She spent seven years looking for an anchor.
That’s what everyone said she needed. A partner who could ground her, keep her rational, responsible, sensible.
Keep her from herself.
She found him and attached herself to his sanity. His kindness soothed, his composure balanced. He tethered her to this world like a kite string.
Often, she thought of him when she gardened, digging her hands into the soil, marveling at thin strands stretching, reaching down to set themselves.
She daydreamed about roots reaching up. Why not? Into possibility? Into open sky where they might breathe? No, the fragile flowers grabbed earth and wrapped around and held so tightly it took great force to rip them out.
Like the plants, she lived because she was smothered.
Yes, he tethered her—and that is the only way she existed at all.
In early spring, temptation decided to push its way into her pretty life. It shone not like the soft streaks of sunlight through tree branches, but like a flashlight—its beam bright and unforgiving. It exposed her. And the delicate ribbon tying her to him morphed into a thick chain. A leash.
She wouldn’t be a dog, even a beloved one. She was a bird and needed to fly.
Wiping her palms on her jeans, she picked up dirt-caked shears, cut the cord, and walked away. Away from comfort—the home, the garden, and him.
She brushed off dust from the place where she had established respectable roots and danced to a place where her thirst for what she wasn’t supposed to want could be satiated. Because what she needed wasn’t an anchor, but an oasis.
#Blogbattle is a weekly writing prompt for flash/short stories hosted by Rachael Ritchey
For Week 53, Rachael is celebrating one year of #blogbattle fun by having participants choose a post and re-enter it. I haven’t been participating that long and I don’t get a story in every single week, but I’ve written a few. It really lets me stretch my writing muscles. Thanks, Rachael!
This one, from week 23, is my first flash for #blogbattle.
View all the wonderful stories and vote for your favorite here.
The prompt: Oasis
Genre: Drama
It shone not like the soft streaks of sunlight through tree branches, but like a flashlight—its beam bright and unforgiving. <nice line.
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O…M….G..
Sarah this was amazing. And very very beautiful. I love the philosophy rolled around it. Love it!!
Brilliant. 💛
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Wow! This story is amazing, I love the meaning behind the powerful words you have used to describe when a comfort and a grounding becomes too much. xx
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I loved your simile–kite string into a leash. Well done. 🙂
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Love your style of writing. Really enjoyed this.
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So many strong and descriptive sentences. I went straight to the emotions– WOW. Wonderful. Amazing. 😀
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You create such lovely imagery. She was a bird who needed to fly. Beautiful. 🙂
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Aw, this made me sad. But it was beautifully written!
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I love this thought, Sarah: “danced to a place where her thirst for what she wasn’t supposed to want could be satiated”. So many times what has to be chosen is what others think is good for us, when all we want is the freedom to be “me”. I recognised this piece, I thought from earlier, but maybe not in its entirety. Am I understanding correctly from your note that it is the repetition of a previous piece?
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I know I missed this one the first time, but so glad I had the chance to read it the second time around. It spoke directly to my soul!! Amazing!!
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Pingback: #BlogBattle 54 “Feather” Entries & Voting – Fiction by Rachael Ritchey
YOU WIN! Congrats Anniversary #BlogBattle Winner! Everyone loves this story! ❤ You won by a large percentage. Great work!
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You never know what is happening behind the screen.
This is really silly but I actually just cried. I had a horrible week (last week and this one so far). This comment caught me at a bad moment and it just lifted me up.
This was so unexpected as, for the first time, I didn’t get to read all the other stories (or even reply to comments yet) with everything going on here.
I’m thrilled whenever I manage to win a Blog Battle but I’m overwhelmed and touched about this week’s win. Thank you. 💕
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Sarah, I’m so sorry things are going so horribly for you right now. I wish there was something else I could do, but I hope you know that I think you’re just such a sweet encouragement. I’m so thankful that I’ve met you, even if it hasn’t been in person. You are so good at bringing smiles to faces. I’m glad we could bring you some happy tears in the midst of some sucky life stuff. I hope things start to get better real real real quick.
Congrats again! Your words do matter. ❤
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Oh, we should definitely do an interview for this win. Are you up for it? 🙂
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Sure. 💕 Email me. Congrats, again, on your year anniversary with Blog Battle.
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This was way impressive. Cheers, luv
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Belated congrats on your win, and please accept my sincerest wishes that things will take a turn for the better in your life. 🙂
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