PHOTO PROMPT – © Al Forbes
Marcus threw another sack of clothes in the boot. “Why couldn’t she love me the same?”
His records would have to go on the back seat.
Why couldn’t those he forced himself to date, have her beauty?
The car bulged. Too much baggage.
“You can’t run away from a life if you insist on taking it with you.”
He started to unpack the car again, but the heaviest baggage he couldn’t leave behind.
Hefting a box he felt a spasm. He straightened, kneading his back, “Unrequited love and back ache; until you’ve suffered them yourself, you can’t appreciate the pain.”
Written for Friday Fictioneers – a 100 words story based on a photo prompt. Hosted by Rochelle. Read the other entries here
Michael Wynn 
Ahhh… gotta leave the load to move forward!
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But he doesn’t know how! Poor bloke.
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Ah we wrote similar themes this week. Hope he finds some happiness 🙂
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I noticed that just now, when I read yours. In fact, I looked at the image on my phone and thought it was of a car packed to the brim, then drove writing it in my head. Only when I saw the prompt on a bigger screen did I realise it was a vintage car, but too late the story was formed.Hopefully he will.
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Ah.. sounds like he has to stay… maybe his back will be an entrance ticket back… 🙂
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Dear Micheal,
You’re right. It’s a tossup as to which hurts worse. Deadly combination and good story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Equally painful. I speak from experience. Nice one.
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I don’t know what it says about me, but I thought it was her body in that box. 😀 Nicely done!
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I did, too, LOL.
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One sided love is extremely painful. The best prescription is to find a reciprocating love. Unfortunately, they don’t sell those at the pharmacy.
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That’s his problem- there is no solution.
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I also thought that there was a body in the box, he’s taking everything with him. But from your comments I see that this is not the case. What a relief. 🙂 Unrequited love and backache: too much baggage indeed.
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I feel his back ache and his pain! Fortunately I had movers to help me. It’s nicely written – I like the visual imagery. I just keep getting to feeling that the spoken parts don’t reflect as much on the mood as the other text. It might be rhythm of the words. “Why couldn’t she love me back?” instead, maybe? Dialogue is always difficult. It’s such a nice piece I couldn’t refrain from the suggestion. 🙂
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Thanks for suggestion which I think does improve it. I’m pleased you liked it enough to give it so much thought. Thank-you.
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Love is such a mystery. Poor fella … leave the bags behind, I say.
Isadora 😎
p.s. the first time I saw the word boot light up I had no idea what it was. I had to look it up in my car
manual. It seems my car is British. LOL
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Thanks for reading Isadora. It’s a good point you make. Maybe for international understanding the word limit should be increased to allow us to write boot/trunk, pavement/sidewalk etc 🙂
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Maybe, the smart computers could change it according to where it’s being read. LOL … I think it works fine. The worst that could happen is that someone thinks the belongings are going into shoes/ boots. 😳
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Perhaps he can find a good masseuse; preferably a very good looking female masseuse!
(unattached)
Kill two birds with one stone; comes to mind… 😉
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We have a winning solution, now he just needs to find that elusive combination. Simple 🙂
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Hahah… Where there’s life there’s ….. 😉
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