"Last Act," by Alexander Darwish - #Fiftyword Challenge (Flash-Fiction)
So, here's a special one for me. First of all, I'd like to thank @Jayna and the community for supporting such an amazing challenge.
I was born on the shores of the Mediterranean, and I've lived my whole life near the sea. It was always awful to hear about the death of a distant friend because he wanted to challenge himself and go even deeper into the water. Most people were fisherman, at least in my own neighborhood and circles as a child, and that of my father's.
So, I wanted to take this opportunity and highlight an important subject. Before I talk about it, here's my entry for this week:
(Credits: Alexander Darwish)
Last Act
And I turned to the sea, not knowing where else to look. The souls behind me were heaving, going back and forth in a cowardly manner. I begged to ask a question, but I forgot what I needed to say. And so, I plunged into the water.
I just wanted to see for just a moment through the eyes of a refugee, not calculating their next step, before treading a path to their madness and demise. Not discussing the politics of the subject, but underlining the psychological drives behind their last act.
Thank you.
Wow what a great read here. So much emotion to this, made me ponder on their thoughts and feelings, scared of the unknown, scared of what's to come and the risks to take.
It's a mental state that is not easily understood. I wish no one will ever face such circumstances.
Thanks for passing by and for your kind words. I'm loving this little community! ^^
You are absolutely right.
You are welcome and glad you are enjoying it! Great place to be for sure!
Most people consider the 'sea' theme as a romantic one, but your entry is tragic... Not only this. It's a coincidence maybe, but just a few days ago, my Tunisian friend told me about refugees trying to get to France from Tunisia by the sea in a boat for 15 people, but there were way more people, they're all dead now. Your entry is like a scream of their souls to me... How connected we are on steemit.
By the way, I live here too, next to the sea, in Provence.
I thought about writing in a Romantic fashion; maybe contemplating the sublime beauty of the sea. But somehow I ended up with this, and I usually try not to overthink such subjects. It's just sad that many years after the two World Wars, people still ignore the repercussions of political quarrel. Once hatred is instilled, there's nothing to do about it, really.
It's a sad thing to hear about such news. I hope more people would find their redemption somewhere else on earth, and the rest may find solace in the comfort of their homes.
Maybe if you wrote a romantic one, it would be lost among all the others )
By the way, I was told to not upvote comments here if your vote doesn't go over 0,2 for it'll be just a lost voting power. So if you don't want to waste, upvote something that will have more than 0,2 in the end. I'm also tempted to upvote all the comments I appreciate, but restrict myself )
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and "overthinking", you're a sensitive soul, Alex!
Very nice.... You know what, my first 50 words 5 months ago broached this very subject...
That's a nice coincidence. Care to link it?
Sure thing... Here you go https://steemit.com/fiftywords/@ablaze/escape-from-tyranny-50-word-story
:o)
Yes, I’d like to see that one too, @ablaze.
Your recent “Light” was amazing — also touching on human drama and water.
Thanks @jayna :o) See link above..
Thank you for this touching story, @alexandered. The sea is so many things. It contains so much life. And it claims so many lives. It reflects the sun, moon and sky and is ever changing. We love to play in it’s beautiful surf, but under other circumstances it can be anything but playful. This story is about the sea in a tragic sense.
Most of us will never know the circumstances under which people are so desperate to leave the horrible conditions in their homeland that they will risk their lives in the attempt to get away. I cannot imagine.
Not long ago I watched a documentary about the Greek coast guard and how they had become first responders in rescue missions as thousands of migrants fled Syria. It is truly a tragedy. It is called 4.1 Miles.
Thanks a lot, @jayna , for your continuous support. I still want to write another one that reflects my admiration for the Romantic era, but I've been quite busy these past couple of days.
It is truly sad to witness how countries fight not to have refugees on their land. It makes you feel like it's a shame to be human in this decade.
Amazing take on the prompt. Very serious and still almost sublime. As if it portraying the unavoidable of the sea's nature while also bringing awareness to a very sensitive subject.
Congrats on such a great story.
I appreciate your take on my little story. In truth, my heart beats for all that is sublime and beautiful. I haven't been producing any kind of creative writing for quite sometime, but I'd love to resurrect the Byronic side of me. Maybe next week, then. Let's hope the prompt fits my expectations.
Damn, that’s a pretty dark 50-word tasker.
Aye!
"The brighter they shine, the darker we become."
How sadly true that statement is in many a cases.
I liked how open-ended the ending is, open for lots of interpretation. Well done @alexandered
That's what I like about this contest. I've never thought about writing flash-fiction before, but it makes you proud to convey many aspects of your story in just a few lines.