Seeing

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54

“Oh, I’m sorry, sir!” She bent down and retrieved his glasses. She inspected them as she stood up, her breath misting gently across the clear surface. She immediately felt tired. “They’re not broken or scratched,” she constructed a relieved smile.

He barely glanced at her as he took them back, but she was not surprised. She knew that dismissive look. She had seen it plenty of times before. Because her face was too gaunt to be considered pretty. Her hair was thin and greying despite her age. Her eyes no longer held the life she had once felt so strongly.

She watched as he walked away, still talking on his phone, his white shirt crisp and bright, his leather shoes clicking importantly with every step.

“Did you do it?”

“I always do,” she replied without turning to look at the man who appeared at her side. She stumbled slightly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side.

“Good girl,” he kissed the top of her head. His lips were cold.

She remained still, used to his treatment.

“Let’s go,” he pulled her to his car.

She opened the door and sat down, immediately rolling the window down as she stared outside. She ignored his irritated glance.

The apartment building that they approached loomed with leering glass panels. She shivered despite the summer heat.

She did not bother rolling up the window as she exited the car. Her arms remained folded as they rode the elevator to the top floor.

The door recognized his fingerprint and allowed them into his apartment. And it was his apartment, not theirs. For he owned everything that she had.

Sharp edges and walls of glass glared as they entered. He pushed her towards the office, and she sat facing his desk. She picked up the notepad and pen. He sat in his chair and watched her, his eyes greedy.

Knowing better than to delay, she closed her eyes, and began to see. A screen flashed, a name, numbers. Her hand moved, a steady stream of red across the page.

She opened her eyes with a shudder as her hand trailed from the page. The pen dropped to the table and her hand fell to her lap. The world spun and she felt exhaustion creep in sluggish waves.

Her eyes drooped. She saw him take the pad, his smile cold, his mind already calculating. Soon, she knew, he would be millions richer, and a man would wake to find his accounts empty.

“Good work,” he praised.

She felt nauseated as she stared at his handsome face. At the lies behind his smile, behind his every word. The lies she had so foolishly trusted. The smile that had drunk in her deepest secret, one she had been so glad to finally share. The face that had been honest until it warped and its cruelty was revealed.

By then it was too late, the bars had fallen, and she knew that she would regret it for as long as she lived. Her only relief, she sighed as sleep lowered her eyes, was that it would not be too much longer. Her life drained as his greed grew and one day soon, she knew, she would be free.

—

Another in my series of Breath themed stories.

In no order:

Steam

Lunacy

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54 thoughts on “Seeing”

    • Thank you so much!!! Seriously, your words are so encouraging!

      I’m working on other projects that I do hope to publish. This blog also forces me to practice writing and to continually improve. Hopefully I’ll have a novel out there soon though! 😀

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  10. Wow. Here I just wandered over, expecting nothing and curious to check out your blog.

    You had me hooked from the very beginning! I love the subtle way you introduce concept of Breath — it’s not in your face or didactically explained, it’s just there, and it just fits.

    This was very engaging glimpse into a world I’d like to explore further. I’ll definitely be back.

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    • Thank you!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I try not to be too overt with my explanations. It’s fun to see how I can slip in ideas without outright telling too much :D.

      I hope you continue to enjoy my writing!

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  17. quite revealing, i’d say … as they all are … as everyone’s is …. i was gone for some moments in time but am back with some normalcy … there are words to read awaiting … please? ks

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  22. I like the way you observe small incidents in your characters’ lives to hint at their psychology. It gives your writing an intriguing depth. Do you write longer pieces too, maybe drama since you often let the dialogue convey much of the story?

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  24. Ha!! Anthology be blowed! This is worthy of a complete novel all of it’s own. I am envisioning so many twists and turns until she defeats him in a most delicious and painful way 😀

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