Image © Björn Rudeberg
Sometimes I wake in the night, panic tight around my neck like a cord. I press my palms tight against my ears but I can still hear it, the song you wrote for me. The song you played for her.
I furl and unfurl my fingers. Sometimes they cramp with the memory. How the rosewood felt beneath my skin. The weight of the cello as I swung it high above my head, splintering as it came crashing down upon your skull.
But I still hear the music.
I whimper as I rock backwards and forwards, my fingernails clawing at my scalp.
Please make it stop.
I didn’t think I would be able to join in with Friday Fictioneers today as my copy edits for The Gift are due but they are not here yet and once I saw the photo I couldn’t resist joining in. To read the other entries or join in with this weekly hundred word story challenge, inspired by a photo prompt, hop over to host Rochelle’s blog, here.
fabricating fiction 
Powerful writing
Thank you Neil.
Oh my goodness! This is heart-wrenching! So powerful.
Thank you. There are no winners here today!
A prisoner of her own conscience, you painted a vivid picture.
Thanks. We can never escape ourselves can we?
I don’t think we can.
Beautifully written. I could feel the emotions.
Thanks so much for reading.
Love the panic ‘like a cord’ – perfect choice, Louise. Haunted by terrible deeds – was it worth it? Nicely told. Hope the edits go well 🙂
Edits done thanks Lynn. The end of the journey!
Congrats Louise! Have you cracked open a bottle of something bubbly yet? (Even if it’s only sparkling fruit juic 🙂 ) When will it be published? Middle of next year?
Thanks Lynn. It will actually be published on 16th of December so less than four weeks! I will be celebrating then x
That’s fast! Just in time for Christmas – fantastic. Best of luck with it, Louise.
I know! 😱
🙂
Powerful stuff. Haunted by her own conscience.
I fear it will drive her mad!
Oh oh oh! Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned. How true!
Be afraid!
Crikey, what a dramatic story from such a peaceful picture! Expertly done.
Thanks. I wasn’t feeling the serenity!
I guess that there are more than one emotion here… guilt but I can feel the jealousy still scars her… Poor cello
I felt sad for the instrument too! Great photo.
I love where you took this! Favorite line? panic tight around my neck like a cord P.S. I asked our local library to order your book “The Sister” so many people can read and enjoy it! A copy is on its way. Hooray!
Oh I am jumping up and down excited Alicia. I never even thought I could do that with my own library! Thanks so much.
O my goodness, this is a great piece of descriptive writing.
Thanks for reading Mike.
How could he? Like the others, I loved the descriptions, the images.. And like Iain said, so much drama from such a peaceful picture!
It was a bit dramatic…
A tad…😉
Death by Cello. Now haunted by her conscience… nice one!
The night the music died!
Guilt is a devilish mistress.
It never lets go that’s for sure.
The things that have happened to cellos and acts perpetrated by cellists in this series. Your person hits someone over the head with it and my person wakes up holding a cello in bed thinking it’s his dead wife.
I come from a musical family where my cousin’s a cellist and I play violin so that’s given me an intimacy with the topic and I’ve really been enjoying reading the responses.
Your take was great. Very vivid and graphic. Well done.
xx Rowena
Thanks Rowena. You are lucky coming from a musical family. My sister plays everything brilliantly. I play piano extremely badly.
It’s interesting how the talents get distributed throughout a family. I think God has a real sense of humour sometimes xx Rowena
Dear Louise,
I’m so glad you jumped in and joined the party. What a wonderful piece of writing. So many good things have been said already. I echo them. All the best with the editing. We’re still in process with As One Must, One Can.
Shalom,
Rochelle
A beautifully dark story.
Thanks for reading.
I like the portrayal of the verge of insanity, another dark one today, I see.
Yep. Dark pretty much covers the next few months I think!
Oh this packs a real punch; such great description, love ‘furl and unfurl’ … and the heart-wrenching ‘the song you wrote for me. The song you played for her’
Thanks so much Poppy!
Dang, girl, you really pushed it out. Music does that to people. She must have been pretty angry — you know much those things weigh??? 😀 Great work, Louise!
You know I did hesitate before posting and wondered how much the cello weighs but I figure if you’re really angry you can pretty much lift anything!
True. Actually, it’s bulkier than it is heavy, but it could do some damage. Maybe just hit him over the head and strangle him with the strings. Those cut into throats REAL good. 😉
Haha – you’re worse than me!
No kidding! 😀
Dark and compelling. Wow, nice job, Louise!
Thanks Dawn.
that’s tough. she’d some help before it gets out of hand.
I think it already did!
An outstanding piece of writing with intensity and powerful drama.
What lurks inside the minds of us all? My favorite of all of the writings this week.
Isadora 😎
Thanks so much Isadora. That’s really kind of you to say.
😎
Wonderfully dark tale, Louise. I can visualise the cello being weilded and the splintering wood. I particularly like depiction of the rocking guilt and anguish. I’m sure the killing felt to the narrator like an ending, not realising what would come after…
It’s a shame we don’t always consider the after. Thanks for reading.
Glad you could join in! Loved your story–something beautiful can be twisted into something terrible!
Thanks Emily!
A disturbing tale, I like it.
Hehe – thanks!
I’m glad you could join in, Louise. Powerful story and good writing as always. 🙂 — Suzanne
Thanks Suzanne. I am a bit behind so think I will miss this week.