Broken

Writing Prompt: Write about the loneliness that took you by surprise.

I saw this prompt and for some reason it really stuck with me. I haven't written anything in a long time, so I don't quite know why it struck me, but it did. As I started writing though, it took a different direction from what I was expecting so the end product doesn't really follow the prompt. It is generally based on a real event in my life but as my memory is imperfect, there is also an element of fiction. Hopefully it's not too horrible since it has been so long.

She sat by the window, staring absentmindedly into the rain. All around her was sound: music, laughter, idle chatter, the clatter of dishes, the clink of cutlery, the metallic clang of pots and pans. But in her little corner, there was silence; she was alone. There the sound seemed muffled, as though heard from a great distance. She heard it, but it didn't fully register. All around her was the sound of life and happiness and friendship, all sounds that she didn't want to hear because they reminded her of how alone she was.

Her head snapped around as she heard a familiar voice among the clamour of so many that were totally unfamiliar. There he was, just walking in with his roommate and a couple other friends. As if drawn by her gaze, he suddenly looked in her direction. Their eyes met for a brief moment and he seemed to pause, but then he turned and continued on with his friends, getting their food and choosing a booth on the opposite side of the room.

She fought back the tears that threatened to escape and turned to look back out the window. The rain was coming down harder now, mirroring the storm she felt inside. A few weeks ago she had been part of that group, laughing and joking and talking. Even then she'd felt lonely, like she didn't really belong, but at least she could fake it and at least she wasn't totally alone. Not like now. Alone in a crowded room. She scanned the room and realized that she really was the only person sitting alone. That realization was even more depressing.

The Last Goodbye

Hot tears rolled down her face as the credits began to roll.  That was it, it was over.  After thirteen years, the journey had come to an end at last, ending right where it had begun so many years before.  She watched as the names and pictures of the actors and characters she had so come to love flashed across the screen.  She'd known her heart would get broken, had tried to prepare herself, but there was no preparing for what had come.  She'd loved every second of it, but also dreaded it, because each second, each minute that passed by brought it closer to the end.  As she listened to the beautiful song playing, reminding her of this last goodbye, she felt her sorrow deepen and she wondered at the people around her, laughing and joking, ready to head back into the world and continue on with their lives.  She had the feeling that for most of those people, it was nothing more than a movie, nothing special.  But to her, it was so much more.

A Penny for Grandpa

She looked up at the threatening skies as she exited the building.  It had rained earlier and though it had stopped for now, the skies were still a forbidding shade of dark gray.  She pulled her keys out of her pocket as she walked back to her car, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that there was no ticket or boot on it.  She'd parked in an area that was technically just for a specific shopping area but since she was running late and she was going right across the street and wasn't expecting to be there for very long, she'd taken the risk.  She fumbled with her keys, trying to find the right one.  Excitement and anticipation made her clumsy as her mind ran over the details of the audition, if you could even call it that.  She'd been the last person to arrive, showing up just a few minutes before 3.  The bonus of being the last person was that she'd been able to talk to several of the people who were helping with the casting as well as the woman who had taken her pictures.  With any luck she'd start getting calls for extra work in movies, tv shows, and commercials.  At least she hoped she would, as long as her weight didn't put them off like it always seemed to.  She slid into her car as she remonstrated herself; it was better to look at the positive side of things rather than the negative.