Cocoon (Trifecta Writing Challenge Week 70, March 2013)

Keith Weston / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Her only glimpse of the outside world, and the way she marked the passage of time, was through a skylight in the ceiling of the room that had been her prison for years.

In the early days of her abduction, she’d scratched a notch on the wall each time darkness crept across the glass.  But once he’d discovered the markings he’d threatened to cover the skylight, so she tried to record the passing days in her head until eventually, confused, she’d given up.

Now she was motionless on the floor, back against the wall, studying the body lying in the open doorway.  His head was turned to one side, and a trickle of blood had dried on his unshaven jaw.

After years of tyranny, a couple of lucky coincidences had finally released her.  He’d been bringing her lunch, but much later than usual – one of the ways he loved to torment her.  One of the less unpleasant ways.

He’d unlocked the door, after swearing theatrically as he pretended that the key didn’t work.  Another one of his games.  Did he not realise how engaging the prospect of permanent entombment without food was to her?

Eventually giving up the pretence he’d flung open the door.  She’d flinched and he’d laughed.  Then, without warning, he’d dropped the tray, clutched his chest and slumped, banging his head against the doorframe.  Stillness.

When she’d dared, she’d scrabbled across the floor to salvage the bread and cheese that littered the floor, but she’d quickly returned to her usual place against the wall.

She’d no doubt now that he was dead – he hadn’t moved during four passages of the sun across her skylight, four veils of darkness obscuring the open doorway.

Behind him,  she’d watched the world turn.  Clouds passed, birds flew by and insects buzzed lazily, drawn by the corpse before her.  She heard lawnmowers, voices, cars passing and occasional police sirens.

It was over.

Yet still she waited, unable to seize her freedom.

Or perhaps unwilling.

The featured word/definition this week was ‘lucky’. 

LUCKY (adjective)

1: having good luck
2: happening by chance : fortuitous
3: producing or resulting in good by chance : favorable

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