This is for Sue Vincent’s Thursday Photo Prompt.
I can see him at the end of the tunnel, gesticulating, but he is too far away to hear. Part of me wants to run back, ready to forgive. Perhaps he’s changed his mind. Perhaps he’s in trouble. It’s crazy. I know what’s back there, and the only possible escape is down here, deep inside the dark earth. He told me himself, before he threw his fist at me again for something unimportant I’d forgotten to do.
I hesitate, running over in my mind the countless times I have run from him and his anger, yet knowing that he hates himself for it, says it’s like being stuck down a well and nobody can hear him to help him out. I take a step back to the entrance. He’s waving his arms wildly now. His voice is rising—he’s calling my name!
I make up my mind. I’m going back. I shout too, his name, putting into it that one word all the words I want to say, want him to hear. I scream, but nothing hits my ears, deafened by the screech of death. In the blinding light of the explosion, I see him one last time, his arms waving, in farewell.
Jane Dougherty Writes 
Not that obvious 🙂
Light at the end of the tunnel obvious then 🙂
🙂
That was intense and beautiful!
Thank you!
I had thought about doing a “light at the end of the tunnel” story. I’m sure this works better than any that I would have come up with – very dark. Hopefully, at the very least, he’ll spend the rest of his life in jail…
Only if he was responsible for the blast. What if he was just warning her not to turn around?
So funny, I read the entire thing backwards, as an allegory – He hit her for some little thing and said she’d be better off “underground”, i.e., dead and buried. She is dying of the injuries he’s caused and she wonders if she should forgive him. She looks back at Earth and sees him wailing and calling her name and so she decides to return to the land of the living, but as soon as she makes the decision, she reaches that light at the end of the tunnel and it is too late, she can just see him, saying his goodbyes to her body and in an explosion of light, she is gone. Now that I read it literally, it’s a bit different. I still like it! but the meaning is different – he may be abusive, but he is sacrificing himself for her.
What a romantic vision you had! Mine was rather more mundane. He can see the end coming and something is preventing him taking cover. I don’t know what, but he’s just saying goodbye. Your idea makes me think of Orpheus and Euridice, even if Orpheus doesn’t sacrifice himself.
lol – so even my more literal reading of it was a bit off. I guess my head is in the clouds today 😉
No, Trent, you’re version is as good as any since the piece itself is vague about the whys and the wherefores. I like it 🙂
Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
Thank you, Michael 🙂
Always with a great pleasure. Sorry, the last days we had so high temparature, our systems and my small laptop got overheated. 😉 Michael
Intense! Whoo. Love it.
Thanks Alison 🙂
I liked the last paragraph with screaming but nothing reaching the ears.
Thank you, Frank 🙂 I enjoy writing apocalyptic stuff.
Good, I thought he should be sucked away and I thought his waving arms were one last angry thought – “It should be you! You!”
It could well have been. Who knows? In a sentimental moment I thought he was telling her to keep running, but your explanation is equally (probably more) plausible.
I think it is a factor of my suspicious mind, or I have seen too many apocalypse type movies, but I like a good anger from the grave scene, if you know what I mean!
Do not go gentle into that good night 🙂
That’s right. Kicking and screaming and maybe some flames.
Now you’re talking 🙂
Great use of language as always Jane, very powerful and conveying the pain and anguish of the characters.
Thanks Michael 🙂 Extreme situations bring out the best and the worst in people (and writers!)
It is sad that he couldn’t control his anger, make amends for it and live happily. His drawbacks in life we’re responsible for his downfall.
http://ideasolsi65.blogspot.in/2017/06/tunnel-of-hope.html?m=1
That is a very likely hypothesis. Thanks for reading 🙂
Very good, Jane. Reminds me of Rose Madder by Stephen King.
Thanks Robbie! My Stephen King is sketchy. I’ll have to look that one up. I like the title!
Powerful stuff. I was thinking that the light was a nuclear blast and that its light blended into the light many speak of just before the end.
Thanks Hugh. I was thinking of a blast too. I imagined he chose not to take cover, to let her have another chance with someone else. A sort of death wish. It looked like a tragedy playing out to me.
good riddance…apparently…
She’ll be able to start again with someone better, I hope 🙂