August 16th Creative Writing Prompt/ Writing
( Creative Writing Ink website link: https://www.creativewritingink.co.uk/resources/writing-prompts/ )
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| Creative Writing Ink (2018). White Dress tarnished with dirt. [image] Available at: https://www.creativewritingink.co.uk/resources/writing-prompts/ [Accessed 19 Aug. 2018]. |
Pristine Pearls by Buddy Summer
"I don't want to talk about this anymore!" Katie rises from her chair and bellows to the room full of bemused people. She opens her eyes, formally clenched tight in anger, to see her mother, her father, the new in-laws, one female police officer (the rest are outside), the wedding party and guests all staring at her in shock. Silent shock.
"This is my wedding day!" She takes a deep composing breath and says: "We should be dancing and having a good time. Talking over after-dinner tea, appreciating my wedding dress"
Katie lowers her gaze to her tarnished, once in a lifetime, bridal gown. You can see the memory of the evening replay in her eyes.
The large white tent of loving decorations has lost its sparkle. The bunting that teases the ceiling suddenly appears limp. Framing the plastic windows, the twinkling fairy lights become irritating in their attempt at a calm, love filled ambience.
White chairs sit tight with a butterscotch-gold ribbon, matching the honey glow from the chandeliers. An invisible strap ties the guests to their seats as if the ribbon is in need of a hug.
Guests pick at their favours: homemade jam jars- lovingly prepared from Katie's mum's garden. What were they to do? The wedding of the year was utterly ruined. It was meant to be the wedding of this provincial town.
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Everybody was taken aback by Katie's outburst, not to mention the fact that this unfathomable event could've happened to her; sweet Katie.
Katie Lufton is best described as the Doris Day of Summerfield village. It was often well discussed how she is most probably a descendant of 1950's housewife's, in her family- the family she left behind to fulfil her "womanly duties" living with her fiance, Daniel.
She cooks, she cleans, she takes up the hem for Daniel's suit trousers, her Beef Wellington is the taste of dreams at a dinner party; she's the perfect lady. She's the type to open the oven door with a curtsy and rollers settled in her fringe.
Loved by all- especially the elderly; the first to greet the neighbours with fresh flowers for their table, every Sunday. And not to forget the flowers were grown lovingly with Katie's very own green thumbs.
The only thing preventing Katie from being an actual 1950's housewife is the lack thereof perfect pearls framing her neck. This seemed to be a feature in the corner of one's eye, only to vanish upon focus.
When the invitations for the wedding of soon to be Mr & Mrs Daniel Dremmer arrived in each letterbox, every standalone shop- the butchers, the hairdressers, the grocers, the library- every door with a letterbox, the village was lifted with the joy of love. Not only were Katie and Daniel smitten and euphoric but the elder couples of Summerfield recognised the twinkle of fresh love in themselves. Typically the neighbours would wave and smile politely to one another and make small talk over picket fences, however, since this delightful news citizens excitedly chat about their outfits for the wedding and "ah what a beautiful ceremony is destined to be if Katie's involved in the planning".
These days they wave cheerily and smile knowingly. Happiness was catching.
The morning of the big day, the happy couples house had turned into a sea of cream roses- you could barely see Katie getting her hair done at the table top of the kitchen in the back of the house. This was the perfect place to prepare for her new life as it's where Katie felt her happiest. The sun shone confidently through the conservatory, next door to the kitchen; which was taken to be a good sign. The light winds dancing through the trees reminded her of deep breaths. This setting meant that the photographer could capture the excited-nerves chatter in perfect lighting.
Hair By Suzanna (Suzanna, the local hairdresser) finishes Katie's elegant curly updo with a plush pink rose. It sits perfectly in her honey-blonde locks.
"There you go. Katie, you look beautiful" Suzanna proclaims in a gentle voice, handing Katie a hand mirror. With one look, the smile on Katie's face is all Suzanna needs to know her job is complete.
Katie was sure she wanted Hair by Suzanna to style her hair on this day, despite protests from neighbours exclaiming that she is more than capable of doing another pristine style on herself. Suzanna had a kind smile and an air about her Katie knew she felt envious of. She too had a warmth and a talent for creating beauty and perfection. It would be mortifying for Katie to admit that she wandered into the shop to find out more about the lady that arose in conversation each time she would reach her perfection with another act of kindness.
"Thank you, Katie, dear. What would I do without you and Suzanna looking after me like this? You know, you and Suzanna have the same eye for detail. This pie looks lovely" Mrs Willcock would enthuse before shutting her door, leaving Katie with a smile on her face and a slight burning in her chest.
Now that Suzanna was right before Katie, she wanted to see a resemblance and of course, she did but it left her with the same unladylike competitive burning in her mind and chest. She would get to know her better in the upcoming months after she's made a wife to Daniel.
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The idle gossip and assumptions for Katie's ways were answered when her mother Janette arrived at the church ceremony one heel in front of the other and fitted with pearls missing from Katie's neck.
Right before her entrance to the church, Katie repeated the words from a song she had listened to often as a child: "Hold him and kiss him and squeeze him and love him. Just do it and after you do: you will be his". These lyrics whirl around and around inside her head as she takes delicate steps up to her soon-to-be husband.
Her gaze on the floor lasts for only a couple of seconds when her inner voice reminds her to look up at her guests: "Hold him and kiss him and squeeze him and love him."
The village beam with their heads tilted. Some mutter compliments when they attract her eyes. Katie's attention wanders to each guest until she sees Daniel, standing at the end of the altar in his charcoal grey suit and tie. The couple smile unashamedly at each other:
"Just do it and after you do: you will be his"
Finally, the lyrics stop inside Katie's head as she reaches her goal, at the end of the altar.
"Hi," Daniel says to Katie before they chuckle with nerves and the ceremony begins.
Daniel is described as a handsome man before any other description. This is then followed with "a proud man of the house". Just like his father, he believes in old-fashioned ways of the house: the wife is the homemaker and the husband brings home the money. Which is why it is often that you will see Katie without Daniel out and about in town and Daniel without Katie. Only at dinner parties and social events are the couple witnessed laughing together as the beautiful couple they are; Katie having a sweet sprinkle of freckles across her visage and Daniel with his masculine protective build.
The wedding went underway with vows, photographs, speeches, happy chatter and dancing. It was everything the people of Summerfield had hoped for- the decorations were enough to keep conversations exciting between neighbours for years after.
Everyone was on a cloud high up in the air until pleasantries between Katie and her new uncle-in-law were interrupted by an influx of guests being beckoned in from outside the reception tent. It being 11oclock in the evening meant that the commotion outside couldn't be understood by the eyes of Katie; whatever is happening doesn't seem to be in the zone of light the Dremmors had paid to illuminate. Naturally, Katie looks around for her husband, who is nowhere in sight amongst the room of people. She walks hastily past the head table to the door in the tent no guest had yet found to preview the outside occurrence. Her heels knock on the concrete path around the tent. After a short time, she notices her wedding dress collecting the unsightly mud from the ground and lifts the hem as she continues on her quest to smooth the hitch of her wedding day.
All of a sudden Katie hears a nearby yell of pain from a male voice. The sound is coming from the ground's flower garden. Hesitating initially, Katie moves slowly towards a woman's voice. She stops upon a glimpse of Daniels father Graham, her new father-in-law, through the breaks in the bushes bent towards the ground, hands on his chest. She goes to move forward when a woman comes into sight kneeling down towards Graham. She looks to be checking he's ok, hand on his back and eyes finding his eyes, when Graham grabs the wrist of the woman, standing up tall and turning her round with her locked in the tight hold of his arms. The woman is revealed to Katie as Suzanna. Katie gasps and stands back holding her stomach. She pauses for a moment and then makes a move towards the display of aggression, trying to find a gap in the bushes to cut through. Moving without a sound is proving difficult, Katie remains in sight of Graham and Suzanna- the former now twisting Suzanna to the floor by the wrist. Katie's dress continues to attach to branches and holly leaves when she reaches a point only metres away from Graham's turned back. Just when Graham starts towards Suzanna, Katie can hear the vile words from a predator.
Music from the tent in the distance suddenly becomes louder for a couple of seconds and Katie turns to see Daniel, hands to hips with his suit jacket taken off looking around in the darkness. Quick thinking, she throws her wedding ring in Daniels direction in an attempt to gain his attention. The ring lands in mud a few feet in front of him, he looks up and around to see where his wife's ring had come from. Desperate, Katie moves forwards slightly towards Daniel and throws the rose from her hair. Just then, Suzanna releases a scream of terror which guides Daniel in her direction. He arrives at the archway of the flower garden and is faced with the horrific scene in front of him. He is ran towards by a shaking Suzanna, who he naturally wraps up in his arms.
"What the bloody hell is happening here?" Daniel aims his question at his father, now visibly seething with anger; chest rising and falling rapidly, eyes unblinking at Suzanna and his son. Katie has never heard these cussing words before from Daniel and continues to watch without feeling like she's really here, in this moment.
Graham nods towards Suzanna and says: "Ask your girlfriend here. I was just trying to get her to give me a little of the attention she gives you."
"Girlfriend?" Katie queries this again and again in her mind. She stands hidden in the bushes and looks between the three of them, trying to figure out what's happening.
"What were you trying to do to her? Claim her as your own?" Daniel spits, disgusted at his father.
"Don't act all high and mighty. If she's going to give you attention, she shouldn't mind giving an old married man some of her time too". Graham replies with an air of superiority.
Daniel starts hastily towards his father and punches him square in the face. Blood splatters from his nose causing Suzanna to scream.
Katie walks from the scene, astonished by Daniel's actions- he's never once spoken to his father that way, let alone act with violence. And he's been having an affair? Who is this man she married?
She reaches the edge of the tent and looks to her left to see that the police have arrived. A guest must have phoned the police after hearing Suzanna's screams. Unnoticed by the officers now being ushered by neighbours towards the flower garden, Katie hides around the corner to collect her thoughts.
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A police officer pulls Katie away to one side and sits her down. She too has a friendly smile and distracts Katie from the continuing vibrant red and blue lights of the police car; the one that's holding Graham.
"This day......" She looks to the ground softly "Please talk to my husband. Don't make me talk about what has happened".
With this, Katie stands up gracefully in her sodden, dirty bridal gown and starts for the room full of now happy and dancing people. The British, they carry on; not to waste a party.
