Before I share my response to Chari’s flash fiction challenge over at Carrot Ranch, I need to share something else.
Anthony Bourdain is in the news this morning. A man who was so full of life couldn’t live with the shroud of depression any longer and took his own life. And while I wasn’t a dedicated follower of his, this loss cuts deep.
I know what the depths of depression feel like, and after something like this happens, people flock to offer support on social media. I tend to find myself speechless in these times, as memories of the dark shroud revisit.
So it would seem strange that Charli’s prompt along with the following Twitter thread inspired a flash fiction idea. I’ll share the thread and then the prompt.
And Charli’s prompt is this: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about man glisten. It was a fun term coined by two men with glitter in their beards.
So with all of this in mind, I offer my flash piece.
Glitterbeard
Darkness settles on me, around me, through me. It’s impenetrable. Undeniable.
I shake the bottle. Ten seconds is all I need. Ten seconds to escape.
One last glance outside. I used to feel joy on a spring day. I remember it as a cold fact.
Zach sits on his porch with his preschooler. His chin is lifted, and she’s sprinkling something into his thick, black beard.
Glitter?
I set the bottle down and head across the street.
Glitterbeard looks up as I approach. “Hey, man! You like it?”
I smile.
It’s enough to poke a hole in the darkness.
Allison Maruska 
Pingback: Man Glisten « Carrot Ranch Literary Community
Here’s to random acts of kindness and authenticity! You never know when living unabashedly will mean the world to another person.
Lovely post!
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Thanks! 😊
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There’s glitter in that twitter and a spark in the dark that you shed some light on. That is a well spent 99 words.
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Thanks. And that’s a great use of rhyme. 🙂
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A very poignant piece of writing, Allison. Depression is very tragic. I do know people who suffer from depression and it is definitely an illness.
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I am thankful to see the stigma lifting.
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powerful tribute to all those who leave us far too soon .. appreciate the twitter post and the glitter beard!
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Glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
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impressed with both your writing and your kind heart 🙂
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Thanks. 💜
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you are most welcome!
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This is actually the second suicide I have read about in as many days. Kate Spade was the other…
I can only hope that the families left behind can find comfort – loss by death by any means is a shroud.
And then there are the simple things that inspire those who think life is gone… to be reunited with the hope of living. Sometimes joy can be rekindled by a simple smile and some glitter. Well done.
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Yes, Kate Spade was just a few days ago. Maybe the one-two punch is why today’s resonates. That Twitter thread brought tears to my eyes.
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I didn’t really know either of those famous folks. I went with some humor for my entry.
I ended up adding to the 99 words though…
Sometimes you have to say more.
I do remember reading some stories through the years where a person was on their last threads… only to have one simple thing change their future towards a more positive note.
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