The Window

A little something I had to do for my writing class. Who knows, it just might spurn a new novel. ;)

The window is my looking glass, into a world I have only viewed, never visited. Sometimes I’ll sit by my special looking glass all day long and pretend I’m there; in the other world with all of ‘them’. Ever since the day I was born I’ve been here, the only glimpses of the other world is from the window. It’s my magic looking glass; my crystal ball that, even for a second, lets me be one of ‘them’; the outsiders, the people of the other world.

I was born a misfit. An unwanted, unloved child. My parents didn’t even want me, hence my banishment to this tower closed off from everyone and everything else. It was a tower...sort of. Really, it was just a suite on the third floor of my parent’s manor. All that was the tower was this small, spindly little thing that hung off the side of the manor. The stairs were steep and twisted sharply in the tower’s small frame. Every day I climb those long, winding stars up to the top of the tower; not for fun, or for exercise, but for it. The window; my window. That was the only reason for my daily trek up the tower.

The window was all I had. It was my lifeline, my anchor to reality. Without it I’m almost certain I’d be driven crazy with madness due to that lack of things to do within my prison. Through that magic looking glass I saw the most beautiful things imaginable. On the left side of my window, I saw the light blue skies, the warm, glowing rays of the sun. I saw the fresh, green grass peak its head up through the moist earth, and the colourful butterflies fly around the spring flowers, creating a rainbow of colours within the small meadow.

While one side showed the beauty of nature, the right showed the harshness and hope of people. Cobblestone streets twisted around buildings; buildings that ranged from the poor, broken homes of peasants to the tall, elegant buildings of the rich. As soon as daylight struck those buildings, the streets seemed to come to life. People filed out of their homes and started to work; a concept that was foreign to me for some time, you see, I’d spent my whole life in my tower with people to attend to all my needs. I finally learned the truth of this endeavour while I read a wonderful book-which, to this day, is still one of my favourites-that describes the life of a noble who finds herself working as a maid when her family’s fortune is lost. Anyhow, every day there seems to be a routine to which everyone in the city follows. Every day a paperboy stands at the corner of the street, almost directly underneath my window and shouts out the news headlines. I like to think he chooses that spot just for me; so that I may understand a bit more of their world. Maybe at least someone knows I’m here, as much as my parents would like everyone to forget. Several vendors, set up their shops on the street to sell their products, and the constant chatter of bargaining is heard until the sun finally disappears for the day.

All that comes between these two very different parts of the world I view is an old, moss-covered brick wall. All that comes between my world and the real one is this tower...and my parents. Without my window, I’d be lost. Without it, I could never have survived the harsh world I live in. One in which it seems my parents are just waiting until the day I die, but I’m determined not to give them that satisfaction. With my window, I just know I will survive. The window; my window; my sanctuary.

Author's Note

Once again, feel free to give me any constructive criticism, I really do appreciate it. I like the mystery of the character and how you don't exactly know why she happens to be in the tower, only looking at the world, not experiencing it. I tried to make it seem more in the past, then in the present, but let me know what it seems like to you. Also, let me know if you'd maybe like me to continue this or make it into a novel.

Thanks!

Reviews

[Yina]

I like the way you can't tell exactly what's wrong or exactly the reason she's up there (the person is a she right?). I'd love to read more about the window:)

[hmm]

wonderful detail also very interesting! I like the characters. Well written

[Manie]

Very well written. I loved it. Hope you got very good marks for this in class, because I think it was very well done and very creative. Should you turn this into a novel? I don't know. It might work, but I also think it can make for a beautiful short story. Well, obviously more detailed than just this piece, working toward getting to know the characters a bit better, with some interesting events unfolding and then finally her escape into the real world and how she copes. Well, by that time, depending on all the ideas you have, it will probably end up in a novel anyway. So, I can't say for sure if a novel will work, but I still think it's a beautifully written piece and I enjoyed it very much.

[Sean M. Addams]

thought the storyline was interesting in this and detail in this was nicely done too... overall a very interesting piece.