The one word prompt from Five Sentence Fiction this week was ‘orange’.
I’d always hated the colour orange, associated as it was with all that had been painful in my life.
As a child I’d been cursed with what was referred to as red hair, a euphemism for the explosion of wiry orange curls that sprang out at all angles from my head as if trying to escape from the wilful, bad-tempered child that lurked beneath.
There’d been the orange glow of the fire that had destroyed our home, long tongues of flame licking at the doors and windows, seeping out of the roof tiles, destroying all that stood in its way until eventually it subsided to a malevolent orange heap of ash, still pulsating with a life of its own as we picked through the wreckage of our belongings.
And now I lay in the wreckage of my car, conscious of the weight pinning my legs against the seat, the ticking of the still-warm engine, eyes fixed on the orange glow of the ignition light, wondering if I could hold out until someone, anyone, ventured along this deserted moorland road to summon help for me.
And then I saw it, the most wonderful colour I’d ever seen, edging purposefully through the darkness, down the grassy slope to the hollow where I lay in wreckage of my car – the blessed orange glow of the hazard vests belonging to my rescuers.
Orange you glad you let her live? (Nice five sentences, Sandra.)
Aloha,
Doug
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I’m unwilling to kill my characters off – I need to use them again. 😉 Thanks for commenting Doug.
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You always evoke such lovely feeling with your work, Sandra. I especially like the change in emotion from one orange to the next…and the build-up of tension between the ignition light and the vests is really rather beautiful.
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Thank you! Glad you liked it.
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Oh, this is terrific!! I love the progression of the paragraphs, how the character’s associations with the color evoke our empathy, so that the final phrase (‘blessed orange glow of the hazard vests’) comes as a surprise and joy!! Wonderful!! 🙂
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Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
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Nicely done–great imagery, tension…blessed conclusion!
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Thank you, I was nearly stumped by this prompt.
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You already know that I look forward to your 5 sentence fiction entries – and this was no exception! Really enjoy the way you are able to set the scene and the emotion of completely unusual stories. Never cliche. Well done :))
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Thanks Jo-Anne, I always appreciate your comments.
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I loved the connections throughout…lovely!
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Thanks Lisa, pleased you enjoyed it.
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Hi Sandra: I felt so sorry for your poor character…thinking it was unlucky bad luck or some sort of Karma that had to be worked out…until the end with the rescuers orange vests…which seemed to break the bad Karma. Nice work as usual. Here’s mine: http://www.triplemoonstar.blogspot.com
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Thanks Lora. Off to yours now, internet connection willing. We’re afloat at the moment and on the odd occasion it works – it moves slowly! 😦
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A wonderful take on the prompt, Sandra. I especially loved the way the colour started out as being a curse, but by the end of the piece, your character welcomed the “blessed” orange glow!
http://writer-in-transit.co.za/f-s-f-orange/
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Thanks Michelle, glad you enjoyed it.
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Whew very strong writing – just as i would expect.Excellent!
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Thanks Gilly, appreciate your comments.
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There is a fine line line between love and hate. It’s all a matter of perspective. You consistently delight me with your five sentences!
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Glad you enjoyed it. Off to have a peek at your site.
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This orange haired person doesn’t seem to have the best of luck. At least it turned out to be the color that saved the day in the end.
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Thanks for commenting. 🙂
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Such good descriptions and a great transistion from hating orange to appreciation…all a matter of perspective.
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Love the images throughout this piece! I’m not a fan of orange for many reasons as well, but those orange vests, when in need, will no doubt be loved. Nice job 🙂
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