By Rose Coppin
The side of the drapes that Salma never sees, hang sun-faded.
She needs the outside world as much as she needed him.
She watches documentaries about places she is too afraid to go, and keeps the TV volume set to a comfortable number. She read that odd numbers make people feel uneasy.
Her neighbours talk a lot. The walls are thin.
“The laundry hasn’t been hung out right.”
“The floors haven’t been cleaned right.”
“The dishes haven’t been washed right.”
That hard thud against the wall didn’t sound right.
Salma adjusts the volume on her TV from two to four notches.
Wow. That was unexpected. Well executed
Wow. That was unexpected. Well executed.
Thank you, Jane. It’s certainly a challenge to create the unexpected within the limited word count, but enjoyable to go through the process. I appreciate your feedback.
Domestic violence has far reaching impact, even beyond those living in the house with the abuser. Congrats on conveying this in only 101 words. Very powerful.
Well done. I agree it’s difficult to create the unexpected in such a short word count. But you did it,