Short story entry

This is a scene from my latest short story and I'm looking for some feed back and constructive criticism. I don't want to say too much about it, but basically this passage shows a moment of vulnerability shared with a loved one as she talks about her past and her deepest, darkest secrets. Feed back would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Hanna and Jack lie next to each other in complete and utter silence, it is as if Death himself has just given their vocal cords a visit. Hanna turns her head slightly, observing the light bouncing off of his face. She looks back up to the ceiling, focusing on a chipped piece of stucco. "I've never talked about it," she says, shattering the thick layer of silence that had coated them. Jack's gaze finds Hanna, but his lips don't move. "I've never talked about being kidnapped," she pauses, "raped.," she murmurs.
"What about the police report?" Jack asks.
"What?" The word seems to shoot out of her mouth with ease.
"I mean the police had to get your version if the story, right?"
"I didn't tell them everything, not the details," she explains. Jack's lips remain sealed. "Do you want to hear about it?" Hanna's cold, blue eyes scan up and down Jack's face.
"Do I want to hear about my best friend being kidnapped and raped?" He looks to Hanna. "No, not particularly. But if it'll help you to talk about it, then I'm your guy."
"You won't hate me?" she asks in a small voice.
"I don't think I could ever hate you." Jack curls his fingers over Hanna's clenched fist and he can feel her begin to relax.
There's a short period of silence, but not an awkward silence, more of a comfortable, safe silence. "He kept me in this tiny room." She pauses again, biting her lip and sniffling her nose. "I-- I think it was a cabin or something, out in the woods somewhere. I was tied to an exposed pipe in the wall for the majority of the time-- except when we visited me." Hanna begins to choke up as small tears begin to leak from her eyes. "He would visit a couple times a day and tell me about how much loved me. And if there's anything sicker than that, I actually started to believe him after a while." She laughs at her own pity, mocking her own mental damage. "He was nice to me most of the time, unless I fought him or tried to get away." Hanna's body hardens, her skin turning to stone.
"Hanna," Jack says, gripping her hand tightly. "One time-- right before I was rescued-- he beat me so bad. He'd kick me in the ribs and throw me against the wall--"
"Han."
But Hanna can't hear him.
"He undressed me and then himself and then he forced his way inside of me." Hanna's body begins to tremble vigorously, almost as if her bones themselves are shaking. "I hated every second that he was in me. I just wanted to-- to kill him, to end my pain, to end all of the damage that he caused me!"
"Hanna," Jack says calmly, his hand brushing up her arm.
"I wanted to die and at that moment I actually believed that I was going to, I wanted to."
Jack lifts himself up, his face inches away from hers.
"I'm a sick fuck, and so is he."
"Hanna," he says firmly. Jack's hands now rest young the crooks of her neck, holding her steady.
"I wanted to die! I wanted to him to kill me!"
"Hanna!" Jack croaks. Hanna freezes as the last of her tears slip down her temples. The tip of Jack's nose is touching hers, and in this moment they are connected, they are one. "I'm with you. He's not here any more."
"But I feel him. I feel him inside me. I feel his remnants lurking within my body. It's like he's a part of me now."
"I need you to breathe," Jack says, his words bouncing off of her face. "Just breathe."
Jack begins to take deep breaths, and soon after Hanna begins to follow.
"Breathe with me." They breathe each other's air, one of them inhaling as the other exhales. They begin to create a sort of rhythm, until Jack's lips begin to lower. He plucks his puckered lips at Hanna's once or twice before Hanna seals the deal herself. Jack begins to rip at Hanna's clothing until the only thing that's she's wearing is Jack's naked body. They become one once more, creating an even deeper connection than they had had just a few minutes ago. Jack grinds his body against Hanna's as Hanna moves her body with his. Jack holds one of Hanna's legs against his side, making things a bit more comfortable for the two of them. Jack kisses her neck, his lips smacking agains her hot skin. He kisses her chest now, holding her as close to him as possible. Hanna begins to moan softly, her breaths coming more often now. Jack's free hand cups one of her breasts as his free lips make their way back to Hanna's. Their tongues tangle together and their hands interlock. Jack pins Hanna's hands over her head as he rocks with her faster and faster.
"Jack," Hanna forces out.
"Shhh," he says, his lips grazing hers. Her body tenses up, tightening her hold on Jack. He begins to kiss her deeply, muffling the load moan she's about to unleash. Jack's movements begin to slow, his body melting over Hanna's. They're still kissing, but their both hungry for a breath. They finally break away from one another, mutually, of course, but Jack doesn't change his position. His eyes seem to be glued to her as they droop with exhaustion. A small sliver of a smile sneaks onto Hanna's face, the corners of her mouth pulling upward. Jack kisses her one last time, just a quick peck, before he lies next to her once more. "I don't think I can be your best friend," Jack says. "Not after this."
"Then what do you suggest?" "I'd suggest that we stop speaking for a while, take a break from each other." Hanna braces herself. "But I would like to start seeing you again, if that's okay with you." Hanna lets out a sigh of relief as she glances at her other half, her better half. A weak smile forms on her face as she begins to shed tears of happiness.
"I'd like that," Hanna says with a few giggles in between.

It's good, but not great. 5
It's fantastic. 2
Where can I read this book. 1
Wretched. Just wretched. 2
Not bad, but not good. 5
I didn't like it. 4
Other/Add Comment 0
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Comments ( 14 )
  • myownopinions

    It's good, but not great. There are a few typos and incorrect sentence structures, but they're not really a problem. It took a little while to get into it and I agree with everyone else about the awkwardness of the first sentence.

    There are also a few weird sentences such as, "He plucks his puckered lips at Hanna's once or twice before Hanna seals the deal herself." (The alliteration and use of the word "pluck" just doesn't sound right and what's with the once OR twice?) Also the part where Jack "croaks" seems wrong at that part.

    Then the ending: "Then what do you suggest?" "I'd suggest that we stop speaking for a while, take a break from each other." Hanna braces herself. "But I would like to start seeing you again, if that's okay with you." Hanna lets out a sigh of relief as she glances at her other half, her better half. A weak smile forms on her face as she begins to shed tears of happiness.

    ^ I don't know why, but this part was really abrupt and strange to me.

    Once again, though, it's good.

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    • kelili

      This is a great comment^

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  • KeddersPrincess

    I think it is a good story, but it could use a little work. One thing that I would work on is description. At some parts, your description is absolutatly beautiful and amazing, but there are other parts where I feel it is a bit too much. Don't be afraid to be simply some time, and it's okay to use small words. Larger words should only be used to dramatize a moment.

    The first line I would cut short to "Hanna and Jack lie next to each other as if Death himself had just given their vocal chords a visit". Instead of "Hanna and Jack lie next to each other in complete and utter silence, it is as if Death himself has just given their vocal cords a visit." To me, it's slightly too descriptive and that kind of distracts from what's going on. Also, in the second sentence, I think that observing is too strong of a word to use right there. I think watching would do just fine. To me, observing would be more like deep analyzing and I don't think that is really what she's doing.

    "Shoot out her mouth with ease"... <that a little bit through me off. When you think of something shooting out, you don't think of it coming out with ease. Shooting typically means that it's coming out quickly. I think it would be fine for you to just say that it came out of her mouth with ease.

    "They breathe each other's air, one of them inhaling as the other exhales..." <I think it would be fine to just say "They breathed each other's air."

    "A small sliver of a smile sneaks onto Hanna's face, the corners of her mouth pulling upward." I think that too could be cut short to "A small sliver of a smile sneaks onto Hanna's face (period)" It just sounds too descriptive.

    I voted it "good but not great" because, again, there are places that need a little work, and don't worry. That's not a bad thing. All best sellers needed work before they were even published. I think that it has potential and I encourage you to keep working on it to make it the best it can be. I wish you the best of luck with it. :)

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    • kelili

      I think that you should not try to change the way he writes. You can advise him to make it simpler. I know you are trying to help but I am friend with a writer who told me that people who did what you have just done are polluters because they try to push their insense into somebody's else work.

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      • KeddersPrincess

        I wasn't re-writing her story. I was just letting her know the things I felt could be improved. I think that she has a great story, but like every story (even best sellers) it just needs a little bit of work before it can be a complete product. All writers who take their work seriously do this. I, in no way, was trying to change her story. I was just letting her know what she could do to perfect it.

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      • justanordinarygirl

        I think that KeddersPrincess gave me what I wanted, which was constructive criticism. I don't think that she's trying to change the way that I write, rather improve it. As you can see, my writing skills aren't perfect and can use a little fine tuning. I can absorb her feedback and learn from it so that I can grow as a writer. That's how writers learn. Oh, yeah, and I'm a girl.

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        • kelili

          Oh I haven't understand that you wanted someone to re-write the story. That's not the way you'll succeed in story writing, believe me. I write short stories too and have participated in some competitions. I have met some very good regional writers. What they do is that they have created a sort of group where you can read your story aloud to the audience and then they discuss about their work etc.. They do not re-write each other's story. Never, that's not the way writers evoluate. They listen to the criticism and they try to re-write in BY THEMSELVES paying attention what they've been advised to change, sometimes not changing many things at all.

          Let's say that you are a special kind of writer. Lmao!

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          • justanordinarygirl

            Now I just feel like you're trying to insult me. She gave me constructive criticism and I will do with it what I want. I'm not going to correct everything that she told me to correct, I'm going to make my own decisions about my own writing. She did advise me to change a few things, but its up to me wether or not to change them. She is in no way re-writing this story for me.

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  • crazyperson3

    Awesome :)

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  • q25t

    What vanguard said and then there were a few of the metaphors and descriptions in there that could go. The point about it not being an awkward silence is definitely one of them. Also the first one with death giving a visit to the vocal cords. That just sounds a bit awkward. I like the idea there; it just doesn't flow quite right.

    There were a few typos and that, but I doubt that's the part you want critiqued. Overall, it's not too bad.

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  • Vanguard

    It's good, just need to add paragraphs and a few little bits and pieces here and there.

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