Dancing In The Rain has written another winner for the 100 Word Challenge. This week's prompt is:
...the flame flickered before...
Openness versus Familiarity
That evening, in the restaurant overlooking the valley, he had toyed with
her fingers over the tabletop. The candle's gleam reflected in eyes that looked
directly into hers. He spoke about the importance of openness in
relationships.
Having enjoyed a morning walk (and more) in the secluded valley below, they
waited for their coffee to be served. Across the expanse of table, arms tightly
folded, eyes hidden behind sunglasses, he spoke about familiarity changing
relationships. She looked at the unlit candle, remembering how brightly it had
shone just four months ago. With each utterance the flame flickered, before
growing weaker. Or, just possibly, stronger?
Intrigued; is he about to break up, or make a commitment, or is he suggesting an open relationship?!
ReplyDeleteReally interesting use of the prompt :)
Quite. Does "changing" mean "worsening" or "improving"? What's the significance of the unlit candle? That the relationship has deteriorated or that it's stronger and doesn't need that prop any more? The last line seems to suggest I'm asking the right questions and there's no answer. Thanks for making me ponder. :)
ReplyDeleteI want to know what happened next. It reads like the opening paragraph of a novel xx
ReplyDeleteHi all, thanks for your comments. The 2nd para takes place one morning 4 months later- after the openness he demanded has bred familiarity. He is thus defending the lost romanticism in their meetings - while she misses it and much prefers the candlelit dinner and hand and eye contact over that same table. Ur right - She can't decide between boring and stable or romantic and exciting.It's her call - but she's sad at the situation. The candle is unlit because it's now morning, but the flame flickered a) in her memory from 4 months before and b) as a metaphor - he was dampening her ardour altho he saw the relationship as becoming stronger.
ReplyDeleteOh, I thought he was ending it (judging by his folded arms, sunglasses - i.e. distance) because the familiarity wasn't so much fun. And that she was initially surprised but then actually relieved.
DeleteNope....He likes familiarity - doesn't have to make an effort. He likes openness - true feelings have been expressed - so he doubly doesn't have to make an effort unless he feels like it. .
DeleteApropos Sparks below, if the tryst had been after the coffee, I expect he would have found time for a little more romance!
This is just a bit confusing, because I took "(and more)" to mean something of a romantic nature in the secluded valley. I'd hate to hear him say something like that, with that body language, just after a tryst. This made me think about the ebb and flow of relationships. How do you know when one is strong enough to stick it out through the difficult parts?
ReplyDeleteI like the writing. It drew me in and made me want to understand.
Exactly. You understood correctly. He was defending his position, hence the folded arms, etc - trysts yes, romance no longer needed.
ReplyDelete