Time is flying! I can’t believe we’re already halfway through this week. The holiday season is vanishing farther and farther into the past and normal life is continuing once again.
So far, I’ve been sending out job applications and writing. So far, I’m still keeping up with my writing schedule, which is a good thing – especially considering how busy I made my writing schedule!
How have these first days been for you? I hope you’ve had a great week so far and that the year just keeps getting better and better!
I wasn’t going to participate this week, but I changed my mind. Here’s the first (and one of the few) snippet(s) of my side-project Survival that I’ll be sharing in the near future. Please keep in mind that it’s a rough draft and must still undergo editing. Enjoy!
Sandra looked up at me, her breaths escaping as ragged pants. “…Kill me.”
“What?” Surprise bubbled inside my chest and I knelt in front of her. Why, I wondered. Why would she want death when she could just bow out gracefully? I struggled to comprehend her request and looked her in the eye. Fear, raw and powerful, and for something other than me.
“Kill me,” she repeated. “Please… I can’t l-lose.”
Understanding sparked in my mind and I suppressed a frown. An unrelenting boss, I realized. The lesser of two evils. I bit my bottom lip and stared at her. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She pleaded with her eyes. “Kill me.”
Regret clamped my throat and I nodded. “…I’m sorry.”
My knife thudded as I dropped it to the ground and I reached forward, grasping either side of her head. Parts of me that I tried to keep hidden surfaced and begged me to reconsider. “Life is a precious thing,” those parts told me. “You can’t rob her of it!”
I poured all of my strength into my arms and twisted Sandra’s head until I heard her neck snap. Her lifeless body collapsed onto the floor the moment I released her. Around me, the crowd exploded into cheers and shouts. The excitement didn’t reach me, as if an invisible barrier dulled the noise. I found my knife’s hilt, grabbed it, and rose to my feet. My limbs felt numb, immobile. Ice chilled my core.
It was over.
I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think in the comments; I love hearing from you. Have a great 2013! 😀
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January 4, 2013 at 11:42 am
Interesting tension here. I liked the internal conflict that the narrator went through. I’d like to know what circumstances they are in and why death is preferable to losing. Nice snippet.
January 4, 2013 at 12:25 pm
Thank you! I’m glad it made you curious. 🙂
January 4, 2013 at 4:45 pm
Good luck with the job hunting! Ditto Clare, it was quite a powerful scene with some good conflict and descriptions going on. I enjoyed your snippet 🙂
January 4, 2013 at 8:30 pm
Thank you! I really hope I get one soon.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! 😀
January 4, 2013 at 7:47 pm
Great scene! Count vote #3 for intensity! A very tactile read. Looking forward to the rest of this story! 😀
January 4, 2013 at 8:31 pm
Thank you! Well, judging from the comments, I’d reckon intensity isn’t really an issue here. 😉
January 5, 2013 at 1:46 am
I’m glad you reconsidered about posting something this week. It is a powerful snippet!