think you misread it at all.
All the best,
Susan.

halfwayharry at 14:38 on 18 April 2004  Report this post
I really like the way that you describe the room. I imagined being there on a cold winter night for some reason. Very pleasing story. I think the ending is happy rather than sad.

Watson at 19:23 on 18 April 2004  Report this post
Thanks for reading and for your feedback, Peter. I think it suits the atmosphere to be set in winter. Yes, I suppose it is meant to be a happy ending.
Many thanks,
Susan.


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