Latest Story

This is my latest attempt at a Short Story. It’s written as a letter but it’s not clear to whom it’s written. I wanted to let you, the readers make up your own minds. I really am not too sure what I think to this one considering the fact that it’s 12.10am and I’ve just spent 3 hours on it. So, as usual, image, then story. Please let me know what you think in the comments section. You all know how much I appreciate your feedback.

Deadly Overconfidence.

Hi there. My name is Melina. Melina Thornton. I’m 28 years old and married to the most wonderful man in the whole world. Danny. Danny Thornton. Danny and I met when I was 17, and a year later we were married. No kids because I didn’t and still don’t want them, but that’s not the point of my story.

It’s been snowing again today, nothing unusual for this time of year of course, but I’ve never appreciated before just how pretty everything outside looks when it’s falling. And of course when you have nothing better to do, might as well watch it. Danny brought me a cup of tea a few minutes ago, and asked how I’m feeling. I’m feeling very well thanks for asking, getting over the worst of the pain, and getting used to this infernal wheelchair, still struggling to get round the corners though. But at least I won’t have to be stuck in it for much longer.

You’re probably asking what happened right? Why I’m in a wheelchair? Well see, I had a little accident with a pair of ski’s and a ski run that I wasn’t experienced enough for. Danny got all excited when it first started snowing bless his heart, so he took a few days off work and decided he was going to teach me how to ski. I thought it was a fabulous idea, given that I’d never learned but had always wanted to try, so off we went. He rented me a pair of ski’s and all the gear and off we went. Now Danny gave me all the information I needed to know, and we practised for ages on an almost flat area, with just enough of a downward slope for me to at least get moving. He taught me how to curve down the hill by leaning on the edges of my ski’s and how to stop. Then once he thought I’d gotten the gist of it, he took me to the beginners run. I stood at the top of the beginners run looking down and thinking to myself that I’d never noticed how steep it was before, and some little brat of a kid zoomed past me 3 times calling me a scaredy cat. He’s lucky I was so nervous, otherwise I would have belted him one. Finally I worked up the courage, swallowed my pride and set off down the hill with Danny right behind me. When I reached the bottom full of pride, I turned round and Danny swooped me up into a Bear Hug and told me how proud he was of me. We practised all day on that run.

The next day we went back again, I told Danny that I wanted to try the full runs, but he was a little hesitant. Said something about me not being experienced enough, but I’d been working up to this and was determined to try them. Danny extracted a promise from me that we could do a couple of runs down the beginners run again first, just to be sure. That was fine with me. So off we went, did three runs down the beginner’s run, then headed for the chairlift. Danny was nervous about me bless his heart, but my enthusiasm was infectious and soon he was telling me how it feels to ski down, seeing the trees at the edges of the runs flash by, how the wind feels in your face and the rush of adrenaline you get as you set off down. I couldn’t wait to feel that for myself. We disembarked at the top of the mountain and Danny asked me if I was sure I wanted to do this. I nodded yes, and he told me to just take it easy and that he’d be right behind me again. He also reminded me to curve my way down from left to right, that way I’d be in control. We set off and immediately I knew I wasn’t ready for this. The speed we picked up going down this run was so fast. There were hidden bumps in the run that felt probably ten times worse than they were. All logic went out of the window, along with everything that my dear Danny told me right before we set off down the run. I did remember to curve, then all of a sudden, about halfway down, I hit another bump, and I lost total control. Arms and legs flailing, ski’s and poles flying in the air, I hit the ground with a sickening thud, there was a searing pain in my left leg, then I saw, heard and felt no more.

I woke with a scream and saw a strange face looming over me. I remember shrinking back into my pillows and asking where I was. The lady who turned out to be a Nurse told me I was in hospital. She also insisted on calling me Mrs Thornton which peeved me off no end. Didn’t this woman know I wasn’t married? Yes, that’s right. I didn’t remember my dear Danny. I also didn’t remember anything about my accident, so I guess I must have banged my head up pretty good on the way down. This Nurse told me I’d had an accident whilst skiing with my Husband which flabbergasted me. As far as I was aware, I wasn’t married and I didn’t ski. Those were very trying times for Danny. The Nurse decided to go and get the Doctor so I could be checked over. He seemed like a pleasant enough man when he arrived, but my opinion of him totally changed when he said he needed to check my wound. As he lifted the bedsheets to one side the Nurse stuck a thermometer in my mouth and placed the Blood Pressure cuff on my arm. At that point, a pain unlike any I’d felt before shot through my left leg and I let out a scream to raise the dead. The Doctor jumped back in alarm and the Nurse had to grab the sink to stop herself falling as she tripped over the Blood Pressure machine tripod. The Doctor apologized profusely, but I didn’t like him from that point on. Throughout all this Danny stayed by my side, I still didn’t remember him or the accident, and I believe it takes a great deal of strength and love to stay by someone’s side when they don’t remember you. He spoke to me about things that should have been familiar to me but weren’t. I didn’t remember our dog, Holly, or our cat, Beauty. I didn’t remember our neighbours, or what colour car they had. I remembered my Family, my parents and my brother, but that was it. Yet throughout it all, he stayed by my side. He went home at night, slept, then came back to the hospital first thing in the morning.

A week later, I’d been given a wheelchair. It was a novelty to zoom round the hospital corridors at first, but the fun soon wore off, especially as I got more adept at handling it. Danny had been there every day, and the day before I’d let off a tirade at him. See, I KNEW I wasn’t married to him, yet he insisted that I was his wife. I think partially my frustration at being in a strange place with no memory of how I came to be there was the straw that broke the camels back, and I’d really gone to town on Danny. I told him I didn’t know who he was, that I wished he’d stop visiting me, and I insisted that he must STOP saying I was his wife. By the time I’d done, I was yelling, and Danny was sat frozen in his chair. Finally he stood up and without another word to me, left. I broke down in frustrated tears. I wasn’t expecting to see him again.

The next day I was sat in my wheelchair in the patients smoking room smoking and reading a book. The Doctor had told me that once I was more adept with the crutches I could go home. But where was home? I assumed I lived with my parents and vowed to discuss it with them when they came to see me again. The door of the smoke room opened and Danny walked in. The shock of seeing him again was combined with a prickly feeling of fear at the look of intensity in his eyes. Without a word he handed me a folded piece of paper. Something stirred the the furthest recesses of my mind but I couldn’t put my finger on what. I asked him what it was. Without a flicker of emotion he said
“it’s our Marriage Certificate”
Shock coursed through me, and I unfolded the piece of paper. Right there before my eyes, was my name. My maiden name, AND my married name right alongside Danny’s name. I felt my eyes fill with tears and confusion poured through me. I WAS married, and to this man. Guilt poured through me and I couldn’t hold back my tears. Danny was so kind and caring and he held me as sobs racked my body. I told him I still didn’t remember him or the accident, but that I was sorry for everything. He told me I had nothing to be sorry for, that he understood how confusing everything must have been for me. Finally I found out how I came to be in the hospital.

Danny had gotten all excited when it first started snowing, so he took a few days off work and decided he was going to teach me how to ski. I’d thought it was a fabulous idea, given that I’d never learned but had always wanted to try, so off we went. He’d rented me a pair of ski’s and all the gear and off we went. Danny and I practised for ages on an almost flat area, with just enough of a downward slope for me to at least get moving. He’d taught me how to curve down the hill by leaning on the edges of my ski’s and how to stop. Then once he thought I’d gotten the gist of it, he took me to the beginners run. I’d stood at the top of the beginners run looking down and some little kid had zoomed past me 3 times calling me a scaredy cat. Finally I’d worked up the courage, swallowed my pride and set off down the hill with Danny right behind me. We’d practised all day on that run. Danny teared up when he thought back to the day of my accident. He said he should have put his foot down with me about my wanting to try the full runs, but my enthusiasm had been infectious and I’d been determined to try. He said that as we set off he could tell I was out of my depth and he’d been praying we’d make it down safely. He yelled out to me when he saw me lose control, he said I flew about 5ft into the air before landing sickeningly on my left leg. I was already unconcious when he stopped by my side. Some other skier had seen the whole thing and stopped long enough to shakily tell Danny that he was going for help. He said it was the longest time of his lfe waiting for help to arrive. When he saw the stretcher and the Medics arrived he lost it completely and broke down. He said the only thing he remembered after that was arriving at the hospital and being treated for shock whilst I was rushed off for emergency surgery. He’d been by my side ever since. I sat in silence trying to absorb everything he’d told me, and trying to remember something, but nothing came to me. I lit up a cigarette with shaking hands, and Danny smiled ruefully and told me that I’d quit smoking four years ago. It was so frustrating not being able to remember these things. After I finished smoking, I told Danny I needed to rest. I felt so exhausted and my mind was spinning with everything he’d told me. He helped me into bed and told me he was going for something to eat and he’d be back in an hour. Right before he left he bent down and kissed my forehead. It felt strange and he seemed to realize that because he hastily apolgized then left. I closed my eyes and my mind wandered.

I was stood in the foyer of the Church, dressed in a white Wedding Gown holding a bouquet of Pale Pink Poses and Baby’s Breath. My father took my arm and asked if I was ready as The Wedding March started and the congregation rose in their seats. As I walked down the aisle on my Fathers arm, people in the pews ooohed and aaahed as I floated serenely past, and the tall man at the top of the aisle turned and smiled at me lovingly. It was Danny. We reached the top of the Aisle and my Father handed me over to Danny. The congregation reseated themselves and the Vicar’s voice rang out.
“We are gathered here today to celebrate the bond of two people who have chosen to unite and share the rest of their lives together”
Danny smiled at me as we heard the words that we’d asked the Vicar to use as opposed to the traditional words. We knew we’d spend the rest of our lives together. The words of the Vicar just cemented everything.

My eyes flew open and I sat bolt upright in bed. Suddenly everything fit. I remembered! I lay back against the pillows as thoughts and memories flooded my mind. Things that I’d been unable to remember a little over two hours ago. Tears burned behind my eyelids as memories I’d treasured came back to me and I wondered how I could ever have forgotten them. Danny walked back into the room at that point, and something in my face told him I’d remembered something. He said my name tentatively and I held out my arms to him. As he sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms around me I sobbed out the words I needed to say.
“Danny I’m so sorry, I remembered! I dreamed about our wedding, and when I woke everything started to come back to me! I’m so sorry Danny, how could I ever have forgotten?”
Danny held me tightly and the Doctor wandered in.
“How are you feeling Melina?” he asked.
Danny laughed out loud as I lifted my face and said
“You can call me Mrs Thornton Doctor”

So, I’m home now, have been for two weeks. There are still a few things that are hazy, like I don’t remember anything about the accident, but the Doctor said that happens sometimes, that it’s the mind’s way of protecting the body or something. My darling Danny has ben home with me every day, and this morning I gave him a heart attack when I said I wanted to continue to learn to ski. He asked me how on earth I was going to do that. So I told him about the research I did on the internet. It seems I can get some special skis. Well it’s not so much the skis that are special, more the poles. They’re on like mini runners so that I can use them to help me turn.

You see, when I had the accident, I shattered my left leg completely below the knee, I also tore ligaments and arteries and the leg was basically beyond repair. So I lost my leg below the knee. It was a shock to find out I had no leg below the knee. It felt like it was still there. Losing a part of my body made me re-evaluate my life. But I remain optimistic. That’s part of the reason I want to continue to learn to ski. Danny balked at the very idea of it. But I’m hoping he’ll change his mind when he see’s the “Special Skis” I ordered from the internet whilst he was out grocery shopping yesterday.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I look forward to your criticism constructive comments.

Ciao.