Creative Writing: Handmaid's Tale

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Lydia pinched her nose to stifle the sneeze that would surely betray her hiding place. Drawing her skirts further under her legs and silently berating the hoops underneath it, she forced herself to ignore bits of straw that scratched and poked their way through the layers of material. She only needed a few measly moments to clear her head. Then she would be ready. Why couldn’t Mother understand? “Miss? Miss is yous in here?” The mousy voice of her mother’s maid drifted with the dust up to the rafters of the loft. Sally sighed loudly, an uncharacteristic display of exasperation. The day flustered even the mellowest among them. “Miss Lydia, you know your momma gonna be madder and madder the longer you stays out.” Lydia inwardly groaned. As if …show more content…

“Go ahead and get in. No soaking for you today. You’ve lost the luxury. We need to get you scrubbed.” She eyed Lydia’s half-loose locks. “And we still have to get all that tied. God blessed you with that thick hair, but we want to make sure it’s not a tangled mess in the morning.” “Yes ma’am.” She loathed being unclothed in front of others but knew better than to push Mother any further. She shed her clothing and waited for the final bucket of water to flow into the tub. Sally kept her eyes downcast and likely didn’t notice Lydia wrapping her arms around her chest to cover feminine parts that still looked as if they belonged to a young girl and not to a woman getting too long into her marrying years. Sally pulled the door closed behind her with a soft click and left Lydia alone with Mother. Lydia needed to find a distraction. She pulled her fingers through her hair as she stepped into the tub. “Mother?” She asked, working the soap into a lather and removing the scent of horse from her skin. “When will I get to see the …show more content…

“The best, imported from France. And handmade lace, there at the bottom. I had the seamstresses start on it the moment Mr. Harper spoke to your father. There hasn’t been a finer bride in all of Mississippi.” Lydia ran her fingertips over the smooth material of the bodice enjoying the feel of it against her skin. The bodice and skirt were made of bright white silk as pure as the rare snow that fell only during the coldest winters in Mississippi. The silk was slightly gathered at the front hem to reveal a beautiful layer of lace underneath. “Well, hurry up. I cannot wait a moment longer to see you in it.” Lydia donned her undergarments, and mother helped her step into the gown. The neckline draped across her shoulders and dipped slightly in the front showing her collar bone. The sleeveless swathe of fabric left her arms bare. She felt slightly exposed but also more womanly than ever before. Lydia turned enjoying the swish of the fabric as she moved. A large bow tied at the back of her waist and trailed down to the floor. “It’s perfect, Mother. Thank you.” Tears gathered in Mother’s eyes. Lydia was certain she’d never seen Mother’s eyes mist over in all her twenty years. “You look simply beautiful,” Mother

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