Faithful – VisDare 40

Here’s my latest offering for Anonymous Legacy‘s photo-inspired prompt, VisDare. This week’s prompt word is ‘Oblivious’. The rules are simple:

150 words – or less.

Post entry to your blog and “link in”.

(Please – no erotica or graphic violence.)

DON’T FORGET to read and comment on others’ entries!!

The photo is below, and my piece follows.  Let me know what you think, and give it a go yourself, why not?

– Faithful – 

Vera had been carrying a torch for her Tommy, ever since he had waved a cheerful goodbye at the train station, back in 1940.

He had disappeared in a cloud of smoke and steam.  She had waved her lace-edged handkerchief, tears coursing down her perfectly powdered cheeks, until he was just a speck in the distance.

Life marched on. The war ended. His parents became strangely distant and moved away to the countryside.

Vera never married, never forgetting her promise to wait for Tommy, forever.

Now, her rage knew no bounds. Forty years later and almost as many pounds heavier, he sat fat and happy in the seat opposite, holding his wife’s hand.

He never knew what hit him.

*****

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Discordance – dVerse Open Link Week 116

Here’s my latest entry into the dVerse Open Link – why not take a look at everyone else’s wonderful responses?

This piece is about the wrong time, the wrong place, about how, in a typically English fashion, we sometimes hide behind our walls, offer up excuses for fear of being hurt, or revealing our true selves.

*****

– Discordance –

If I was in another place
inside my head, if there was space
and I could clear away the noise
that leaves me raw and turns me cold –

If I was in another place,
and could connect, smile at your face
that holds those eyes of perfect poise
I would smile and risk my soul –

If I was in another place
where I could turn back and retrace
the path that left an empty shell
I would reach out, take your hand –

But I am in this darkened place
which won’t allow a moment’s grace,
to open up my heart and tell
you my life story, understand

that this is not my chosen place,
our cards are mismatched in this case
please walk on by, return again
for now just let me be your friend

Stop All the Clocks – Alastair’s Photo Fiction

Here is my offering for Alastair’s Photo Fiction this week, inspired by the photo below.  Why not take part? And why not visit his photography and writing blog to take a look at his other photos…?

Copyright - A Mixed Bag

Copyright – A Mixed Bag

– Stop All the Clocks –

Eric wondered whether the clock’s stopping had taken place in broad daylight, or whether the hands had ceased their relentless turning in the London night, unremarked by human eyes.

His day swallowed him whole, the passing thoughts faded into the background. Two weeks later, on his first day back to work from his annual summer holiday, the ever-still hands locked at just before twenty to three caught his eye straight away. He reached his office, shut the door and picked up the phone.

“Yes, hello. Your clock doesn’t seem to be working. Did you know about it?”

Eric liked order, above all things. On putting the receiver back in its cradle, he felt satisfied at having alerted the management to the problem.

On his way home, he opened the Evening Standard, settling down to read. At the bottom of page 7, a news item caught his eye and his satisfaction disappeared, replaced by a strange empty feeling.

“Hotel clock winder dies on duty”

Still, at least he had helped them find the poor old man.