Prompting Part XXXV

[sherlockbbc_fic]

THE MEME NEEDS ARCHIVISTS!

GUIDELINES

• Anon posting is not required, but most definitely allowed. If you think you recognise an anon, keep it to yourself and don’t out them. IP tracking is off, and will remain that way.


• Multiple fills are encouraged, and all kinds of fills are accepted! Fic, art, vids, cosplay, interpretive dance — whatever. Go wild! :D


• Don’t reprompt until TWO parts after the last posting of the prompt.


• RPF (real person fic, i.e. fic involving the actors themselves) is not supported at this meme.


• Concrit is welcome, but kinkshaming, hijacking, and flaming are not tolerated.

THE FILLED PROMPTS POST
When you fill a prompt, please use the appropriate Filled Prompts Post to archive your fill (there are instructions on the actual post).

If the part you wanted isn't up yet, just wait and one of the archivists will get to it, but please, once it is up, make sure you post your fills there according to the guidelines. DO NOT skip out on doing this because it seems like too much effort. If you want your fill to make it to the Delicious archive, that’s the way to do it.

Do not be afraid to ask questions about how it works if you are confused! The mods will be happy to explain.

WARNINGS/OFFENSIVE WORDING IN PROMPTS
Please consider warning for prompts that may trigger people (and also for fills, because some people read in flat view) and phrasing prompts in a manner that strives to be respectful.

Things which you might want to consider warning for include: Rape/Non-Con, Death, Suicidal Thoughts, Self-Harm, Underage Relationships, among others.

That being said, this is a kink meme. As such, there will be prompts that could offend you in a number of different ways. Not every prompt will have a trigger warning, and not every prompt will rub you the right way. If you have an issue with a specific prompt, feel free to bring it up in a discussion that takes place off the meme. However, flaming will not be tolerated regardless of origin.

You are highly encouraged to scroll past any prompt that you dislike.

Remember: be civil, be friendly, but don’t be shy!

THINGS THAT MAKE BROWSING THE MEME EASIER FOR EVERYONE
Please nest your fills. Doing so will make it easier for archivists to save your fills to the Delicious archive. Using subject lines will also help people reading the meme in flatview keep track of what’s happening. Finally, titling your fills (even if it’s something silly) will be helpful to those tracking a lot of prompts or scrolling through the meme.

PROMPT FREEZES
Depending on the rate of activity, there may or may not be a prompt freeze when a part reaches 2000 and 4500 comments. However, there will be one when it reaches 7000. After the 7000 comments freeze, a new part will be posted, and all prompting should happen on the new part.

CONTACTING MODS
Your mods for this meme are ellie_hell, charname, anonspock and anonbach. If you have any questions, concerns, comments about anything at all on the meme feel free to send a PM or contact us via the Page-A-Mod post.

MEME LINKS
Pinboard Archive - Delicious Archive - Guide to the Archive
Filled Prompts Posts: Parts 1-23 - Parts 24+ - Spoiler Free
The Glorious FAQ - Page-A-Mod

Flat View of This Page - Newest Page in Flatview - Newest Page of the Meme

Love Post - Chatter Post - Searching Post
Concrit Post - Story Announcement Post - Orphan Post
Spoiler Free Prompt Post - Overflow Post

Links to previous prompting parts

OTHER LINKS AND AFFILIATES
sherlock_rant: A place to rant about or discuss anything with few to no restrictions.
sherlock_rpf: This is a kinkmeme for RPF about the show.
sherlockcrit: A multi-fandom betaing/concrit community, with a focus on BBC Sherlock.
sherlockbbc: A community dedicated to the BBC adaptation of Sherlock Holmes.
Useful resources for Sherlock and LiveJournal.
Sherlock screencaps.

NOTICE: All links on the meme are now being screened because of spambot issues. When you submit a comment containing a link, it will be marked as spam. Please don't worry, the mods will unscreen it as soon as they can.

Comments

The Lockless Door (1a/?)

[(Anonymous)]

Note: Title is from a poem by Robert Frost

***

The door is open. He could – he should (no, no. he shouldn’t shouldn’t, couldn’t, won’t) walk through it. It would defeat the purpose. The moment he steps beyond that door…others take his place.

Names. He needs names. The names are vital. Once he loses the names, he loses everything.

There’s John. Always John. Everlasting John.

He smiles at the name. How he imagines it sounds. Nothing else comes forth.

He knows there’s more. Others he’s forgetting. The strange inkling behind his brow tells him this should bother him. Shapes and letters swirl in his mind, but there’s nothing he can latch unto beyond the inexplicable, curved, rounded feeling of John.

For now, it’s enough.

* * *

Hallow sounds of footsteps echo off the walls. Each one leaves an imprint of his brain, springing up words with no meaning.

Leather.

John Lobb.

Size nine.

He feels a firm pressure on his side long before he registers that the footsteps have stopped.

The pressure slowly increases, shifting the sixth rib (the one that’s fractured, not broken) inward.

“My, my, haven’t you become ever so dull.”

The voice is familiar, lilting, and makes him cringe like nails on a chalkboard. There’s a sharp tug to his hair and suddenly he’s looking out at the wide open space beyond.

“Your freedom’s right there, dearie. All you have to do crawl through it.”

He can see what’s beyond. It doesn’t look too inviting. All stone and stairs. But he imagines (knows). He knows how it must feel. This was never his whole existence. He knows what it’s like to be beyond the oppressing chill and stench of his own waste. He can imagine abandoning the pain and humiliation of lying stripped bare in a cell.

He closes his eyes and for a brief moment recalls it. A life beyond. He opens his mouth to taste it and the smell of tea fills his senses.

When he opens his eyes, size nine is gone and all that’s left is a few more broken bones.

* * *

The light will be his undoing.

Sometimes he thinks it will be the sirens, or the beatings…or the touches. Luckily, those haven’t happened in a while.

He barely even notices the starvation. He takes comfort in that it doesn’t affect him in the way that the others clearly think it should. Eons ago they tried to wait him out. Withhold everything. It ended with him waking up to a feeding tube attached to his stomach.

This displeased them, but he relished in the control.

The light, however…the blaring light, that is impossible to avoid, burns his retinas and his thoughts into oblivion.

He squints through the doorway to the darkness beyond. The light has never lasted this long. Or it has. Time has little meaning anymore.

He blinks. Suddenly, he is kneeling at the open doorway, mere millimeters away from freedom.

Within seconds he is huddled against the furthest corner, sobs wracking his body.

* * *

There is a sharp repetitive thwack. He feels his body twitch as each one hits but nothing else follows.

This should concern him. He knows it should. He’s losing it. He’s not even sure what “it” is, which means it’s probably already gone.

He grasps on to an image. A shape. Tall and slightly rounded (but it should be shorter… definitely shorter than his mind is picturing it).

J… J …

He repeats it over and over in his head.

Soon it becomes enough to drown out the screams.