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The Lesson

June 10, 2020 11 Comments

The Lesson
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A skinny moon is more dangerous than a full moon: “I know that now,” he said.

A furtive meeting in the shadow of the dunes. Two people where they didn’t belong. Just him and her alone, that was the problem. A thin strap slipped off her shoulder at the wrong time. Her sudden big eyes, the comprehension, the oh no.

“A mistake for sure, but not her fault, not really mine,” he said, pleading to the twelve. He was just trying to teach her a lesson, there under that shiv of a moon, stabbed into the star-freckled flesh of the sky.

By Barbara Leary

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rémi Savard says

    June 10, 2020 at 7:54 am

    “She shouldn’t dress that way” has never been told so beautifully. Unless I’m reading this wrong (also I’m condoning the defense!!!). The moon here is both gorgeous and dangerous.

    Well done.

    Reply
  2. Travis Stephens says

    June 10, 2020 at 10:15 am

    Terrific opening line.

    Reply
  3. Alex Markovich says

    June 10, 2020 at 10:20 am

    Rémi, I do hope you’re reading this wrong.

    Reply
  4. Joyce Adams says

    June 10, 2020 at 10:43 am

    What a poetic last line, which describes with great beauty what is essentially a gruesome crime. Wow.

    Reply
  5. Shoshauna says

    June 10, 2020 at 11:57 am

    This is chilling and effective. And triggering (says this female)

    Reply
    • khadija says

      June 14, 2020 at 1:56 am

      The analogy is definietly out of the box and the correlation between the dark night and the act itself is remarkable.

      Reply
  6. Ed G Kratz says

    June 10, 2020 at 12:18 pm

    Excellent. Powerful story. Well done.

    Reply
  7. Karisa says

    June 10, 2020 at 2:49 pm

    So much implied with a few words. Chills.

    Reply
  8. lizmilnewriting says

    June 10, 2020 at 4:06 pm

    Nicely done 🙂

    Reply
  9. Siobhan Wright says

    June 10, 2020 at 11:22 pm

    This is truly a wonderful story. The story progresses swiftly to that haunting last line. It is poetry, the “shiv of the moon.”

    Reply
  10. Rebbecca Bakre says

    June 23, 2020 at 5:15 pm

    Wow. Dark indeed, and so profound. I could read it a thousand times and still find a new parallel. Powerfully effective, as others have said.

    Reply

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