The Zebra

First time experimenting with diary writing.

27th January 1978

The Zebra. Any of several horselike African mammals of the genus Equus, each species having a characteristic pattern of black or dark-brown stripes on a whitish background.

 

30th January 1978

I finally saw it today. Not on television; not in the pictures; but right in front of me. Mother brought me to the zoo, and she showed me the only thing I could ever see with my eyes. She was so beautiful. Black and white. Like everything else in my eyes. She was real. And she was there. I saw her in front of me, and her peaceful black eyes were like pearls that bored into my heart.

 

4th Febuary 1978

I got hit again. Again! Again! Again! But it doesn’t hurt. It stopped hurting since I started hurting myself. Nothing hurts anymore. It wasn’t real. His foot broke my spine, but I couldn’t feel pain, because all that was in my head was the image of what I had seen that day - The Zebra.

 

21st Febuary 1978

Today mother slept early. When I got home, she was lying on the bed. Father was standing by her side, with an ashtray in his hand. There was black ink on her head, flowing out; there was black ink on the ashtray. I stared. The ink flowed like stripes down mother’s head. It was like The Zebra’s. Something didn’t make sense, but Father told me mother was sleeping, and that I shouldn’t wake her. So I didn’t. Now I am going to sleep as well.

 

23rd Febuary 1978 - 14:00

Mother slept the whole day yesterday and is still sleeping. The house smells funny. I wonder when will she wake up and bring me to the zoo again. Maybe she is with The Zebra, because now she has that pattern on her head. Father is out.

 

24th Febuary 1978 - 01:00

Father woke me up. I am writing now because I got hit again, and I was told by Mrs. Fin at Social Services to write it down whenever it happens. Father is coming to my room again. I am not sure why, but I have the same black ink that mother has. It is running down my face in stripes, as I saw myself in the mirror just now. Maybe now I will go to be with The Zebra, together with mother.

 

30th Febuary 1978

This is Mrs. Fin from Social Services. And this will be the last post in Sarah’s notebook. Today I went to visit Sarah for her counselling, and to collect this notebook. I found her and her mother in the house dead. Her father is gone; the police will go after him. The last thing I saw as Sarah was carried away was a small picture of a zebra in her pocket. She was colourblind; and it was then that I realized that because of that, the only thing that was real to her out of all this pain was the zebra.

Author's Note

Comments comments please! :)

Reviews

[Shellie]

Powerful it is. Tragic story but it really is really good. The diary entries are excellent. The only thing i got lost on thought on was the diary entry from the social services ; would someone actually write in someone elses diary but i can see why it needed to be done and to be fair it really did make an excellent impact for the ending. Id got that Sarah was colourblind but i still absolutely loved the last line and you portrayed her love for the zebra very well.

[Kawaiikitty96]

It is heartbreaking, but well written. As I grew up with an abusive father, I know what it's like to latch onto and relate to things such as zebras: they're like an escape from cruel reality.

[there is no more from m..]

Nice Story :)

[Ross Saunders]

Wow, that was a very powerful story. Amazing details and characterization, it worked beautifully. Form worked well and it read smoothly.

[Hollywood]

It provoked emotion in me. I really enjoyed reading it & I hope it isn't true because that would be tragic.
Your writing skill is very good.