The Auditorium

Posted on by Reena Saxena

The darkest nights redefine our relationship with light. The coldest months rebuild longing for warmth.

I looked forward to the concert with great enthusiasm, and my companions were what I called my comfort zone. Dressed to the hilt, we took our seats in the auditorium. As someone tested the mic, we looked around for elements of surprise in the opening sequence. The curtain was still down, and the hall reverberated with sounds of gunfire. Then, I saw blood … I was where I am.

When the snow began outside suddenly, arrival of cops was delayed. The miscreants had vanished, their mission accomplished.

What lay besides me was the cold body of my beloved, and a hand extending help – a hand to support me forever – in the same place as a fellow volunteer.

I discovered the need for help, right there, and now help others.

Prosery at dVerse

Prompt line

“I was where I am
When the snow began”

From “The Dead of Winter” by Samuel Menashe. Full poem here.

20 thoughts on “The Auditorium”

      1. Not sure if you have it where you’re at, but we have “Guilty but Mentally Ill” as charge. That way they get the “psychological expert intervention” but from behind bars, safely contained from harming others.

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  2. You have touched on something not many may admit. When you hear of shootings and then go to a public place like a concert or movie, I know the thought it could happen anywhere runs through my mind. But we push it aside. Good piece!

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