On request from Dr Pat Reads to know what happened to poor Griselda, a second installment follows. If you haven’t read the first you’ll find it here. I had intended to leave Griselda wallowing in the bath tub, her insides wracked with pain but now I have a third chapter formulating in my head. Perhaps Charli’s next prompt will allow me to use it.
Griselda’s screams finally penetrated the consciousness of one of those asleep. Movement. Lights. Ambulance called.
The spiders continued to burrow and dance. Griselda lay log-like trying to keep them quiet. An involuntary cry accompanied any movement. Sirens heralded the paramedics’ arrival. They apologised for seeing her in her nakedness.”I don’t care” she said. “Help me!” Business like they approached the problem. Questions, blood pressure, ECG but best, the whistle.
“Take a big suck”. They instructed. She did and the spiders magically left. Another and she was laughing, making jokes. Euphoric in her pain-free state they transported her, protesting, to hospital.
Charli’s prompt for this week
January 7, 2015 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that describes a moment of being. It can be practical, such as what it’s like to be a traveler on a crowded plane or a working parent trying to get breakfast served. It can be reflective, such as what it’s like to experience prejudice or a pilgrimage. It can be silly, scary or surreal.
Respond by January 13, 2015 to be included in the weekly compilation. Rules are here.
About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Just as bloody well you have an episode in yer head. Kindly download it !!!!!!
😉
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Coming soon.
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This is a gripping story, Irene. I look forward to the next episode.
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Thanks Glynis. I will have to get it out of my head and down on paper – soon.
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Irene, this is great! Just read your first, and very timely for me, I see your next installment pop up! Wow…I’m hooked, bring on the next chapter, can’t wait to see what happens to Griselda (but oh, I can relate to that euphoric pain-free state, thinking of recent dental trials and the almost instantaneous relief provided by a clove oil pack!!!). Amazing that as soon as the pain goes, we forget that quickly how horrendous it was only minutes before. Good job though that Griselda is on her way to hospital nevertheless… 🙄
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Just shows the brain only remembers what it wants to remember. When my mother was asked by the ambulance to rate her pain on a scale of 1 – 10 she told him she couldn’t because she’d never had pain before. Totally gone were her child birth experiences and a couple of other episodes that I know of that ended her in hospital suffering from pain.
Griselda is going but protesting ++ 👿
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It is true about childbirth…good job we forget just how bad it is as we would never have any more! I’d still say it’s the worst pain ever though. Yes, Griselda is high as a kite right about now so she doesn’t want to go to any hospital…
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No I think she is protesting too much. 🙂
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Haha 😀
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Clever way to tie this to the first installment–“in the next moment”! It’s almost worth having pain just to experience that euphoria of pain-free…almost. This medical crisis is unfolding and it will be interesting to discover where a prompt might lead you next.
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Looking forward to the next prompt but she may or may not go there. Griselda is planning to do what Griselda wants.
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