The phone rang at 4 a.m. Menace owns the overnight hours, incompatible with dawn's promise. Otherworldly shades occupy the window and throw scraps of shadow to feed greedy doubts. Gremlins call when no one is awake to save you.
***
This is my response to Trifecta's Week 6 Trifextra Challenge. The prompt (not to be included in the 33 words—precisely—that the challenge requires, was "The phone rang at 4 a.m."
***
I've been fascinated with the overnight hours for a long, long time. When I was 12 I tried to stay awake all night watching TV and keeping a notebook by my side to record the "action" (um, there wasn't any) and to prove to myself in the morning that I'd managed the exercise without dozing off.
I loved the middle of the night feedings with my kids. Sure, I got exhausted by them in short order, but I relished being awake when few others were, doing something feeding, burping, diaper changing) that was so important it had to be addressed in the small hours.
But I never could imagine leaving the house at that time of night. Everything's less certain at 4 a.m. How can we be sure were in the same world we were in when the sun went down?
I love the spooky uncertainty you write of the 4am hour!
ReplyDeleteInteresting take and explanation. I used to love the late hours walking the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteoooh, I like this one! nicely done.
ReplyDeletebest,
MOV
Thanks so much for linking up to Trifextra. Remember, this weekend’s entries are being judged by the Trifecta community, so make sure you visit the site at the close of the challenge to vote. Our linking service will not allow you to vote for a link from the same computer where it was submitted, so plan ahead! Voting closes 12 hours after the close of the challenge. Winners will be announced with the Monday post. Hope to see you back then.
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing.
ReplyDelete"Menace owns the overnight hours, incompatible with dawn's promise" So, so true. Where is that line of safety when nighttime is no longer so scary and Dawn can follow through on all it's talked up to be?
Feeding doubts, then bringing in the idea of gremlins calling (because, as we all know, you simply cannot feed Gremlins!)...so, so good. This is my favorite of all of them this week. For sure.
Fantastic! This captures perfectly all my ridiculous, night-time jitters! I loved the image of shadows feeding doubt. Great stuff.
ReplyDeleteA Dot
Gives me the heebee-geebees, but in a good way.
ReplyDeleteLovelovelove the last sentence.
ReplyDeleteAs a longtime nighttime dweller (years in nightclubs and piano bars gave me a different clock, which has only slightly abated to my "new normal"), I particularly loved the phrase, "Menace owns the overnight hours," especially the alliterative quality - and the dark truth. Great! Amy
ReplyDelete(and here's one from me)
http://sharplittlepencil.com/2012/03/05/twofer-six-wd-sat-and-the-whirl/