Despair

4 posts
Random avatar
Gender None specified
Points 1385
Reviews 16
Warning: I believe it might be slightly shocking. Was not in a happy place when I wrote this so read at your own discretion.


“There’s definitely beauty,” he said, scrutinizing its every detail, “I’ll give you that.” His long black hair drooped backwards and parted, as he lifted his head to see the top part, as if it were a cascade of shadow. The action revealed his face. Utter perfection. A form of beauty that combined both male and female. He could be either. It was absolutely disgusting. I almost couldn’t bear my sudden urge to wretch. Wretch and cover him from head to toe in the very liquid that my stomach would refute. That’s what he was. A refute.
“What will you call it?” he asked me, his genuine smile almost giving me diarrhoea.
“Despair.” I replied. I knew he wouldn’t like it. Part of me enjoyed that.
“It’s a bit cliché isn’t it? You can do better.” There it was. That condescending glint in his eye. The one that would make me want to kill him.
I didn’t reply. I knew I could do better. He didn’t have to tell me that. I just said it so he would realise that it was him in the painting. Him, hanging himself. I drew his utterly disgusting perfection, and painted with black so dark it would consume his image. He’d be unrecognisable in death because he didn’t deserve an identity in life. And it’d be pitiless, his death. There was no room for remorse. It was the right thing to do, killing himself. The universe wanted it: it cascaded into the painting showing that everything is right. He hung himself as was meant to be. Everybody would rejoice.
Actually, on the other hand, it’d be better if they wouldn’t! That would mean that they recognised his existence! He didn’t deserve that recognition! He didn’t deserve anything! He had to die alone and be forgotten instantly. It had to be as if he was dead all along. It had to be as if he had never been born.
That’s when I stopped breathing and could no longer see my reflection in the mirror.
Pieces of People: 42,044 words. Only 57,956 to go :D




User avatar
Gender Female
Points 2923
Reviews 37
Hello.

As a person who appreciates writing with a dark edge, (one of my favorite books is the Bell Jar, afterall) I quite enjoyed this. I felt the contempt your character has for this perfect being. I also think you set up the mood nicely, definitely got that sense of darkness.

Couple things, I found the exclamation points towards the end of your piece a little jarring, I feel like periods would be better. Can not explain exactly why, it might just be a case of personal preference more than anything else.

Also, I really liked your last line, it's haunting and gives a lasting impression. However, it does seem a bit disconnected from the rest of the piece. You mention a mirror for the first time, and all of the sudden your MC can't breath. As of yet, I am not sure how this connects with the your MC's hatred of this man.

Thanks for the read & best of luck,
Audrey
"I've never told a lie, and that makes me a liar
I've never made a bet, but we gamble in desire
I've never lit a match with intent to start a fire,
But recently the flames are getting out of control"




User avatar
Gender Female
Points 2401
Reviews 62
Wow...you weren't kidding about the darkness. The twist at the end made the story twice as good, though.
Good grammar, though the exclamation points at the end seemed like a bit much to me.
I feel like you went really, really deep for this piece, and I think you reached your goal. My eyes kept widening as I kept reading. Good job. Dark, but good job.
Keep writing!
"Forget love. I'd rather fall in chocolate."




User avatar
Gender Female
Points 14688
Reviews 193
I quite liked this but it wasn't as dark as expected. Very self-deprecating though. It's too short for me to really say anything tangible about it. It was definitely well written, and you show the MC's hate from him/her -self very vividly which was impressive. I also like the way you wrote the end. It was a bit of a twist which was great.

Hope this helped,

Anger :D
Dont tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of light on broken glass.

Anton Chekov



But there was no goat man, there was NEVER any goat man!
— OSP Red