The Woman Who Woke To Find She Had Become A City

Contents:

1 Introduction

2 The Woman Who Woke To Find She Had Become A City Short Story Video

3 The Woman Who Woke To Find She Had Become A City Products

4 The Woman Who Woke To Find She Had Become A City script

5 More The Woman Who Woke To Find She Had Become A City Products

6 Collaborators & Licenses

7 FREE download of The Woman Who Woke To Find She Had Become A City

1 Introduction

I love this short story – I make no claims to modesty. It came out of nowhere and arrived almost fully formed. I’ll admit, there was considerable tweaking but overall, it was fully formed. My feeling is that it arose from somewhere in my subconscious. I’d commuted for many years, going in by train, shuddering through several tunnels underground, to emerge into the brightness of Sydney city. Around me, I must have seen tens of thousands of people, who experienced the same thing, 5 days a week, probably, and almost all of us seemed to wear that similar, grim going-to-work, city look, spot-lit in the sudden light.

In hindsight, it wasn’t healthy – it wasn’t just that we were going into the city – it was that the city had its own life and was feeding upon us.

Quid pro quo.

2 The Woman Who Woke To Find She Had Become A City Short Story Video

The Woman Who Woke To Find She Had Become A City

3 The Woman Who Woke To Find She Had Become A City Products

4  The Woman Who Woke To Find She Had Become A City Script

For those who can’t access the video, here is the text of the original short story.

It had been an ordinary evening.
It had been an even more ordinary day.
When had the change begun?

Sally had come home from work, poured herself a chardonnay – and sat in the quiet, recovering from another too-busy day like every other.

The distant hum of the motorway droned on and on – in its vaguely malevolent, carbon-monoxide way – as a million people like her fled home to NOT remember their day.

Next door, Jenny and Bill were at it, again – they had a routine:
A sharp word or two
A retort
A bickering that built into a shout
Then a reply-shout
Something thrown
A sudden cease-fire
A noisy commercial break’s worth of make-up sex
Bill’s violent elephant-roar and Jenny’s triumphant, whimpering sigh.

All was well

Sally crawled into bed some time around 11, naked for no-one,
no Bill, no Pete, no Glen – but that night she gave herself  willingly to the sapping, Summer heat, which caressed her still-girlish body to a deep, deep sleep.

It was the helicopter whirr that had woken her.

She thought it must be the garbage truck, nonchalantly crushing the Styrofoam & plastic detritus of busy takeaway lives…
…but it wasn’t a Tuesday – no, it was Thursday.
Thursday morning.

The little helicopter hovered in front of her…
…and then sped off like a hornet on a secret mission, soon, precipitously, descending onto a skyscraper landing pad, situated somewhere near Sally’s left breast.

The helicopter door opened and little, suited, figures with tiny briefcases and even tinier IPADS sped off to some probably very important little meeting,
curiously oblivious to the entire financial district slowly moving UP…
…and DOWN…
…with Sally’s breath.

The little helicopter hovered in front of her…
…and then sped off like a hornet on a secret mission, soon, precipitously, descending onto a skyscraper landing pad, situated somewhere near Sally’s left breast.

The helicopter door opened and little, suited, figures with tiny briefcases and even tinier IPADS sped off to some probably very important little meeting,
curiously oblivious to the entire financial district slowly moving UP…
…and DOWN…
…with Sally’s breath.

All over her, in her, through her, a million little people began another entirely forgettable day.

“You bitch!”

The door slammed and Bill stormed down the stairs, probably just making the 7.41 EXPRESS.

All was well.

5  More The Woman Who Woke To Find She Had Become A City Products

6  Collaborators & Licenses

I wrote this short story, The Woman Who Woke To Find She Had Become A City, to accompany an illustration that Fernanda from Buenos Aires, Argentina had done for me. I’d seen her work – I gave her an idea – she delivered the illustration.

Not more than a few sentences were exchanged.

And then she disappeared.

In a way, Fernanda’s virtual anonymity might perhaps qualify her to speak for every young woman who feels consumed by the City’s appetite – I’d like to think so, anyway.

I purchased the rights to the background music and have imaginatively renamed it as The Woman Who Woke To Find She Had Become A City.

The airport lounge image used as the background in the comedic OUTRO is by Matthew Henry.

7  FREE download of The Woman Who Woke To Find She Had Become A City Short Story

spoken voice & music   CLICK HERE

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