Tied
A Story Every Day in 2024 Nov 26th 340/366
Dave's head felt like a tribal dance was taking place inside it. He let out a groan as consciousness returned to him and his limbs remembered that they could move. His face felt like it contained lots of tiny splinters and his shoulders felt unnaturally high. He tried to move them forward to lift himself from where he was lying and found that he couldn't.
He felt dazed. He had no idea where he was. He was cold. Why couldn't he move his arms? He tried to focus on the surface on which he was lying but struggled to see anything but grey. His eyes didn't want to cooperate. Was he lying on rock? Why couldn't he move his arms? He closed his eyes. Things were starting to feel less fuzzy. He let his face rest on the ground. Oh, my head! he thought. He could feel it throbbing, high, near the crown. He tried to keep his head lifted but in this position, the strain on his neck was monumental. He was reminded of a seal and let out a snort of derisive laughter.
Gradually, his senses were starting to tune in to his environment. He was outdoors. He must have fallen and hit his head. Had he gone for a walk? Somewhere stony? Was he on his own? He was struggling to recollect anything.
Perhaps if he could roll over? He might be able to see more and gauge where he was and what he could do to help himself. Gingerly, he moved his hands. They were tied, tight. The ache in his shoulders made him realise that he was not going to get very far. With a sigh, he lowered his head gently back to the floor. Small stones buried themselves in his cheek. He was very uncomfortable.
Could he use his legs? He thought he could...If only his head didn't hurt as much and feel so heavy.
He was about to attempt a roll, digging the toes of his boots into the ground when he found himself in shadow.
He couldn't move enough to see who it was.
"Hello?" he offered. "Can you help me?"
A voice answered: "And why should we?"
***
366 words
This started here:
Yesterday's here:
Full list here:
About the Creator
Keep reading
More stories from Rachel Deeming and writers in Fiction and other communities.
What to believe?
"I don't know what to believe," Christine finished. "The only things that I can't reconcile to what I thought I knew of my husband are the camera and the vision of him with his hands around your throat. I'll never, never, be able to erase that. Never."
By Rachel Deemingabout a year ago in Fiction
FPS: The Last Flame Challenge Winners
Welcome to our first Winners Announcement of the year and to the final challenge in the Fall Poetry Series. The Last Flame invited writers to sit with endings, using fire as a central image to consider what remains when something burns out: ash, warmth, memory, silence, or the faint promise of what comes next. The strongest pieces treated endings as gradual rather than sudden, allowing them to flicker, dim, and linger.
By Vocal Curation Team5 days ago in Resources
Comments (16)
Yes!! What a great response to his question!
Aha, so the women now are working together. Loving this!
Oops! “He was about to attempt a roll, digging the toes of his boots into the ground“… maybe straight into the quarry!😳
The AUDACITY to ask for help!!
Rd- Was in the Boy Scouts~Had pretied knot slipovers~Was in the Navy~had pretied ties hanging in our locker- recently gifted a neck warmer-wrap scarf; still trying to figure it out..! See how your schtick brings out the silly in me. j-bud/with knots in my head - So rope me up..!
Always on tenterhooks over here! Should have kicked him in the quarry whe they had the chance.
I feel that he might sway them into releasing him if they let him talk too much... but I wouldn't like such an outcome at all!
Oh that is creepy!
Read this as a stand alone, and it was great!
Oh I think they should help him -into the back seat of a police car.
I’m not coming up with any reasons to help him either.
Yeah, why should they?
I echo Shirley. They can work on their own and encourage people to read on.
I love how each of these stories are a stand alone piece and our imagination can flare in all directions!
I think he may have wished he was still unconscious
And why should we? Ha! That’s a brilliant last line. I hope Dave is about to get his just desserts. Great stuff Rachel. Be interested to know how many words you’re up to now - you must be cracking round to novel length. Just saying!!