PHOTO PROMPT © Janet Webb
He stuffed her clothes into a bin bag then dwelt on the titles of paperbacks stacked in a cardboard box. “She liked her romance.”
Jewellery was set aside to sell. From a rattling vase, he tipped out a collection of pebbles. She always brought souvenirs from beaches they visited. He counted them like rosary beads, each one a memory.
“We were happy then.”
He shivered, “Can you take your memories with you?”
Just in case, he drove to the woods and sought out her grave. He wept as he sprinkled the stones, “If only she hadn’t pushed me so far.”
Written for Friday Fictioneers – a 100 words story based on a photo prompt. Hosted by Rochelle. Read the other entries here.
“For each man kills the thing he loves”
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Thank-you. Nice quote.
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Oh dear!
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Indeed. Thanks for reading
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I wonder who pushed whom in the end… falling from a balcony is not always accidental. Sinister twist in the end.
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Thanks Bjorn. It could have gone either way but I was seduced by the sinister on this occasion
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Nice dark tale, well written.
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Thank-you, pleased you liked it.
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Dear Michael,
You had me feeling sorry for him…until the end. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle. Sorry for the late response. It’s hectic here at the moment
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A chilling end to a sad story. Nice one!
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Thanks, much appreciated comment
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I wasn’t expecting that. He’d seemed like such a nice man.
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Thanks Sandra, the quiet ones are the worst. 🙂
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That was unexpected. I hope the out-of-place pebbles give his game away.
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So do I. Thanks for reading
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Oh, what a dark twist. And he’s victim-blaming, I hope he gets found out. Great story.
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Thanks and exactly right, he is victim blaming and I hope he gets caught too
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I wonder what she did to push him too far. Everyone has their breaking point I guess. Extraordinary how people try to justify evil acts! Well constructed – the ending caught me unawares 🙂
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Exactly, I’ve seen it too many times where people somehow reason themselves into being the victim or in the right.
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C’mon! He is accusing her of being the cause of her own death!
Wish he had taken time for those memories earlier!
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Exactly. But how often do you see people manage to justify their own wrong doings in this way?
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Many. It includes parents & others in authority too. History also gives proof!
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I wonder how happy they really were when the pebbles were being collected. After reading the shock ending I have to question the poor bereaved husband’s view of everything. Well done.
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I think however happy they were it had begun to wane, but there is no excuse for what he has done
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