Don’t Blink

Welcome to this week’s six-sentence story, based on the word of the week, SECOND, and oh my, this one is not for the faint of heart. This one has trigger warnings a plenty, and while there is nothing explicit in the story at all, there are implications a plenty, the least of which is that the narrator was a victim of a crime, and how far you take this, is really up to you. I suggest you read the tags if you are triggered by ANY kind of crime or assault, because again, there are implications a plenty here. For those who choose to go on, I hope you find this interesting.

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Blink, he was gone, it was over, it would never be over, it had changed nothing, it had changed everything, and she lay stunned, alone, unable to do anything, even cry.

Blink, she was surrounded by people, all asking questions that she couldn’t answer, not knowing what had happened, how long ago, or why, and she allowed herself to be guided into the ambulance, flinching from the bright lights and screaming siren.

Blink, the fabric of the hospital gown was rough against her skin, but nowhere near as abrasive as the cloth cleaning the sticky blood from her forehead, and she stared uncomprehendingly at the officer by the door, holding her clothes in a a clear plastic bag labelled evidence.

Blink, there were more of them here now, voices overlapping to form a sea of sound from which she could not pick the words, and she wished she could remember something about what happened, but they told her it was Thursday, not Tuesday, scoffing at her unreliability.

Blink, she walked down to the cab wearing gift shop pajamas, since she knew no one who could bring her clothes, and she clutched the voucher in her hands, along with the cards for the detective, the counsellor, the hospital follow-up appointment, hoping someone would be there to let her into the dorm because she didn’t have her keys.

Blink, she answered the door, listening as they told her that the case had gone cold, no leads, no cameras, no descriptions, and she forced herself to keep her eyes open, even as they began to burn, because she knew now what could happen in second it took to blink her eyes.