Writing Prompt

STORY STARTER

Submitted by Celaid Degante

Leaving

Write about a character leaving something, or someone, they love.

Writings

On The Value Of Love

I left… a cold day. Thats what it was. Melancholy would be what I described the world as being. I know not if what I did was right but to me it meant all the better. I left her. Not because of some fault of hers… not even because it wasnt working. I left out of fear of my own being. It isnt that I myself was a bad man. Or that I feared her actions. It was that I myself, in myself, feared my own thoughts. I had never known the value of love… that very thing that holds our being. That gives life meaning. Without it we are but birds unable to fly. Man without purpose. Yet I became so used to the drastic reality of this world. A place so vile and corrupted that it can only be described as absurd. I delved into the mind. I developed in myself an ability to live and provide meaning off of scorn and disdain. I longed to live. Then I found her. Like a sunflower in a field of thorns. She brightened every moment… she made me whole. You might ask then “why would you leave?” And its simple. I never truly was able to value life. I lived more so off of a desire to spite the creator. As such I never was able to be the best man for her. With her bright attitude and happiness that seemed to spark at every opportune moment. She was everything I wasnt…. As such I left. So what truly is then the value of love. Well it is a way of life. Of elecating oneself to the true power of man. One must love even ever so slightly to make the choices that need made. To love does not always mean romantically. I loved her enough to realize when I had to go… for her sake. I realized it may hurt her but she knew the same as I we would never work. Starcrossed lovers as one might say. We no matter how much we wished to be together would never work… so I leave her now. I find my own burden again. I push against my fate of doom. It gives me faith to have been able to love and to know that all my acts therefore are now out of love. Hate no longer. I still value my scorn but why must I thus be unhappy. I must mix them to make better. She taught me that value. Love means everything. It is the buoy and float to pull you when you drown. The parachute to slow your descent. It is the irrationality of the world made good. So now I leave you now dear reader… I hope this suffices so far. Much could be elaborated. But this lesson must be kept short. I hope my story teaches in you a lesson. Thank you. And goodbye… I say to you as I once did her… goodbye.

The Beginning of the End

I paced back and forth in what was once my marital bedroom, a cognac in hand, and nerves shaking me to my core.

   I should have never went to that shopping center, I should have never been in that men’s section. I should have never met _him_. 

   I met Damien while searching for new shirts for my husband, Justin. Damien was like a fresh of breath air, he made me laugh, he was so handsome, and the way he said my name made my brain light up. I fell for him instantly, so instantly it was almost dangerous. 

  Justin had become a boring play thing, at first he was demanding, forcing, playful. Until I caught him with another woman at a restaurant one evening. She was beautiful, a model if I’d ever seen one. Dressed to the nines and definitely not a client. As soon as I spotted him, he saw me too, giving me a stupid, deer in the headlight look. The conundrum barely registering in his inebriated head. 

  I just walked out, ignoring the entire world around me. I didn’t care, truly, he was just another person to me. Easy to ignore, no pain or hurt, not even confusion. He came home later that night, but of course I wasn’t there. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of an apology or begging me to stay. When I did finally return, i pretended nothing had happened. It was all I could do to keep from wrecking our lives. The peace we’d created together. It was all finally a charade we could drop. 
   
    He began catering to my whims as I wanted, giving me anything I desired, but it was never enough. He let himself go in the thirteen years we’d been married, after our parents forced us to be wed at 18. All because of a stupid kiss. 

  _“Kisses lead to children, Amelia. You should have known better before you shacked up with that no good boy.”_

   I hated him. I had always hated him. The kiss was just a stupid dare from some dumb friend 14 years ago, I still resented her to this day, she knew forced marriage was common for so many, she was my best friend, or I thought she was. She ran away to another country some five years ago, after stealing almost one hundred thousand dollars from her husband’s company. I tipped off the country in question about her visa and she was deported back here to face the consequences, now she’s sitting in some jail right now. Sometimes I envied her. At least she was away from her ex husband. 

  Damien was just everything I wanted in a man, career driven, Handsomer than what should be deemed legal, not wanting a marriage.

  He was just the right type to sway me. He knew exactly what I needed to hear. 

  I never meant for it to happen, when he found out I was married, I didn’t think it could get any worse. He wanted me to tell my husband, or he would. I decided to let him. Decided that I didn’t care if Justin found out, there was no physical evidence. I was good at keeping secrets, deleting anything incriminating on his end was a brilliant idea, the bastard only had his word. 

   But his decision stirred something in me, along with Jailbird. I didn’t want this. I didn’t want the blow up. I didn’t care. I truly didn’t care for him anymore. 
 
    He didn’t make me smile, seeing him after work just made me dread the day. I even wished his car would pop a tire or his brakes would malfunction, anything to make him go away. Anything. 

But it was me who would have to go away. I stored enough funds over the years to set myself up somewhere outside of the country. Somewhere quiet, I was tired of this small, judgmental community that couldn’t mind its own business. 

   The letter was the hardest part. What did I want to part with? _“I hate you and you’re a loser_?” No, that wouldn’t do me good. I figured I just write out my truth. I had already packed my bags into my car. Passport, important documents, anything I needed to ensure I could leave properly. I was so ready to end this. My ticket was waiting in the car, London. Call me cliche, but it had always been a dream, I’d even found a job and an apartment for rent. My life was ready to move forward, I just had one last thing. 

 I picked up the pen. Hand no longer shaking, anxiety no longer in the background of my mind. 

 _“Dear Justin, _

__ _ This shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. I’m leaving you. I just can’t do the whole facade anymore, in a way, I’m glad you had your affair, she truly looks beautiful and seems kind. I hope you find happiness one day. I have already found mine. _ __ _ I’m not writing this because I feel bad, I’m writing this to explain you should have divorced me as soon as both our parents died, as soon as we got as far away from them as we could, why would you make me a victim in your faults? I need you to know, I never loved you. I can’t even apologize as I feel no reason to. I don’t feel guilt for leaving, I feel worse for staying in a loveless, childless relationship. You couldn’t even give me the one thing I wanted, all because you didn’t want to deal with a pregnant wife. Well that won’t be an issue anymore. Goodbye, Justin. I truly wish you well. I hope you find peace one day and understand why I needed to disappear. I already told the police I was voluntarily leaving, so don’t bother with calling them. All my friends know what you did, and they are supportive of this, even knowing they will never see or hear from me again. That’s the only thing I regret, letting you take everything from me. I have hated you for so long, resented you so deeply I almost begun to hate myself. Thank you for the wake up call_ __ - Amelia __ _P.s. _ __ _Found your viagra, i accidentally flushed it down the toilet. Take care.” _ __ _ _There. Done. Justin wouldn’t be home till late, or probably not at all. My phone number was already disconnected and my existing forms of social media were deleted. Meeting Damien was the best thing ever. I wanted to write him a letter too, but I didn’t even care for him much either.

 I took one last look around the room. It was almost like two complete strangers lived in here. I thought marriage would be beautiful, but it’s just a lie like everything else. I made my peace, I hope he makes his. 

 I headed for the airport, stopping along the way at a hotel, and taking a taxi from there, I needed to cover my tracks as best as I could. I was so excited to be away from this place. 

 The airport was bustling with people. Then I saw her. The same woman my husband was with, none other than with my husband on her arm. Luckily they didn’t spot me this time. I knew he said he had a business trip coming up, but I didn’t bother to pay attention to the details, and from the looks of it, he was only flying within the country, no customs clearance in sight. 

 I sighed with relief as I made it through the terminal. I headed to a bar for a glass of water and some food, it would be a long flight, I wanted to be rested. 

 Boarding came and went, and finally, I was staring over the night sky, by the time my husband returned, I’d be far, far away.

The forgotten lover

Where do I go when I leave someone I love with all my heart and soul. Will they find someone else who loves them? It can never be the same love I have for him and I know it but does he?

I will relive our shared moments in dreams until they fade." I will forever remember the time we had shared even though there wasn't many. I will always forgive and remember you. I've done way to far damage on the ones I love and furthermore there will be no more. I continue to write my deeping words onto this paper In front of me and out all of my heartfelt moments so they can see what I felt.

As I finish up the last word on the piece of paper I set down my pen and paper and do what has to be done..

I walk to my medicine cabinet and take out what i think fits this moment of my life I walk to my bedside table and grab some water and look at the pills in my hand. I raise the hand with the pills and pore them into my mouth and take a bit sip of water and I savor the feeling going down my throat.

I take the pills to make me feel nothing left and lay in my bed and wait for my savior to take me to a peaceful land where there is no more pain to be had and no more souls to be hurt.

I start to close my eyes and drift off I start to feel the sweetness of the pressure lifting off my body and I start to feel no pain. I'm putting away all the hurt I have left on the people dearest to me and I punish myself. I can't live this way, I thought to myself as I felt more and more at ease. Will he remember me or will he move on I wonder as I continue to feel more and more feelings I have never felt before These feelings are what I have been longing for a long time now.

When he finds me in my bed peacefully laying there without a sound in sight. He sees a note and reads it with eyes filled with tears. He looks up at her while reading the last sentence of that note that says

"I will forever love you my dear but it was my time to go."

Love your forgotten lover~

Waiting

“It’ll be better...” I hear my whispers. They feel strangled. I feel strangled. I feel as though someone has wrapped their arms around my neck and hugged it too tightly. I feel as though I am underwater and there are rocks tied to my feet. I can thrash, I can scream, I can try anything and everything, but in the end, I will never survive. I will never live—what’s weighing me down is simply too heavy. Even though she’s my lifeboat, I’m jumping off. In search of Atlantis, perhaps.

Emily opens her eyes, her forehead still against mine. The blue in them is unmistakable, as though shards of the sky have descended from above into her irises. But behind that piercing gaze is fear. As I search her face, I see the dampness of her dark eyelashes; the darkness of her eye bags; and the wet stains across her cheeks. I hate lying to her, but I must to keep her safe.

“You don’t have to go,” she breathes. “You could stay here; wait for the storm to pass and go home.” “No,” I reply, stroking my fingers across her hair. “It would be impossible. For me.” “Will you ever tell me where you’re going?” she says, her voice beginning to break. She’s begging, I realise. “Will you ever come back?” I open my mouth to reply, but my breath catches in my throat. I can’t breathe---I’m drowning, and the surface seems to be taunting me. It is right there above me, but I can not even touch it. “I don’t know. I love you, Em. Please--please don’t ever forget me.” Her eyes sparkle, like sapphires. She grabs my arm. “Jonathan,” she says. Her voice is soft, whispering my name as though it were a secret. Something else escapes her mouth. No, not just something, a word; not a singular word, but six. Six that achieve the impossible. Six that make me rethink leaving and everything that has led up to this moment. Six that make me question the reality of life. “Our child will wait for you.”