Extremely short story

Prompt: Write a story in 7 words.

She loved, she lost, her heart broke.

Top 10 people who have passed that I would like to see again or meet

I have sat down and thought out a list of ten people who have passed away that I would like to see again or even meet for the first time. (Yes, I am trying to cure writer’s block!) A few are really close to my heart, the rest are people that I believe would be truly interesting to chat with. So without further ado, here is my list:

1.     The first and foremost would be my father. There should not have to be any explanation to this choice. My father was a very good man. He was my rock throughout my childhood. He always had the right words. He supported me in any choices I made. Hardly ever did he discourage my ideas. When I mentioned to him I wanted to buy an old VW bus and track across country he completely encouraged it. He didn’t tell me not to go, but to just be safe. He even sat down and started helping me plan my trip, which I unfortunately never got to go on. I remember when I was seventeen and wanting to enlist in the Navy after school he was right there with me supporting me all the way. Unfortunately I ended up with a bum knee and could not go. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t stop and think what advice he would have for me, or what prank he would be trying to pull on me!

2.     The second would have to be my best friend and big brother, TJ. TJ was taken just a few months ago after a battle with PTSD. He was a US Marine. He was also always there for me growing up. I remember countless threats he made to my boyfriends throughout school that if they did not treat me right then they’d have to answer to him. He was my protector. He was also more often than not my voice of reason. He would support me in all my endeavors, but would also be the first to tell me if I was about to do something stupid. He was there to hold me up in the good and bad times. He was always able to make me laugh. I hold all the love for him that you would a biological sibling, perhaps even stronger because we were not blood related. I think that made our friendship and sibling bond even stronger.

3.     The third would have to be my Granny. I cannot remember too much of her because she only came into town a few times a year when I was a teenager. She had health problems and was living with my aunt out-of-state. She is my namesake. The main thing I remember from my childhood with her is always leaving her house with a paper towel full of apple peelings (my favorite snack as a child).

4.     I have to give a cookie-cutter answer and say Shakespeare. I am a great lover of theatre. He has to be one of my favorite play writers. I just love his out-of-the-box thinking for his time. He truly was an innovator of theatre.

5.     One of my favorite authors is V.C. Andrews. She passed away years ago, but her novels are still being published by a ghost writer. I love her plot twists and turns. How she can keep the reader intrigued through a whole series of books.

6.     I also love Jack Kerouac and his “Beat Generation” writings. I absolutely love On the Road and his drug driven writing style. He wrote what he thought and did not give a damn about what others thought. He was one of the fathers of the beatniks. I would love to talk to him and learn from his travels.

7.     I am a psychology major. I have to throw Sigmund Freud into the mix. I would love to be able to pick his mind. I love his theories on the formation of personality, the id, ego and superego, defense mechanisms, etc.

8.     I love the music of Jonny Cash. He was a country soul. His music will live on for years to come. His music touches souls everywhere.

9.     Florence Nightingale was one of the founders of modern nursing. She truly transformed the profession. She took it from a job for prostitutes and turned it into a noble profession. She did not bend to convention. She was from an affluent family and went into a profession held only for the lowest of society. Without her we would not have as skilled of medical care as we do. There would be many lives lost.

10.  And my number ten would be Johnathan Larson. Who is he you might ask? He is the writer of the worldwide phenomenon “Rent”. He wrote and produced this incredible musical for his generation, and then he was killed on the day of its release. He bent conventions and told his story without editing himself. “Rent” truly is a master piece. It is just so sad that Larson never saw his hard work pay off.

Well, there you have it. The top 10 people who have passed away that I would love to see again, or even meet for the first time.

Insomnia Thoughts

Death. It’s always present, always staring at you with those beady little red eyes. It lurks in the shadows waiting for its chance to dig its razor sharp claws into your soul. Not the souls of the dying, but the souls of the living. The survivors. Those of us left to carry on after a loved one dies. Their deaths leave us scarred and broken. We try to pick up the pieces and move on, but how can you ever truly heal after loosing someone so close? Death picks the good ones to take with him. He is taking them out of this hell on Earth. He chooses the ones that brighten others’ days.

Within the last seven years I’ve lost an uncle, my last two grandparents, a great uncle, my father and my bestfriend. And people ask me why I don’t talk. Shit, I’m scared to get close to anyone. It feels as if anyone I’m close to is taken. The worst ones are the ones we thought we would always have, but are ripped away from us. We are prepared for the ones that have been ill’s passing, in a way. It’s the unexpected deaths that take the hardest toll on us. They are the ones that leave the largest scars. They are the wounds that never quite seem to heal.

It’s been five years now and it still stings as much as it did then. The only difference is I can hide the tears no longer. No more can I be the strong one. I’ve tried to stand strong for the ones that needed me. I’ve swallowed my pain to ease theirs. I just cannot be the pillar anymore. I’ve hid my thoughts. I’ve monitored my words. Perhaps that’s why it hurts so much. Perhaps that’s why I’m still haunted at night when the only thing around is the dull hum of the AC. Maybe that’s why I’m scared to fall asleep, scared of what my dreams might bring.

update

Hey guys. Sorry I haven't posted anything in a few days. I've been working on a big project. I don't know if anything will come from it, but maybe it will help to raise the bar on a few things. All will be revealed in due time. Just hang in there and know that I haven't forgotten about y'all. I'm still writing, just nothing to post at the moment.