A TANGLE OF LIGHT 

By Tessa Harvey


    The sea was turbulent, awful. She was in a small boat being tossed up and over mountainous hissing waves, then descending down, down with a sick feeling in her stomach.
    Each time she fell down those towering steep waves, Elsie felt it would be her last. The fear of her partner, his mental and physical abuse faded in the terror of this storm.
    Ascending up yet another wave, lightning flickered so brightly it kept blinding the older woman, searing her sight, the roar of thunder like scores of trees cracking and falling. The sea seemed alive, shaking her as though it were a monstrous devouring predator. Clinging tightly to the small motorboat, she tried to start the engine. It refused even to sputter. Fear gripped her. She was so cold. It was numbing her body and mind. She cried soundlessly in the dream: "I don't want to drown."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
 A TANGLE OF LIGHT By Tessa Harvey         The road was awash with a seething mass of foam-flecked water. The ambulance lights stabbed through the darkness tinging the turgid flow with blue, red and gold.  Two paramedics slid out, fighting to keep their balance in the strong swirling torrent. With commendable efficiency, despite the appalling conditions, they checked the elderly lady, ascertained her condition and agreed she could be safely moved.     There wasn't much choice. To linger was impossible. They slid the stretcher bearing the unresponsive woman into the ambulance. The designated driver scrambled into the driver's seat, already drenched, shoes soaked. His partner, a woman, pulled Adrienne into the ambulance. She was in no condition to protest. Shocked and pale, trembling violently, she half-fell into a seat. The doors were hastily closed.     Easing some of the sodden clothes from her patient, the older health worker made the ...
Read more
Image
 A TANGLE OF LIGHT By Tessa Harvey     Adrienne gulped the last of her drink, scraped back on her chair deliberately, knowing how much that had annoyed her mother. Her face was bitter and angry, her eyes stormy and grey.     "Why should I give you a chance? Who ever gives second chances?" "God does," was the quiet reply.     "Oh, how convenient. Let's have God now and all be perfect." She swayed on her feet, suddenly exhausted. Her mother helped her to her room and Adrienne lay on the familiar bed in the pretty room she had once thought a prison.     Exhausted, she fell asleep in seconds. Her mother watched her for a while, saw how the girl's face softened in sleep, becoming an older version of the child she had allowed to drift away, to neglect. How cruel had she been.     She went quietly out of the door and reached for her neglected Bible. Perhaps God would make a way where there seemed to be no way - heal her own mother's heart ...
Read more
Image
A TANGLE OF LIGHT  By Tessa Harvey     Adrienne walked away from the hospital. It was a beautiful day. Blue sky etched the red colours of a small perfect maple, the cherry tree leaves sang a symphony of gold, orange and green whispering in the wind. The cold was sharpening. Adee wondered what to do. The man she had known as dad was leaving. It was hard, though he had rarely been kind.     Somehow she had never quite measured up. Not clever enough or pretty enough, shy rather than assertive. Her shoulders sagged.     Despite feeling the Presence of God in her nan's hospital room, smelling that beautiful perfume from heaven, she still felt sad.     Gran wasn't yet out of danger, though there was hope now. Then arms wrapped around her, and she startled, dark hair flying, eyes widening in dismay. Oh God, not Jono.     It was her mother. "What's wrong?" Adee snapped gracelessly. "Now you're alone, I guess suddenly you want a daughter. We...
Read more