Tuesday, November 11, 2014

WIPpet Wednesday: "Dreams of the Condemned"

Happy Wednesday! It's been a good week here, and I hope the same is true for you. In honor of the second week of the month, here are two paragraphs from Torn Asunder. The following discussion
takes place between two men in a North Korean prison camp about Moses, a figure rumored to help men escape the gulags.

***

Simon paused. “You’re sure it’s not just dreams of the condemned?” He was thankful that the darkness hid the older man’s face. As the weeks passed in the mines, Simon found hope the most bitter tormenter of all. The sooner he could stop pining for Hannah, the easier it would be to submit to the guards’ abuse, to switch off his mind and shovel his coal like they demanded. He was homesick, not for a place, but for her, and nothing could cure him of his illness.

His question was answered by silence, and Simon worried for a moment he had offended his friend. Finally, Mal-Chin took a deep breath. “If I didn’t believe that someone on the outside was looking out for me, I’d go mad. Before working in the mines, I spent time in underground detainment. I witnessed things there … heard things that would turn your hair just as white as mine.” His voice grew even softer. “I survived on nothing but dreams, dreams that one day I would join my family again, dreams that somebody – Moses, an angel, God himself, I didn’t care who – would see my suffering. Even if I was never set free, I just wanted someone on the outside to know where I was, to see me down here, to understand that I’m a real, flesh-and-blood man.” Simon heard the tightness in his friend’s throat. “I still dream, Brother. I have to. We all do. That’s why if Moses doesn’t exist, if he’s just a legend we prisoners made up to hold onto foolish hope, I’d rather keep believing a lie than face such an awful truth.”

***

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Blog Love: Huge thanks to K L Schwengel for hosting the WIPpet Wednesday blog hop, where authors post snippets from the current Works In Progress.

Random Fact: I am attempting to do my entire NaNo this year by dictation. The good news is I can talk faster than I can type. The bad news is my typing program isn't 100% accurate, so I'll have a lot of editing to do later on. If it saves my wrists, it still might be worth it. Good luck to you all!

13 comments:

  1. One of many poignant moments. =0) Beautiful.

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  2. "That’s why if Moses doesn’t exist, if he’s just a legend we prisoners made up to hold onto foolish hope, I’d rather keep believing a lie than face such an awful truth."
    A powerful section. This hits you right in the heart.

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    1. Thank you! Glad to see you around the blogosphere again :)

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  3. Beautiful and very powerful. The first paragraph made me immediately think "home is where the heart is" which I think is rather fitting for this section. Great job!

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  4. That's incredibly powerful. This really got me: "Even if I was never set free, I just wanted someone on the outside to know where I was, to see me down here, to understand that I’m a real, flesh-and-blood man." Wow.

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    1. Thanks Amy. I actually had a dream where I was in prison and nobody cared. It was horrible.

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  5. Wow. That really does hit you in the emoterator, don't it?

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    1. ah, thanks. Hope your emoterator is ok now though

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  6. Great scene Alana. I love how Simon is homesick for Hannah. And Mal-Chin's story is heartbreaking. Hope they make it out.

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