A story inspired by an icon all about a no one

[Deleted Member]

The Birthday Present

 

(Inspired by the Sylvia Plath poem, ‘A Birthday Present’)

Part 1

It was exactly two weeks before her 40th birthday that she disappeared. It was a decision that she had always anticipated, but perhaps had not thought that it would come as soon as this. The truth was she had grown tired. Tired of chasing rainbows through her dreams for imagined pots of gold. Tired of relentlessly pushing on. Tired of breaking down in the privacy of her empty car after doing the best she could to be good. Always exhausted by that lingering sense of disconnect.

After spending half her life in a self made world of hopeless make believe, by now she had realised the ridiculousness of happy endings. She was not going to run off into the sunset with Shrek or Batman or even the Joker, nor was she going to drive off a cliff with Louise. So instead she made the decision that she would grant herself solitude for the 40th anniversary of her birth.

Of course her disappearance would be noticed. She knew that. For all her loneliness, she was not alone. She had a family, a job, even a few friends and secret confidants. And disappearing two weeks before her birthday was not what anyone would really have expected.

When she left she did not know if she would return. She just knew she had to go far far away.

She found herself in a dreamy land more familiar with her imagination than her common sense. It was hidden beneath an invisible rainbow which fell like a waterfall into a vast forest that had no end or beginning. It had taken her several flights of fancy to finally arrive and when all the colours of the falling rainbow washed the grey from her tired face, she realised she was no longer dreaming.

The birds sang and the grasses whispered and the sky stayed beautiful night and day. Nobody saw her. Nobody found her. And Nobody told her she could not stay.

It was about the seventh day when she had a feeling she was not alone after all. Of course being with the trees and hills and insects and such meant she was never really alone, but on about the seventh day she felt as though there was something hidden amidst the thicket. She decided to ignore it.

The truth was that in all her years of endlessness she was the kind of girl to leave footprints. She would have never been able to disappear without a trace as there were traces of her existence across the globe. Floating in the air. Ashes in the dust. And the stretches of light shining down each night when the moon reflected the light of the sun.

And there was one. One who could not help but follow her footsteps.

 

There had been a time when she had laid out her footsteps quite deliberately for others. In fact there was a time in her wilder years, when she would throw conkers and shake the Summer leaves to Autumn and declare the reign of Winter just to be felt for a fleeting moment of time. And there were times she would dance naked and curse the whole wide world as she would broadcast her pleasure and *** to anyone willing to offer an ear or an eye, or a hand. But those who followed her into her dreamlike state would just become insane or enraged at her restlessness. They wanted to hold her still. But she needed, wanted, craved, someone to run through her dreams with her and ***t the sky the shade of her feelings, like an artist who could drink her up and reveal her shape shifting vision across a magic canvas.

Some might think she were a witch, or at least a narcissist, but actually she was wretched. Yet beneath her many masks and wretchedness she had tried so very hard to be kind, and deep down in her heart she believed in good and beauty and truth. It was just that she was so very very tired. Tired of those hopeless dreams.

 

And so, even though she sensed those eyes watching her soul, she decided to ignore them. She could not imagine that they were anything more than a figment of her imagination. And afterall it was probably her imagination that got her into this mess in the first place.

[Deleted Member]

Beautifully written. I’m blown away by your prose.

[Deleted Member]

31 minutes ago, Lockfairy said:

Beautifully written. I’m blown away by your prose.

Aww thank you. I have parts 2 and 3. It’s my dream to write but sadly I’m not quite good enough. But it means a lot when someone enjoys what I have written 😊

[He****]

I enjoyed what you wrote and will look for the other parts

[Deleted Member]

1 hour ago, Messedup79 said:

Aww thank you. I have parts 2 and 3. It’s my dream to write but sadly I’m not quite good enough. But it means a lot when someone enjoys what I have written 😊

Please don’t think you’re not good enough. I read a lot and it takes a lot to impress me. The sentence beginning, ‘In fact there was a time ... ‘, is exquisite and so many others made me smile for the
freshness of your language and your wonderful use of metaphor.

You have a unique voice.

[Deleted Member]

Well then I will merely say, thank you 🤗

[Deleted Member]

29 minutes ago, Hels1920 said:

I enjoyed what you wrote and will look for the other parts

Thank you 😊 

[Me****]

I enjoyed this

 @Lockfairy is right, very tightly written.

Succinct even.

A delight.

Get the rest written asap before you go cold on the plot.

🔓⛓👑⛓🔓

[Deleted Member]

Thank you for this lovely piece of writing - as has been said earlier.

[Deleted Member]

2 hours ago, METALSIR said:

I enjoyed this

 @Lockfairy is right, very tightly written.

Succinct even.

A delight.

Get the rest written asap before you go cold on the plot.

🔓⛓👑⛓🔓

Oh it’s one I wrote a while ago ... 

 

thank you for your kindness 

[Deleted Member]

2 hours ago, RopeMaster2408 said:

Thank you for this lovely piece of writing - as has been said earlier.

And thank you for reading it 😊

[Deleted Member]

nothing wrong with a good magical mind, imagination, you're writing flows from you're heart as you speak your mind and soul 

[Deleted Member]

1 minute ago, gaggedredraw said:

nothing wrong with a good magical mind, imagination, you're writing flows from you're heart as you speak your mind and soul 

Thank you 😊

[Bo****]

On 11/20/2020 at 10:55 AM, Messedup79 said:

It’s my dream to write but sadly I’m not quite good enough.

Well I can't speak for the eyes of an editor but I certainly disagree.

[Deleted Member]

1 minute ago, Bons said:

Well I can't speak for the eyes of an editor but I certainly disagree.

Thank you 😊

[Wo****]

On 11/20/2020 at 10:55 AM, Messedup79 said:

Aww thank you. I have parts 2 and 3. It’s my dream to write but sadly I’m not quite good enough. But it means a lot when someone enjoys what I have written 😊

Not quite good enough for who?

 

I love what you write, so do several people here. I'd say that makes you good enough x

[Deleted Member]

@Bounty thank you 😊