The concept of #WritingPromptWednesday (Or #WPW) came up as a way to provide a level of continued inspiration. Each week, providing a single prompt toward a short story, poem, or other creative piece to help foster creativity. This first Writing Prompt centred around the concept of Sunrise.
So I have decided to start a new theme, which will hopefully work toward a few things. Firstly, the biggest thing is to give me a bit of creative outlet away from the books and “important” work that I have to get done. Second, I am hoping to engage with other people and start to share ideas and work together. And third, I just want to get back into some habits of posting regularly on here again!
Hence: #WritingPromptWednesday or #WPW (According to Urban Dictionary, this already stands for “White People Wasted,” or “Wasted Pic Wednesday,” so neither of these really seem that high-minded that I need to worry about there being confusion on this).
So my first Writing Prompt Wednesday started with this thought:
Sunrise on the Last Day.
Sounds fun, right? Click through the link below to read what I came up with, and if you want to use this prompt for your own piece of creativity, leave a comment with what you’ve done with it!
I should warn, whilst I’ve not really pushed it too far (by most standards, at least), there is a bit of adult-themed writing here, so if you’re at all uncomfortable with this, please be advised in advance, and read ahead of your own volition.
The sun was rising on the final day.
Waking to the wash of the tide over the sand outside the window was something that Jason could imagine doing for the rest of the life.
Actually, the entire week had been something that he could imagine doing for the rest of his life.
Through slightly blurry eyes, Jason tried to gather his focus; his gaze settled on the form lying beside him. Her soft breathing was slightly out of time with the rhythmic shuffling of the waves outside; her dark hair splashed across the pillow, body half curled away from him. Jason reached out and caressed her exposed shoulder.
The sun was beginning to stream through the windows of the cabin, and he felt her stir under his touch, a gentle groan slipping from between those soft lips. She shifted, nestling back against him, dragging his arm down to rest on her stomach. He tightened his grasp, pulling her tightly against him, pressing against her.
“Mmm,” She whispered.
Alice tilted her head back, and Jason’s lips found hers. His skin warmed against hers, his free hand moving slowly over her stomach and thighs. She turned again, rolling onto her back and Jason softly shifted his weight above her. His lips tracing along her jawline and across her neck, tasting the faint hint of salt in the mist that was shimmering over her skin.
Their bodies came together, interlocking in the mutual desire to draw these last moments of the week out for as long as possible. Their slow lovemaking drowned out everything else around them, the knowledge that the real world awaited them in the latter parts of the day. For just a few more precious moments the entire universe stretched no further than where they were right there and then. Pure. Pristine. Perfection.
And then the sound of the waves once more began to creep into their privacy. The same sunlight that had blessed every memory made over the last week now filled the room like an alarm clock ringing too early. The world would not give them forever.
Jason gazed down into her deep green eyes, taking in every detail of her face in that moment, the smile across her lips as she met his gaze, the curve of her cheekbones and jaw, the soft lines of her nose, and the dishevelled placement of her hair in the wake of their love.
“What?” She asked, a smile crossing her lips.
“I could stay here forever.” He replied, leaning down and kissing her softly.
“I wish we could.” She said, a touch of sadness filtering into her gaze.
He felt her fingertips gently tracing his cheek, and as her touch found his lips, he kissed them with feather light touch. A deep sigh escaped unwittingly, shattering what was left of their dream.
They showered together; again, drawing the moment out as far as they could. There was time left for a final walk on the beach before they had to checkout from the resort, and they allowed the sand to creep between their toes and the salt water to wash over their feet as they created one more memory together.
“Who’d have thought we’d actually end up here?” Alice asked, squeezing his hand tightly, her eyes gazing out over the Pacific Ocean.
“Right?” Jason replied, “It was worth it in the end.”
Alice’s green eyes turned up to face his, and she nestled her head into his shoulder. They paused, letting the waves wrap around their ankles, and the soft sand began to envelope their feet.
It had been a week that had been twenty years in the making. As teenage sweethearts they had leaned against the hood of his car, staring into the night sky, talking about the day that they would run away to Hawaii together to surf and swim the days away. It was exactly what they’d done, finally. Jason observed his reflection in Alice’s pupils; there were more lines on his face now, and a few hints of grey had begun to show up in his beard.
In her eyes, there was a glimmer of deep happiness, something that had gradually found its way back into her gaze over the course of the last week they’d been able to spend together. The innocence, though, was gone from all those years ago, the glint in her eyes was different now, older, wiser, more jaded than those days.
And now it was over.
“Can we just stay here?” She asked after a moment.
Jason rested his head on top of hers, wrapping his arms around her more tightly.
“It would be nice, wouldn’t it?” He said, “We should come back here again some day.”
“In another twenty years?”
“If that’s how long it takes, sure.”
He smiled at her, and they broke apart, beginning the journey back to the resort.
Before they could consider it too much more, they were in a taxi on the way to the airport. They rode in silence, fingers entwined in the back seat of the car, knowing that each mile the tires drove over was a mile closer to a reality that neither of them really wanted to go back to.
The energy at the airport suited the mood, as though they were not the only people waiting for flights that they didn’t really want to get on. Jason and Alice sat calmly at the gate lounge, her head resting on his chest, his hands gently stroking her hair, when the boarding call came.
Neither of them moved.
Around them, the rush of people began to queue, crammed one against the next like toothpaste trying to be pushed back into the tube. Alice and Jason watched as the lines dwindled, shrinking faster than either of them wanted them to. Finally, only a handful of people stood, waiting for their boarding passes to be checked.
“I guess I have to let you go now, don’t I.” Jason said.
Alice turned her face to his, and the glow was gone, replaced by a reflection of the cold airport lights in her tear-filled eyes.
“I don’t want you to,” She said.
Jason couldn’t speak, so he leaned down and kissed her as the final boarding call rang through the gate lounge. A number of others streamed past them, racing for the gate.
Tears streamed down both their faces as they held one another tightly, and then Alice’s name was being called over the PA system. Jason broke away, and held her gaze for one last, final glance.
“I love you.” He said, “Goodbye, Alice.”
Her mouth opened, but no words came out, and Jason guided her on her way toward the gate. He didn’t wipe the tears that coursed across his cheeks, and as she turned and looked back at him, he blew a kiss.
Then she was gone.
He stood at the window, staring out at the aeroplane that was taking Alice away from him again, and returning her back to her own husband and family. The memories they had made over the past week, now, were all that he had left to hold on to. Jason stayed there, staring out across the empty tarmac long after her plane had left, until he heard his own boarding call. It was time to say goodbye, and return to his own home, and his own family.