minishorts.net: You've Been There Before

Monday, May 3

You've Been There Before

She opens her door to an empty house.

The settee looks the same, the television is turned off. On a display table, photographs of him and her smile back at her.

Her heavy footsteps bring her to her favourite couch, she drops her briefcase, and slumps onto the cushions. Her eyes shut, she wills herself to rest, to dream, to imagine. And then they snap wide open.

'Dinner. He'll be back soon.'

Reluctantly, she makes her way to the kitchen, to the stove, fills a pot with water, lights the stove, throws carrots, onions, potatoes into the water.

'I know you feel it too.'

She remembers the words, she smiles to herself.

'I can be attractive too.'

She remembers the words, a long time ago.

'You're very attractive, you know that?'

She smiles again, she remembers the moment.

'You'll never have to work another day.'

And now... she's working in the day, she's working in the night. She's working for the money, the money goes to the food, sometimes she buys nice things, but she never finds the time to wear them, because there's always other things to spend the money on, for now, for tomorrow. And then a few days later, she's got to rest, other times she's got to iron the clothes. Yesterday she had to sweep, wash, mop.

He said she'll never work again. But now?

She's so tired, she's so, so tired.

'I know you can't feel it, damn it. You don't know a thing.'

She remembers him peeking at her across the room, and she smiles. She feels guilty, at the same time she feels evil. After a while, the guilt subsides. She likes the evil thoughts, she thinks they are good. After a while, she has decided.

¶ 18:39

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