WEP’S OCTOBER CHALLENGE, THE SCREAM, OCTOBER 20-22, 2021, STOP SIGNS IGNORED, A POEM, BY Pat Garcia, @pat_garcia @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner
Tagline: Ignoring stop signs can be deadly.
STOP SIGNS IGNORED
It was her life the daughter screamed,
and she gazed in disdain at her mother.
The older woman stood amazed at the sixteen-year-old
and the reflection of hatred coming from her eyes.
She watched as her daughter ran into the darkness.
On a bitterly cold night, on a lonely street, defying her warnings,
ignoring her pleas to return home with her.
Returning home, the mother took out her rosary, began to pray, and fell asleep.
The weatherman had said the temperature would be way below freezing.
The sharp wind beating against her house confirmed his prognosis.
A loud thump against her front door awakened her, and she jumped up and hurried to look out the peep.
But no one was there.
Noticing the chilled room, she turned up the heat, took her rosary, and began praying again.
The sun woke her up.
Where was that daughter of hers, she asked herself while going to retrieve the newspaper from the front door?
Shock reverberated throughout her body
When she opened it.
On the stoop lay her daughter,
Frozen dead,
Before she screamed.
- Posted in: Poetry ♦ WEP CHALLENGE,
- Tagged: 2021, October 20-22, Stop Signs Ignored by Pat Garcia, The Scream, WEP Challenge
Walk On 
I felt that in my core, Pat. As a mother, I don’t think I’d ever get over such a moment. Then again, I have my son on Life360, so I always know where he is. LOL! Great short story! 🙂
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Hello Yvette,
I have not heard of Life360. Is that an app? I must google it. Thank you for dropping by. I really struggle with this one. I don’t know how many times I revised; the revisions were numerous. I am satisfied with the results, and I am glad you felt it. I had hoped that I grabbed the hearts of those who read it..
Shalom aleichem
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Yes, it’s an app that allows you to see where the other person(s) is(are). As a mom, it gives me great peace of mind. 🙂
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Oh no!!! The regrets she’s going to feel.
Well done!
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Thank you so much, Jemi.
Shalom aleichem
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The end was very tragic, immensely painful. Veery well wwritten.
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Thanks and thank you for coming by.
Shalom aleichem
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True horror. The last thing the mother wanted, and presumably not what the kid was after, either.
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Such a tragedy! The poor mother will be haunted by this for the rest of her life. Excellent entry!
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What a story, Pat! Just enough drama to peak your interest.
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Heartbreaking.
Her scream will echo in her head and her heart until the end of her days.
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Nooooo! Patty, that’s heart rending. Well done.
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A mother’s worst nightmare!
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Sometimes we ignore the signs we shouldn’t have, and then the regrets last a lifetime. Great story!
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Oh Pat! What a heartrending story. That poor mother. In many ways, the mother’s life is over, too. What if? the eternal question. Great entry for The Scream!
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Yes, the ‘what if’ is a question that will follow her everyday she awakes.
Thanks so much for coming by.
Shalom aleichem
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Chilling poem to say the least. Well done Pat.
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Thank you, Susan.
Shalom aleichem
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Hi Pat – just desperate for the poor mother – she’ll never recover … her thoughts will always impose; ghastly for her – so well told by you. Gosh I feel this story – all the best – Hilary
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It will take her strength of faith if she does recover.
Thank you for coming by, Hilary.
Shalom aleichem
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So very sad. Such a horrid thing to live with. That scream would reverberate for years!
Well told!
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Thank you so much, Yolanda.
Shalom aleichem
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How terribly tragic! It’s never just ‘my life’ is it? So many others are connected and affected by one life or its end. Heart wrenching. A great entry for the Scream, thank you.
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You’ve said, Nilanjana. It is never just life.
Thanks for coming by.
Shalom aleichem
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Miss Pat,
You’ve penned an intense and emotionally stirring story. Ignored signs often end up in tragic outcomes. The mother’s scream will reverberate forever.
It’s a perfect offering for the challenge.
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Yes, ignored signs almost always end up that way, unfortunately.
Thank you for coming by.
Shalom aleichem
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I hoped it would be just another mother-daughter battle and my blood ran cold at the thump. She’ll always ask herself why she didn’t open the door instead of just looking through the peep. Oh, the regret!
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Yes, she will and the daughter probably regretted not listening as she bumped into something that she didn’t expect.
Thank you for dropping by.
Shalom aleichem
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Good grief Patricia, this gave me a right fright. Full of tension – well executed –
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Thank you so much my dear friend.
Shalom aleichem
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This is truly a mother’s worst fear, and I felt for her all the way through. So powerful and well written!
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Thank you, Laura.
Shalom aleichem
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Hi Pat,
You wrote a bone-chilling story in so few words. Such a tragic end for a daughter’s life and a tragic life living without her only child.
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Very tragic! Something similar happened to a family near me growing up, but it was an intoxicated father that was left out in the cold. I don’t think the mom was so upset about him. This would be devastating!
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People love others for different reasons. It could be that the mom was devastated and was afraid to show it because all of the neighbours knew how he was. Any death where someone freezes to death is horrible for me.
Thank you so much for coming by.
Shalom aleichem
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Oh Pat, I have two daughters. That would indeed be terrifying.
Nancy
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Yes, I feel such a scene would be devastating for any mother regardless of whether it is a girl or a boy.
Thank you so much for dropping by.
Shalom aleichem
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Oh no! I yelled at her to open the door, check it wasn’t just the wind… and my fears proved founded. Beautifully written, Pat.
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Thank you so much, Jemima- Yes, I kind of yell too but in my heart I thought, how many people would open their doors at 3 am in the morning and came up with no one would, especially when it is icy cold and you’ve had a bitter argument.
Have a great week.
Shalom aleichem
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Nicely dark and “scream-worthy” for this WEP, Pat.
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Thank you, Lee. Have a lovely weekend.
Shalom aleichem
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Wow – Patti. Very impressive. It triggered a whirlwind of emotions inside of me! Well done!
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Thank you so much A.J. Have a lovely weekend. Shalom aleichem
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