Pact (a 5o-Word Story for @jayna)

in #fiftywords6 years ago

*Greetings, 50-worders and readers. This is my entry to @jayna's #fiftywords challenge. This week’s prompt is:

If
.

You can see the details of the challenge here:* https://steemit.com/challenge/@jayna/fifty-wordchallengeprompt-rj7e5h85m1

Source

Pact


Don’t you think you’ve complained enough?
I was petrified. Where did she come from?
What if I tell you I can give you the power to fix this world, as you will?
What’s the catch?
I’m offering this deal to the highest soul bidder.
Half?
Sorry, you’ve just been outbid.



"If" is a powerful word. I associate it with regrets and dreams; also with terrifying threats. I think that every person in the world has at some point pondered on the if-only-I-had-the-power question. What to do and how usually follows. It usually falls into the realm of wishful thinking, fantasy even. But, the fact of the matter is that some people, actually have the power to operate great changes in the world. Are they exercising that power? To what effect? Why is it that we have the feeling that good people do not get to choose or to decide?
How many people make the world worth living in? How many can we prescind from? More than 5 million Venezuelans have left the country since the revolution started (2 decades ago). 80% of those, according to some estimates, in the last 4 years alone. Some 1.5 million have died as a result for reasons attributable to the chavistas regimes (crime, persecution, hunger, lack of medical attention). How many more must die in order for the world to do something concrete and decisive? What kinds of lives matter?
Good does not seem to prevail over evil. All those questions went through my head as I tried to encapsulate this dilemma in this brief vignette, always procuring to let my readers play with ultimate meanings.

Pacto (una historia en 5o palabras)


No te parece que te has quejado bastante?
Me quedé petrificado. De dónde salió?
¿Qué tal si te digo que puedo darte el poder para arreglar este mundo, como lo desees?
¿Cuál es la trampa?
Le estoy ofreciendo este trato al mejor postor de almas.
La mitad?
Lo siento, alguien ha ofrecido más.

Source


"Si" es una poderosa palabra. La asocio con arrepentimientos y sueños; también amenazas aterradoras. Creo que toda persona en este mundo en algún momento se ha detenido a pensar en la pregunta del si-tan-solo-tuviera-el-poder, seguida del qué hacer y cómo. Usualmente cae en el reino de la ilusión, fantasía incluso. Pero, lo cierto es que algunas personas, tienen en efecto el poder para operar grandes cambios en el mundo. ¿Están ejerciendo ese poder? ¿Con qué propósitos? ¿Por qué tenemos el presentimiento de que la gente buena no tiene la posibilidad de decidir?
¿Cuántas personas hacen que el mundo valga la pena? ¿De cuántas podemos prescindir? Más de 5 millones de venezolanos han dejado el país desde que la revolución empezó (hace dos décadas). 80% de esos, según algunos estimados, sólo en los últimos 4 años. Unos 1.5 millones han muerto como resultado de factores atribuibles a los regímenes chavistas (crimen, persecución, hambre, falta de atención médica, etc.). ¿Cuántos más deben morir para que el mundo haga algo concreto y decisivo? ¿Qué tipos de vidas importan?
El bien no parece prevalecer sobre el mal. Todo esto pasó por mi cabeza mientras trataba de encapsular este dilema en esta breve viñeta, siempre procurando dejar que mis lectores jueguen con los posibles significados.

Thanks for your reading. Looking forward to your comments.

Logo Equipo Cardumen-reducido.png

Visit us on Discord

Sort:  

Dear sir!
After fork20 updates everything is not looking usual.. facing problems in reply & comments.
Now looking much better but not exact.

Hi, @certain. Yes, we are all struggling to get back on track. It will take a while to get used to this new things. They used to expect us to interact and be prolific; I'm not sure we can afford that now.
Have a good day.

A very powerful story, my friend. And an interesting question: how much are you willing to pay for the power to change things?
At least, these are the vibes I'm getting from your story.

Another question just popped in my mind. What if HF20 never happened? 🙂
So frustrating. Trying to get used to all these changes and see our activity being limited by RCs.

Hey, @roxy-cat. Good to have you back. Yeah, right? I still feel so out of place, out of tune. 'm trusting those in the know will not ruin this. I want to think the mess is temporary and good things will come out of it.
You got the right vibes about the story.

It's good to be back. Even if I had some spare time to read a book and watch some movies, I missed my Steemit friends. And posting. And commenting.
HF20 reminded me of my old job and the failed changes I was supposed to manage. Yeaks...horrible.
And so many things to get used to...I'm too old for this but I'm not a quitter. 🙂

This can be addictive, right? Well, let's stick to this and see what's ahead :)

Lo único que capte perfectamente es que tiene 50 palabras, suerte y ya veo que has ganado otros retos, saludos.

Saludos, @reyos. Gracias por la visita. En este formato de reto, este en particular, no hay una premiación realmente. Solo se destacan en el resumen semanal lo que la organizadora considera fueron las historias más atractivas para ella, por diferentes razones. Esto es más para socializar, aprender de la experiencia de otros escritores que sí están metidos de lleno en el género, etc.

Oh my. That is a powerful story, @hlezama, and an even more powerful backstory. I learn something new from you each week, I think. I had no idea how many had lost their lives in the turmoil Venezuela has experienced the past few decades. It is tragic. I hope things will change! It seems impossible that a regime responsible for its own country’s devastation could not remain in power indefinitely. But to your story’s question — what is the price of change — is the answer that one must be willing to sacrifice one’s soul?

Hi, @jayna. Thanks for stopping by. There's a dylemma in this story, which is the dylemma many people have faced at some point in their lives. One of the reasons the Venezuelan crisis has not been solved is precisely because way too many have sold their souls.
There is no logical explanation to account for the stability of a regime so inefficient, so corrupt, so criminal; and yet, they find ways to remain in power, partly because they have bribed most of those who could organize some kind of revolt (especially the military).
So, the evil forces preconditioned some kind of solution to the waiving of our integrity, and sadly some people buy into that, including the average citizen who accepts a bonus via an illegally imposed ID card that only serves the monitoring and oppresing purpose of the oppressors.

This is one of your best 50 words so far @hlezama... Really gripping and intriguing and you know what people do it every day
.. trade their soul/honour/dignity for money or possessions... you've shined a light on a really interesting subject my friend...

Thank you very much, @ablaze for that generous comment.

Coin Marketplace

STEEM 0.18
TRX 0.13
JST 0.029
BTC 57258.35
ETH 3065.68
USDT 1.00
SBD 2.33