The moon was swimming through the clouds when she left for home; if she only had a proper home. But the likes of her wasn’t welcome anywhere, and she had found taken shelter between two jhopadpattis at the slum, which was too crowded to notice her.
She accepted what food she could find, and people were all too happy to leave for her the bits and scraps. She was young, but she had a tinge of carelessness about her. She had no sense of direction, but had always managed to find her way back, no matter how far she strayed from home in her daily travels.
She had seen him many times. The road she went through always went past his home. Every time, he would smile. The way he looked at her made her feel afraid, feel anxious as she crossed him. Many a time, she had tried not to look at him even. But she was young, and curiosity always got the better of her. But she was young, and just the type he liked the best. She could feel his beady eyes bore into her.
It was the cake that caught her attention; a big piece of sponge cake that someone had thrown away. She thought it was her lucky day. She usually had to make do with just bits. Even the look of it, yellow with most of the brown crust still left on it, looked tempting for her. Yes, it would be her dinner. And without another thought, she set herself on it.
It was then she realized that it had been a trap. HIS trap. As she struggled to find a way out, his beady eyes bore into her from behind. He looked like it was his lucky day. He had been waiting, and she cried with all the energy she could muster. But no one would hear her. And even if they could, no one tried to help the likes of her. His hands closed around her, and his lips found her body. And soon, she couldn’t cry anymore.
In the shadows, a silver web continued to shake.
The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge was first held in 2010. The challenge is that we have to post every day of April, except on the four Sundays. April 1st is a theme with letter A, 2nd with letter B and so on till April 30th which will be Z themed. This year, I’m planning to do short pieces of fiction (not a series), or a poem based on a word with that letter.
To write 26 days in a month on a theme, a moral support is quite useful I feel. This year, I’m taking the challenge along with my friend Bhavya. We’re writing on the same themes each day, and giving each other the themes on alternate days. Day 8, the word chosen by me was HUNGER/HUNGRY, which inspired the post.
(9th April 2014)
Vinay Leo R.
Poetry & writing to me are to me, a breath of fresh air in a life that is sometimes covered by the smoke of sorrow or self doubt. They also become the sweets I share to celebrate when life offers me a reason to. But most of all, they are to me, my life. For each word I write is a piece of my heart, a thought that just had to find its way into the world.
Ohh that is helplessness described at its best…
Random Thoughts Naba
Thank you, Naba!
Reminds me of a character in bollywood movie Pinjar. Intense post.
Thank you, Shine.
Wow….this is brilliant…..awesome….really really aaa brilliant 🙂
Thanks muchly, Jb. 🙂 I’m glad you understood.
oh!! i wished it would end happily but not every story has a happy ending, isnt it? i wish some one was there to help her 🙁
No. Not every story has a happy ending, nor does every prey have someone to help at that time!
Thanks, Swathi!
Wow!! It’s wonderful. Throughout I was thinking you were talking about a stray puppy. But the shaking silver web has me wondering whether my guess was correct or not.
Not exactly a puppy, but you weren’t far off, Prathima! Thank you. 🙂
OMG ! This idea is fantastic 🙂 The viewpoint of the narration is awesome 🙂 Though I thought it was a dog, when you said bits, scrap and cakes 😀
Not exactly a dog, but you weren’t far off, Sreeja! Thank you. 🙂
that last line was downright eerie! sent chills down my spine
Thanks, Gauri!
This is so sad.
Thanks, Janaki!
absolutely brilliant. i loved it
Thanks, Nithya.
At first, I thought this would be similar to Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle.. but this turned out to be less sinister
Yeah. Kind of, but she wouldn’t see it that way, Bawa 😉
You are getting better with each story!
That was creepy, scary and brilliantly written!!
nicely done Leo! 😀
Thank you, Pixie 🙂 I’m glad you liked it, and that you got my post.
That is sad. Last line made me equally helpless 🙁
Thanks, Afshan.
Hmmm…is this a spider and fly analogy?!
That’s the less sinister way to look at the post, yes.
Thanks, Roshni.
Ouch, I could feel the helplessness. Its the worst situation to be in when you scream an no one can hear you.
I love your blog’s name, mine is called ‘Life Of Leo’ 😀
Glad you liked the post, Soumya!
Nice to meet a fellow Leo then 🙂 Welcome.
errr dont blame me but iw as hoping the ‘she’ in it will turn out tobe a mongrel!
wasn’t a mongrel 🙂 more of a fly. 😛
Thanks Mins.
Whoa helplessness is something that always scared me :'( helpless situations are hopeless!! A brilliant post Leo 🙂
Helplessness is always scary, and something that’s very difficult to adjust to. I’d even say impossible at times.
Thank you, Sri.
Brilliantly woven story, though it did pain me a lot. One, she doesn’t get to eat, two he uses her biggest need to lure her into his trap 🙁
Yes. The prey doesn’t suspect anything because it is her biggest need, nourishment. 🙁 Thank you, Ishi.
Leo well done! Loved your execution of the story… Though I thought this was a stray puppy/dog but I think I’m mistaken.
Not mistaken by a long way perhaps, Aditi. It can be interpreted as a spider and fly 🙂
Thanks, and glad you loved the execution of the story! Cheers!
Oh god! So much helplessness in real life. Don’t really like to read about it in fiction 🙁 and that you should take as a compliment because it really scared me 🙁
The fly would agree with being scared too Ghata.
Thanks for the compliment 🙂
Gruesome end but narrated with such finesse! I bow to your greatness 🙂
Yes Shailaja. Gruesome for the fly 🙁 Glad you like the finesse. Thanks.
*Shudders* I don’t want to be that fly ever.
Just avoid the spiders, Pooja 🙂
Very well brought out the helplessness.
The lucky* day proved to be tragic for the girl !
Yes. Unfortunate that was, Sims!
If spider, then nicely done. If it is something beyond that talks about the sad state of affairs…..it breaks my heart. And no matter how much we might talk about moving forward, I think we are going around in circles. I hope those spiders get caught in their own web…………..someday! Missed reading your posts. Catching up now. 🙂
It can be either way I guess, Vinita. I wrote imagining the spider and the fly as the ending. But then again, the sad state of affairs is somewhat like the spider and the fly itself, unfortunately. I too hope those spiders get caught in their own web.
I’ve to catch up on yours too. Will do it soon 🙂