A Fictional Death

This is my version of an assignment I gave my students last week. We read a text, with different scenarios of the same family with young children depending on how society functions. After that my students would have to choose one of the scenarios, and write a short text from either the mum, the dad or the childs point of view. The assingment wanted them to specifically use the senses when writing (i.e what the character see, hear, feel, touch etc).

I did one myself to show them an example. I chose the worst case scenario where the mum committs suicide.

I'll post first the original Swedish version and then my translation.


"Det pulserar i mina blodådror. Det gör ont. Det känns som om blodet i min kropp är någon annans, inte mitt. Jag vill inte ha det här blodet i mig. Läkarna hade sagt att medicinen ska hjälpa. Jag känner på pillrens släta yta som smeker mina fingrar. De ser ut som plast. De är lila. De smakar ingenting. Man behöver inte ens tugga dem, bara svälja. Man känner ingenting annat än en konstig lila nyans i strupen, sedan ligger de redan i magen.

Sen kommer sömnigheten. Mitt huvud värker som det aldrig gjort förut, och blodet pulserar ännu hårdare än det brukar i mina blodådror. Någon annans blod! Jag sväljer fler. Mer lila rinner ner för min strupe, ner i magen.

Mitt huvud sprängs. Och jag är så trött. Jag ska bara sova lite. Lite, lite. Jag sluter ögonen. Sedan tänker jag ingenting mer."

My bad English:

"It's pulsating in my veins. It hurts. It feels like the blood in my body is somebody else's, not mine. I don't want this blood in me. The doctors said the medicine will help. I touch the pills' sleek surface, that caresses my fingers. They look plastic. They're purple. They taste nothing.  One doesn't even have to chew them, only swallow. One doesn't feel anything but a weird purple nuance in the throat, and then they're already in the stomach.

And then the sleepiness comes. My head hurts like it never has before, and the blood pulsates even harder than usual in my veins. Somebody else's blood! I swallow more. More purple flow down my throat, down in my belly.

My head is exploading. And I'm so tired. I'll just sleep a bit. A tiny, tiny bit. I close my eyes. After that, I won't think ever again."