After Tomorrow
01.10.13
It is a few weeks since Maurice’s banishment to the old world. Every night in that time he dreams that he is back in Tomorrow, only to wake up and find himself still very much in Yesterday. Each morning brings fresh pain as he despairs anew at his predicament, and this morning is no different. He crawls out of the makeshift tent he has set up, only a few feet away from the chasm that separates Yesterday from Tomorrow. The hideous underside of the Bridge between the worlds looms over him, its ugliness only serving to remind him how beautiful the Bridge is when viewed from a vantage point within the realm of Tomorrow.
Part of him toys with the idea, yet again, of moving from this place – of admitting defeat and rejoining the world of Yesterday as a proper citizen. The internal debate comes to its usual conclusion. He would rather stay here and face the daily pain than give up on the impossible dream of getting back to the new world. For impossible the dream certainly is – one only gets a single chance at entering Tomorrow, and Maurice has already had his.
A small group of people pass by his tent, speaking in soft tones. They glance at him, then look away quickly to avoid catching his eye. He knows their type – old worlders who have only ever seen Tomorrow from across the chasm. Maurice envies them. No doubt if he had never set foot in the new world, he would still be content with his lot in the old one. He would also have been able to entertain hopes of one day being selected for admission into Tomorrow. Now all hope is as dead as whatever lies in the chasm under the Bridge.
Maurice thinks of his days in Yesterday – he had been happy enough, of course, just like those old worlders that had just walked past. But that was before. Before the force fields had led him across the Bridge, before the Gates had opened to let him in, before he had experienced the wonders of Tomorrow. It was before Eloise.
Eloise! They had met by chance on a sunny day and both had known life would never be the same again. Stopping only to wrap up a few treasured yesterdays, they had answered the call of the Bridge and set off into the new world, a myriad tomorrows waiting to be explored. Most of those would remain waiting, for Eloise had brought more into Tomorrow than just a few little yesterdays. Concealed deep inside her, the malignancy grew and grew, not making itself known until it was too late for even all the wonders of Tomorrow to do anything about it. Eloise’s last breath had been the cue of the force fields, and Maurice was banished back to Yesterday.
Maurice realises that in his obsession to get back into Tomorrow, he has failed to take into account the most important issue. There can be no Tomorrow without Eloise, and what good is Yesterday with no hope of Tomorrow? He walks to the edge of the precipice and peers into the chasm. Perhaps he and Eloise will be reunited at the bottom.
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Tags: Flash Fiction, fridayflash, Loss, Love, Tomorrow, Writing
Complex piece, Maria! It made me think of the yesterdays we all carry with us.
The strong voice gave away, at least to me, that there would be quite a bleak ending, probably a termination. The voice makes the piece. It’s so resigned and haggard. It’s in mourning for everything that’s past and coming.
loved the cats cradle of memories, desires and feelings
marc nash
Right from the start you can feel the character’s burdens are weighing him down. The desire for something he can’t have. Very moody and touching story.
Wow… looking at the archive listing, it’s been a LONG time! Welcome back!
This was beautiful, although it missed explaining why Eloise’s cancer meant his banishment. It did wrap up nicely, though. What else *could* be at the bottom but reunion with his loved one?
This is absolutely superb Maria! Interstingly, this goes right along with “my life at the moment”, making the story that much more vivid.
As others have said, the voice is very strong and authentic. I could go on and on, I love this one!
I’m constantly trying to get my children to live in the moment instead of hoping tomorrow will hurry up and get here, so I tell them: “Yesterday is gone, tomorrow will never be here, live now.”
I like the idea you present of people visiting the bridge and chasm, just to take a look at ‘Tomorrow’. It brings to mind going to an airport when I was a kid, and marveling at all the lucky people going on plane journeys.
I agree that your MC has a strong voice and the melancholy ending fits well, but I was also confused about the whole malignancy thing and its consequences.
Hmm, if I have to explain the banishment, then I guess I have failed somewhat in the writing of this.
It’s that, with Eloise gone, Maurice cannot experience the myriad tomorrows without her, so the forces expell him from the new world. After you no longer have a future to look forward to, you can no longer stay in Tomorrow
To be fair, you do tell us that in your story, that without Eloise, there can be no tomorrow, so you didn’t fall down on that point at all. I maybe should have paid more attention whilst I was reading.
I liked the fantasy versus grim reality feel and the different levels this worked on.
I love this idea of Yesterday and Tomorrow being distinct worlds, and the bleakness of being caught between them, unable to move forward and impossible to go back. Really great story!
Very interesting piece that held my attention all the way. It reminds me of those who either cannot stop living in the past or only think about the future without ever living in the present moment. There was a poignant feel to this piece. Nice Work!
A wonderfully written piece, rather dark and for me a little surreal, powerful writing, and I was rather saddened at the end.
A dark compelling wait and a tragic end but I want to know more of this strange duel world – why was her death his banishment? Was it all metaphor within h is own head etc…
Excellent piece.
Saffy
Love the complexity of this flash so much, Maria, this right here is the exact reason I love reading your writing. Every single time.
Such a lyrical piece – very thought provoking.
I like the time-space flip — this almost seems like a science fiction version of the Beatles song. The idea of someone camped out next to, but not on, the land he wants to rejoin is about as existential as it gets. Very cool.
Another great piece Mazz – your tones are always so easy to read and follow and this was no exception – great stuff
So much to think about in this piece. Very complex and thought provoking. Lovely.
I loved the way this unfolded and I agree with the others that the tone was just right. I greatly enjoyed reading this.