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Exercise #828: Craft
Posted 11/1/19
Recently we had another vehicle accident in front of the house. About every other year, someone goes off the road here. (There may be more we don’t know about.) Usually they end up in the dirt with a dusty car, a bent fender or bumper and a bit rattled. Occasionally, it’s bad.
This time was in-between. The car rolled and landed on the roof. The driver, however, was unhurt and my husband helped him out of the car through the window while I called 9-1-1. The driver was eighteen, and talked non-stop about how another driver had hit him and forced him off the road, and then taken off. (And that “safety class” had taught him what to do in a rollover.) Two other motorists also stopped to help.
The driver borrowed a phone from someone and called his mom. The ambulance arrived and he was asked a bunch of questions and then escorted over to the ambulance to be checked out. (A cut on his throat was bleeding a bit; likely from the seatbelt.)
Dad, and then Mom, arrived. Both were hurrying but not rushing. For a while, Dad and Mom and Driver and Paramedics and Cops huddled around the ambulance. My husband and I hung around in case we were needed for anything but stayed out of earshot. Driver was not taken to the hospital, my husband and I were questioned by Cop (no, we didn’t see it, we heard it from the house) and released.
From my window I watched the story end as the tow truck arrived, the upside-down car was righted, the family got out everything of value, and the car was put onto the truck. As it drove away, Dad, Mom and Driver stood and watched it go. Mom reached out and gently rubbed circles on her son’s back.
That image has stayed with me. I can’t help but contrast the family - who were not panicked but obviously care deeply for their boy - with the unknown instigator - who hit someone, had to have seen the car go off the road, may have seen it flip behind them, and went on about their day. And what? Just went to work? I don’t get it.
For today’s exercise, think about which side of this equation you relate to most and pick one of these characters for your POV. If you like, you may write to both sides. My intention is that you pick the protagonist (Driver) or the antagonist (Instigator) but you may choose a bit character instead if you like. Please limit to two.
Critiquers, along with a technical review, you might answer the following questions:
* Could you relate to this piece? Why or why not?
* Was this piece helpful to you as a writer? Why or why not?
Word limit: 1200 (and 1200 each, if doing two POVs)
Please use the subject line
SUB: Exercise #828/yourname
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