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An Empty Evening
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An Empty Evening |
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Christopher
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-02
Posts 8296Purgatorial Incarceration 
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An Empty Evening ©2000 Christopher Ward Alex closed his eyes against the harsh light coming from the blinking screen of his computer. Despite that, the light still pushed through the thin membranes, aggravating an already insistent headache. He sighed and rolled on his side, throwing an arm over his head, attempting to further protect from the brightness. He sighed again, deeper and more distraught than the last thousand which had escaped his lips. He supposed to himself that it would take little effort to climb off the bed and turn the monitor off. But he couldn’t find it in him to do it. He knew that as soon as he got up, it would only take away what little possibility of sleep he had at the moment. Then he’d be up all night, trying to pass the hours of boredom in whatever way he could find. Rolling over onto his back, he twisted his head and looked at the clock. 3:12 AM. Sigh. He almost laughed into the semi-darkness of the room. He had to be at work by six - another meeting - and here he was still awake. Even as he shifted again, he knew it was no use. He knew a sleepless night... he had a lot of experience. For a good portion of his life he’d fought insomnia. But no matter what he tried, his mind refused to shut down. Thoughts of.. well, everything, would keep him awake - wondering, worrying, planning and remembering. About the only times he could sleep these days, were when he was of the verge of exhaustion. As he often did when trying to fight wakefulness, Alex thought about the past year of his life. He thought of his job, he thought of his family and the few friends he still had. Inevitably, those thoughts would lead him to wondering how things could turn around so quickly, how one day he was “on top of the world,” and the next he was nothing. He took a deep breath, berating himself for the millionth time. It wasn’t that he was “nothing,” but rather that she wasn’t there anymore. And try as he might, he knew he couldn’t fool himself - it was his fault. Still amazing though, how one move could put him by himself. One mistake, then this. Not that he blamed her... but it still hurt. It hurt every time he saw her, every time he had to look into those eyes which once smiled for him. And now, now they were nothing more than empty emerald pools of indifference. He would almost rather see hatred in her eyes, than that look of emptiness... the look telling him that anything that had once been there, wasn’t anymore. Sure, she still smiled at his weak attempts at joking, still nodded when he told her how well he was doing (all lies), and she still hugged him like he meant something to her. But the truth was in her eyes, in those beautiful eyes which had caused him to fall in love with her. Those eyes which had once looked sad when he’d hurt himself, or proud when he’d accomplished something new. Her eyes were always so expressive. And now they were empty. Empty, like his life. Empty like his dreams for the future. Empty like his hopes. Empty, like the evening. Alex rolled over again, sleep finally settling over him as he began to dream of smiling emerald eyes. |
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| © Copyright 2000 C.G. Ward - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Sudhir Iyer Member Ascendant
since 2000-04-26
Posts 6943Mumbai, India : now in Belgium |
Wonderful writing, my friend... (now if you could reduce the hyperbole in the text... Aw... shut up Sudhir... :  great work... regards, sudhir |
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Christopher
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-02
Posts 8296Purgatorial Incarceration |
Could you point out this hyperbole to me??? Curious is all... (I do know what hyperbole is, I'm just not seeing it, I guess... maybe a lack of sleep  ) |
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Severn Member Rara Avis
since 1999-07-17
Posts 7704 |
Millions Thousands That's what he meant. A sigh written in a space C... (And it's not so p...) |
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Christopher
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-02
Posts 8296Purgatorial Incarceration |
fo K. |
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Severn Member Rara Avis
since 1999-07-17
Posts 7704 |
PITA |
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Sudhir Iyer Member Ascendant
since 2000-04-26
Posts 6943Mumbai, India : now in Belgium |
Hey you two... behave ...  HYPErBOLE... well you could use umpteenth time instead of millionth  but hey, it is great as it is...regards, sudhir P.S. now if both of you can get back to reading what I wrote, I would be actually grateful ha ha  good grief!!![This message has been edited by Sudhir Iyer (edited 09-04-2000).] |
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Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612Hurricane Alley |
This has the power to reach into my soul and drain it of emotion. I am left weak and empty...powerful writing my friend. |
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LoveBug
Moderator
Member Elite
since 2000-01-08
Posts 4697 |
Ah, the ravings of an insomniac. You describe the feelings well, of being lost in the past and being forlorn about an empty future. A wonderful piece, Prose Master. "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." -Oscar Wilde "The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief" -Shakespea |
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Skyfyre Senior Member
since 1999-08-15
Posts 1906Sitting in Michael's Lap |
Not bad for a straightforward purging, my friend. For some reason I feel compelled to offer you a tissue -- that, or a bottle of 1800. Either one works. Hope things look up soon ... --Me< !signature--> YOUR LIFE IS A TEST It is only a test ... If this were your Actual Life, you would have been given better instructions! [This message has been edited by Skyfyre (edited 09-09-2000).] |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Christopher, all I'm going to say is...thank you for inviting me into your dreams... |
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Rosebud1229 Senior Member
since 2000-04-05
Posts 1813North Carolina |
Christopher this is an amazing piece here, so beautiful, I love the comparison of the empty night to her empty eyes. |
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Nicole Senior Member
since 1999-06-23
Posts 1835Florida |
It's almost impossible to truly describe the depth and breadth of that kind of emptiness. You haven't written this in big words and flowery phrases, it's very blunt...to the point, and done in such a way that I could see the her-shaped void. Clearly. (h, bol) N |
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AngelShell Member
since 2000-03-01
Posts 446not heaven nor hell so... |
Oh wow... Shouldn't have read that while listening to this music...*feebily wipes at her eyes* isn't it funny how sometimes it feels good to cry when you're crying about something that means something to you... Thank you for sharing that with us. Thank you so very much. |
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Irish Rose Member Patricius
since 2000-04-06
Posts 10263 |
Christopher, Hi! I enjoyed this and let me tell you I suffered right along with this guy, that's the sign of a good story, when you're "in" it. Kathleen |
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