Work In Progress
Winning Entry by jaguar
Work in Progress
Neither raw materials nor
completed projects, you fear us
becoming either of those things.
Or do you just fear us today?
No monetary value
- quite the opposite –
you laugh at our cost
but your eyes are bitter
about the money, the personal
prices paid. Are we too much?
Partially completed but looking
all wrong, no reflection
of your long-held expectation.
Who snuck this version of us in?
You don't approve of it.
Will we ever be accepted
into inventory? We’re all afoot,
well under way in false forms,
perils in the pipeline.
Might this be your fault?
Relentlessly ongoing,
we’re advancing, cutting-edge, in vogue,
up and running the other way,
realizing wretched selves.
You cry out our names, arms
out-stretched, spell-casting
and we turn, under revision kids
letting off steam before
we run home to you,
fit back in to the selves you knew.
Neither raw materials nor
completed projects, you fear us
becoming either of those things.
Or do you just fear us today?
No monetary value
- quite the opposite –
you laugh at our cost
but your eyes are bitter
about the money, the personal
prices paid. Are we too much?
Partially completed but looking
all wrong, no reflection
of your long-held expectation.
Who snuck this version of us in?
You don't approve of it.
Will we ever be accepted
into inventory? We’re all afoot,
well under way in false forms,
perils in the pipeline.
Might this be your fault?
Relentlessly ongoing,
we’re advancing, cutting-edge, in vogue,
up and running the other way,
realizing wretched selves.
You cry out our names, arms
out-stretched, spell-casting
and we turn, under revision kids
letting off steam before
we run home to you,
fit back in to the selves you knew.
Featured Entry by writerSYMWWJUSUS
Work in Progress
SHE awoke. Unable to move, bound by black restraints, they covered her pert breasts and olive skinned legs. She began to panic, hysteria overriding any rational thoughts. She was naked. A bright light above her caused her to tightly shut her eyes, she missed the feeling of familiar. She began to breathe slowly, all these possibilities of what had or was going to happen to her caused her to moan aloud. She turned to her right side, a wave of relief hit her. Her boyfriend's body in the exact same way as hers.
'Babe?' she whispered, fighting back the tears, begging for him to hear her pitiful cries. 'Babe, please oh God wake up!'
She began shaking, her whole body erupting into panicked shivering. She began attempting to pull at the restraints, every inch she moved the tighter they became. Her hands began to claw at the slab below her. Thats when he awoke, he looked confused, panicked and had fear engraved into his dark eyes. He looked over to his girlfriend, mute, unable to think of any words to make the situation plausible.
'Are you okay?', he gasped looking down to see his naked body. 'What the hell is going on?! Don't worry, listen to me were going to get out of here okay?'
She whimpered, 'I don't remember how we got here, I don't understand any of this.'
His eyes darted around the room trying to pick up any clue or hint of their location. That's when he saw it, a sign on the door, 'WORK IN PROGRESS.' He took a deep breath, visions of their bodies cut open with organs splayed next to him caused him to shout 'Goddamn it!' He pictured several scenarios, was this a serial killer? An apocolypse? Had they been drugged together?
He felt a sharp pang in his side, before yelling out in pain.
Thats when He entered, a man of maybe 35 years old, dark skin, deep eyes. He didn't speak, he just casually walked over to them. Expressionless. They both cowered, embarassed by their naked form and inability to cover themselves.
'Please don't hurt us, we promise not to tell anyone about this, honestly... Please, just unstrap us.'
She became alarmed as he picked up a clipboard and began ticking off on a list. 'What the hell is going on!?You evil evil man, let us go! We don't want to be part of your sadistic shit!'
Suddenly, the restraints loosened, he picked up the clipboard and walked out. She swore she could hear him laugh as he left the darkened room. She didn't have time to blink, before her boyfriend had grabbed her arm and lifted her up. She embraced him, skin on skin. A rush of euphoria hit her, like she had dodged death, reborn with a new passion for life, her love and herself.
'I love you Adam, but right now I'm so creeped out by this dude, we need to get back home.' He kissed her head, she always loved that. Taking her hand, she followed him through the exit picking up two sheets to cover their modesty on the way out.
The sunshine caused her to squint, but she had never appreciated the smell of fresh air at any time more than now. She took in her surroundings, it was like she was in a backyard, but an extremely wealthy backyard. Trees upon trees lined the sides, she could see a plentiful of wildlife, rivers, and greenery that filled her heart with warmth. 'This is beautiful' she whispered, turning to Adam who appeared enchanted by the various fish swimming in the river.
She became mixed with emotions and feelings all at once, hunger, pain, sadness, relief ran through her soft form. Turning, she saw tomatoes, potatoes and fruit growing from nature, she grabbed an apple, her mouth salivating at the thought of taking a bite.
Adam turned and shouted for her to stop, 'Wait, don't! We don't know where we are, there could be poison!'
Her heart longing to take the sweet liquid, but her mind repeating Adam's statement. 'It's okay Adam' she said, her mouth open, gripping down on the apple.
'EVE!' Adam cried.
Crunch
SHE awoke. Unable to move, bound by black restraints, they covered her pert breasts and olive skinned legs. She began to panic, hysteria overriding any rational thoughts. She was naked. A bright light above her caused her to tightly shut her eyes, she missed the feeling of familiar. She began to breathe slowly, all these possibilities of what had or was going to happen to her caused her to moan aloud. She turned to her right side, a wave of relief hit her. Her boyfriend's body in the exact same way as hers.
'Babe?' she whispered, fighting back the tears, begging for him to hear her pitiful cries. 'Babe, please oh God wake up!'
She began shaking, her whole body erupting into panicked shivering. She began attempting to pull at the restraints, every inch she moved the tighter they became. Her hands began to claw at the slab below her. Thats when he awoke, he looked confused, panicked and had fear engraved into his dark eyes. He looked over to his girlfriend, mute, unable to think of any words to make the situation plausible.
'Are you okay?', he gasped looking down to see his naked body. 'What the hell is going on?! Don't worry, listen to me were going to get out of here okay?'
She whimpered, 'I don't remember how we got here, I don't understand any of this.'
His eyes darted around the room trying to pick up any clue or hint of their location. That's when he saw it, a sign on the door, 'WORK IN PROGRESS.' He took a deep breath, visions of their bodies cut open with organs splayed next to him caused him to shout 'Goddamn it!' He pictured several scenarios, was this a serial killer? An apocolypse? Had they been drugged together?
He felt a sharp pang in his side, before yelling out in pain.
Thats when He entered, a man of maybe 35 years old, dark skin, deep eyes. He didn't speak, he just casually walked over to them. Expressionless. They both cowered, embarassed by their naked form and inability to cover themselves.
'Please don't hurt us, we promise not to tell anyone about this, honestly... Please, just unstrap us.'
She became alarmed as he picked up a clipboard and began ticking off on a list. 'What the hell is going on!?You evil evil man, let us go! We don't want to be part of your sadistic shit!'
Suddenly, the restraints loosened, he picked up the clipboard and walked out. She swore she could hear him laugh as he left the darkened room. She didn't have time to blink, before her boyfriend had grabbed her arm and lifted her up. She embraced him, skin on skin. A rush of euphoria hit her, like she had dodged death, reborn with a new passion for life, her love and herself.
'I love you Adam, but right now I'm so creeped out by this dude, we need to get back home.' He kissed her head, she always loved that. Taking her hand, she followed him through the exit picking up two sheets to cover their modesty on the way out.
The sunshine caused her to squint, but she had never appreciated the smell of fresh air at any time more than now. She took in her surroundings, it was like she was in a backyard, but an extremely wealthy backyard. Trees upon trees lined the sides, she could see a plentiful of wildlife, rivers, and greenery that filled her heart with warmth. 'This is beautiful' she whispered, turning to Adam who appeared enchanted by the various fish swimming in the river.
She became mixed with emotions and feelings all at once, hunger, pain, sadness, relief ran through her soft form. Turning, she saw tomatoes, potatoes and fruit growing from nature, she grabbed an apple, her mouth salivating at the thought of taking a bite.
Adam turned and shouted for her to stop, 'Wait, don't! We don't know where we are, there could be poison!'
Her heart longing to take the sweet liquid, but her mind repeating Adam's statement. 'It's okay Adam' she said, her mouth open, gripping down on the apple.
'EVE!' Adam cried.
Crunch
Featured Entry by Seeking Wolf
Work in Progress
This work of mourning
is like the combing
of my cat’s long coat.
Beneath her halo of hair
lie layer upon layer
of felted armour.
I cannot touch her skin
or tell where it begins.
Cautiously, quiet times,
I go in , slow and gentle -
teasing out tangles
of the wadded weight
around the secret heart ,
holding at bay the hurt
and the long nightmare.
The new strands may be healed;
I comb before they weld
to what I keep in wraps-
that whole deep ugly bundle of dead thoughts.
I dream my losses through the endless nights
I comb my patient cat.
She rarely cries.
This work of mourning
is like the combing
of my cat’s long coat.
Beneath her halo of hair
lie layer upon layer
of felted armour.
I cannot touch her skin
or tell where it begins.
Cautiously, quiet times,
I go in , slow and gentle -
teasing out tangles
of the wadded weight
around the secret heart ,
holding at bay the hurt
and the long nightmare.
The new strands may be healed;
I comb before they weld
to what I keep in wraps-
that whole deep ugly bundle of dead thoughts.
I dream my losses through the endless nights
I comb my patient cat.
She rarely cries.
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