This story was written for the Nycmidnight competition.  I was given 3 prompts:

Genre: Fairytale or Fantasy
Action: Becoming Fatigued
Word: Prefer
Max Word Count: 250

We had 24 hours after receiving the prompt to submit. 

I wrote two version. The submitted version comes first, next is the original.

Rest

The Submission

Staring down into the still pool, Vanessa saw a stranger in the reflection. Strife had carved lines of exhaustion into her face and poured paste into her complexion. This was the end of her quest. One palmful of these mystical waters and her boy was saved.

Curiosity led Joshua straight into a worlock’s trap. A thousand times she’d told him to stay away from the creature. They’d engaged in a game that tested his character. Joshua lost. Of course he’d lost. He was a child, ruled by impulses and ego. As a prize, the creature took his life force, feeding off him, as Joshua lay in an eternal sleep. 

She could leave him that way. It had crossed her mind. Motherhood had taken everything from her. She preferred being carefree to the constant anxiety. She preferred the quiet pleasures of adult life to the constant demands and noise. 

She preferred being Vanessa, not Joshua’s mom. A black shame sat like lead in her stomach.

There was a grain of hatred for Joshua in her heart. The intolerable secret lay hidden in an ocean of fierce love. So that he could laugh, hear his favourite story again and push away another plate of food, Vanessa would take his place.  Just one mouthful and he’d wake up.

Fatigue pulled her to the ground already.  Eternal rest sounded tempting. She drank. As sleep smoothed the lines of her face, Vanessa glimpsed the peaceful woman she once was.

Version 2

Staring down into the still pool, Vanessa saw a stranger in the reflection. Strife had carved lines of exhaustion into her face and poured paste into her complexion. This was the end of her quest. One palmful of these mystical waters and her boy was saved.

She’d crossed the Sleepless Marshes where the air screamed in a chorus of bawling infant voices, digging needles into her brain. Read aloud from the Book of Enui, her soul trying to claw out of her body. Vanessa had triumphed through sheer will.

All because Joshua wouldn’t finish a plate of food. Curiosity lead the boy straight to the worlock. A thousand times she’d told him to stay away from the creature. He demanded the worlock grant a wish, as though it were a sweet at the market. The creature promised any wish, but only if he finished a plate of food. “Every bite. Or I’ll take something from you!” It warned.

It was lasagna – Joshua’s favourite. Within two tiny bites he’d pushed the plate away: “The sauce looks weird.”  The creature took his life force, feeding off him, as Joshua lay in an eternal sleep.

Vanessa preferred the fun and cheerful person she’d been before motherhood. She hated Joshua, but loved him fiercely enough to take his place. Fatigue pulled her to the ground already.  What difference would eternal sleep make?

She drank. As sleep smoothed the lines of her face, Vanessa glimpsed the peaceful woman she used to be.