Monday, June 4, 2012

Giving Voice Blogfest


The Giving Voice Blogfest is your chance to express what it means for those who cannot speak in the form of a poem, excerpt, flash fiction piece. Maximum 400 words in length.

   
Voice
By Andrea Teagan

I wake up in a hospital.
I can’t remember what happened to me. A tube pushes my tongue against the bottom of my mouth and leads down my throat. A blast of air enters my lungs, it feels cold, unnatural. The tube hangs from my lips like a cigarette.
            A nurse comes in and changes my bandages. She does not look at me, even when she adjusts the tape over the tube. I want to ask her what has happened to me but I can’t. I move my head around but she doesn't seem to notice.
The white light sears my eyes. I close them and eventually fall asleep.

            “Ms. Powell, my name is Dr. Ruskin.” My eyes flutter open. His black hair is peppered with grey and neatly trimmed. "You were lucky to survive the accident.”
What accident? I shake my head no.
He checks the equipment and looks over some papers. I don’t remember the accident. I don’t remember.
 “You are in good hands, just get some rest.”
Like I have a choice?

Later, he returns. “Since you won't be able to breathe on your own again we need to make a hole in your throat and install a ventilator.”
My heart beats nervously as I try to digest his words.
“Things are going to be so much better this way." He smiles.

I am on the way to an operating room. The white lights on the ceiling stream by me as I am rolled down the hall. The lights remind me of something. The headlights of a car.
Wait. I shake my head side to side.
They try to place a mask over my face. I remember I was in my car. I was driving to the store to pick up some more vodka for the party. I shouldn't have gone, someone should have stopped me. I remember a silver Mazda came out of nowhere.
Don't. The gas enters my lungs. I try not to breathe. I struggle, jerking my head. I saw them. A mother and a small boy in the passenger side. My car hurtles forward. I saw the terror on their faces.
I am falling asleep.
Stop. No!
It’s too late. 
I can't stop the car. I can't stop. I can’t stop it.
The gas pulls me under. Everything turns to black.

24 comments:

  1. Fabulous story - full of suspense, pace, energy and emotion - really loved it. Thanks :-)

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    1. Awesome, thank you so much for the kind words :)

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  2. Very dramatic scene Andrea, thanks for taking part. YOu convey the scene very well in your descriptions.
    I wonder if you MC will have long term speech problems that require speech & language therapy once she recovers from her surgery?

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    1. Thanks Madeleine, I wasn't sure what to write until this just hit me last night. I think my MC would have to go through a struggle with their speech problems afterwards.

      It was great to join the blogfest!

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  3. This was a really emotional story! I was in a car accident myself coming up on 9 years ago, and if it had happened a bit differently, I possibly would've been in a similar position instead of getting off with a severely broken leg and some first- and second-degree burns.

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    1. Oh wow, I did not know that. I am so glad that you are ok. Something like this can really happen to any of us at any time. I try to be thankful for what I have (although I am not always the best at remembering this) :)

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  4. Very well written. I love how you mingled the memory and what was happening at the moment for the last section.

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    1. Thanks friend!

      I'm glad you liked that last part, that was what I was going for :)

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  5. This gave me chills. What a horrible experience. When you can't even speak to ask the most fundamental questions, it makes you feel really powerless.

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    1. Thanks, I was really going for that. Powerless. :)

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  6. Dude! Vividly, chillingly painted scene! And what a horror, to realize you're responsible for someone else's suffering (of course, I'm assuming things didn't go well for the family in the other car). Gah, that really gets me where I live. Well done.
    Some Dark Romantic

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    1. Thanks Mina! Your comments are most appreciated. I think it would be horrible to have the guilt of hurting someone, especially a child.. oh man. I don't know if I could live with myself.

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  7. This is tense and packed with emotion, a great entry in the blogfest.

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  8. Very dramatic. I could feel her distress. I was practically choking on a tube shoved down my throat the whole time I was reading this story!!

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    1. Awesome! Thank you, and sorry about having the feeling of a tube in your throat :)

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  9. WOW, that's powerful! Does she ever get her voice back?

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    1. Thanks Heather! I don't really know. It is left open to however you want to imagine it ending. :)

      Andrea

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  10. Amazing! I could feel everything in this. So powerful.
    You want to read my work, but I'd be too embarrassed for you to see it when you can write like this!

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    1. Awwww shucks, you are too nice!! I still want to read your writing! I know its good! :)

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