24th March 2017

Playground- Now and then

ー Then ー

My chariot stops. I thank my coachman and step out elegantly. Scents of freshly laid bark ran up my nose like a rapid gust of wind. The immense walls of the castle like structure lit my eyes up with a thousand different colours, as if I was gazing into a kaleidoscope. I begin to propel my body towards the intricate structure. The architecture towers above me, as my young, energetic legs move like never before to get to my destination. Beginning to climb the perfectly woven ropes, I noticed that they seemed to stretch for miles. I ascend for what seems forever and finally make it to the uppermost point of the tower. Looking down to my ant like parents I wave frantically in excitement. The once huge trees surrounding the park are now toothpicks covered in broccoli. 

“I’m the king of the castle and you’re the dirty rascal” I chant again and again. Pretending I am being worshipped by all my people, I parade around pretentiously. I sit on my throne and demand to be fed by my servants.

“Lewie” I hear from down below, “It’s time to go.”

Climbing down from my tower, I breathe in deeply. The fresh air fills my lungs faster than the speed of light. ‘Crunch’. The bark catches me with all its strength. My chariot awaits me at the base of my castle. In a heartbeat, I hop in and we gallop away into the sunset.

ー Now ー

Gradually, I step out of my car. The scent of rotting wood lingers in the dry air. A small, brittle, broken structure stood in front of me. Its paint cracked, as if it had been hit by a lightning bolt. The once perfect ropes looked like they had been thrown in a mulcher. I inch my aged body towards the shabby, run down tower. “How things change over time” I mumble to myself. The structure seems to have shrunk with age. The castle like walls were now as tall as I , the fresh wood had turned into decaying wood infested with seagull faeces. They were held by one, or at most, two decrepit rusty nails. I no longer feel like the king of the castle, but instead I am a servant simply trying to escape. My throne is lost to piles of decomposing leaves. Trees that once surrounded my castle are now forgotten beneath the dirt, long since swept away along with childhood memories. My heart feeling heavy, I edged back towards my car and chugged my way towards the smog of the city.  

 

Join the conversation! 2 Comments

  1. A play ground offers so many opportunities for rich descriptions. Good choice! I want you to be wary of this though. At the moment, you seem to have a lot of adverbs and adjectives through your work. Rather than just adding more, think about the quality of the word you are choosing and the connotations that go with it. I think you will see this when you come to editing time and begin to re-read your work.

    Reply
  2. Look at the way you are beginning your sentences- you are using a lot of the word “I”.

    Reply

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Writing