#Writing Prompt – Candlelight

/ D.G.Kaye

candle fire

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The aging Diva primped for her grand entrance to the Christmas party she hosted annually. She reminded her assistant for the umpteenth time, to make sure the Grand Ballroom was to remain dimly lit — candlelight only. Her vanity dictated that she’d only be seen in best light.

The aging recluse hid within herself what she didn’t want to face in the mirror — the lines and wrinkles which marked her time on earth. As she entered the Ballroom, her flaws remained hidden to the crowd, but not to herself.

The Diva managed to conceal her face, ravaged with time, by wearing scarves and hats, and her signature cat-eye shaped sunglasses when she absolutely had to go out; trying her best to stay out of the limelight during the day. But certain social gatherings were expected, and obligatory.

As the evening progressed, a woman in an intoxicated state stumbled into the elegantly decorated sweet table. She was unaware that the jagged claws encasing the expensive diamond in the ring on her hand had latched on to the tablecloth in her passing stupor. As she continued to walk, without noticing, a thread remained attached to her ring causing the tablecloth to rip away from the table.

The disturbance captured the attention of the guests as the candles fell over and caught fire to an edge of the tablecloth and everything else flammable on the table. Pandemonium ensued, and in instinct, a guest dashed to flip on the lights.

The room was illuminated and the ornate chandeliers sparkled in all their glory. Guests and wait staff tossed pitchers of water at the spreading flames, and within moments, the fire was extinguished.

The Diva was nowhere in sight.

D.G. Kaye © 2015-10-13 DGKayewriter.com

31 thoughts on “#Writing Prompt – Candlelight”

  2. Thanks for coming out to play, Deb. I can just see this entire scene in my mind. Pandemonium, and the hostess vanished. Now I have to ask, because you’ve left us with questions…did she go up in flames in seconds, like a dried up old husk, leaving nothing behind? Or did she run as fast as her aging legs would carry her, so as not to be seen in the bright light? You could go either way with this.

    And you definitely got the candlelight prompt down perfectly! Thanks so much for a fun piece! You rock, as always!

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  3. Hi Marcia. As I mentioned, this was a first attempt at writing a little fiction, with a touch of suspense. Now, it got you asking didn’t it? I thought I’d leave the ending with the question mark. But in my mind, as soon as those lights were turned on, the Diva did bolt as fast as her aging legs would carry her. 🙂

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    • It did exactly what it was supposed to, Deb…it made me wonder what the heck happened to her. I was figuring she ran like a rabbit, but still…an even more sinister ending could have been intended. Especially if it were the beginning of a horror story. 😀 Maybe she was REALLY old, like a mummy. Of course, anyone THAT old would have avoided flames, as well as bright light. But still…my mind always wants to think the spookiest thing it can. 😀

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  8. I’ll take those cat-eye shaped sunglasses! Now I know why I don’t imbibe anymore: Something like that would happen to me…and everything would go up in flames! (You’d most likely find me hanging around the dessert table, since I never met a “sweet” I didn’t like!) Enjoyable piece, D.G. 🙂

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  9. I got into the old diva trying to hide her flaws and hoped she’d find a way to embrace them. Don’t we all hope that? You didn’t take the easy way out with a positive resolution. You inspire me to keep trying new things.

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