despair

Expropriation and Hopelessness

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PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

Charlotte clamped a fist round her locket and contemplated the Christmas lights for the last time. Since the advent of the new order, everyone wore lockets. When uncertain of seeing your loved ones again, photographs are everything.

On turning sixteen in September, the law demanded Emma report to the ‘Citizen Development and Assignment Programme.’ She’d instead joined her brother in hiding.

Charlotte wept for the memories, the lifetime investment in their little house now scheduled for reallocation. They were obliged to move to government, ‘Third Stage Life’ apartments.

Her husband had planned their flight, but she knew, they were too old for resistance.

Written for Friday Fictioneers – a 100 words story based on a photo prompt. Hosted by Rochelle. Read the other entries here.

Chapter 9 – Love the One You’re With

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despair-2 Staying in bed was only saturating the pillow. Wrapping a dressing gown round her, Alison threw herself at the cleaning, not daring to stop for a cup of tea. Struggling to control her inner debate, she turned on the hoover to drown it out.
Like a mantra, she narrated the clichés her mother would spill. “The grass is rarely greener, better the devil you know; be grateful for what you have.”
But nothing would dispel the voice of love iterating, “Compromise isn’t happiness. Love doesn’t know compromise.”
“It’ll pass,” she whispered, “No texts, no calls, I won’t see him again.”