March 25, 2012

Trifecta's Trifextra: Weekend Eight

This weekend's Trifecta: Trifextra challenge is to complete a story using 33 words, wherein Trifecta has provided the first 33. I have a very full weekend but claimed a short block of time as my own. I read an article in The New York Times and knew I had something about which to write. The first two paragraphs are those of Trifecta. The second two are mine.

Update: Whilst this was written for a challenge, I have since revised it somewhat. The 33 words I was allotted did not do the story justice, I needed just a little bit more. And so, for clarity and posterity's sake, I have added two words, which are marked in italics.
 
Trafficked

“There’s nothing cute about it,” he said. The register of his voice indicated decision more so than discussion.

She disagreed heartily and privately, staring past his head and out the window behind him.

She’d handed her pimp the cash folded in a variety of origami sex poses, her “date’s” idea of art. She’d had no time to undo the damage.

Only sixteen, she knew well who’d shoulder blame.

***************


This is the Nicolas Kristoff article I read this afternoon. What breaks my heart is the manner in which high profile companies do nothing but abet pimps, and threaten a young women who dares to take a stand because the monetary profits are so great.

"Alissa" (her street handle) did not feel safe using her own name; she feared retaliation by The Village Voice.

Please sign the petition.

28 comments:

  1. You have my vote this week for sure. This, and the flamingo story that someone else posted...But this story definitely deserves to win. Wow...I have no words...Ugh...This is truly sickening indeed...Makes me want to vomit that this sort of thing exists in the world today...

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    1. Boy are you ever fast on the read! All I want this week is your signature on the petition. <3 Especially if you are an American (it probably counts more).

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  2. I have signed. And I agree. Sickening. Get them off of craigslist and they head somewhere else. Sick sick sick.

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  3. Awful, I'll go as soon as I'm not in my phone.

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  4. Signed. Glad you let us know of the petition.

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    1. Thanks. It feels nice to have a small platform with which to put out a bit of information.

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  5. Done. Thanks for writing about and bringing this horrific issue to light.

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    1. Thanks Sandra. I wasn't going to write, but then I felt I couldn't not ...

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  6. Great writing, terrible reality. Thanks for sharing. It's despicable.

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    1. Thank you Nicole. I feel the same way. For shame.

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  7. Nicole said it all. This is so sad.

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  8. You are so creative! I love that your stories go to such unexpected places. And are somewhat dark. And so human.

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    1. Thank you JC. Coming from you, this comment means a lot to me. I don't love the dark, I might see too much and feel quite helpless in the face of it.

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  9. An IMPORTANT response to the prompt! Very well done.

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    1. Thank you TGH. I appreciate the compliment. It is incredible what a prompt can bring out.

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  10. Thanks so much for linking up to Trifextra. Remember, this weekend’s entries are being judged by the Trifecta community, so I hope you were able to cast your votes. Winners will be announced with the Monday post. Hope to see you back then.

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  11. Karen,
    Very nicely done for a situation that makes my stomach turn!

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    1. Thanks, Gina. Yes. It is stomach churning information.

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  12. You did a beautiful thing here: crafting a story, and speaking out about a very real tragedy all at the same time.

    Petition signed. I have friends who were victims of trafficking.

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    1. Thank you Tracie. I love the advocacy work you do on your blog, it is essential. <3

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  13. Wow! You turned this prompt into a very poignant editorial. Amazing writing.

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    1. Thank you. I love to write about non-fiction things, and playing with Trifecta prompts most certainly brings a new element to the mix.

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  14. This is shocking. I read the Voice weekly when I lived in NY and it was an alternative paper speaking out against things such as this. To see it so perverted makes me sad and pissed as hell.

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    1. I've always had a crush on the VV. I too was saddened and also horrified.

      Interestingly, our local paper that used to be this too has become a total cheerleader for the developers that are mashing this city to hell in mediocre concrete and glass moneymakers. We can't have our village voice heard to save our neighbourhoods.

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