Everything was fine, until he made a mistake.
It’s gone now, the world, or at least the world he’s always known. A subtle slip of the tongue, one mispronounced syllable, and the universe collapsed. So many lives, squeezed out of existence. Friends. Family. Cities. Nations. Gone.
He tries to undo the damage, to bring them all back. But every word moves the universe one step closer to ruin. At last he stops, too devastated and out of breath to continue. He stands alone in the dark, the world hazy and insubstantial.
He calls the words back, recants the damage wrought by his careless tongue. But once uttered they will not return. The universe will not allow them.
He surveys the empty void. He does not speak again.
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Taking watch what you say to a whole new level….good one
Thank you!
This one was truly haunting…makes one think. Good work, as always, Jeff.
Thanks! I wrote this after a personal experience that happened as a result of my own carelessness (fortunately, the consequences turned out not to be quite so catastrophic…)
Yes, I imagine this is the worst case scenario. 🙂 But at one time or another, all of us have been careless with our words…sometimes in worse ways than others…a good reminder to think before we speak.