Would You Rather... | Teen Ink

Would You Rather...

September 29, 2009
By yelnatz BRONZE, Goodwood, Other
yelnatz BRONZE, Goodwood, Other
1 article 0 photos 14 comments

Would you rather have pink or blue nail polish? Would you rather be deaf or blind? Would you rather live as a vegetable or die as a hemophiliac? Would you rather wake up not knowing who you are or not wake up at all?
They, the doctors, want me to write. Anything, they said, even a scribble. I don’t remember how to write or to even hold a pencil. My fist clenches around it like a baby, like I had been reborn. These people, probably watching me from the video camera. Laughing. Like I was some sick joke. My face flushes, my eyes water stinging my cheeks, slipping down to drip on the paper. Leaving dark, shriveled, circles, in place of my words.
I cannot begin to describe how it feels when you don’t know yourself anymore. Waking up and recognizing nothing, from the colour of your hair or the dryness of you hands. Falling asleep one night after giving your mother a kiss not knowing the next time you see her you will scream in panic. As if it was all a recorded film that had been rewound, and the play button was stuck. Except for me, the play button wasn’t just stuck. It wasn’t there period.
This woman, my mother so I am told, places a photo next to bed the day after I wake up. After two months. The perfect family. In the background there is a man, smiling, his arm is around a girl. Looks like me. Something else is familiar. Is it his expression? The way his hand grips her shoulder instead of resting on it? Rage. I smash the picture to the floor. The glass shatters. I tear his face from the picture, the rest floats to the ground. The woman cries. The doctor nods. I wonder if I care.
They release me a few weeks later to the woman. She tells me we are going home. He’s gone. He can’t hurt you anymore. Legally I don’t need to go with her. But I do. She tells me about myself. My boyfriend, our pregnancy. I look down at myself wondering how a child had ever been there. Where was it now?
I kept the torn photo of him in my pocket. Obsessed. It took me a month but I found him. Daddy, I look at him wasted. Why did you do it? I remember what you did to me now. But I am not like you.
Would you rather wake up not knowing who you are or not wake up at all? It kills me to see him like this, slumped in his chair, snoring softly, absolutely unaware. A broken glass is on the floor. The red wine will stain the carpet. I will allow my blood to enter the blend. In time they will replace the carpet. Still the stain of his sin and mine shall remain. I look at my cracked reflection in the mirror. One shot. I look at him and pull the trigger. I would rather not wake up at all.


The author's comments:
This was written for a school assignment. A short story in 500 words or less. I think it's the kind of story you need to read twice to understand the true meaning of what happens at the end. It's one of my favorite pieces

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This article has 54 comments.


krzykrys GOLD said...
on Jan. 3 2011 at 6:41 pm
krzykrys GOLD, Baldwinsville, New York
15 articles 0 photos 51 comments

Favorite Quote:
i have many favorite quotes

this was really good. and omg if this was a school assignment what did the teacher think? lol mine would pul me aside and ask me if i needed to see a counslor.

on Oct. 7 2010 at 7:32 pm
Abbey_love SILVER, Sacramento, California
5 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

i loved it!!! it was amazing-ly emotion and creepy (in a good way)

korhel said...
on May. 28 2010 at 3:48 am
korhel, Rockhampton, Other
0 articles 0 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I wish I had the guts to walk away and forget about you... But I can't because I know you won't come after me... And that's what hurts the most."

=0 how dare she! It was awesome!!

on Mar. 26 2010 at 7:15 pm
MCRlover2011 BRONZE, Kemp, Texas
4 articles 2 photos 85 comments

Favorite Quote:
Be yourself, don't take any one's (ugh they keep editing this T_T) shit and never let them take you alive!!!- Gerard Way

I think i get it but i'm not sure... but good non the less

twiwrite GOLD said...
on Mar. 1 2010 at 2:34 pm
twiwrite GOLD, Modesto, California
14 articles 0 photos 111 comments

Favorite Quote:
none :P

it seems like there could be more to it. this was really captivateing though!!

yelnatz BRONZE said...
on Jan. 20 2010 at 12:40 pm
yelnatz BRONZE, Goodwood, Other
1 article 0 photos 14 comments
thank you so much!

on Jan. 16 2010 at 10:41 am
wordsneverfail BRONZE, Fishers, Indiana
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
These violent delights have violent ends, which in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume. Romeo&Juliet.

absolutely amazing. i loved it (:

on Dec. 30 2009 at 3:37 pm
SerenityMine BRONZE, Not Saying, California
2 articles 0 photos 156 comments
I know. Lol I've been really busy too. :)

yelnatz BRONZE said...
on Dec. 27 2009 at 12:59 pm
yelnatz BRONZE, Goodwood, Other
1 article 0 photos 14 comments
haha thats good ! thank you

yelnatz BRONZE said...
on Dec. 27 2009 at 12:59 pm
yelnatz BRONZE, Goodwood, Other
1 article 0 photos 14 comments
thanks :) I will, when i can find the time :P

on Dec. 25 2009 at 9:17 pm
Adrenalinejunkie52 SILVER, Sweet Home, Oregon
5 articles 0 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
geez louise!
Hot Dang!!
Wasshupp?!!? (wuh-shup)
Hey You!

That was an awesome story! It was creepy and emotional (creepy in a good way)

on Dec. 25 2009 at 1:03 am
SerenityMine BRONZE, Not Saying, California
2 articles 0 photos 156 comments
Wow. That was really amazing. Keep writing!

yelnatz BRONZE said...
on Nov. 29 2009 at 8:28 pm
yelnatz BRONZE, Goodwood, Other
1 article 0 photos 14 comments
I wasn't as traditional as she would have liked and she thought the topic was a bit dicey... something like that

have_a_heart said...
on Nov. 29 2009 at 11:46 am
how did she not like it?!

yelnatz BRONZE said...
on Nov. 29 2009 at 11:44 am
yelnatz BRONZE, Goodwood, Other
1 article 0 photos 14 comments
Thank you so much! I really do appreciate it, since when i did this for school my english teacher didn't like it at all. Thank you :D

have_a_heart said...
on Nov. 28 2009 at 12:58 pm
thank you for writing this is all i can say. I found it deep and intriguingly enticing. Where I have a desire to know more about this story, I feel that the information u provided is perfect. I seriously can not think of one thing that could improve this story. You have true potential and skill. Continue to write, please. I will show this to my friends :)

yelnatz BRONZE said...
on Oct. 30 2009 at 3:32 pm
yelnatz BRONZE, Goodwood, Other
1 article 0 photos 14 comments
wow thank you so much! I will definetly put up some more stuff. I just need to get the time to write :)

on Oct. 29 2009 at 4:52 pm
SilverAngel777 BRONZE, Three Rivers, Texas
4 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Take life as it comes. Run when you have to, fight when you must, rest when you can."
-Elyas Machera, The Wheel of Time, By Robert Jordan

teen pregnancy ? wow

tsolo said...
on Oct. 29 2009 at 2:54 pm
This piece was amazing. The questions you wrote in there really does make you think, such as when you said, "Would you rather wake up not knowing who you are or not wake up at all?" The idea and topic of this piece was interesting and you should try to write more. I would defiantly read it along with many others. One of my favorite parts in you short story was when you described the feeling of confusion after waking up and said, "Waking up and recognizing nothing, from the color of your hair or the dryness of your hands." You did a great job with the ending to, I liked how you built up and ended strong. I enjoyed reading your piece and will look for more of your writings.

yelnatz BRONZE said...
on Oct. 18 2009 at 8:00 pm
yelnatz BRONZE, Goodwood, Other
1 article 0 photos 14 comments
teen pregnancy article. Then i had to do a short story for school and liked the idea, but found it's very common thing for teens to write about so i added a twist... the write in me i guess :P