Lauren stared at the page, trying to follow the story as her
classmates read aloud but dreading her name being called next to read. She
loved the words and the stories they created, taking her to wonderful lands
where dragons roamed, witches caused trouble and a prince won the hand of a fair princess;
but these were only words she could access as an audio through the beautiful
tones of someone’s carefully chosen voice.
She loved the feel of a book but once opened was scared as
the words danced a jig across the page, letters jumbling themselves up, making
no sense at all. She wished the words would just stay still; long enough for
her to be able to make some sense of them, read them, enjoy them and understand
them without fear, ridicule or apprehension.
She turned over the page just as her classmates did, her
eyes adjusting to the page as the words tumbled and jumbled again and again
only for the class teacher to call her name for her turn to read aloud; words
that wouldn't stop moving, words that roamed and teased, words that were
unreadable to Lauren, words that were fated to remain forever a mystery, wrapped in an invisible blanket of anxiety.
For more 5 sentence fiction, please visit http://lilliemcferrin.com/five-sentence-fiction-words/ where you can read other fab stories based on 'words' and only 5 sentences. xx
I feel so sorry for her. I have some difficulty reading but can. To not be able to...oh so sad.
ReplyDeleteScott
Mine: http://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/five-sentence-fiction-prompt-words/
As writers, this certainly gives us something to think about. We can't take the stories and poems we write for granted. They don't mean much if someone can't read them. An interesting take on the prompt!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful yet sad story, I really felt for her and wanted to reach out to her.
ReplyDeleteYou could imagine her scanning the classroom with her eyes.
Xxx
This is so close to home in our world of work. I still need to stop and remember that this is how a lot of our children feel. I love this honey. All they need is a lot of understanding and encouragement because all these children are possible writers in the making. :-)
ReplyDeleteGot experience of dyslexia in my family, my dad was doing A-level maths at 12, but couldn't spell 'cat' due to his dyslexia. I am the complete opposite, maths is my enemy! Reading is such an important skill, schools should do all they can to help and combat those who struggle with it.
ReplyDeleteWow, very powerful and often misunderstood disability. I feel for "Lauren" as she struggles for clarity in the written page. Well done.
ReplyDeleteSo sad the teacher didn't realize her student's disability, thereby making it all the more devastating for the child, who was sure to be ridiculed by her classmates. I used to care for a couple of boys who had dyslexia, and the one built up such a wall, because of the cruelty of his classmates... Makes me so sad. You did a beautiful job of writing and presenting this from Lauren's point of view.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you,
Cheryl
Nice job putting us in the head of someone who can't process the written word – something I think many of us are lucky enough to take for granted. Of course, there's some irony in allowing people a glimpse into this experience through writing about it...
ReplyDeleteSo beautifully expressed and gripping in its emotion. My heart breaks for Lauren. Outstanding, Lizzie. Really outstanding.
ReplyDeleteLovely entry! Lauren's anxiety is palpable they way you've written it.
ReplyDelete