She found him crouched in a corner smoking, digging dirt and weeds out of a crack in the concrete with a twig.
‘You okay?’ she asked. She sat down.
He nodded and pulled the cigarette away from his lips.
‘I suppose I got enough to do something about this now.’ He thrust the twig up and behind towards the ramshackle house above. ‘I could make it as good as new.’
‘Or better,’ she said. ‘You could always make it better.’
He ran the back of his hand across her cheek, careful not to burn her.
Carol J Forrester is a writer and a history geek. Her debut collection 'It's All In The Blood' came out November 2019.
She has a 2:1 BA degree in history from Bath Spa University, enjoys judo at least twice a week, and tries to attend poetry events around the Midlands when she can.
Her flash fiction story ‘Glorious Silence’ was named as River Ram Press’ short story of the month for August 2014 and her short story ‘A Visit From The Fortune Teller’ has been showcased on the literary site Ink Pantry. Her poems ‘Sunsets’ and ‘Clear Out‘ were featured on Eyes Plus Words, and two of her poems were included in the DVerse Poets Pub Publication ‘Chiaroscuro’ which is available for purchase on amazon.Her poem ‘Until The Light Gets In‘ was accepted and published at The Drabble and her poem ‘Newborn’ was published by Ink Sweat & Tears.
She has been lucky enough to write guest posts for sites such as Inky Tavern and Song of The Forlorn and has hosted a number of guest bloggers on her site Writing and Works.
View all posts by Carol J Forrester
13 Comments
I like this.. always when I wonder what it is he to do… and moving someone from never to maybe… that’s at least one step.
Thank you. After writing a response for DVerse on Monday I was trying to pull something more hopeful and peaceful out. I’m trying to remind myself that there’s more than one emotion to write about.
I like this.. always when I wonder what it is he to do… and moving someone from never to maybe… that’s at least one step.
Such a telling bit of dialogue. I love how you’ve captured the essence of two characters and their relationship to each other in such a short piece.
Thank you. 🙂
This is hopeful and peaceful. Hoping to make it better is a great way to approach life.
Thank you. After writing a response for DVerse on Monday I was trying to pull something more hopeful and peaceful out. I’m trying to remind myself that there’s more than one emotion to write about.
Maybe. I like this. I think with most things the most important step is mental and just believing you can do it.
Indeed. Thanks for commenting.
Beautiful little snippet of life.
Great story! I hope you’ll read mine here.
Thank you. Yours gave me a good chuckle at the end. 🙂
Lovely, tender little story; I feel quite sad for him!
Thanks for the comment, I’m glad you enjoyed the piece.
Nice little story with a lot told in a short space. He seems to need the confidence she can give him. Well done, Carol. 🙂 — Suzanne
Thank you Suzanne.