Finished Porcelain (3rd Place)

Word Count: 285

Discarded and worn, I watch from behind locked glass. Family dinners pass me by and I reminisce, so solemn and sad, of wayward days when once I joined the rest of my family. I was a centerpiece for all to behold. The accompanying metal cutlery and glittering crystal glasses that surrounded me were only mere trinkets, for I was the center of attraction, the keeper of the place setting, a king amongst commoners; or so I presumed.

My majestic days ended after the accident. When my edge met the hard, cold linoleum floor, never had I felt such gashing pain before. I hold fast to the fleeting memory of the gentle hands that picked me up and held me like a child. It was then I realized a piece of me was missing. Although I have searched until exhausted, it is forever gone. I am fractional and scarred, isolated by walls of unyielding wood, glass and minuscule specks of silver dust that now mar my once pristine appearance. It has been far too long since I felt the warmth of human hands shielding me. If I could cry at my loss, then I would surely drown in my tears.

I knew not that such an insignificant event could cause this upheaval in my tiny protected world. If I did, I would have prayed for longer shelf life. How do I repair my once beautiful surface; or at least ease the utter loneliness now encasing my cupboard home? Alas, I have given up hope, for there is no future for me. Abandoned, I wallow alone, listless in my solitude and grief over my unexpected plight. I watch unseen, unknown, as my brothers and sisters adorn the table where once I ruled. I am forever alone - forever forgotten.