VisDare 25: Precarious
Write a 150-word story based on the visual prompt:
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| Photo Source |
She had hated piano lessons. Her older brother Robbie had learned to play and her mother assumed lessons would continue with the next child. After two years of agonizing scales and practice, Niki convinced her mother it was not her cup of tea, although gymnastics was an interest.
By age 10, she was doing backflips, somersaults in midair,
and happily competing with the school’s gymnastics team. Her favorite had been
the balance beam. Often she would practice walking on any four-inch surface or
as narrow a surface as she could find.
The piano, no longer being used, was moved to the
patio in the summer. Niki would annoy her brother by hopping onto the
keyboard and walking down the keys. Now
that she was gone, killed by a drunk driver a week before her fifteenth
birthday, Robbie often thought he heard the sound her toes made strolling along the keys.
Oh that's deep... It's also lovely to think that she is always there with him..xx
ReplyDeleteNice memories to hold onto...
ReplyDeleteSo very poignant and touching. It brought tears to my eyes.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your lovely comments, Rosalind, Lisa, and Ming. I had hoped hearing the sound would be viewed as comforting.
ReplyDeleteOh, poignant.
ReplyDeletegreat turn in the end - what a beautiful, yet painful memory to have after the death of a loved one.
ReplyDelete~Miriam
Thank you, Anna and Miriam. Appreciate the visit and comments.
ReplyDeleteA great idea to blend the piano with her loving gymnastics. A very sad ending, but that's a sweet memory the brother has of her.
ReplyDeleteHoly crow. You packed so much emotion and life into this one short vignette. Absolutely, powerfully gorgeous. Thank you for this one. And the way you played the photo into your entry is absolutely genius.
ReplyDeleteWow, Angela...thank you! Am so honored by your comments. And thank you for the lovely tweet!
DeleteLove the way you used this prompt - the combination of gymnastics and piano keyboard was lovely. Very sad ending.
ReplyDeleteWhat a heartbreaking dart you've made of that final line. How beautiful.
ReplyDeleteA tragic twist but beautifully written Maggie.
ReplyDeleteOh, I wasn't expecting that ending . . . how beautifully sad . . .
ReplyDelete