Thursday, April 15, 2010

Excerpt from "Edna's Longing"


From "Edna's Longing"
Copyright 2006, 2010 Jae El Foster

“Disgusting!” she fussed spitefully at herself. “Look at you! Look at yourself! You’re a monster, Edna… you’re an old, horrible monster!”
Slapping her hand to the mirror, she flung it to the floor and watched it shatter into hundreds of tiny, sharp pieces. Now, tears filled her hollow eyes and she retreated to the floor and onto her knees.
“Why?” she cried, rocking her body gently as the tears began to flow. “Why has this happened to me? What curse has been put on me to make me so… so hideous?” Sniffling now, she gained control of herself and began to stand. “One day… just one day… That’s all I ask. I want to be beautiful, just one more time… And then… and then I can die…”
Laughing a bit at how ridiculous the thought was, she shook her head sadly and smiled. She knew that her day had passed… she would never be beautiful again. She had become a plump, withered old woman, and she would die a plump, withered old woman. Nothing would change that; nothing could. Time was an enemy to the old. It marked the beginning of the end, and she knew that soon, her end would arrive. And when it did, she would still be old and ugly.
“Come, Magnum,” she said to the small brown Chihuahua that stood obediently by her feet. “It’s time for bed now. Momma’s not feeling so good…”
The dog whimpered in reply, shaking his tiny tail merrily. He lived for three things: meal time, walk time, and bedtime. Bedtime was his favorite, as he knew that, first thing in the morning, it would be meal time and walk time again. Hurriedly, he rushed ahead of her to the bedroom, where he hopped atop the bed and prepared himself for sleep.
“Lucky dog,” Edna groaned, following along behind him. “Fifteen years old and he still looks like he’s five…”
Hanging her robe from the hook on the door, she yawned tiredly and climbed into the bed, falling quickly asleep as Magnum snuggled up behind the crook of her legs.

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