Sunday, September 23, 2007

Invent an Opposite

What is the opposite of a kiss?
What is the Opposite of green?
What is the opposite of a train?
What is the opposite of cake?
What is the opposite of a fence?
Now, use both the thing and its opposite in a story, poem or essay.

She could see the train coming up the track from a distance. She parked her bicycle against the pole and put the lock on it. He rode up on his bike and she couldn't look him in the eye, if she did, she knew she'd cry. He reached out to pull her face near his and she turned away to avoid a kiss. How could she share such intimacy in the last moments before she left him forever? She conisidered instigating a fight the day before. Maybe an argument would spark a rage and she could slap his face, pound her fists in his chest, scream and spit words of terror. Maybe this would make her leaving easier. No it wouldn't in the end. Nothing makes seperation easy. Not from someone you've allowed into your heart completely. She felt evil when she turned away. She knew he must feel rejected by her lack of eye contact and aloofness. As much as she hated to be that way, she had to protect herself from the shooting pain down her chest at the thought of this being the last time he'd see her, know where she was, what she was doing, how she was feeling. They would be strangers. To think he had no idea this was the end made it hard for her to breath. The night before, in that little Italian restaurant with candlelight and anniversary cake, she made a wish that he'd move on quickly once she was gone. That he wouldn't think of her everytime he ate cake at a birthday party or celebration, that he'd say, "No thank you, I'll take pie instead, I never was much of a cake lover." She looked at his dark green wool sweater, the one they used to fight over when it got really cold outside. She'd miss those little things they shared like clothes, coffee, music and books. She wrapped her brown scarf around her neck as the wind from the train picked up. She turned to say goodbye and he wasn't there. After settling down into a window seat, her tears began to fall as she looked out the window, she noticed him on the other side of a chain link fence. His arms stretched out wide open, grasping the metal tight enough to cut off his circulation. When their eyes met, they both knew it would be the last time.

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