“Empty” – A Story of Emotion

She walks down the dark, lonely street, as the night wears on. The dank lamp light throws deep, dark shadows off the brick walls lining the near-empty lane. Empty, like her eyes… But no, look closer. Her eyes are not blank. Emotion swirls in their depths.

Anger, perhaps? No, it is too subtle to be anger, or even hate. It is neither raging nor cold; neither vengeful nor cancerous. No – this is something else. emptiness

Her mouth is set in a grim line. Not in any way rigid, though. She walks in a dead trance. Perhaps she is blank, after all…

But wait – she stumbles and falls. This should be interesting. Her arms are scratched; her knees deeply gouged by the friction of little rocks against her skin. Perhaps she will rage now. Show some sign of frustration – some emotion. But no…

She gets up, dusts off, and walks on. Not a single crease on her forehead. How is that possible? A hound howls in a distant street. A raw, feral sound. Something about it is moving – wrenches your heart apart. Makes you wonder why she doesn’t howl the same way…

Oh, wait! There certainly was a glimmer of emotion on her face just now, as she glanced ahead at the man trudging along in front of her. Does she know him? No, it’s quite obvious she doesn’t. What was that emotion, though? Hope…?

Her eyes are dim once again. Or are they? They seem full… An emotion that cannot be placed. Nor replaced.

She turns her head and looks right at me. Her full, empty eyes bore into mine, searing my heart, ensnaring my soul in a trap of flameless fire. And then I know… Loss.

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About Arpita Gargesh

Arpita is a believer in potential - positive or negative, with her feet firmly rooted in Reality and her mind soaring in the Surreal... She aims at attaining true Balance, within and without. Writing is her expression of all she perceives; exploring her mind, her senses and her environment.

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