100-Word Challenge: Sad to Belong

Week 49’s 100-Word Challenge for Grown-Ups is another text prompt:
….Murray was just about to serve for the Championship when…
As Julia says, you have 100 words plus those in the prompt making 110 altogether. The prompt must be in the piece and not split.

Okay, then! I revisited an earlier vignette for this one, inspired as I was by that trailing “when…”

“Sad to Belong”

(With apologies to England Dan and John Ford Coley.)

They left the hotel television on, simply for the noise: noisy rooms were less likely to be disturbed. And they couldn’t be disturbed. Not now. Not after all the cooped-up days they’d already wasted, yearning for each other’s touch.

Robb’s arms were around her, but, still, Emma had to ask: “You’re certain about this?”

He nodded, nearly desperate. “I can’t go another minute without you,” he said, before crushing his mouth to hers.

They tumbled to the bed then, the television’s chatter covering their moans, and the snap of buttons and belts. Apparently, Murray was just about to serve for the Championship, when Robb’s mobile rang.

It was his wife.

I’m likely alone on this, but I don’t see Emma or Robb as bad people. Perhaps because I see their situation as a case of Right Love, Wrong Life.

What glimpse into another life did you take, with this week’s prompt?

12 Comments

4amWriter on July 11, 2012 at 05:25

I love your love triangles! Or, at least your relationship triangles, haha. Good job with the prompt. Mine has a dystopian feel to it, as I tend to do if I don’t go the poetry route. Championship with the capital C helped me think of a dystopian world.

Mayumi-H on July 11, 2012 at 06:05

Thank you, Kate. 🙂

I wasn’t going to try to wrap my head around a tennis match, so I went this direction.

Oo, yours sounds interesting! Can’t wait to read it on Friday. 🙂

Miriam on July 12, 2012 at 01:30

Brilliant writing! I love Murray about to serve for the Championship as a metaphor for what Robb was about to do.

Sally-Jayne on July 12, 2012 at 07:03

I like the way you went with this, with the prompt as background rather than the central point. Great to get another glimpse of Rob and Emma’s life as well.

shadetheraven on July 12, 2012 at 14:07

Honestly, I’m not quite sure what to make of this one yet. Simply because I know there is more here than is gleamed in 100 words. But for this one moment in time, you are quite right that it seems to be Right Love, Wrong Life.
I do hope you continue with this world though, as I am most curious to see just how this moment came to be, and (knowing your style a bit) what wonderful trials these two will face next.
Outstanding as always!

Mayumi-H on July 12, 2012 at 14:30

Thank you, Miriam. 🙂 I know I pushed the envelope a bit with this one, but I’m glad the symbolism worked.

Mayumi-H on July 12, 2012 at 14:31

Thanks, Sally-Jayne. I wasn’t going to tackle this prompt at all…until I remembered I didn’t necessarily have to write about tennis. 😉

I’m liking imagining Robb and Emma, too. They’re a bit close to home, yet, but their story is coming together, for me.

Mayumi-H on July 12, 2012 at 14:32

Thanks, Shade! I always look forward to your comments.

I’m still figuring out where these two are going. It’s been fun just taking them little step by little step. Of course, their situation won’t make things easy…!

lorrainefort on July 13, 2012 at 13:40

I shouldn’t have read the rest of your responses…kind of muddied my thoughts, but your take on the prompt is clean and inspirational. Not that I think love trysts are necessarily a way to go about life, just that you wrote it beautifully and, having steered clear of such places, you met my hope for such a fantasy meeting, met the moment, perfectly. Nicely done and thanks for writing and sharing! 🙂

DancingInTheRain) on July 13, 2012 at 18:07

Good take. Well written – very realistic. Is it love or just mutual attraction – and is it even possible to feel the difference when involved in that type of relationship?

Mayumi-H on July 13, 2012 at 21:25

Thank you, Lorraine. 🙂

I understand what you mean about reading replies. I’m guilty of doing that, myself…and of writing replies basically by the seat of my pants. 😀

Thanks so much for the kind praise, regardless. It’s a difficult line for me to tread, with these characters. I’m glad that there’s been strong reaction to them, as well.

Mayumi-H on July 13, 2012 at 21:26

That’s a good observation, Dancing. I’m not certain, myself, on which side of the fence these characters would fall. It’s definitely an interesting conundrum.

Thanks for stopping by!

4amWriter on July 11, 2012 at 05:25

I love your love triangles! Or, at least your relationship triangles, haha. Good job with the prompt. Mine has a dystopian feel to it, as I tend to do if I don’t go the poetry route. Championship with the capital C helped me think of a dystopian world.
Mayumi-H on July 11, 2012 at 06:05

Thank you, Kate. 🙂

I wasn’t going to try to wrap my head around a tennis match, so I went this direction.

Oo, yours sounds interesting! Can’t wait to read it on Friday. 🙂
Miriam on July 12, 2012 at 01:30

Brilliant writing! I love Murray about to serve for the Championship as a metaphor for what Robb was about to do.
Sally-Jayne on July 12, 2012 at 07:03

I like the way you went with this, with the prompt as background rather than the central point. Great to get another glimpse of Rob and Emma’s life as well.
shadetheraven on July 12, 2012 at 14:07

Honestly, I’m not quite sure what to make of this one yet. Simply because I know there is more here than is gleamed in 100 words. But for this one moment in time, you are quite right that it seems to be Right Love, Wrong Life.
I do hope you continue with this world though, as I am most curious to see just how this moment came to be, and (knowing your style a bit) what wonderful trials these two will face next.
Outstanding as always!
Mayumi-H on July 12, 2012 at 14:30

Thank you, Miriam. 🙂 I know I pushed the envelope a bit with this one, but I’m glad the symbolism worked.
Mayumi-H on July 12, 2012 at 14:31

Thanks, Sally-Jayne. I wasn’t going to tackle this prompt at all…until I remembered I didn’t necessarily have to write about tennis. 😉

I’m liking imagining Robb and Emma, too. They’re a bit close to home, yet, but their story is coming together, for me.
Mayumi-H on July 12, 2012 at 14:32

Thanks, Shade! I always look forward to your comments.

I’m still figuring out where these two are going. It’s been fun just taking them little step by little step. Of course, their situation won’t make things easy…!
lorrainefort on July 13, 2012 at 13:40

I shouldn’t have read the rest of your responses…kind of muddied my thoughts, but your take on the prompt is clean and inspirational. Not that I think love trysts are necessarily a way to go about life, just that you wrote it beautifully and, having steered clear of such places, you met my hope for such a fantasy meeting, met the moment, perfectly. Nicely done and thanks for writing and sharing! 🙂
DancingInTheRain) on July 13, 2012 at 18:07

Good take. Well written – very realistic. Is it love or just mutual attraction – and is it even possible to feel the difference when involved in that type of relationship?
Mayumi-H on July 13, 2012 at 21:25

Thank you, Lorraine. 🙂

I understand what you mean about reading replies. I’m guilty of doing that, myself…and of writing replies basically by the seat of my pants. 😀

Thanks so much for the kind praise, regardless. It’s a difficult line for me to tread, with these characters. I’m glad that there’s been strong reaction to them, as well.
Mayumi-H on July 13, 2012 at 21:26

That’s a good observation, Dancing. I’m not certain, myself, on which side of the fence these characters would fall. It’s definitely an interesting conundrum.

Thanks for stopping by!

100-Word Challenge: Sad to Belong

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