Welcome to #WEPFF - Write...Edit...Publish October Challenge - Deja Vu or Voodoo
Welcome writers! Are you ready for a spooky challenge?
OCTOBER is the month for screams and chills, ghosts and ghoulies, mystery and fear, and this month’s prompt is DÉJÀ VU OR VOODOO!.
Here is my entry –
THE WOODS
The wind blows through the trees as her bare feet graze the
cushioned carpet of bluebells, her hair whips around her face, sticking to her
lips with their protective covering of lip salve on them. The breeze lessens slightly as she walks in
to the lee of the *copse. The air hangs
and hovers, a feeling of peace envelopes her, stilling her mind, calming her
heart. She becomes one with the earth,
grounding herself in to the soil. The
smell of the bark on the trees, the iron musky odour of moist undergrowth
assails her nostrils. She breathes even deeper, ingesting the power of the
ancient world.
She touches the gnarled bark of the closest tree with her
finger tips, lightly running them over the contours. She loves the tactile feel of the living plant,
her palm caresses the roughness of the wood, sunlight filters through the upper
branches and bathes the ground in dappled splashes of yellow.
Her heart starts to beat faster as a battle of men against
beasts begins. Spears are flung. They
find their mark grievously wounding a wild animal. A horde of men dismember the flesh, tasting
the warm inner organs, a delicacy, thanking the gods for the bounty they have
had the fortune to receive. The hunters
prepare to remove the carcass ready to transport it to their womenfolk. The meat, once prepared, will feed their
tribe for many days.
She places her other hand round the side of the tree,
pressing her body against the girth of the tree, too wide in diameter for her
fingers to meet. Through her thin
garments she becomes aware of another scene. This time she witnesses the birth of a young
child and her heart is filled with joy and love. She feels the pride of the father, the love of
the mother and the relief from the helpers in the tent. It is a
precious boy, a long awaited male who will take his rightful place, in due
course, as the leader of the clan. A few
minutes later the bonny, baby boy emerges through the leather flaps and is held
aloft by his father. The baby opens his
eyes as the sunrise peaks over the hilltop.
The encampment let out a great cheer, he is their hope for the future.
She presses her cheek against the bark, it scratches her,
marking her skin. She pulls back,
recoiling at the sudden shock of the pain.
Where did the peace go?
Stepping back she looks around her. There.
Movement at the edge of the wood.
The shrill notes of a mobile phone disturbs the air, discordant,
dissonance sounds, a baritone voice answers the insistent instrument.
‘I’ve found her. Yes, I’ll bring her back to the car, don’t
worry, she’ll be fine.’
Michael steps in to the line of her vision, he holds out his
hand, encouraging her with a smile to come forward in to his embrace.
Jane shakes her head. ‘I’m not ready,’ she whispers, ‘I need more time.’
Michael pulls her gently away from the tree, lifting her up, supporting
her as he strokes her arms, strokes her hair. He pushes strands of her hair
behind her ears, kisses her forehead. ‘I’ll stay with you. You know I love you so much my darling. I’ll always love you but you know we need to
get back. The doctor is waiting for
you.’
Jane nods in acknowledgement.
They think she needs help. They
think she is going mad, maybe she is but she knows what she feels is true. She does see things. She does feel things. Michael thinks all he has to do is to love
her more each day and she will get better.
She knows his love will help her to find peace, she knows she
will love him until the end of her days.
Another vision fills her mind. It is too abstract to make any sense of. She starts to tell Michael she needs to go
back to the tree. His hold is firm on
her arm as he leads her to the car park.
He seats her gently and straps her in.
The seat belt is strangling her, she desperately pulls the webbed strap
becoming more and more agitated.
She wants to go back.
She wants to feel calm. She want
to feel peaceful. She wants to feel love
surrounding her.
The doctor greets them both at the entrance to the home. He welcomes Jane with his kindly
demeanour. He knows how hard this is for
her and for Michael. A nurse settles her
in her room as Jane curls in to the foetal position on her bed. Michael’s tears flow while he watches his
wife succumb to the drugs the medical profession deem necessary to bring her
back to an ordinary life.
Unknown
voices always in my ear
Is
that what I hear?
Visions
in my head
Is
that what I read?
Dreams
that disturb my nights
Such
ugly sights, such pretty sights
Remembering
in the morning
As
the fresh day is dawning
Troubles
to leave behind
Answers
still to find
From
the depths of my mind
As
yet to be divined.
Searching
and seeking my soul
Looking
for the loophole
Caught
inbetween, stuck in limbo
Is
it a friend or foe?
A
feeling of peace envelops me
Calmness
wraps me warmly
As
my angel sits among the flowers
Slowing
down each minute of each hour
Will
this fog ever lift?
Can
I use my gift?
They
don’t believe me
They
treat
me like a baby
They
think
I behave badly
They
can’t
let me be
He
can’t let me free
He
is so loyal and true
He
loves me with all his soul
We’ve
tried parole
I
end up back here
Never
to be free
Every
year
I
still hear
The
voices in my head
They
invade my sleep
As
I weep
Tears
of frustration
Unable
to take action
*copse – A small group of trees,
thicket, grove, wood.
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Word count: 991 - NCCO
