IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!
Vecteezy
It gnawed at my innards in the middle of the night,
forcing me to keep awake, my eyes staring as if they had been prised open with
matchsticks. The shudder of the curtain in the translucent light that streamed
in faintly through the window, accompanied by the sigh of the material scraping along the frame, made me shudder in empathy. Was it midnight yet, or the
witching hour of 3 am, when shadows loomed and phantoms danced with their own
rhythm? Who or what was the monster that kept me awake all night as I
desperately counted sheep and did exercises to ease my aching muscles?
The silence of the night grew unbearably loud as all
kinds of dreadful thoughts whizzed through my mind. What if I had lost my
powers? Powers that had made me different from all others… powers that I had
honed from a young age! I felt like Superman would have felt had he been
subjected to Kryptonite – innervated and powerless!
The moon beams streaming in seemed to mock at me. “Lost your
power, have you? What will you do now?” they whispered eerily. I pulled the
soft duvet over my head trying to shut their whispers out. Please, please, let
this be a nightmare, my mind screamed soundlessly.
At 4 am, I threw off the duvet, and sat up, my mind made
up. I padded across the room, making my way to the kitchen cupboard where a
packet of Lays chips lay, winking at me in the dim light. Grabbing a bottle of
water along with the chips, I crept back to my room, taking care not to wake up
my parents. My mother would be incensed if she saw me snacking at night. I
would have to replace the packet of Lays; she counted every packet that lay
within the larder as though it contained gems. Along with the generous quantity
of air within as well!
As I crunched on the chips (no one can eat just one!), I felt a cold lick on my ankle. I looked into the imploring eyes of our adorable Labrador, Sterling, who could sleep through the noisiest thunderstorm, but could sense the crunch of a crisp chip from a mile away. He grinned at me, tongue lolling out, and my treacherous heart melted at the expression in his limpid brown eyes.
In five minutes, the packet was empty and both of us pleasantly full. Sterling went back to the corner from where he had emerged, having lost interest in sitting by me. The study lamp flickered for a split second, went out and came on again. A sudden calm came over me. I could sense a surge in my sagging spirits. It was the moment I had been praying for.
I pulled out a blank sheet of paper from the drawer of
the desk, and arranged my set of coloured pens alongside it. Sterling cocked
his head, and sauntered back to my side. A gulp of water, a pat on Sterling’s
soft head, and my mind kick-started itself. My superpower was on its way back,
thank the Lord!
As ideas crowded my brain, I picked up my favourite
turquoise blue pen, my signature colour, and scribbled a few words on the blank
sheet… pretty, turquoise blue gem like drops that pirouetted their way across
the pristine page –
…and that’s when I knew I was writing again.
Mountain of Ink
'
https://www.theblogchatter.com
This post is also part of 'Real and Rhythm Blog Hop' hosted by
Such an engaging and intriguing read! I thought it was going to be a spooky story. :)
ReplyDeleteThe way you described the hush of midnight....I could almost feel the quiet wrap around me like a soft blanket. I loved how your thoughts wandered from moonlit memories to the subtle ache of unspoken fears and then flipped to a kind of hopeful morning light without ever losing that stillness.
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ReplyDeleteThat was so deceptive of you and what clever writing too! We know your superpowers are very much intact with the way you wrote this piece!!
ReplyDeleteSo Lays can ignite the lulled superpowers ?
Ah the horror of not being able to write but wanting to write and then that dam breaking and words flooding out - this was such an evocative scene Deepti!
ReplyDeleteAh, I was listening to the crunch of Lays chips against the gentle moon beams when came the "pretty, turquoise blue gem like drops that pirouetted their way across the pristine page."
ReplyDeleteThe words and the way they flow cast a magic spell. More spellbinding than Sterling sharing your chips at the unearthly hour when the Moon peeped down. The imagery of the turquoise blue pen, pirouetting across the pristine page, is sheer poetry.
ReplyDeleteI was anticipating a horror story when Instarted reading but it was intriguing, perhaps the horror of loosing words. It was such an engaging read. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWow — this felt so raw and real. Your words painted that haunting midnight space between longing and loneliness so beautifully. Thank you for sharing such a vulnerable moment
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely post Deepti ma'am! Losing the power to write is certainly the stuff of horror for all of us writers!
ReplyDeleteLove the description! Such a lovely story! Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful colour of the ink! And the crunch of Lay's now has me looking for my packet of chips.
ReplyDeleteThe silence at midnight and the way you have narrated is absolutely amazing!
ReplyDeleteI love that colour. I can relate to the times when the thoughts just keep flowing and when sometimes I just don't feel like writing anything. Nice story.
ReplyDeleteThis piece captures that familiar dread of losing one’s creative spark, but wraps it in humour and warmth. The night feels eerie and dramatic, yet your wit — the guarded Lays packet, Sterling’s snack-sensing superpowers — keeps it charmingly real.
ReplyDeleteThe turning point comes quietly: a flicker of light, a surge of calm, and the turquoise pen dancing again. The ending lands with a soft triumph, reminding the reader that inspiration never truly leaves — it simply hides until dawn.
How sweet. Chips, though bad for health, have changed my mood many a time too. It was good to know that I wasn't the only one in this crime state. :D It does work out well at times.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written and kept me on the edge of my seat. I was expecting something horror-related, but was pleasantly surprised by the twist.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I thought it was going to be a spooky story but then I was blown to read the twist. Loved it. - Swarnali Nath
ReplyDeleteThis story made me feel spooky, smile all at the same time. What a riveting story you have narrated Ma'am !
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting read, beginning with a spooky feel and finally leading towards the unruly hunger pangs - it had me hooked.
ReplyDeleteLoved the description at the beginning and the sense of dread. Yep, eveything felt real and raw, the chips packet and the late night writing sessions, can so relate to this. Thank you for writing this so descriptively.
ReplyDeleteI loved how you turned a creative block into a midnight adventure with chips, moonlight, and Sterling. Your storytelling sparkles; by the end, your “superpower” truly feels reborn.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly cast a spell with your words, leaving me craving for Lays chips now! 😋
ReplyDelete'she counted every packet that lay within the larder as though it contained gems. Along with the generous quantity of air within as well!' Lol... I guess that your mother's superpower if yours is writing :D
ReplyDeleteThis is so charming, universal agony of writer's block, it's more like a creator/superhero losing their power. Been there, done that. I switch genres to avoid my void, more into exploration, like a foreigner in our land. Though we found our superpower reinstalled, it's always a new add-on power. Great writeup!
ReplyDeleteVery intense storytelling; I could almost see it playing in front of my eyes. And oh, the secret fear of losing all the powers...sometimes, these ARE real...Enjoyed your post, Deepti.
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