Wind Blows Softly from the Ocean

A man wakes up in a field not knowing where he is.

“It is a painful thing to look at your own trouble and know that you yourself and no one else has made it.”- Sophocles

I opened my eyes to a vast field, yellow tall grass swaying to the left like a small wave. I stepped through, my legs breaking the even wave of grass. As I put my hand over the tips of the grass I got goosebumps. What was I doing here? I couldn’t quite remember, and this all felt familiar. I trekked on, it felt like the right thing to do, and then I saw a house. It was a brown wooden house, it’s windows open with it’s white curtains peeking out and smoke coming out of a small chimney. It seemed too perfect, and appeared to be waiting there for me. I went up to the window to look inside, leaning my clammy hand on the smooth wood. It had been weathered by the wind and as I looked down from the hill I saw a beach with a rising sun on it’s calm horizon.

As I looked into the house I was showed a different scene. A woman was happily coddling her child, giggling and making faces as she seemingly danced across the floor. Her thin lips parted like the first slice of freshly made bread and her blue eyes glowed a soft and somber cloud that appeared after the morning rain. Yet deep in my stomach there were knots to see this beautiful women so happy. Was I possibly jealous? Could I not mirror her tone of sunshine? I sat at the smooth wall and watched the sun come up, along with a man with a long fishermans pole. His black hair hugged his mouth and his wrinkles of smiles past held his chuckle as the women jumped into his arms. Sadness sunk deep within me, like a ship, as they twirled together happily before the sun. I wanted to stay in the moons light a bit longer now, I didn’t want them to see me. Pitiful me, living in the darkness.

Why was I here? What fate had lead me to this? Is it possible that this could have been me?

Yes, that’s right. I had loved her once, I had let her own my heart as she had already earned my eyes. We were promised to each other at one time, she was bargained to me by her father through my parents. I had ignored her, for I did not feel worthy of her beauty. She didn’t see that and she left me with just a letter. Now here she was, before my blackened eyes with another man. Why did I force myself to find her? I knew I could never have her love again.

So then, why would I allow any other man to have her? She was mine, this man never deserved her, or her child. She was supposed to be mine, forever and always. My family paid for her, what did his family give. Nothing. I love her, with every breath and every fiber of my being. No one can love her like I can. He must pay.

Around my waist a tied dagger sat, I drew it carefully. This was the only way, she didn’t love this man, how could she? So as he put his foot in the doorway I stabbed him through. He froze like a plant in winter, falling hard to the floor. The child began to cry loudly, loud enough to allow a cavalry to pass by without alerting anyone in the house.

She did not scream, she did not shed tears, she simply stood. Her eyes looking at me like I was a ghoul. She sank to her knees and put her thin fingers over his cheeks. Blood puddled around them now. I did not wish her to be dirtied by the blood so I pulled her up by the arm.

“No! No--” She reached for him as her eyes became waterfalls. Her sobbing went with the child’s. Loudly they whined, crying out. It was too loud, I had to cover my ears. Still I heard them and without my detection she had grabbed a knife and quickly with a yell tried to stab me. Before I could stop her without harm I had stabbed her through the stomach. Her body leaned over me, limp, blood dripping from her mouth. I dropped her to the cold floor. She had landed in such away that it appeared that she was holding the man’s hand.

The child continued to cry as I, myself shook.

This wasn’t my fault, I didn’t do anything wrong. I laughed, no one could blame me for this, I was defending myself. The women was mad, and a w***e. She ran off with another man even though she was married to me. The child cried louder, wailing, interrupting my thoughts.

“WILL YOU BE QUIET YOU INSOLENT CHILD!” I yelled pushing the crib over with such force the child rolled out. All was quiet. All one could hear was my breath and the quiet ocean waves. I looked at my hands, blood. I walked out of the house. Blood. My hands. Blood. I walked into the ocean. Blood. Darkness, my last breath but a choke.

I opened my eyes to a vast field…

“A coward dies a thousand deaths, a hero only one.” - William Shakespeare

Author's Note

Written for my creative writing class.

Reviews

[E. Greene]

Very vivid word choice. It feels dreamy to read through. I enjoyed it.

[rav1209]

Thank you so much!

[RAOrourke]

Wow I am truly amazed by your writing! Very nice job! How did you do in class with this story?

I only saw one thing and it's really nothing, just preference: "I couldn’t quite remember what I was doing, though this all felt familiar."- I think if you take out the extra words what I was doing, it flows better because you have just mentioned that in the previous sentence. I coudn't quite remember, though this all felt familiar.

Very nice second paragraph filled with visual wonders and descriptions!
Great job

[rav1209]

Thanks! We actually haven't gotten anything back on it yet so I won't know until next week.