Image by Christine Renney
The widescreen TV is the only source of light. Across the threshold now I begin to gag a little. The floor is littered with rags and if I go in I’ll have to push through or step onto them.
The boy is behind me and waiting I turn back toward him and he stares up at me perplexed. I gaze across at the TV and the dad in “Little House on the Prairie” is explaining that germs can’t be seen with the human eye.
‘I used to watch this when I was a kid,’ I say.
‘Yeah,’ bored, he pushes past me and kicks through the carpet of mess.
The rags are clothes and there are also old newspapers, fast food wrappers, crushed cans and plastic bottles, most of which still contain a little of their once fizzy drink.
He sits with his mother on the sofa and they wrestle for the remote. Mum in charge the boy leaps up and stands in front of the screen. She points but he moves to block her again and again. Mum, writhing on the sofa, can’t win. The boy is much too quick and, the rubbish at his feet, he shuffles and spins until he notices me. I think he had forgotten me and now he stops.
The channel switches and mum raises her arms in triumph.
Holy god. The squalor! And they don’t notice? Ha ha ha ha ha.. 😛
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I guess we just accept what’s happening around us especially when we are young, what is is normal. Thanks Tony and a very happy birthday to you!
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Aw, thanks, Mark! 😛
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Do you have plans?
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The day’s been and gone. I just did as little as possible actually. It was a quiet day. Lovely! 😀
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Sounds great.
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You’ve got me wondering about the relationship between the characters in this piece, Mark. At first I wondered whether the male lead was even real or in fact a ghost. Very thought-provoking.
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This is part of a trilogy along with Division and Resistance. The narrator is at the very centre of the action but I also wanted to make him as unobtrusive as possible. Hope that makes sense and thank you Chris.
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Absolutely, Mark. That’s sort of what I picked up on – the sense of someone deeply connected and yet acting as an observer.
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Thanks Chris.
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I wouldn’t even like to be a spider in that room…
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Ha! Yes there’s probably a few of those lurking amongst the rubbish.
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It’s a great piece
I can picture this beautifully
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Ah thank you Sheldon.
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Reblogged this on The Brokedown Pamphlet and commented:
Christine and I have a new post on Hyjacked Amygdala.
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Your first sentence is always so good.. I’d hate to imagine, the TV, being the only source of light, ever.
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Thanks Jessie. Yes that is a scary thought.
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Ellen on repeat, ew
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what an engrossing scene, I read it as written for the stage, a black comedy, film noir…
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That’s a real compliment John.
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I forgot to add how much I love that photo by Christine…
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Thank you so much.
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I think the narrator is a social worker.
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You could be right…and thank you Ashley, you were my 200th like on hijacked
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Congratulations!
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Oui, les chinois sont parfois sympathiques et souriants.Ce n’est, par contre, pas du tout (mais alors pas du tout du tout) le cas de leur got&lrnement.Quvrsquo;autendent-ies pour en changer ?
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