Random thoughts

This a piece of writing I worked on back in 2003-2004. I have posted the evaluation before posting the written piece. Evaluation of ‘Don’t fall for his taut body!’ I wrote this piece in response to a picture provided by the course tutor, Graham Sellers. I was fascinated by the image of a sad and yet somewhat regal looking elderly lady. I immediately started filling her back story in my head: she was a proud rich woman duped out of her earnings. This in itself isn’t the most original of storylines- a notion alluded to by the words,  ‘I’ve become a living cliché.' However, this storyline lingered in my mind for some time and I believe it is powerful enough to resonate in the mind of the reader. Although the woman in the picture looks sad and frail, I believe that in her heyday she would have had the cultural assumptions and norms of a member of the British aristocracy, even if, as suggested, she wasn’t born into that class herself. Indeed those who have

‘Freeze: we’re the Heritage Police!’ The Abbot was perplexed. He had read about this: it was the stuff of Legend amongst the hierarchy of the church. He hadn’t expected to come across it himself. Earlier on he had just finished mid-afternoon prayers and had been walking through the dimly lit aisle. He looked at the shrine of saint Cuthbert. A noise broke his peaceful contemplation. He walked towards the source of the commotion. ‘Silence, this is the house of God!’ thundered Brother Matthews. ‘Help me, Help me! The Devil himself has visited me, I’m cursed! Cursed I tell ye! Help , Help me!’ the insane babbling ended in a strangled cry. The Abbot decided to intervene. ‘I hear a troubled Soul entering the house of God,’ boomed the Abbot, a touch ostentatious he thought to himself but the Peasants seemed to like it, ‘Come Hither for Salvation!’ ‘Help me lord for I have been cursed! Save me Lord!’ whimpered the Peasant. ‘Hush my child. Let me look into your eyes! Cast