Cracked (Inkwell Dreemport Challenge - prompt #48 Inheritance)

in The Ink Well2 years ago

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Come to a party, it will be fun, they'd said. Friends of friends of friends of...6 degrees of separation... That still counts, right?

Seventeen, a great age to be alive, and to be fair most of those had been good years, but lately he'd been struggling with his past; struggling to understand the deep-seated depression that had crept over him, a dark and dank veil, shuttering out the light in his world. Somewhere along the line, he had fallen off the gratitude wagon. Faith and hope had been replaced by misery and doubt. The gutters had claimed him as their own.

He opened his eyes, the room was still spinning. He clung desperately to the wall, afraid that the slightest movement would set in place a domino effect that he'd be incapable of stopping. There was a steep tilt in the floor, threatening to give way to the cracks; threatening... to take him with it.

Their smiles had stared back at him, from the yellowed pages of the old photo albums. Their pictures did not do justice. The needle marks on her neck were not visible; they lurked behind the veil of her scarf. His face stared back, but from newspaper cuttings - a local villager breaks in and steals 2 bottles of Johhny W. Sentenced to 2 months of community service.

Neonatal abstinence syndrome, just another medical term to some, but to him it defined his entry into the world. Poppies; he wore them with pride each November. How ironic! Behind the beauty of its delicate petals...the road was tarred ... the road was black... and its legacy paved a path across his soul.

He slid down against the wall of the room, collapsing onto the floor. Spiraling colour, kaleidoscopic opportunity; these days he existed for rainbows; delightful spectrums... Blank faces, open spaces.

Be still Pain! He curled into a tight ball. Walls of doubt persisted. Too many scattered memories haunted him.

Everybody is addicted to something he resolved: writing, reading, running, cycling, gambling, sex, power, nicotine, chocolate, alcohol, drugs ...sadly his parents fell into the latter 2 categories.

But was the code of addiction buried within the genetics of his makeup? Did nature trump nurture, or could he ever overcome?

Increased levels of ...altered proteins ...common in addiction.

Voices resounding inside his head.

Epigenetics marked his very being; his DNA scarred for life by those who came before him. He banged his head against the wall, rocking back and forth. This... was... not... his... fault!

He'd purposely avoided his usual crowd, stayed away from the hard stuff for months...the crack, the heroine... the dysfunction. To him, acid was just a cheap trip from life, not an addiction....it lit his imagination and revealed an alternate world of beauty and creativity to him, it allowed him an escape... but tonight he felt the safe floor slipping. Acid might help to avoid the feelings of inadequacy and despair, but enough was enough, the tightrope was no longer taut.

Tonight he had panicked, been confused, overwhelmed, the usual euphoria had eluded him. As time passed, the warped echoes were morphing back into the intelligible. Time had not stood still. Time had still been lost.

And so he made a choice. He resolved at that moment to walk away from his inheritance. 'This life was not his legacy. Yesterday no longer defined him!' source

Inheritance. - something from the past that is still important or valuable.... source - Merriam Webster

the lesson yes, not the life!

He chose to deny the one thing his birth parents had available to leave him, his nature, his code. This kid was going to be making his own rules and living by them from here on in.

When all was said and done, he strode away. This was not the life he wanted for himself.

Instead of checking out.

He chose to check-in.

He chose to write his own story.


The above short story was inspired by Matthew West, and my O & J, and is dedicated to N, and all those who lost the fight 😔

"Family Tree" - Matthew West

You didn't ask for this
Nobody ever would
Caught in the middle of this dysfunction
It's your sad reality
It's your messed up family tree
And now you're left with all these questions

Are you gonna be like your father was and his father was?
Do you have to carry what they've handed down?

No, this is not your legacy
This is not your destiny
Yesterday does not define you
No, this is not your legacy
This is not your meant to be
I can break the chains that bind you

I have a dream for you
It's better than where you've been
It's bigger than your imagination
You're gonna find real love
And you're gonna hold your kids
You'll change the course of generations

No, this is not your legacy
This is not your destiny
Yesterday does not define you
No, this is not your legacy
This is not your meant to be
I can break the chains that bind you

Cause you're my child
You're my chosen
You are loved
You are loved

And I will restore
All that was broken
You are loved
You are loved

And just like the seasons change
Winter into spring
You're bringing new life to your family tree now
Yes you are
You are

Ooh, this will be your legacy
This will be your destiny
Yesterday did not define you
Ooh, this will be your legacy
This will be your meant to be
I can break the chains that bind you

And just like the seasons change
Winter into spring
You're bringing new life to your family tree now

Writer(s): Jason Houser, Matthew Joseph West

source - Family Tree

References

image source 1

Epigenetics

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Inheritance. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inheritance

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This is incredible ❤️ I hope he stays true to his new course :)

Thank you, my friend. My biggest wish would be that he hadn't gone down this road in the first place. For him that option has flown, for others...the reality of the road and the choices still lie ahead and I can only pray that the poppy stays in the vase and continues to grace us with her beauty.

Most definitely... One day this madness will end.
!ALIVE

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!PIZZA !ALIVE ... one day it will💗

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Hello @samsmith1971, this is impressive!

Nature struck hard enough. Nurture became of no effect to save him from that 'disgusting' inheritance.

Ever had a Convo with addicts?

I mean, even when someone is addicted to smiling, it can prove to be awkward in some cases. Being addicted to drug or a promiscuous life will always be a minus point for anyone.

Gladly, he chose to sign-in instead of signing out.

Counts as a win. Right?

Absolutely Kene❣️ Sadly there are inherited genetics linked to addiction and exposure in utero to a concoction of drugs and alcohol can have sever impacts on a human beings development and future habits. So yes Nature struck hard! But nurture and insight potentially won out at the end of the day, if he chooses for it to do so. In signing in to rehab and into life, he took the first positive steps forward to rescue himself from his plight. All we can do now is hope and pray. Thank you for your meaningful comment. I appreciate you. !PIZZA !ALIVE !LUV

Yeah... One of the links you embedded on your post gave more clarity to how this thing can become an inherited genetics issue.

There are a lot that needs to be known in this world. I doubt if we can ever know it all.

Thanks Sam ✌️

!ALIVE

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I really hope that he will have the courage to stay true to this new found resolutions. None of the habits he inherited was his fault. Since he is up for a change, I pray the universe has his support and stands by him.

Nicely written @samsmith1971.

thank you Iska❣️ I too hope that he has finally found the strength and courage to fight the demons he was born with so that he can overcome once and for all. !PIZZA !ALIVE 💗

We'll both be praying for him 😁 even though he is an imaginary character 😂😂

hehe well, he is the embodiment of what we hope for others; to avoid the path altogether or seek help if they find themselves flailing. So we can both pray anyway; the intention behind it is good🙏 !ALIVE !PIZZA x

I knew you would say that ... The idea came to me when I said that too.... It's a good intention, so I support that we pray for those who are experiencing this in real life. ❤️

Magnificent tale. It sings and dances till the end. The way you handle time is superb. One sees time speeds by as life changes for the protagonist.

Oh, I feel blessed by this, coming from you @litguru❣️ Thank you for appreciating my story and showing it some love. It is very close to my heart. !ALIVE !PIZZA !LUV

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The moment when the veil is removed... what a glorious point in time.

When the choice becomes clear, and the reason resounds and the wisdom weighs.

And then - those who take those first difficult steps to freedom. Is there anything more worthy? more beautiful? more right?

Nature and nurture have us in a vicegrip, but grace. Grace is all.

beautiful, Sam!!!

Thank you, Leah ❣️ I'm so pleased you liked it. It's a process, right? And a road that has to be walked if you're on it. But when the epiphany strikes, when Grace holds our hand and leads us out of the darkness through to self-realisation, acceptance, and ownership...yup ... life can start anew💗 !LUV !ALIVE !PIZZA

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heartbreaking, in so many ways. Glad the cycle broke w/ him. Not every inheritance is a good thing.

WELL Written, haunting, and also, very well done.

Found this post from #PYPT on @dreemport

Thank you, Blue ❣️ ... backstories in March x

Great lyrics. Inspiring story too.

Thank you witty, I'm glad you were able to gain something from it. I appreciate that you took the time to stop by and show a lot of love !ALIVE !PIZZA !LUV

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interesting indeed, hope he stays strong!

He will surely need the support of family and the right set of friends to keep him on the straight and narrow! !PIZZA !ALIVE

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adding you to my current post, glad we found each other!

Stupendous! Magnificently done, the sheer despair of a life running out of control. The immense strength required to overcome. The beautiful poppies - ahhh, what a light touch you have...strange, isn’t it, how beauty can hide destruction and poison!

❤️💕❤️💕❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😍

Thank you @itsostylish💗 I drew inspiration from a variety of sources, some first hand, others as an observer, others through my own understanding. When something sits close to home, you can't help but connect deeply with the subject matter, and then weaving the tale becomes second nature because, in truth, there are elements of truth throughout. It is this that makes fiction easier to write. 💗💕💗

The poppies...mmm... I love poppies ...but a hell hole resides within their heart. What is also heartbreaking is that the impure low-grade heroin option in the market, known as black tar, or impure diamorphine, is sold commonly to those in desperate circumstances, as they are cheaper to manufacture.

This is thought-provoking for me. Many are in despair that it isn't totally their fault. From another angle, no one asked to be here. We just pick the wheel and direct it towards a path.

A beautiful one.

Thank you for stopping by @kei2. Some inherit a lifestyle that propels them towards destruction, others are unlucky enough to inherit an entire set of genetics. Being strong enough to use nurture to fight nature is not always an easy task.

Thanks so much for posting this powerful story in The Inkwell! It's all too common in this world, but you captured it perfectly! May many more people choose a different path.

Thank you @theinkwell. It was an interesting journey writing this piece. So many influences and inputs. It was a lot of things in one. I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the weekly prompt again. I fear you may not get rid of me now.

Oh please stay! We love your work.

By the way, be sure to add your story link to the comments in the prompt post: https://peakd.com/hive-170798/@theinkwell/the-ink-well-prompt-48-see-this-post-for-prompt-and-rules. Thank you!

This was a lovely journey to the new beginning of this young man's life... thank you... well done!

Thank you for stopping by @deeanndmathews, I appreciate it. It's an issue close to my heart so I felt I could relate to it and transfer my feelings through my writing.

PIZZA! PIZZA! PIZZA! PIZZA! PIZZA! PIZZA! PIZZA!

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