I exhaust my arsenal of survival strategies too soon. My spirit depleted, your clever ruses skew my sense of worthiness.
Changing tactics, I keep to the shallows where my choices are clear. Accustom to playing your mind games and navigating your sins of omission, my last chance at victory is the uncomplicated truth. A secret weapon you won’t expect this late in our hostilities.
I break the surface, coming up for air. Fortified, I take a last look back, gauging your apathy toward my pending escape, and do the only thing left for me to do…
…head for open water.
The Trifecta challenge this week is: Exhaust [verb \ig-ˈzȯst\] 3b : to try out the whole number of
The 100 Word Challenge is to tell a story in only 100 words. This week’s theme is ‘Surviving’
*Photo venue: Henderson Beach State Park, Destin, FL
Brilliant metaphor!
Great metaphor. Freedom is what most living creatures strive for.
sins of omission . . . they are the ones that generally bite us when we least expect. This is a beautiful piece, Tara.
Such economy of language. I love navigating your sins of omission.. the whole thing works beautifully – for many different circumstances.
That uncomplicated truth is not so easy to follow. Nicely done.
I love the dance of deceit going on here. A couple in trouble? Fisherman and fish? It’s so hard to say. I love the possibilities. I think you want “accustomed” not “accustom” here :)
Forget finding nemo, how about Enlightening Nemo. The opening lines are gorgeous and the way you worked the metaphor was artistic.
Love this metaphor; it’s a unusual one in this context but works so well.
What fantastic opening lines & a powerful piece ,leaving the reader craving for more.Loved the subtle message at the ending-intelligent writing once again Tara:-)
A secret weapon you won’t expect this late in our hostilities.
Contrast this with the underdog tone of the rest of the piece. Devastating!
Here’s to clear swimming to the open water.
Gorgeous words. “My last chance at victory is the uncomplicated truth.” Well done.
can I just say: I love your images. That fish is so cool. And it plays nicely with the metaphor
This is crafted so carefully, each word a well chosen stone and through it all such a sense of emotion. And above all of that imbued with a sense of peace.
beautiful
i agree. excellent use of metaphor here. and i admire how you managed to combine both prompts in one post. bravo
A beautiful metaphor.
I like this very much. Here’s hoping those open waters fare better.
I love the extended metaphor here — great way to use both prompts!
you know how sometimes you read something and you feel like …”I could have written that, I wish I had written that.”
I just felt that.
Point the way to the open water…every word was just brilliant and beautiful.
Great use of metaphor and a thoughtful take on how to deal with an impossible relationship. Good one!
Ohh … I like it. I like how these words are few, but powerful. Your camouflaged meaning has tremendous feeling. And a sense of freedom.