| General Fiction posted May 17, 2022 |
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Everyone thinks there's time. That's not always the case.
The Bridge
by DeboraDyess
Almost home.
It had been too long, she knew.
John wasn't bad. But he wasn't her father.
"I loved your dad, Sybil, but he's --"
"Dead. I know." She'd stormed off, leaving her mother's words hanging in the air like the last leaf of a blighted tree, dry and dying.
She regretted it. She thought of the years that made her distance seem right and sighed. So many things could've bridged the gap she'd created between them.
Only a few miles more...
Then a front tire blew. The bridge's guardrail loomed ahead of her. She veered right. Cold, rushing water raged into the car, momentarily paralyzing her. She jerked hard on the door handle ... again ... again ... and nothing.
The water rose quickly. No time for 911. Grabbing her cell, she hit numbers she'd known since childhood.
"Momma," she breathed into the phone as the water reached her chin, "I love you."
Flash Fiction contest entry
Almost home.
It had been too long, she knew.
John wasn't bad. But he wasn't her father.
"I loved your dad, Sybil, but he's --"
"Dead. I know." She'd stormed off, leaving her mother's words hanging in the air like the last leaf of a blighted tree, dry and dying.
She regretted it. She thought of the years that made her distance seem right and sighed. So many things could've bridged the gap she'd created between them.
Only a few miles more...
Then a front tire blew. The bridge's guardrail loomed ahead of her. She veered right. Cold, rushing water raged into the car, momentarily paralyzing her. She jerked hard on the door handle ... again ... again ... and nothing.
The water rose quickly. No time for 911. Grabbing her cell, she hit numbers she'd known since childhood.
"Momma," she breathed into the phone as the water reached her chin, "I love you."
It had been too long, she knew.
John wasn't bad. But he wasn't her father.
"I loved your dad, Sybil, but he's --"
"Dead. I know." She'd stormed off, leaving her mother's words hanging in the air like the last leaf of a blighted tree, dry and dying.
She regretted it. She thought of the years that made her distance seem right and sighed. So many things could've bridged the gap she'd created between them.
Only a few miles more...
Then a front tire blew. The bridge's guardrail loomed ahead of her. She veered right. Cold, rushing water raged into the car, momentarily paralyzing her. She jerked hard on the door handle ... again ... again ... and nothing.
The water rose quickly. No time for 911. Grabbing her cell, she hit numbers she'd known since childhood.
"Momma," she breathed into the phone as the water reached her chin, "I love you."
According to Word, TheWordCounter.com, and WordCounter.net, this is 150 words. I'm not sure what's up with the FS approximate word counter, but I'm going with the other three. :) Thanks to those who taught me that sometimes a word counter will count elipses as a word. Who knew? Well ... Some of you knew. lol
Make the time, find the person, and fix the issue.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Make the time, find the person, and fix the issue.
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