At the edge of her dream - short story extract
There before her was the biblical Judith sitting on a royal bed, entertaining her arch enemy Holofernes, the general in chief of the Assyrian Army. In her hand she held a goblet full of wine, her face all smiles directed towards Holofernes who was slouching against his bed post, wholly drunk.
Judith, having noticed Julia peeping in, giggled mischievously and summoned her in with her finger.
At the sound of Holofernes’ snoring more robustly, Judith rose, placed the goblet down on the floor, and stood up, ready for action, her magnificent red gowns draping down her body majestically. She looked towards Julia and said, “Now watch. Don’t be afraid, I am going to win against this ominous bully who thinks he knows it all, and so will you. He thought he would seduce me to my shame, but I will tread him under my foot to his demise.”
“Kill, kill the tyrant she whispered fiercely, kill the Assyrian oppressor…the destroyer of nations, the iron rod…”
And yet to her amazement the scene took on a different dimension. One moment she saw Judith out there, at the general’s head. The next it was herself, Julia, hacking away at the poor Holofernes, muttering to herself, “Kill, kill the tyrant, kill everything that stands in my way, kill the Assyrian might of ought, ought in my life, and all its assaults on my creativity and peace.”
Her heart was pounding; her arm ached, as she saw the head of this general roll off, spraying blood all over her clean night dress.
Judith, having noticed Julia peeping in, giggled mischievously and summoned her in with her finger.
At the sound of Holofernes’ snoring more robustly, Judith rose, placed the goblet down on the floor, and stood up, ready for action, her magnificent red gowns draping down her body majestically. She looked towards Julia and said, “Now watch. Don’t be afraid, I am going to win against this ominous bully who thinks he knows it all, and so will you. He thought he would seduce me to my shame, but I will tread him under my foot to his demise.”
“Kill, kill the tyrant she whispered fiercely, kill the Assyrian oppressor…the destroyer of nations, the iron rod…”
And yet to her amazement the scene took on a different dimension. One moment she saw Judith out there, at the general’s head. The next it was herself, Julia, hacking away at the poor Holofernes, muttering to herself, “Kill, kill the tyrant, kill everything that stands in my way, kill the Assyrian might of ought, ought in my life, and all its assaults on my creativity and peace.”
Her heart was pounding; her arm ached, as she saw the head of this general roll off, spraying blood all over her clean night dress.