R.C
creative writing
Prompt: Someone takes a walk9/8/2024 I needed air. The room felt hot despite the steady flow of AC. The weight of everyone else’s happiness was heavy. My skin prickled and the effort of keeping the corners of my mouth upturned became too much.
As arms flung around the shoulders of others and hands clasped, I slid through the back door and into a fenced backyard area. Muffled squeals of excitement traveled through the closed glass door. I concentrated on my breath as I stared at the glow of the pool, watching on overturned beetle squirm as it floated across the water. My boyfriend and mother had both thought it would be a good idea to come here. To get my mind off things. But the lightness of everyone else made the weight of my own despair more noticeable. My best friend was getting married, and I knew I should be happy for her. But these days, displays of happiness felt disingenuous; a costume in the company of others I would quickly shed the moment I left. I looked around for a more discreet place to collect myself, worried the pool lights would give away my position. The idea of someone stepping out to check on me increased my already racing pulse. Joining the trip had been meant to pull me up, not pull anyone else down. I moved to a darker corner and squatted to the ground to pick up a pebble and hold it in my hand. I concentrated on its smooth, cool surface, feeling the stone slowly warm in my hand.
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Leave a Reply.A note about these entries:These writings are fiction. First person narration should not be interpreted as my own thoughts or experiences. Some passages are also in response to a prompt. Where applicable those prompts will be mentioned. |