It’s time for Friday Fictioneers again. Time to join the great group of writers who plot,edit, rewrite, tear out their hair, swear, lose sleep and patience all in an effort to get out 100 words for the challenge each week. Join us, we don’t bite – well, not all of us!
The photo prompt this week comes courtesy of Jennifer Pendegast.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Word Count: 100
My Gift
I am still here, you did not destroy me.
I fought my way out from beneath the horror of your overpowering ‘love’ into the light of normality and reason. I am not ashamed. I feel clean.
Not my fault, not my fault, not my fault, no shame.
I’m waiting for you. Waiting here at the top of the stairs; when I remove the bulb, you won’t see the wire you like so much, tightly stretched across the top step.
Your fall to oblivion will be my gift to you.
And the gift of others, who never broke free of you.
Ooo…Great story. Chilling and well done.
Thank you for reading, much appreciated
Dee
You really managed to include a lot of feelings of various kinds in this short story! I think the narrator will go through with it, but there’s just enough of a hint of still trying to still trying to escape the oppression that it leaves a tiny possibility of status quo.
janet
Not sure where this one came from, the story seemed almost to write itself – if that makes sense!
Thanks as always for reading, and for your comments, always appreciated
Dee
I LOVE it! Great story.
Thank you!
Lovely to hear from you and thank you for reading
Dee
alot of angst today
great fiction/ gravity at work
I know. I’m not sure where this one popped up from, there has been a lot of grim stuff in the papers here recently, so perhaps that was the trigger.
Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment
Dee
This is hauntingly real. I know she will be thankful for her escape. Very good.
Thanks for reading Deanna, glad you liked it
Dee
Pretty tough stuff she’s presumably gone through and doing. The only part that confused me was ‘the wire you like so much’.
Claire
There was a report in the paper of a man who tied people up with wire…. think this is where it came from. I wanted the wire across the stairs to be linked back to him somehow – payback sort of.
I don’t usually write in the ‘dark zone’
Thanks for reading and leaving comments, it’s much appreciated
Dee
I thought “the wire you like so much” said SO MUCH about the victim/perpetrator of past crimes. Well done.
Thank you for reading.
Comments are always appreciated.
Nice to hear from you
Dee
Nothing like a nice bit of vengeance!
Oh I agree!
Thanks for reading
Dee
Wow, what on earth went on here? I wonder if he or she will still feel clean when the person has fallen. Was the narrator a guy or a girl?
The narrator is a woman, escaping from a very abusive/sadistic relationship
Dont usually write things like this, but relationships interest me, and at its lowest level, there was a ‘relationship’ here.
Thsnk you for reading and commenting
Dee
Well I’m going to make sure I’m on her side of things! lol, nicely done, a pleasure to read!
Thank you, glad you liked it.
Lovely to hear from you
Dee
your welcome Dee, I enjoyed stopping by!
Great flash – very convincing voice and so utterly chilling. Well done!
Thanks Sandra
Haunting and mesmerising…chills with the ‘the wire you like so much’.
Thanks for reading and for leaving a comment, much appreciated
Dear Dee,
Is there a hidden camera in my office? Your intro pretty much pegged my writing process.
Dontcha love it when story seems to download from “nowhere” and works? Yours definitely works and premeditates, my dear. Well done. Watch your step.
shalom,
Rochelle
Dear Rochelle
Wow, on the same wavelength, guess we all feel like that one time or another.
It was just weird, the story just popped into my head – I had been reading about a particularly nasty assault case in the papers – it was something about the winding, twisting stairs…
Anyway, I’m so glad you liked it, your comments are always appreciated
Take care
Dee
Oh my, that’s certainly a woman scorned..!
A great read…
Thank you!
Good to hear from you
Dee
Sounds like it’s payback time.
Oh yes, big style
Thanks for reading
Dee
oh my! but I like it, sometimes, even it’s just our dreams or wishes (I mean why go to jail for someone who didn’t deserve you in the first place?) it’s nice to imagine them falling down those stairs…isn’t it?
more than anything , I like the verbiage you used to set the scene
Was a bit grim wasn’t it?
Thank you for reading and for your comments, it is good to hear from you
Dee
Now what if she sees the wire? What next? very well written.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment, much appreciated
Ah, the old wire-at-the-top-of-the-stairs trick. How many times have I had to dodge THAT one…er…wait…uh…
Not too many times I hope…
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment, always appreciated
Dee
So violent, so brutal, so good!
Thank you, it was a bit brutal wasn’t it? Don’t usually write like that, this time the story just seem to write itself
Dee
The “wire you liked so much” confused me a little, but sometimes it’s good to leave readers intrigued. I loved the voice of this character – finally defiant.
It was a bit of a grim tale – I was reading an ongoing piece in the paper about a nasty assault case where wire was used. It was such a brutal act; not usually my thing, but…
Thank you for reading
Dee
This is why it is best to be kind to others….Nice job.
Tom
Yes indeed!
Thank you Tom
Dee
A tense and angry tale. Great stuff
Glad you liked it.
Thanks for reading
Is this about Picasso? Is the protagonist Dorah Maar?
After reading your comment, I had to find out about Dorah Maar, Although I knew about Picasso and his “Muse” I didn’t know anything about her.
What I read was deeply sad but also very fascinating, I want to thank you for making me go and find out about her.
Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment, it is much appreciated.
Dee
I love smashing holy cows. Picasso is venerated as an artist but he was a terrible man.
So I’ve found out, thanks to you
Dear Dee,
This was a very good story and retribution none too soon from the sound of it. Well done.
Aloha,
Doug
Dear Doug
It’s always good to hear from you and I’m pleased you liked the story.
Thanks for reading
Take care
Dee
Well written
Thank you Bjorn, much appreciated
Yikes! That’s going to hurt!
Certainly is!
Thank you for reading
I have to wonder if the punishment fits the crime. Clear emotions, nonetheless.
Thank you Joe
Really felt the strength of your protagonist in this. Well done.
Thank you for reading, glad you liked it
Good tale of vengeance (just one question–shouldn’t she be standing at the bottom of the stairs to make this work?)
Thank you. She is standing in the shadows at the top of the stairs, waiting.
Wooow! For so few words, you have given so much information and let our imaginations run wild! Definitely going to follow you
Thank you Lynn I’m pleased you liked it
Dee