Distressing Memories

Visual Prompts are a great way to spark ones creativity by providing a beginning to the thought process but suggesting no concrete end. Stories can be built around visuals with interesting details. They are effective because the same image can evoke different moods or emotions in different people. A single visual therefore can be a part of many stories which are based on different themes or belong to different genres. Here is an attempt at creating a story based on a visual:

Until that unfortunate night, Alyssa’s life was perfectly normal. The lively and free spirited young girl in her early twenties had just got her dream job. Every morning she would leave home looking forward to her day at work. She would turn the key and start the engine of the orange car which she dearly loved as it was previously owned by her father. She would drive the car down the familiar streets and turn around the same corners to reach the shady spot where it would patiently wait for Alyssa till she was done with her work. Throughout the day she bounced from task to task, determined to put her best efforts forward. 

 The shades of the sky shifted from a dim orange to a bright yellow and finally to a gloomy grey. Alyssa soon wrapped up her work for the day and walked out of her office with a satisfied sigh. She went towards the orange car and started on her way home. Her mind was cluttered with thoughts about work, the pile of unwashed laundry lying in a corner and quick dinner recipes. She turned the radio on and hummed to the calming tunes as she drove. The air of calmness was rapidly blown away in a split second by fear and shock. Alyssa stared at the truck approaching her and she turned the steering towards the left and watched as the car slammed into a helpless man. The darkness of the street had now crept into her mind. The windshield came crumbling down before her and the painful scream of the man numbed her ears. Alyssa had narrowly escaped an accident. She had survived at the cost of another life.

 Every detail was vivid in her memory till she heard the scream. The jigsaw puzzle of her memory of the incident was missing a few pieces. The events between the crash and being rushed to the hospital were blank. Alyssa could not process what had happened. It felt like a bad dream. She would close her eyes and flashes of that night would play in her mind. Alyssa could not help wondering if she could have evaded the accident. It pained her to think that she was responsible for that young man’s death. Each time she thought about him, she saw herself in him.

 Every little thing reminded her of him. In that moment of intense dread, she had only noticed the handsome suit worn by the man. His face was a blur to her. The image of the suit evoked a feeling of guilt in her. She thought of the various reasons he could have been dressed, she thought of his family and his life which was perhaps beautiful till she ruined it. Alyssa could not do anything in peace. Her work was a reminder of the dreams and aspirations that she killed. Her car was a reminder of her helplessness. As she approached the grim street, her palms would grow sweaty, she would feel breathless and her heart would palpitate. Accepting the fact that she was powerless and never had any ill intent seemed impossible to Alyssa. The sound of crashing glass would make her heart race. The incident of a few seconds haunted her for years.