I am laid up in bed as I write this. In absolute agony. I have a weak neck and back when anything goes wrong the stress goes straight to it. So I am ceased up and confined to bed for the evening. As a result, this week, your challenge is to write about being trapped.
Maybe it’s a metaphorical prison, or a real life one. Perhaps a mental prison of your own doing. Whatever the cause, your challenge is to write about being trapped.
Here’s mine:
Rapid breaths lifted the silk cloth off my face. Up and down. Up and Down. Up and Down. I was freezing, it was cold like the back of a refrigerator. Tingles stuck to my spine and spread into my limbs like poisoned tentacles. I wriggled but straps around my hands and feet tightened. Where the fuck was I?
Muffled voices filtered into my jail.
“Jenna Roberts died at 8:51am from a pulmonary embolism. I am so sorry for your loss. Would you like to see the body?”
Jenna Roberts? I’m Jenna Roberts.
I screamed, convulsed and pounded the cold hard surface I was lying on.
Silence.
“Ok. I understand this is a difficult time. She will be cremated this morning.”
I screamed again. Louder. My heart thudded like a hammer banging desperately against my ribs. I had to get out. I wasn’t dead. They’d made a mistake.
The click of a switch echoed around the metal container. My cold bed moved, and the heat from a thousand furnaces filled my prison.
***
Now to last week
Judy from Edwina Episodes has written this
The reflection in the mirror
Told her that she looked just great
The look she had put together
Was just perfect for a date.
The hair so sleek and stylish
The skirt above the knee
The sassy high-heeled sling backs
And the skimpy little tee
She had waited for this moment
For far too many years
Hiding her true feelings
Giving in to all her fears.
Finally she took the plunge
To make her dreams come true
She felt as though she was reborn
And her life could start anew
She sprayed a little perfume
As she walked outside the door
This time as a woman
Not the man she had been before.
***
Allie writes an awesome entry that reminds me of my own life!
In the wee hours of the morning, I carefully tiptoed to our bedroom door. My wife shifted as I opened the door, exposing a bare shoulder. In that moment, she was once again my beautiful princess.
“Moommm!” howled the toddler down the hall.
My shoulder’s slumped as I turned from our bed and walked down the hall. His majesty beckoned.
***
Hope you’re soon up and about again x
Thanks Linda ?
Hope you feel better soon x
Thanks Sarah, painkillers are helping! hope you’re well
i am thanks x
That was a true horror story.
I hope you’re better and back up on your feet soon Sacha.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
haha, I know right, can you imagine? hideous. Thank you for the well wishes David. hugs x
That was a horror story indeed. Fantastic achieved! I read Judy’s story on her blog. Very, very cool! I also hope you are better soon, Sacha!
Thanks Erika! haha, I never write horror, I don’t know where it came from! Judy’s poem is properly awesome I was so impressed.
Sometimes we simply feel horrible…. haha!!! Yes, Judy’s post was really awesome and very sensitive!
Thanks for being trapped with something to type on! Keep up the horror, the fun, the movement. I live in Japan and there are a lot of folk lorish stories here that can turn ones head. Thanks for giving us all a challenge. Oh, and I am trapped; got married, had a kid, and am self employed. Life, Fun, Write!
Ha, no problems. Wow, I would do anything to visit Japan, its on my bucket list, you are very lucky to live there. You sound like you’re not enjoying your entrapment, I hope you can get out. Feel free to participate if you like 😀
Oh I hope you are soon better Sacha. It must be pretty rotten for you at the moment, That story was hideously scary, totally encapsulating being trapped.
13th May 2015. 10 year Mystery Solved. When developer John Fortune bought the derelict Chappel farm he didn’t expect to solve the mystery of Jamie Cross, missing since he was seven, last seen playing with his siblings one Saturday afternoon. People thought he’d been kidnapped by a stranger and taken out of State. The horror of that thought was awful but the truth worse for Jamie, playing hide and seek had shut himself in an old fridge but no one thought to look inside. His brother said they must have walked past the fridge a dozen times when hunting for him, not realising how close they were. The scratches on the inside of the door testified to his efforts to both get free and make himself heard.
Hope the back’s better soon, Sacha
Ooooh, what a terrible fate. That sort of things terrifies me, not being keen on enclosed spaces.
Jesus Geoff. That’s fucking horrifying…. horror week was a few weeks ago you know!! now I have hideous blood stained nail mark images in my head – right before bed too! Jolly good. Fucking wicked piece of flash though! AS ALWAYS! <3
Thanks Sacha. I sometimes would prefer it if I slept in a different room to myself… Last night there was this strange irregular knocking from inside the chimney that goes up through our bedroom . Two am and we couldn’t work out what it was. Then it stopped and that was worse. Still you’ll see for yourself I the summer pahahahaha….
Here is my take on ‘trapped.’
Depression:
You wake up but still feel so tired
As if you’ve had no sleep at all.
Your thoughts are muddled and fuzzy
You just want to curl up in a ball.
Your head it feels so constricted
Like someone is squashing your brain
Your body has lost all momentum
And your soul is crying in pain
Yet, there’s no logical reason
Why you want to just be on your own
To lock yourself up with your sorrow
And be in that zombie- like zone
You are unable to communicate
Though God knows, you have tried
Your inmost thoughts want to break free
But your mind keeps them locked up inside.
Such an emotive piece, and sadly I can empathise with the content theme. Beautiful Judy.
Thanks Sacha 🙂
Trapped? Do I know that feeling? Um… I’ll think about it. 😉 Feel better. (That’s sort of an order.) I’ll attempt the trapped prompt… There’s so much to choose from.
I thought I was stuck.
That I’d wandered into a place I couldn’t get out of. How could I have enough self-loathing to cling to the rotting branches here when a world full of light surrounded me out there?
I cursed myself for my stupidity.
I knew I was trapped.
That I’d planned this long ago knowing I would allow myself to fall. How could I have the foresight to create this cycle, but not to avoid it?
I cursed myself for my predictability.
Awesome story… predictive I wonder, of a recent post… light… rotting branches… falling…. something tells me your subconscious knew you were going to write that post this morning, even if your conscious mind didn’t – see, told you, you already know your decisions, your just waiting for your brain to catch up….
A fab story – especially considering you feel so rough. The theme ‘trapped’ is a really good one. It’s got me thinking. You take care and get well soon xx
You’re too nice this week! Thank you. Glad it got you thinking <3
Hope you’re now feeling better.
Reblogged this on A Storybook (by Denise Claas) and commented:
I liked this idea a lot. But it’s not mine, so credits go to Sacha Black. Hope she will be feeling better soon, but love the idea she got from being trapped by her pain. (I mean it in the most loving way possible).
Thanks for the share Denise, that is lovely 🙂 and hehe thanks hopefully I am on the mend now 😀
Thanks so much for the lovely reblog, really do appreciate it <3
.Keep writing good stuff ad we will keep reading it 🙂
You have my sympathies. Keep still and lay off the pain killers if you can. They bugger up your insides. Your story is a real nightmare!
God don’t I know it. Feeling much better now thank you – not fully fixed but on the way 😀 Haha, I know can you actually imagine, worst death ever!
It’s a toss up—cremation or burial alive.
Poor Sacha! Sending you get well vibes! Good writing!
Thanks Lucy, that means a lot coming from you 🙂
So sorry you’re feeling rough, Sacha – your body is telling you to take a break, by the sound of it (easier said than done, I know). Hope you are beginning to feel better – can’t believe you are still writing, and so well at that xx
Ok, firstly – thank you and massive blush! It means a lot that you thought it was good, especially when YOU write so unbelievable amazingly. and secondly thank you – I am on the mend, not fixed but I think I need osteopathy or physio or something to fix it in the long run.
Oh, you are very sweet 🙂 I really did think it was good – tightly written with nothing ‘extra’. You’re a pretty good writer yourself, you know 🙂 Oh, and did you see that post I tagged you on FB about artifacts inside lumps of coal? Thought it might be right up your alley. Glad to hear you are on the mend but I agree, you need to address the cause rather than manage the symptoms, so a physio or osteo would be a good place to start 🙂
No I didn’t see it… How weird?? I will go through my notifications again though as I probably just missed it. I’ve missed a few recently.
No worries – it was something a friend posted that made me think of your weekly wander – about human artifacts being found inside lumps of coal that are several million years old – they have a name, OPA, I think it is, for Out of Place Artifacts and there have been lots found. Very interesting…
Ok now it does ring a bell actually. I had a look in my notifications but it only goes so far but I will have a google and pop it on my WW list of blogs to write. I haven’t been to Apsley in forever, but will let you know when I do go again 😀
Oh, please do – it would be lovely to catch up 🙂 Hope you’re feeling a little more back to normal now xx
It would – I will let you know that’s a promise 🙂 Yes almost back to normal now with the neck FINALLY! hope you are all ready for xmas. <3
Feel better Sach! I feel you. I’m walking around with what you’ve got, but I’ve got no choice to keep going like a machine. Sleep? What’s that? Lol, take it easy my friend. xo
Thanks Debbie, I rarely sleep! haha, but I shall try. What’s keeping you busy at the moment?
I’d tell you, but I don’t want to write a short book on your page, LOL. In summation, these past 5 days have been a ‘blog nightmare’ which I’ll be posting about Tuesday. And holiday visits, preparations, life’s curve balls, and trying to sew everything up and begin packing for my 2 month getaway in 2 and a half weeks. That’s the short version. xo
Ah yes I recall your escape to the sun?? In a recent post – does that mean u won’t be posting for 2 months or is that your blog scheduling nightmare? Either way 2 month break is VERY cool. I am in desperate need of a sabbatical from life! Ha! I’ll keep dreaming. Hoping u get it all sorted xx
Oh no worries. I’ll be blogging and showing lots of beautiful photos. My visits to other blogs may be a little more spaced out, but I won’t be abandoning my friends here. I just need to breathe too and take a break out of the fast pace of doing everything. I want to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and travel around the state of Arizona. 🙂
Well I hope life got better at any rate. I find everything happens in threes. One thing can never go wrong THREE explode in your face all at once.
Glad you will still get some writing time. I hope you have a fabulous break 😀 Happy Xmas too.
Thanks Sach. I’m a firm believer in that ‘3’ thingee. Three is enough, lol. Happy Christmas to you my friend! I’m not leaving yet, and when I do, you’ll barely notice that I’ve switched over from the dregs of winter here to the beautiful desert, other than some beautiful scenic photos which I’ll be plastering all over the place, lol. <3
Here is mine, Sacha.
Cage Rage
by sloanranger
Were I a fish in a bowl
I think I’d be blue not gold.
I’d bubble and shout,
“Please let me out,”
and curse the day I was sold.
Were I a monkey in a zoo,
I’d be very angry at you.
I’d worry and pace,
throw waste at your face –
Oh wait, that’s just what they do.
Were I a bird in a cage,
I’d be very, very enraged;
I’d squawk and I’d cry.
“Please let me fly,”
my sorrow could not be gauged
If I was a whale in a pool,
made to act like a fool,
swim round and round –
sometimes I’d drown
a ‘handler’ or two, wouldn’t you?
And it always comes back to man,
we’re jailing now, all that we can.
We’re so ‘tough on crime,’
I can’t say that I’m,
surprised, it’s got out of hand.
For it’s ‘as above, so below’
and vice-versa, you know.
It always comes back,
kindness or lack –
be careful of what you sow.
Don’t think I have written about trapped but some of my blogs are about overcoming.. I hope you find them useful ?
Awesome ??