This week’s six-sentence story prompt is based on the word….GRIP, provided by girlontheedge. I will say that this one is based on personal experience, and will be relatable to anyone who ever has done themselves a good foot injury and ended up on crutches.
The cushioned grip of the the crutch dug into the heel of her hand like it was pressing into a bruise, the flesh tenderized by a repeated motion that had only started one day prior.
Each clang of her crutch tip hitting the hardwood floors ricocheted around the empty house, which was silent in the dead of night except for one lone figure making a desperate journey.
There was a pause before the step as she tested the grip of each rubber foot lest the crutch slide outward ending in a far more spectacular injury than the one already endured.
The following thump was loud, but dull, and did nothing to convey the pain of impact as it ratcheted upwards through her entire body.
The destination is finally reached and she gasping and dripping with sweat as if a marathon had been run rather than a short jaunt down the hallway and all too soon tears rose unbidden, rolling down her cheeks hot with frustration.
She sags in place knowing she has nothing left for a return journey that will be just as long, this time fueled by the desire only to lessen pain and the fact that not continuing is not an option.
Anne McSommers' Writing Nook 
I liked the ending that not continuing is not an option.
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Uffda! Sounds like an awful ordeal. Hoping that the next step is/was recovery and joyful mobility!
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Completely recovered. Thanks.
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You are never more aware of how much you take for granted until you have an injury. I am mostly recovered, but thank god, off crutches.
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Gosh… we take our mobility for granted too often! Well done!
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Great take on the prompt, Anne. After watching one of our grandsons recover from major knee surgery, I felt every step.
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Thank you. I hope your grandson is doing well.
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Thanks, Anne. Steadily on the mend. This is his third operation (hopefully his last) and he’s only 15 😦
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I could feel your pain and frustration, Anne. I’ve never used crutches but got a good sense of the challenges you faced. I hope you are well recovered 🙂
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Such a powerful sentence: “Each clang of her crutch tip hitting the hardwood floors ricocheted around the empty house, which was silent in the dead of night except for one lone figure making a desperate journey.” Love it!
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No-one should take their mobility for granted. I feel your pain.
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There is such a learning curve when it comes to learning how to safely move about following an injury or surgery. What would seem to be easy sometimes doesn’t seem to come naturally. Having the knowledge that one doesn’t really have any other option than just to keep trying if you want to get better can sometimes feel like a bitter pill to swallow. I felt that frustration in the fifth sentence.
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So difficult to maneuver with crutches! I felt her pain!
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It’s a hard journey, learning to use them and it seems like you are on them forever.
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