I went to Grandma and Grandpa’s and ate raspberries from the yard and frozen dates and helped Grandma with the mixer and played with clothespins in the laundry room and Grandpa sneaked me cookies and now the shadows move down the car seats and out the windows and I count the streetlights and try to see the Gorge but there might be wolves under my seat so I pull my legs up and then Barbie is dancing on my knee and she is sparkly and she does a flip and her shoe falls off but I don’t get it because of the wolves and she balances on her heel and my face is in the window and then it’s gone and I breathe on the window and make a hand print in the mist and Barbie’s hair is short because I cut it and it looks funny and then there is a fire dancing outside and a car is burning and there are people around and we slow down and I hold my doll in the window so she can see with me and we hope they’re ok and I pull my feet in tighter.
This is not a rough draft or a huge run-on sentence. Well actually it is a giant sentence, but I did it on purpose. This story is written directly as I remember it - I was four, so it should sound like a four year old. This is exactly what I remember from one night when we drove past a car accident on I-84 circa 1987. Future direct memories will come with the label "direct memory".
Beautifully written, Kiwi. I didn't know about the wolves under the seat. Couldn't have been Fire Eyes, Thunder Roar, Swift Runner, Rain Mist, Friend of Kings, Mountain Jewel and Silver Fir, or you wouldn't have been afraid. I still think about that car fire when I drive by where it happened on my way back from the Gorge.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I read this post to St. Amant, and she said to tell you she loved it.