| General Fiction posted April 30, 2015 | Chapters: |
...10 11 -12- 13... 
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  |
In a matter of seconds, everything can change
A chapter in the book Flash Fiction
Don't Worry
by Begin Again
Flash Fiction Writing Contest Contest Winner
"Good morning, God. Thank you for this beautiful day." Lillian smiled.
She felt blessed. She was happy. Her marriage to Kent was one of a kind. He loved building skyscrapers. She loved being a stay-at-home mommy. They adored their son, Jamie. They were living their dream.
The telephone rang. She lifted the receiver to her ear.
"Hello."
"Lillian, it's Frank." He was the construction site boss and Kent's best friend since college.
"We've got trouble. A utility crew hit a gas line. There's been an explosion. The building collapsed."
She gasped and fought to breathe. Her brain screamed, but words wouldn't form.
Frank choked. His eyes watered.
"It's chaos here. Camera crews everywhere. I didn't want you to see it that way."
"Is Kent-" She gulped and started again, "Is Kent with you? He's okay, right?"
Two seconds passed, or maybe it was an eternity.
Paralysis claimed her body. Her eyes darted around the room. Jamie was content with his legos. She struggled to focus.
"I'm sorry. I don't know, Lil, I just don't know." He fought for control. "I gotta go. I'll call as soon as I know anything. It's going to be alright." His voice held no conviction.
The line went dead. Her fingers ached from gripping the telephone. Fear engulfed her.
Don't cry! Don't you dare cry! You can't scare Jamie.
She replaced the phone.
She watched her five-year-old stack one lego piece on top of another, careful not to knock them down.
Lillian bit her lip, drawing blood. She took a deep breath and released it and then another. Her mind was reeling.
Keep it together, Lillian. Kent is fine.
"Mommy, look at what I did." His voice startled her. He didn't seem to notice. "It's a skyscraper like the ones daddy builds." He admired his accomplishment. "When's Daddy coming home? I want to show him."
Lillian's heart splintered. Fear had her guts in a stranglehold.
"Mommy, you didn't answer me. You always told me it's not polite to ignore people." His eyes locked on her. He tapped his foot, waiting.
"I'm sorry. What was the question?" She had to get a grip before her child figured out something was wrong. "Mommy's a little distracted."
"Is something wrong?" Jamie reached for her hand.
"Wrong? Of course not." She brushed his hair out of his eyes. "I'm just a little tired."
"Do you need a nap? Sometimes you say I need a nap."
"No, I don't think I need a nap, but thank you for asking." She wanted him to go back to his legos. She needed to think. No, thinking wasn't what she wanted to do. She wanted her husband to walk through the door. She needed him.
Frank, call me. Please, call me. Now!
"Mommy, it's going to be okay." He hugged her legs.
"What's going to be okay, Jamie?" Her heart slammed against her chest. Had he heard her conversation with Frank?
"Remember when Grandpa went to heaven? I was scared. You said you were, too. You told me not to worry because God would take care of him, and it would be okay. Your face looks like it did that day."
Lillian scooped Jamie into her arms and buried her face against him. "You're so smart. I love you."
The phone rang. Trembling fingers picked up the receiver.
"Hello"
"Mrs. O'Hara"
"Yes."
"I'm a nurse at Swedish American Hospital. Your husband asked me to call. The doctors are with him. Banged up a little, but nothing too serious. He knew you'd be worried."
"Thank you so much."
Tears streamed down her face. Kneeling, she hugged Jamie. "You're right! It's going to be okay."
"Good morning, God. Thank you for this beautiful day." Lillian smiled.
She felt blessed. She was happy. Her marriage to Kent was one of a kind. He loved building skyscrapers. She loved being a stay-at-home mommy. They adored their son, Jamie. They were living their dream.
The telephone rang. She lifted the receiver to her ear.
"Hello."
"Lillian, it's Frank." He was the construction site boss and Kent's best friend since college.
"We've got trouble. A utility crew hit a gas line. There's been an explosion. The building collapsed."
She gasped and fought to breathe. Her brain screamed, but words wouldn't form.
Frank choked. His eyes watered.
"It's chaos here. Camera crews everywhere. I didn't want you to see it that way."
"Is Kent-" She gulped and started again, "Is Kent with you? He's okay, right?"
Two seconds passed, or maybe it was an eternity.
Paralysis claimed her body. Her eyes darted around the room. Jamie was content with his legos. She struggled to focus.
"I'm sorry. I don't know, Lil, I just don't know." He fought for control. "I gotta go. I'll call as soon as I know anything. It's going to be alright." His voice held no conviction.
The line went dead. Her fingers ached from gripping the telephone. Fear engulfed her.
Don't cry! Don't you dare cry! You can't scare Jamie.
She replaced the phone.
She watched her five-year-old stack one lego piece on top of another, careful not to knock them down.
Lillian bit her lip, drawing blood. She took a deep breath and released it and then another. Her mind was reeling.
Keep it together, Lillian. Kent is fine.
"Mommy, look at what I did." His voice startled her. He didn't seem to notice. "It's a skyscraper like the ones daddy builds." He admired his accomplishment. "When's Daddy coming home? I want to show him."
Lillian's heart splintered. Fear had her guts in a stranglehold.
"Mommy, you didn't answer me. You always told me it's not polite to ignore people." His eyes locked on her. He tapped his foot, waiting.
"I'm sorry. What was the question?" She had to get a grip before her child figured out something was wrong. "Mommy's a little distracted."
"Is something wrong?" Jamie reached for her hand.
"Wrong? Of course not." She brushed his hair out of his eyes. "I'm just a little tired."
"Do you need a nap? Sometimes you say I need a nap."
"No, I don't think I need a nap, but thank you for asking." She wanted him to go back to his legos. She needed to think. No, thinking wasn't what she wanted to do. She wanted her husband to walk through the door. She needed him.
Frank, call me. Please, call me. Now!
"Mommy, it's going to be okay." He hugged her legs.
"What's going to be okay, Jamie?" Her heart slammed against her chest. Had he heard her conversation with Frank?
"Remember when Grandpa went to heaven? I was scared. You said you were, too. You told me not to worry because God would take care of him, and it would be okay. Your face looks like it did that day."
Lillian scooped Jamie into her arms and buried her face against him. "You're so smart. I love you."
The phone rang. Trembling fingers picked up the receiver.
"Hello"
"Mrs. O'Hara"
"Yes."
"I'm a nurse at Swedish American Hospital. Your husband asked me to call. The doctors are with him. Banged up a little, but nothing too serious. He knew you'd be worried."
"Thank you so much."
Tears streamed down her face. Kneeling, she hugged Jamie. "You're right! It's going to be okay."
She felt blessed. She was happy. Her marriage to Kent was one of a kind. He loved building skyscrapers. She loved being a stay-at-home mommy. They adored their son, Jamie. They were living their dream.
The telephone rang. She lifted the receiver to her ear.
"Hello."
"Lillian, it's Frank." He was the construction site boss and Kent's best friend since college.
"We've got trouble. A utility crew hit a gas line. There's been an explosion. The building collapsed."
She gasped and fought to breathe. Her brain screamed, but words wouldn't form.
Frank choked. His eyes watered.
"It's chaos here. Camera crews everywhere. I didn't want you to see it that way."
"Is Kent-" She gulped and started again, "Is Kent with you? He's okay, right?"
Two seconds passed, or maybe it was an eternity.
Paralysis claimed her body. Her eyes darted around the room. Jamie was content with his legos. She struggled to focus.
"I'm sorry. I don't know, Lil, I just don't know." He fought for control. "I gotta go. I'll call as soon as I know anything. It's going to be alright." His voice held no conviction.
The line went dead. Her fingers ached from gripping the telephone. Fear engulfed her.
Don't cry! Don't you dare cry! You can't scare Jamie.
She replaced the phone.
She watched her five-year-old stack one lego piece on top of another, careful not to knock them down.
Lillian bit her lip, drawing blood. She took a deep breath and released it and then another. Her mind was reeling.
Keep it together, Lillian. Kent is fine.
"Mommy, look at what I did." His voice startled her. He didn't seem to notice. "It's a skyscraper like the ones daddy builds." He admired his accomplishment. "When's Daddy coming home? I want to show him."
Lillian's heart splintered. Fear had her guts in a stranglehold.
"Mommy, you didn't answer me. You always told me it's not polite to ignore people." His eyes locked on her. He tapped his foot, waiting.
"I'm sorry. What was the question?" She had to get a grip before her child figured out something was wrong. "Mommy's a little distracted."
"Is something wrong?" Jamie reached for her hand.
"Wrong? Of course not." She brushed his hair out of his eyes. "I'm just a little tired."
"Do you need a nap? Sometimes you say I need a nap."
"No, I don't think I need a nap, but thank you for asking." She wanted him to go back to his legos. She needed to think. No, thinking wasn't what she wanted to do. She wanted her husband to walk through the door. She needed him.
Frank, call me. Please, call me. Now!
"Mommy, it's going to be okay." He hugged her legs.
"What's going to be okay, Jamie?" Her heart slammed against her chest. Had he heard her conversation with Frank?
"Remember when Grandpa went to heaven? I was scared. You said you were, too. You told me not to worry because God would take care of him, and it would be okay. Your face looks like it did that day."
Lillian scooped Jamie into her arms and buried her face against him. "You're so smart. I love you."
The phone rang. Trembling fingers picked up the receiver.
"Hello"
"Mrs. O'Hara"
"Yes."
"I'm a nurse at Swedish American Hospital. Your husband asked me to call. The doctors are with him. Banged up a little, but nothing too serious. He knew you'd be worried."
"Thank you so much."
Tears streamed down her face. Kneeling, she hugged Jamie. "You're right! It's going to be okay."
Flash Fiction Writing Contest Contest Winner |
 Recognized |
|
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