Friday, March 28, 2008

Best served cold

Friday Fiction

This Week’s Theme: Describe a time your character was wronged; even though it was insignificant to the one who wronged them, your character never got over it.


Leah folded the newspaper and placed it deliberately to the table, allowing her hand to linger on the poisonous words. Disbelieving tears began to roll down her cheeks as she wandered through her unit, ignoring her phones constant ring, stopping only to turn off her mobile and its incessant beeping reminding her of messages yet unread.


Last night, she was triumphant in her first leading role on opening night in a major show. Her acting career had been dogged by so many unexpected mishaps, accidents and misunderstandings. She had wondered if she was going to make it at all. Yet through thick and thin, Bernadette, her long time school friend has stuck by her, encouraged her and supported her. Whilst Leah followed her dream of acting through college and training schools, Bernadette had kept in the background choosing a literary career.


“Shallow portrayal”, “lack luster performance”, “boorish interpretation”… the words burnt deep into her heart.


Bernadette had not tried to hide her identity as the critic assessing the show. She was a well respected arts critic in her own right and has several columns in major publications around the country.


It was not till a small reference which would have passed over everyone but Leahs head, that she realized with horror, a tiny , almost forgotten event when they were 7 had left deep dark scars for at least one of them.


Suddenly, all the accidents, the misfortunes that had followed Leah and her goal in becoming an actress elucidated into a strategic, well formed attack scheme. Who was to know that by casting pretty golden ringletted Leah as the princess and dark haired spectacle wearing Bernadette as the pea, would lead to a quarter of a century vendetta and betrayal of the very fabric of friendship?

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3 comments:

Keith's Ramblings said...

A wonderful tale of revenge. I really enjoyed it

Jodi Cleghorn said...

Short and sweet from you this week ... and I agree with Paul, the ultimate betrayal.

And yet another tale that harkens back to childhood!

ChefDruck said...

A great tale of revenge. I'd love to hear it from Bernadette's point of view - particularly the childhood casting incident!