Recipe for a Cyanide Dream: A Dish of Defiance

Submitted into Contest #270 in response to: Write a story in the form of a recipe.... view prompt

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Fiction Speculative Suspense

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Recipe for a Cyanide Dream: A Dish of Defiance

Serves: Anyone grasping for breath in a poisoned world.


Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of clouded dreams: thickened with broken promises. Preferably freshly harvested from the minds of those who seek control.
  • 2 tablespoons of toxic ambition: carefully distilled from forgotten ideals
  • 3 teaspoons of false hope: deceptively sweet
  • A half gram of cyanide: pure and potent. Measure carefully, it is lethal but quiet
  • 1 gallon of contaminated water: drawn from the wells of corruption
  • A handful of whispers of solidarity: strained from desperate pleas. Fragile but resolute
  • 1 cracked heart: still beating, bound by loyalty, unwavering. Yearning to side with someone true
  • 1 jar of heavy sky: suffocating and weighty
  • 2 cups of choking air: preferably from around toxic people
  • 1 jar of broken promises: aged and bitter (can be harvested from the thick clouded dreams)
  • A dash of smothered breaths: still clinging to life
  • 3 sprigs of clarity: optional but recommended for brief moments of truth when finished cooking

Instructions:

1) Preheat your environment: Set it to a slow, creeping heat. The kind that wraps around your lungs like a fist. You’ll know it’s ready when the air becomes thick and oppressive, when the light begins to blur at the edges and it’s hard to tell what is real anymore. This is essential for the suitable atmosphere to fully settle.


2) Start with the clouded dreams: First, separate the broken promises in an empty pan and set aside. In another, bigger bowl, pour 1 cup of the clouded dreams, stirring slowly. Let their weight fill the bowl, each swirl releasing the bitterness of what could have been. The mixture will fill the room with a lingering heaviness that clings to every breath. This is the foundation, the poisoned bedrock on which this world rests. In case you have too many leftover clouded dreams, expose the rest to direct sunlight until next use. Never put in the fridge, they need sunlight and time to stay ripe.


3) Simmer the broken promises: Over low heat, let the separated, unfulfilled promises bubble gently. Stir occasionally, careful not to let them boil over, as its bitter smell might consume you. These promises form the core flavor, a lingering aftertaste of betrayal that will coat the lungs and spirit, leaving a metallic tang of abandonment.


4) Add the toxic ambition: Slowly sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of toxic ambition. Let it dissolve fully into the simmering mixture. Watch as it thickens the air, distorting reality further. These ambitions, once noble, have curdled in the poisoned atmosphere, leaving nothing but a dangerous desire for control that infects everything it touches.


5) Stir in the false hope: Now, quickly mix in 3 teaspoons of false hope. Watch as it froths to the surface, forming a thin layer of denial. For a moment, the air may feel lighter, more bearable, as though things could improve. But don’t be fooled. The sweetness of this hope is fleeting, dissolving almost as soon as it forms, leaving behind only a lingering “what if”. When it feels deceptively sweet, set it aside from the stove for a couple of minutes. The sweetness will vanish when cooled down, leaving only an acrid aftertaste.


6) Mix the cyanide with contaminated water: Stir slowly in a separate bowl, watching as it bubbles with silent rage, its surface calm but deadly beneath. It should smell faintly metallic, a reminder of what was forced upon you. Stir gently, but be careful—this ingredient spreads quickly. It poisons not just the dish, but the very essence of what you once trusted. After a couple of minutes when just looking at it creates a bitter taste in your mouth, add this toxic mixture to the main pot of broken promises, and then carefully add the clouded dreams too, letting them merge, further contaminating the air and atmosphere. 


7) Toss in whispers of solidarity: These are fragile, so handle with care. Carefully sprinkle in a handful of whispers, letting them float through the mixture. They may dissolve or cling desperately to the surface, but their presence, though fleeting, leaves traces of resolve. This solidarity is the secret spice that, despite its fragility, gives strength to the bitter dish.


8) Drop the cracked heart into the pot: Place it in the center of the mixture. Watch as it floats for a moment, buoyed by its own brokenness. Eventually, it will sink, heavy with the burden of survival and loyalty. Let it sit. The heart will tether you to this poisoned reality, reminding you that even in the darkest times, there is something still beating, still hoping. It is your anchor, and it keeps reminding you that the truth remains. Never forget to use the heart. Despite the poison, there is strength in solidarity.


9) Infuse with the weight of the heavy sky: As the atmosphere thickens, allow the jar of heavy sky to settle over the dish. Its oppressive weight will press down on everything, suffocating and unavoidable, spreading like fear in the veins of life. Be careful not to break the heart any further. Stir until the concoction is indistinguishable from the poison—it’s not just in the water now; it’s in the air, in the very dreams you breathe.


10) Finish with smothered breaths and choking air: Add 2 cups of choking air. Stir slowly. As you stir, drop in a dash of smothered breaths, fragile and faint, like a life struggling beneath the weight of despair. Mix until you can barely see them rise to the surface. These breaths are scarce, but essential, keeping the dish balanced between the suffocating air and the persistent will to survive.


11) Garnish with clarity: If you desire, add 3 sprigs of clarity. Be cautious with this, as clarity is a fleeting element in a world of corruption. Once added, it will briefly cut through the fog, giving you a sharp, painful awareness. Enough for you to see the truth, to understand what’s been done, before it fades again. But it will fade quickly, leaving only suffocating memories behind. Never use too much at the same time, it can cause confusion. You want just enough to sharpen the taste, to remind you to consume everything cautiously. 


Serving Suggestion:

Serve immediately. First, inhale deeply, tasting the weight of everything you’ve ever tried to escape. The dish will continue to intensify as the poisoned atmosphere settles. Then serve it in shallow breaths, one gasping sip at a time. You’ll feel the bitterness of smothered dreams and the sharp sting of betrayal on your tongue. Hold the weight of the world in your lungs, side by side with the one truth that lingers: you're not alone in this struggle. The air might be thick with poison, but as you consume it, remember the whispers of solidarity and the beating of the cracked heart within you. These are the traces of hope, the reminders that you are not alone in this fight.


A Final Warning:

This dish is dangerous. It isn't meant to be enjoyed. It is a meal of survival, not sustenance. It reflects the growing awareness that something—everything—has been poisoned. The illusion fractures, but the toxic flavor remains. It is not for the faint of heart, nor for those who seek to forget. Each sip carries with it the weight of hardship and the sting of pain. But it also holds a promise to continue, to resist, and to fight for breath even when the air feels suffocating. As you consume it, hold onto the one truth that remains: there is still hope. The world may be poisoned, but you must never stop fighting for air, for life, for solidarity.


It is a farewell, but also a vow—forever bound.

Be it 40 minutes or 40 years, I’m gonna side with you forever.


October 01, 2024 11:10

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8 comments

Monica Raschitor
12:17 Oct 06, 2024

Recipe for a Cyanide Dream: A Dish of Defiance is a strikingly symbolic story. The narrative, structured like a recipe, brilliantly captures the pervasive weight of oppression, broken systems, and the struggle to find hope in a world that feels poisoned. The piece uses visceral imagery, blending emotions and political commentary into a form of bitter alchemy, drawing readers into an atmosphere of suffocation and resistance. Here’s how I’d score Recipe for a Cyanide Dream: A Dish of Defiance based on the contest criteria: Creativity: 5/5 The...

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Liv Valen
13:28 Oct 06, 2024

Thank you Monica for reading it and thanks for your elaborated review! I really appreciate it, and am just so glad you liked it!

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Monica Raschitor
10:06 Oct 16, 2024

My pleasure, keep up with your good work. ☺️

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08:34 Oct 15, 2024

Interesting twist on the idea of a recipe.

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Elizabeth Hoban
22:47 Oct 06, 2024

Oooooh - so good - or should I say delicious! Awesome entertaining read - thanks for sharing! x

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Liv Valen
06:35 Oct 10, 2024

Thanks Elizabeth!

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Linda Kenah
16:34 Oct 06, 2024

Great job, Liv. Very creative and impactful in all its darkness. Well written!

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Liv Valen
16:36 Oct 06, 2024

Thanks, Linda! Appreciate your comment

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