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Discarded, Without Purpose

Gentle Content Warning - grimness abounds.

By Paul StewartPublished 2 years ago β€’ 3 min read
Top Story - January 2024
Discarded, Without Purpose
Photo by Amr Tahaβ„’ on Unsplash

Memories are fickle things it seems for humans at the best of times, so you can only imagine how unreliable they are for something like me.

I am not sure when I first found myself separated from you, from your warm and calming grip. But, I know the sharp pain of rejection. There was the inevitable wait and hope you'd decide you needed me still, that you were going to help me get what I lusted after. Help me feed the addiction you helped develop in me.

But, alas you did not return.

Did you not realise that in forcing me to participate in your schemes, in all your nightmarish fantasies that I would get a taste for it? The familiarity and soothing salve that came from the juices that coated my skin when you used me so forcibly?

That bitter stench, filled me with contentment, as you breathed in the acrid aroma and felt that release you needed. I always felt you judged yourself too harshly.

Until you discarded me.

I always believed you were doing something good and important. That we were doing a most sacred work. While the greater population may not understand it. I did.

We were accomplishing great things...we were operating on the fringes of good and bad, purpose and reason, reality and fantasy, cause and effect and finding meaning in the darkness. We were slicing away at the societal structures that have been imposed on us for centuries.

Then...nothing.

How quickly you forget the pivitol role I played in your first forays into the decadence you sought out. How quickly you forget that without me, you'd be another wannabe...another restless soul without the backbone, without the balls to pierce through the veils of societal norms.

I remember it so vividly. The good times. The dark times. I guess they were both. When you took me as your own, groomed me and then used me.

God, it felt so good.

Despite the manipulation, despite the lack of consent. I loved the world through your eyes. I loved what you forced me to do, what you forced me to become.

I became greater than my purpose. I had purpose.

From the very first time, the very first hit, I was hooked. That sharp feeling, the piercing, the blood. Opened up a new type of living to me. It was intoxicating. A refreshing release.

As you inhaled with lust, I felt a rush come over me, a beautiful numbing.

I was always a little jealous when you would switch to something else instead of me. But was then reassured when you used me to finish the job.

It was like I was your signature.

You've discarded so many of my compatriots in the past.

I felt special. The amount of care and attention you gave me. The hushed joy you seemed to take in cleaning me up afterwards, compared to the lack of attention you gave others, was everything.

Then I was nothing.

I miss the care and attention you gave me, the way you bathed me and stroked me. The way you soothed the deep darkness in me, the way you got exactly how I felt. We both experienced so much together.

Then I was nothing.

You can't do that. You can't show me the world and the possibilities it holds. Your world, your ideas. Your plans. You can't introduce me to all that and take it away. The opportunities and get me hooked on the exhileration and then take it away like it was nothing.

You broke me.

Now I lie here, useless and alone. Without the fix I need. Without your touch, the firm embrace of your grip around my body. Without the thing I lust for. The thing you taught me was everything.

You discarded me like one of your ladies. In this dusty crawlspace. My curse is that my death will be a slow and gradual one.

Perhaps someone will find me some day, perhaps someone will put me to good use, as you did before you abandoned me. Perhaps they will bathe me afterwards and stroke me to soothe me.

Nothing will be the same again, though.

Nothing could be better than the time I spent with you.

Nothing could be better than everything we achieved.

The next you is just a pretender to the throne.

A copycat.

*

Thanks for reading!

Author's Notes: Yeah. What happens to a knife when it's no longer used. For something lighter or at least, less horrorish:

You can also check out the rest of my work here.

HorrorMysteryPsychologicalShort Story

About the Creator

Paul Stewart

Award-Winning Writer, Poet, Scottish-Italian, Subversive.

The Accidental Poet - Poetry Collection out now!

Streams and Scratches in My Mind coming soon!

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Comments (28)

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  • Test2 years ago

    Superior effort! Keep the outstanding workβ€”congrats!

  • Test2 years ago

    I loved this Paul!! It sparked an interesting idea that I hope I have time to pursuit... πŸ˜… But I loved the intensity and pacing of this!! It was so well written, thought out and executed!! Brilliant job as always Paul!!

  • Babs Iverson2 years ago

    Horrific!!! Congratulations on Top Story!!!πŸ’•β€οΈβ€οΈ

  • Lamar Wiggins2 years ago

    Back to say congrats, best of luck in the challenge.

  • tarun bhatt2 years ago

    Wow, I could never imagine. Someone can be this creative with a knife

  • Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! πŸŽ‰πŸ’–πŸŽŠπŸŽ‰πŸ’–πŸŽŠ

  • Reiley2 years ago

    Excellent job, Paul, and congratulations on Top Story! You truly gave the knife such a crazed voice. I loved this so much!

  • Cathy holmes2 years ago

    That was a fabulous take on the challenge. Well done and congrats on the TS.

  • D.K. Shepard2 years ago

    Dangerously dark and superbly composed! Congrats!

  • sleepy drafts2 years ago

    Woah!! What a killer first line (pun intended, heh.) This was amazingly done. I loved, "It was like I was your signature." Provocative, poetic, and chilling. This piece is positively masterful.

  • D. J. Reddall2 years ago

    Pretty sharp!

  • Really cultivating a niche on here between this one and your psychopath POV piece, aren't we? Ironically, I also thought about going the route of "murder weapon" when I first read the challenge prompt. Instead, I settled on something much lighter and less existentially alarming πŸ˜‰ The real question is, was our protagonist discarded because its wielder was finally satisfied? Or have they simply moved onto another tool of the trade πŸ‘€πŸ‘€

  • Heather Hubler2 years ago

    I felt the darkness and the craving and the almost manic need throughout. I knew it was the knife, but you painted such an incredible scene that it didn't matter. Bravo, very well done, sir :) And congrats on top story.

  • RP2 years ago

    This is incredible.

  • L.C. SchΓ€fer2 years ago

    Could be another winner here Paul 😁🀞

  • I love the narration and voice of this story. It was written so smoothly. Hooks the reader right from the start. Nice Paul

  • JBaz2 years ago

    Congratulations buddy

  • Bex Jordan2 years ago

    "The next you is just a pretender to the throne." This was SUCH a thrilling story, and this line gave me legitimate chills. Excellent work, sir!

  • Kendall Defoe 2 years ago

    Rather cutting and sharp!

  • Lamar Wiggins2 years ago

    Ha! You got me!!! lol. I, of course expected it be drugs hoping for a relapse of its favorite addict. Good one!

  • I never once suspected a knife, Paul. I should have known better. Or paid attention to the picture up top, lol.

  • Despite your content warning, cover pic and authors notes, I still think you've written about a dildo 🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣 But I loved that it's a knife!

  • Rachel Deeming2 years ago

    Blimey. The voice of a serial killer's knife. Very dark indeed. Pun coming: excellently executed.

  • Hannah Moore2 years ago

    This was good, so well crafted, but I have to admit that I did not enjoy it!

  • Dana Crandell2 years ago

    I wondered just how benign its adventures might have been until I read, "crawlspace." Now I wonder how many crime sleuths are searching for it. Well done, sir!

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