Saving Grace

Saving Grace is a short story about a girl called Grace, who falls to the wrong sides of the track and makes a mistake in which she cannot be forgiven.

Have you ever been in such a bad place that you don’t think that there is any point in living anymore? A place so bad and so scary that you do things that you couldn’t imagine. Well I’ve been there. I was in such a bad place that nothing could ever make me feel right, I wasn’t happy. What I did in that year was unspeakable, stupid, and heartless, the monster in me didn’t care. I still remember everything I did, from the name calling to the kicking, hitting and the stealing of her things. It wasn’t her fault, but she didn’t know that, she was a victim of my pain and suffering. I made her go through hell, to the point where she gave up, and now I am left here, trying so hard to pick up the pieces left behind by my heartless actions.

I am Grace and I am 14 years old. I have just killed someone. Someone who was innocent, someone who didn’t deserve to die. Everything is my fault. I bullied her to death. I can remember trying to hunt her down and find her in the school yard just to tell her she was fat, or that she should die. I knew that it was wrong, I couldn’t stop myself. I remember the look of terror in her eyes every lunch time. Fear, fear of me, of what I was doing. That was the look I liked to see in her, the look I wanted her to have every lunch time. I wanted her to feel my pain. I guess she did.

I still remember turning on the radio and hearing the news. School was closed that day. Nobody knew how to act or what to say to each other. I sat there in silence. I feared that they would come for me, they would tell me this mess was all my fault, and they would put me away. After all this was all my fault, I killed her. I was so caught up in my own pain that I couldn’t see how far I was going, how bad I was making her feel. I was stupid. She needed saving, but nobody could see it. She put on a brave face to the world, something I should have done. Now I’m left here trying to figure out all the unanswered questions and put my life back together piece by piece.

I am Grace and I am 14 years old. I am a murderer, a bully, and a monster. I cannot be forgiven for what I did, and I do not want your forgiveness. All I want is to go back in time and be there for her, to stop her from doing what she did. I know that can never happen and that I will always be Grace, the girl who killed someone.

Author's Note

Open to any and all reviews

Reviews

[Shannon]

Hi SSG,

There is power and possiblity here. Your character is compelling.

Confessionals like this lose some of their power in a written format.

If you wanted to turn it into a more traditional story, you need to show us some of the action, rather than tell us. It engages the reader differently.

Let me know if you would like some more help or information.

This piece practically screams guilt and remorse.

[sweetspicedgherkins]

Thanks for the review Shannon,
This is a piece I wrote a few years back for a school assessment and I have been working on it ever since. If you wouldn't mind giving me some specific pointers that would be a great help.

:) Laura