The Assignment: Use synesthesia (defined in A Glossary of Literary Terms as a description of "one kind of sensation in terms of another; color is attributed to sounds, odors to colours, sounds to odors, and so on.") in a short scene -- surreptitiously, without drawing too much attention to it -- to convey to your readers an important understanding of some ineffable sensory experience. Use sight, touch, taste, and smell. 600 words.
My Response:
Music danced through the air, soft and sweet. Floating across the lake to where she lay on the sand, staring up at the dark sky. It was going to start at any second, and she couldn't wait. This was her favourite day of the year. Better, even, than Christmas, it's cold, harsh winds keeping her locked within her home. No matter how many family members were by her side, there was nothing in this world better than being outside. Breathing in light, fresh scent of the summer around her.
"What are you thinking about?" His deep voice rumbled softly beside her, and she turned until she was facing him. Laying on her side, she laid a hand on his chest, covered by only a single button up shirt.
"Nothing." She told him softly. Below her she could feel the patchwork quilt that her mother had given her. Each square was cut from a different cloth, leaving her laying on an orchestra of texture that reminded her of her childhood.
"It can't be nothing." He protested.
She would have replied, but in that moment the crowd began to stir even as the music grew louder. It was about to start.
Sending him a grin, she settled back onto the blanket to watch the display.
It wasn't long before the first the first of the cacophonous colours lit up the sky. Yellow, orange, green and red lingered in the darkness before falling to the ground below and disappearing into the mist. It was breathtaking and beautiful.
The night was alive with the brilliance. She could smell the dark of the powder used to launch them into the air. If she closed her eyes, she would swear that the bright colours lurked even on her tongue. This was it. This was the very thing she waited for every year.
Before she knew it, the display was over. The couples around them began to pack up their possessions, each of them talking about what they had just seen.
"Hey, Jess, it's time to go." He said, pulling her attention away from the dark night that had only moments before seemed so alive."
"I know." She muttered, pushing herself to her feet and watching as Anthony folded the blanket. "Why does it go so fast?"
He chuckled, then threw an arm around her shoulders. "It's fireworks. They can't last forever."
She gave him a small smile as they walked away, then glanced back at the spot they had been laying. In a perfect world, they could last forever.
My Thoughts: This one was hard. I mean, this was supposed to be posted about three weeks ago, but I just didn't know what to do with it, how to make it work. But I think I finally got it. At least, I'm hoping I did, but I suppose you all will be the judge more than me. I'd love to know what you thought!
Please leave a comment below. I would love to see what you thought of my response, or even your own response to the exercise.
All exercises are taken from The 3 A.M. Epiphany by Brian Kiteley
